Malcolm X By: Henry Seyue

Dir. Spike Lee
Cast: Malcolm X (Denzel Washington), Betty Shabazz (Angela Basset), Shorty (Spike Lee), West Indian Archie (Delroy Lindo)
40 acres and a mule, 1992.




"Malcolm X" [Is your use of quotes a stylistic choice?  Usually quotes are used with titles of shorter works i.e. poems, short stories, essays, and chapters] is what a biopic should look like. I've long held that "Do The Right Thing" (DTRT ) is my favorite Spike Lee Joint, and after watching this, even though personally DTRT is still my favorite Spike Lee Joint, objectively I would say "Malcolm X" is his best film. In a catalog with hits like Crooklyn, and School Daze, as well as fellow Denzel Collabs like Mo' Better Blues and He Got Game, this being his best film tells you that it is especially great given the reception of the aforementioned films. In a generation with laughable biopics filled with poor casting, blatant anachronisms, and centered on insignificant people [Henry, I love this  -  could you list one or more examples?], Malcolm X is a breath of fresh air that reminds film buffs of the beauty of a historically accurate and well casted biopic.

The film is relatively long [3 hr and 25 min if I am not mistaken], but I don't think a second of it is wasted doing something that didn't add to either the beauty or message of the film. Perhaps this is because Spike couldn't afford to be extra given that the film had to be completed from a series of donations from black celebrities at the time. With that being said, every dollar is well spent. Lee doesn't simply tell us the story of Malcolm X, he does more than that while building X's Character. First he tells the story of Malcolm Little (X as a youth), then he tells us the story of Detroit Red (X's criminal moniker), and finally he tells us the story of Malcolm X [What about El-hajj Malik El-Shabazz?], the product of the two previous stages in his identity. By the time this is done the title character has gone through this metamorphosis right before you, and a man who has been dead for nearly 60 years is brought back to life through the accurate and intricate depiction of some of the most intimate moments of his life. He [Lee] beautifully recreates the militant image of X that is epitomized by the "by an means necessary" moment in the film, as well as the side of X that was motivated by the pure desire to unite black people. In the film that desire is tainted somewhere along the line by the nation of Islam, but valuable insight is provide about the end of X's life when it is depicted that his messages and ideas were in a state of being refined.

It shouldn't be forgotten that aside from all the beauty of the film and how accurately events are depicted, this film is one with a message. Released 4 months prior to Black History Month, it serves as both an ode to one of the most prominent figures in black history, but it's also meant to incite thought and self reflection. The anecdotes of X's life aren't simply for show, most viewers should be able to question the roles that religion, race and gender play in the world and their own lives during this film. Personally this film forced me to consider how I have been influenced by the world and how I am influencing the world. X finding himself on his haaj is symbolic of ones quest to find themselves through what ever means. His conflict of being a mixed child is symbolic of any person trying to balance 2 identities as well, and his situation with the Nation of Islam to me personally symbolizes that moment in a persons life when they realized that their hero has flaws.

Overall this film is memorable to say the least, and although I wont devote too much time to whine about how neither Angela Basset or Denzel Washington snagged Oscars for their roles in the film, I will say that it was a travesty. Individually I would give Denzel Washington's performance a 10/10 without a second thought. I also think this is one of Angela Bassets top 3 performances coming slightly before her roll as Kathrine Jackson in the Jackson 5 biopic. Overall I would give this film a strong 5/5 stars. I'm not sure if there's anything negative I can personally say about it, I think this sets the standard for what every biopic should look like in terms of casting, directing, screenwriting, and production.

Spkie Lee Crooklyn By Nyani Nelson

Spike Lee movie "Crooklyn," is a memory of growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1970s, a time that now seems like a golden age before crack, guns and gangs ruled the inner city streets. It tells the story of the Carmichaels, a family with four boys and a girl, who live in a brownstone on a street where everybody knows everybody else, and have their problems, just like everybody else, but also possess a lot of life and love. The early scenes in the film plunge into the middle of family life, and it's only gradually that we realize the story is focusing on Troy (Zelda Harris), the young daughter in the family.

Her father, Woody (Delroy Lindo), is a musician who once made good money playing pop music but is now concentrating on more serious composition, with no income. Her mother, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), is a high school teacher whose struggles to make ends meet lead to family arguments. And her brothers are a rambunctious bunch who can turn the house upside down. "Crooklyn" was written by Lee with his sister, Joie Susannah Lee, and his brother, Cinque Lee. They say it isn't literal autobiography, but was "inspired" by their memories. Some of those memories have the specificity of real life, however, including a showdown between Carolyn and a son who will not clean up his plate of black-eyed peas. And there are family quarrels, as when Carolyn temporarily throws Woody out of the house for bouncing checks and not contributing to the family income. One particularly poignant scene has the oldest son, Clinton (Carlton Williams), deciding whether to attend his father's all-important solo piano recital, or use his ticket to the Knicks' all-important playoff game.

He goes to the game, but when he comes home the Knicks victory somehow doesn't seem as important as it should. Spike Lee is one of the few directors willing to try experimental visual approaches in his films, and some viewers may be confused by a tactic he uses in a sequence where Troy goes south to Virginia to spend summer vacation with her more affluent relatives. Their world, of split-level suburban homes with attached garages, surrounded by green lawns, seems utterly alien to her as a city girl. Lee finds the visual equivalent for that alienation by filming the southern scenes in a squeezed format; the effect is the same as when a wide-screen movie is projected without the correct lens.

Some audiences members may think the projectionist has made a mistake. But the device is deliberate, and although it's distracting, it is also interesting, showing that every detail of the relatives' lives - from their furniture to their snippy little dog - could be from Mars as far as Troy is concerned. One of the undercurrents of "Crooklyn" is that trouble was all around the Carmichaels in the early 1970s, but it could still be managed. A neighbor (David Patrick Kelly) is an eccentric recluse who never seems to clean his apartment. The kids retaliate by dumping garbage on his stoop. They everybody shouts at one another. Today, we reflect, the neighbor might draw a gun.

In another wonderfully observed scene, Troy goes to the local store with a 9-year-old friend, who is going to teach her to shoplift. She gets caught with a bag of potato chips, and gets a lecture from the store owner that will, I believe, forever cure her of shoplifting. The message here may be that many growing children do at one time or another succumb to peer-pressure and experiment with things like shoplifting, but that the community, as well as the parents, can teach them it is wrong. Today, I'm afraid, it would be treated as a bigger deal, perhaps with less happy results.

Debra Granik Winters Bone By Nyani Nelson

In the mountains of Missouri, Ree Dolly and her family live in an old house on the edge of a sprawling timberwood. Though they have fallen on hard times, Ree takes dutiful care of her two younger brothers, Harold and Sunny, and her mother, Connie, who is “medicated and lost to the present.” One morning a deputy named Baskin from the sheriff’s department arrives at Ree’s house to inform her that her father, Jessusa, is missing just a week ahead of his upcoming court date. Baskin tells Ree that her father has put the house and timber acres up for his bond, and that unless he turns up in time for his arraignment, Ree and her family will lose both their house and their property. Ree told the deputy that she will find her father. Ree decides to start her search by going to her uncle Teardrop and also a crank chef. He and his wife Victoria live just a few miles away, and Ree visits them and expresses her dire need to “run her father to ground.” Teardrop tells Ree that it’s Jessup’s choice whether or not to show up, and advises her to stop her search.

When Ree presses him further, he grabs her by the hair and shakes her, then retreats to his room. Victoria follows, and emerges with fifty dollars. She gives it to Ree, and warns her once again to stay close to home. Ree visits her best friend, Gail Lockrum, who dropped out of high school and married a local boy named Floyd; together, Gail and Floyd have an infant son named Ned. Ree asks to use Gail’s husband’s truck in order to follow up on a lead but when Gail asks her husband, Floyd, for permission, he refuses. The next day, Ree hitches her way to Hawkfall. When she arrives, a young woman, Megan, emerges from one of the homes.

Ree asks after Little Arthur, an acquaintance of her father’s. At Little Arthur’s, Ree asks after her father, and Arthur deflects, claiming that he hasn’t seen Jessup in nearly a year. Arthur flirts with Ree and offers her crank and weed. After she refuses, he tells her to leave. Megan tells Ree to go up the hill and talk to Thump Milton, who will surely know her father’s whereabouts, though Megan warns Ree that Thump Milton “scares” her, and that he may not even agree to talk. When Ree arrives at Thump Milton’s home, his wife Merab turns her away. Ree implores Merab to give her a chance, invoking their distant blood ties. Merab goes into the house, and, when she emerges again “after most of an hour,” tells Ree that Thump Milton refuses to see her. Ree, indignant, shouts loudly at Thump Milton

Malcolm X; By Anthony Ruggiero

Malcolm X is 1992 Crime/Drama film directed by Spike Lee. The movie stars Denzel Washington (Malcolm X), Spike Lee (Shorty), Angela Basset (Dr. Betty Shabazz), Delroy Lindo (West Indian Archie), Albert Hall (Baines), Al Freeman Jr (Elijah Muhammad). 

The movie starts off with Malcolm X giving a speech about the oppression of the black race by the white race. He accuses whites of murder, rape and slavery. In the years of World War 2 little Malcolm meets with his friend Shorty to go to a barber shop to get his hair straightened so he could look more white. Malcolm grew up poor in Nebraska. One day his house was burned down by the Ku Klux Klan and his father was murdered. One night Malcolm is out with his boss Archie and wins big in a game of where he runs numbers. Archie gets mad and Malcolm cuts ties with him. One night Shorty and Malcolm rob a place and get a get a good amount of money. Back at their place the water stops working while Malcolm is straightening his hair and is forced to use the toilet to wash his hair out. While doing that the cops bust in and arrest Malcolm's crew. The two white women are sentenced to 18 months in prison while Malcolm and Shorty get 8-10 years for fourteen different robbery charges. The sentencing is also agreed on to be served concurrently. On his first day in prison Malcolm is thrown into solitary confinement because he refused to recite his incarceration number. Malcolm finally recites his number and is released fro solitary confinement. He later goes to the showers and meets Baines who is a member of the nation of Islam. After deciding to be taught by Baines, Malcolm is released from prison on parole in 1952. In 1958 Malcolm meets his future wife, Betty Sanders. Later on in his life Malcolm recieves death threats but Baines beileves Malcolm publicizes them for publicity. At the end of the movie Malcolm is killed by three assassins right in front of his wife and daughters. 

Overall I thought the movie was a great one but it was way to long. If the movie was shorter it would have made me want to be more invested in it. Due to its longevity I wasn't to invested in the film even though it was a great one. 

Fruitvale Station Review

Dir. Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan (Oscar Grant), Melonie Diaz (Sophina), Octavia Spencer (Wanda)
Prod: OG Project, Forest Whitaker's Significant Productions
Distributor: The Weinstein Company, 2009

Here’s one of the most morbid thoughts you can ever put in your head: will I die today? This thought isn’t to spur you to live each day like it’s your last. It’s a simple observation. Where has life led you to this point, where would you like your life to go, and how does one affect the other? In his debut feature Fruitvale Station, writer-director Ryan Coogler goes into the last day in the life of Oscar Grant, who was infamously shot by BART police officers in Oakland, California on New Year’s Day, 2009. Coogler’s solemn, no-frills direction lets us walk into Oscar’s life, and become absolutely devastated as it heads to its inevitable conclusion.

The film only runs 85 minutes, and while other times in his life are covered, most of the film centers on this one particular day. Things haven’t necessarily gone to plan for Oscar and it’s quite apparent that he’s been down the wrong path more than once before. On the eve of a new year, he aims to get his old job back, do right by his mother, Wanda, whose birthday coincidentally falls of New Years Day, and lastly, to take care of his girlfriend and daughter. Oscar’s heart seems in the right place but he’s struggling to pick an avenue, almost as if he’s waiting for life to happen to him instead of taking initiative. The moments he shares with 4-year-old daughter, Tatiana are precious. They give us insight into how he carries himself as a father, even if he’s not able to provide financially. This is a realistic scenario in my opinion. Oscar shows effort on more than one occasion. The racial dynamic is evident in the film, however, it isn't in your face about it like it could've been in the hands of someone like Spike Lee, as we saw in Do the Right Thing.

While Oscar's fate is infuriating, the film leaves viewers feeling helpless and saddened by the story's outcome. Oscar isn't upright, but he recognizes his faults, even as he struggles to overcome them. While he doesn't look to God for help, his mother certainly does, and her intercession on Oscar’s behalf is the strongest element in this potent, memorable film. Fruitvale Station’s wrenching power lies in the specificity of its storytelling. It will leave you not only shaking your head over an all too common social justice problem, but also grieving the senseless death of one flawed, yet innocent young man.

Creed Review

Dir: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Tessa Thompson (Bianca)

Prod: New Line cinema, 2015

Distributor: MGM & United Artist, 2015

Don’t be fooled by the title, Creed is basically Rocky 7. However, I feel like calling it that would almost be an insult to it's worth. With apologies to Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago, Ryan Coogler’s rousingly emotional and captivating new film is the best installment since the 1976 original. It’s easy to read that last sentence and shrug, but Sylvester Stallone’s first Rocky was a dark, downbeat masterpiece that reflected its New Hollywood era [what do you mean by this statement?]. Creed taps into that same gritty underdog authenticity [nice]. Michael B. Jordan, re-teaming with his Fruitvale Station director, plays Adonis Johnson―the out-of-wedlock son of Rocky’s love-hate rival, Apollo Creed.

This film not only captures the journey of Adonis Creed nee Donnie Johnson trying to fill his fathers shoes with the help of Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), but it also has an emotional aspect to it with a love interest. Adonis meets neighbor Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who just happens to be an extremely foxy singer who's not only losing her hearing, but is also doing some local performing at the moment [this may all be accurate, but your syntax/sentence construction is somewhat confusing]. Their budding relationship is definitely a joy to watch. It reminds me of the classic Rocky film where we fall in love with the connection Balboa shares with Adrian. 

Creed is an overall wholesome film, both in and out of the ring, a movie about an exceptional young man who has the benefit of an exceptional past and turns it into an exceptional future. It evokes [???] the young people who are condemned to ordinary neglect, racism, incarceration and who are all the more extraordinary in the force of their endurance. Michael B. Jordan did his job as Adonis Johnson and showed us what it really means to have all odds against you and still come out on top [nice strong finish].

Beasts of the Southern Wild Review

Director. Benh Zeitlin

Feat. Quvenzhané Wallis (Hushpuppy), Dwight Henry (Wink), Levy Easterly (Jean Battiste)

Fox Searchlight Pictures & Entertainment One, 2012

Movies have the power to transport us to different worlds.  Benh Zeitlin‘s Beasts of the Southern Wild transports us to a world we never dreamt before and beyond our imagination. It is a story bursting with life and death, rage and tranquility, fear and bravery, and all of it delivered through a magnificent score, thoughtful cinematography, and on the shoulders of its child star.  It is an intellectual [missing object/predicate nominative] and at times, even emotional, but all in all, it is unlike anything you’ve seen in recent years, and it is a movie you must see.

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and her father Wink (Dwight Henry) live in “The Bathtub”, a land unto itself on the other side of the New Orleans levy [homophone: levee].  The people of the Bathtub pride themselves on their self-sufficiency and staying away from the cloistered, coddled lives of outsiders.  The world of the Bathtub is held together with scrap metal, wooden planks, and the spirit of its community.  The coming flood that will drown their houses and send them adrift is not the apocalypse but the beginning of a new odyssey.  Several story threads are scattered throughout, but the film mostly examines daily life in The Bathtub and the new challenges and new revelations it presents for its young protagonist. An important theme in this film is the idea of living "off the grid" and away from everyone and everything else outside of their establishment. This can come with many challenges. For example, when the flood hit, everyone had to fend for themselves, no help from emergency services. When Hushpuppy's father passed out, she had to go find help herself! No cell phones or ambulance to call in the Bathtub, remember?

Another thing I noticed was that it was hard for me to build an emotional connection with the movie. I was unable to be Hushpuppy. Although we watched her gain independence, what she endured wasn't realistic enough for me. I couldn't imagine being that young and caring for myself and my ill father. It just wasn't relatable. Overall though, I recommend this movie for everyone to see at least once. It's so different, yet so captivating at the same time. Zeitlin might have came up with a classic [Another strong post Tia - I especially like how you are critical of the film, and yet recommend it].

Creed | Aleesa M.

Dir: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Michael B. Jordan (creed), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Tessa Thompson (Bianca)

Prod: New Line cinema, 2015

Distributor: MGM & United Artist, 2015

This film starts off with young Adonis in a juvenile detention center fighting. After getting pulled apart from the other kid he meets someone who becomes a big part of his life,  his new mom, the person who  raises him and the only one who is the closest person to his father who passed away before he was born . The film then skips some years in his life into an office scene. Adonis is presented with a promotion, but turns it down. He doesn't claim that he is a Creed, but after getting his mind straight on boxing. He moves to Philadelphia and starts training with someone who he calls his uncle and who we all know as Rocky. After a long day of working out and training he goes to his new apartment and ends up meeting Bianca. Adonis, Rocky, and Bianca go through a bunch of drama and medical issues. Through all the problems Adonis is hit with he continued to put his all and keep the two people who motivate him in his corner.

        

When it comes to this movie I'm a little bias because I haven't seen any of the earlier movies of Rocky except for the first one. Overall I think is movie has made it into my list of favorite movies, I love how there are multiple little details/hints that refer back to the earlier movies and just the production all together was amazing. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves all the Rocky films, if they enjoy watching sport related movies, or anyone in general because even though it's about boxing there's more to the story.

Psycho: Why We Creep

      Psycho (1960, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock) is a psychological horror film, adapted from novel format for the screen. Psycho is regarded as a father [interesting word choice  -  would mother not be more appropo] of the Slasher Flick genre, establishing what could be shown to the general public in terms of sexuality and gore. Hitchcock employed film techniques previously unheard of, and set a new precedent for visual horror.

     Hitchcock demonstrates the main theme of voyeurism in the very first shot [nice], where we are introduced to our setting and immediately squirm our way through the half-closed curtain to meet our main actress and her lover. Although we knew we were watching a movie, the viewer can’t help but feel as if they shouldn’t be seeing this. The morbid urge to spy is fulfilled all throughout the film, with intimate close ups and scandalous visuals. SPOILER ALERT!!! One scene with the same peeping-tom nature is after the parlor scene, where Norman Bates watches Marion Crane undress through a hole in the wall. Not only are we watching someone without their consent, but the unbelievably close shot Hitchcock uses here on Norman’s eye makes us a voyeur of a voyeur, filled with suspense, unable to stop watching and reveling in the social perversion. Hitchcock mirrors this effect with the close up of Marion’s eye after her death [YES!!!]
.

     Subtle symbolism throughout the movie hits its most blatant in the parlor scene. Bates says that Marion eats like a bird as she’s framed by songbirds and sparrows in a medium shot. For most of the dialogue, Bates is partnered with larger, but gentle stuffed birds in a medium shot as well. However, when Marion angers Bates, we are presented with a low angle shot where he is backed by birds of prey, wingspan displayed and imposing [Hitchcock's next film was The Birds]. The low angle makes us feel smaller than Bates, and the owls behind him introduces us to his predatory nature. (Our director seems to think that birds very solidly belong in horror, wonder what that tells us about him?)

      Themes of voyeurism and Norman's twisted mentality come to fruition in the most iconic scene, the shower scene. [I feel as though this single sentence posing as a paragraph is a tease]

- Amber Ventura  (Do not forget to check behind your shower curtain [nice touch].)

Winter's Bone By Latrese Martin

Dir. Debra Granik; feat. Jennifer Lawrence(Ree) and 

John Hawkes (Teardrop)

Roadshow Pictures 2010

A young girl, 17 years old girl named Ree knew what it felt like to be an adult so young. She looked after her two younger siblings in Ozark, Missouri. With her mother being weak and her father being a criminal, it was up to her to keep her family together. She later find out her father puts their house up for bond. Ree goes to search for her father with little help from her uncle ''Teardrop.'' It's up to her to save her family and it's not easy. As she searches for her father, there is trouble that comes along with it. She risks her life to find out her father's whereabouts. Many think he is dead but that doesn't stop Ree from finding out the truth.

Overall, this movie was good and it had a strong meaning that we could take and apply it to our own lives. I would recommend this movie to people who may have families like this one or people who believe that woman can be leaders other than just men. The main character learned that once you put your mind to something, you just go for it no matter who or what comes your way. 

Winters Bone By Bevon McLean

Bevon McLean II
Mr.Monahan
Film Studies
Winters Bone

Winter's Bone is a 2010 American drama film directed by Debra Granik, and adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini from the 2006 novel of the same name by Daniel Woodrell. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teenage girl in the rural Ozarks of Missouri who wants to protect her family from eviction and must locate her missing father.

Living in the Ozark backcountry, seventeen year old Ree Dolly acts as the primary caregiver to her mentally ill mother, and her two younger siblings, twelve year old Sonny and six year old Ashlee. Her father, Jessup Dolly, is generally absent from their lives, he who earns a living primarily by running a methamphetamine lab. Without money from Jessup, Ree is barely able to make ends meet, and depends on the kindness of their neighbor, Sonya, to do so. Ree learns that her father is scheduled for a court appearance for his illegal activities, and he has skipped bail, putting their house and property up as bond. No one seems to know where Jessup is. Ree has to try and find Jessup to make sure that he shows up for his court appearance, otherwise they risk losing their home. As Ree goes on her quest, she finds that people seem to know more about his whereabouts than they are letting on, including her uncle Teardrop of who she is scared. Rumors abound that Jessup is dead, but a dead father without a body does not help her cause. Anyways the movie ends with Teardrop realizing the gang were the ones that killed his brother, and him giving Ree the banjo before Ree’s sister plays her Uncle's former instrument as the screen cuts to black. But to be totally honest I did not enjoy the movie as much as I should have it was every long and drawn out and very easy to see what was going to happen next.

I rate the movie a 5/10 ish

Did the Right Thing - GO SEE BLACK PANTHER!

Ryan Coogler is arguably the most relevant writer/director working today, and in my opinion he is solidly three for three.  His most recent offering Marvel's Black Panther transcends its superhero genre  -  it truly is a marvel.  It is revolutionary.

The Black Panther, T'Challa, is not the only one donning the mask  -  his nation, his homeland, Wakanda hides its true identity from the world.  Although it appears to outsiders as a third-world pre-industrialized African nation, it is in fact the Super Power, albeit one that has long chosen a path of isolationist policy.  But rather than getting bogged down in a long-winded analysis, this post is [or at least should be] rather a call to arms. Like its title says, "GO SEE BLACK PANTHER!"

If you are reading this you are most likely familiar with both Fruitvale Station and Creed, and thus know the potential of any future collaborations between Coogler and actor Michael B Jordan;  Black Panther will not disappoint.  It may however leave you scratching your head, asking yourself, What did I just see?  I, for one, have seen many films and have never seen anything like this.

In addition to going to see Black Panther may I strongly recommend the following list of films and readings that I have recently experienced with my students that inform my understanding of Coogler's most recent achievement:


The beforementioned Fruitvale Station and Creed.

Malcolm X. Dir. Spike Lee. Feat. Denzel Washington, Angela Basset, Bobby Seale, Al Sharpton,
      and Nelson Mandela et al. 40 Acres and a Mule, 1992.

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 1959.

Dunbar, Paul Lawrence. "We Wear the Mask." 1896.

Ellison, Ralph. "Battle Royal" from Invisible Man. 1952.

Haley, Alex and Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 1965.

Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." 1921.

Wilson, August. The Century Cycle.


A final note or two: please leave comments (if you are in my class I may even award points); I think it important to note that Black Power [sic] celebrates not only the oppressed but also celebrates women like few if any films before it; finally, GO SEE BLACK PANTHER!

"Get Your Hands Out of My Damn Pockets"

Malcolm X.  Dir. Spike Lee
        Feat. Denzel Washington (Malcolm X), Angela Bassett (Betty Shabazz), Spike Lee
        (Shorty), Delroy Lindo (West Indian Archie)
        Donald Patrick Kelly (School teacher)
        Warner Bros., 1992.

        Spike Lee’s 1992 film Malcolm X was all about the life of the great African American civil rights activist Malcolm Little “Malcolm X.” Denzel Washington does a great job spotlighting the life of Malcolm X. Like the main character in the previous films [somewhat awkward construction  -  also includes a shift in number] we watched in class, Malcolm built his life from the bottom up.
     
      Malcolm was convicted on [of] some conspiracy crimes that many people did not agree with. Like [Similar to] Adonis “Creed” Johnson and Oliver Grant [both portrayed by Michael B Jordan] he took advantage of his time in jail to improve his life. When he was in school, before his time in jail, he had a teacher for whom I feel was a big motivation for Malcolm. When Malcolm told him that he wanted to be a lawyer, his teacher replied back with “think of something more realistic; like a carpenter.” Malcolm was more than this; he was not going to let anyone tell him he cannot do something.

        Malcolm was apart [apart as one word means separate from] of the Nation of Islam (NOI). He was also an advocate for human rights, more specifically the rights for African Americans. After Brother Johnson [a fellow Black Muslim] was beaten by police, Malcolm led a march from the precinct to the hospital. There he demanded that Johnson receive proper medical care. This really stood out to me, because Malcolm dedicated initiative and pride for not only a close friend, but for a bigger picture: racial injustice.

        Malcolm was a firm believer in working and advocating for what he believed in, but not everybody agreed with him. Specifically, many of those apart of the Nation of Islam. Those in the Nation of Islam believed that Malcolm was becoming too big for his name. The hate was so bad that Malcolm, along with his family received death threats. Malcolm was so on edge that he laid in bed at night with a gun. One night, some people torched his house and burnt it to the ground. This was a motif of a clip showed earlier in the film: images Malcolm’s late father’s old home being torched by the Ku Klux Klan.

        On February 21st, as he gave a speech in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan Malcolm was set to begin a speech at the Audubon Ballroom. Just as he began his speech a gentleman hollered, “Get your hands out of my damn pockets!” Then chaos occurred. Malcolm was shot several times by members of the Nation of Islam who bum rushed the stage. Malcolm’s wife Betty weeped as she laid there on the stage next to her dead husband. Malcolm X died fighting for what he believed in, and is considered to be a hero to many.

        This film ranks in the middle 50% for all of our viewings this year; it’s neither my favorite, nor my least favorite. This was a good time to pick to show this film. February is Black Heritage Month, and Malcolm X is known to be one of the most iconic African Americans in history.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Director. Benh Zeitlin

Feat. Quvenzhané Wallis (Hushpuppy), Dwight Henry (Wink), Levy Easterly (Jean Battiste)

Fox Searchlight Pictures & Entertainment One, 2012

           A story about an adventurous, curious, 6 year old girl. Now, that sounds like how any other child would be, but Hushpuppy was different. Living off the grid doesn't seem like it would be easy to have as a lifestyle, but for everyone living in "The Bathtub" it became normal. In hard times she would call out to her mom to talk to even though her mom passed away, she wasn't really close to her father. After a series of events they end up breaking the wall separating the city from the Bathtub, but it causes a flood and a lot of people living there got sick or injured and needed medical care.

          This movie goes through so many events, but it kept me engaged. I love how independent Hushpuppy was and how they made the connection with her and aurochs. To me it symbolizes that she's a strong person and just keeps going through the motion. I've seen other films where it shows a child or young adult being independent and finding their way through life, but this movie was different from others. You kind of have to pay close attention so that you can grasp the full story of the movie, but over all this was a great movie and I would recommend it to anyone.

X #aysiastarr

Malcolm X was Spike Lee’s sixth movie. Based on the 1965 autobiography co-written by Malcolm and future Roots creator Alex Haley, it’s a 202-minute, continent-hopping epic boasting a superbly charismatic, Oscar-nominated performance by Denzel Washington as the activist and orator. He lived a dozen different lives, each in its way a defining aspect of the black American experience from nightmare to dream. There was never any in-between for the man who was initially called Malcolm Little, the son of a Nebraska preacher, and who, when he died, was known by his Muslim name, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm traveled far, through many incarnations to become as much admired as he was feared as the black liberation movement's most militant spokesman and unrelenting conscience.

Malcolm X is full of color as it tells of life on the streets in Boston and New York, but it grows increasingly intense when Malcolm is arrested for theft and sent to prison, where he finds his life's mission. The movie becomes proper, well mannered and somber, like Malcolm's dark suits and narrow ties, as it dramatizes his rise in the Nation of Islam, founded by Elijah Muhammad. Mr. Lee treats the Nation of Islam and its black separatist teachings seriously and, just as seriously, Malcolm's disillusionment when Elijah Muhammad's fondness for pretty young secretaries is revealed. When, after his split from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm goes on his pilgrimage to Mecca, the film celebrates his new insight into racial brotherhood, which makes his assassination all the more sorrowful.

The story of Malcolm X is filled with action with pitfalls for any movie maker. Mr. Lee is creating a film about a man he admires for an audience that includes those who have a direct interest in the story, those who may not have an interest but know the details intimately and those who know nothing or only parts of the story.

Fruitvale Station: Anthony Ruggiero

Fruitvale Station is a 2013 drama/crime film directed by Ryan Coogler. The movie stars Michael B. Jordan (Oscar Grant), Octavia Spencer (Wanda), Melonie Diaz (Sophina), Kevin Durand (Officer Caruso) and Anna O'Reilly (Katie).

Osacr once spent time in San Quentin but is now a free man. He is trying to clean up his act and support his girlfriend and daughter. The movie reveals through flashbacks the last day of Oscar Grant's life. He is trying hard to get his job back at the grocery store he used to work at but has to lie to his family about hum working there. He spends most of the day planning out his mothers birthday for the night while also lending his sister money for a financial binding knowing that he wont be able to pay rent for the month. Later that day he goes out to fireworks with his family and ends up at fruitvale station. At fruitvale station people get into a fight on the train and are taken off of the train by police officers. One of those men happens to be Oscar. The men try to say it wasn't them, but the cops ignore them and call them the N word. After a little bit one of the officers feels a little pressure and shoots Oscar. Oscar is taken to the hospital where he is pronounced dead. 

In my own opinion the movie was good and the Ryan Coogler + Michael B. Jordan collaborations keep on coming, and I love them. They work so well together and should continue to make movies together. 

Anthony  -  your post is almost all summary.  You provide little if any film analysis.  I recommend that you consider resvising.

Best,

MM

Creed by Siramad Gonzalez

Adonis Johnson (Micheal B Jordan) never knew his dad; he also never knew how famous he was. His father was the famous boxer Apollo Creed (see Rocky I - IV) who had passed away before Adonis was born (he was literally killed in the ring). Once he starts to find out who his father was he wants to begin boxing (he was a proficient fighter even before that in both group homes and juvie). He notices how it's something he likes, and it also runs in the blood. He eventually seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and asks Rocky to become his trainer. Rocky at first begins to deny Adonis request because Rocky is already retired, but Rocky sees something in Adonis  -  he sees a lot in him at agrees to mentor him. With the help of his trainer and a lot of effort Adonis gets a title shot but weather [whether] he has the true heart of a fighter remains to be seen. 

Fruitvale Station By: Henry Seyue

Dir. Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan (Oscar Grant), Octavia Spencer (Wanda Johnson),  Melonie Diaz (Sophina Mesa)
Significant Productions, 2013


This is one of the more recent non documentary films to accurately capture the black man's plight on the big screen. The film shows us the final hours in the life of Oscar Grant, a twenty-two year old who was killed in the dawn hours of new years day 2009. Seeing that the events of the the movie are based on a true story, I would actually say this film largely made itself, leaving director Ryan Coogler with little to actually add for it to become a great film. Even with that being said, the events  that he did add, or recreate, actually made the film even better. He used the first 30 or so minutes of the film to depict the backstory of Oscar grant, some of which may not be entirely true but adds significantly in making the film that much more relatable to some viewers, and creating sympathy in others. Another aspect of the film I enjoyed was it's visual accuracy. I don't want to read into this too much, but I enjoyed how the clothing, lingo, and technology of the film was consistent with what Grant's world would've been like in 2009. Lastly, the most important part of this film is the emotion it extracts from the viewer. As a relatively calm person, watching this film actually extracted a certain anger from me that many "controversial" films don't cause me to manifest. Again, I won't give Coogler or screenwriters too much credit for this seeing that the events that made me react this way weren't a product of their own creativity, but nonetheless, I think it is all delivered in a way that serves justice to the tragedy that is the story of  Oscar Grant.

The backstory of Grant includes being a drug dealer, getting incarcerated, having a daughter and not being able to keep a legitimate job. In a way all this reminds me of the story told by J.Cole on his song "4 your eyes only" because it depicts the same type of struggle that comes with living in poverty and having a child to take care of. This struggle although sad isn't very unique, and because of this it makes the film relatable. In a nation that incarcerates more people than anywhere else in the world, there is no shortage of people that can relate to this part of the film. For those who can't relate, seeing how much Grant struggles to be a "good guy" for the sake of his daughter can still draw emotion from those who haven't had the same experiences as grant.

The film also does its best to be void of any anachronisms, as every historical film should, but beynd this I just find pleasure in how good of a job is actually done. For a film that is made in 2013 I would actually be convinced if you told me it was a film made in 2009 or earlier. The beat up cars from early 2000's, the talk of a Saints/Colts superbowl, the motorolla flip phones, and the baggy dull clothes gives this film just the perfect touch to seem more like a documentary than a docu-film. When compared to the actual footage of grants murder in 2009, the films re-creation is flawless. As far as the actual footage of the situation the film is based on, it is masterfully placed in the beginning and end of the film making everything come together like a good essay.

This is truly an outstanding film, but I try to be cautious as to whether or not the film is outstanding because of the how well it is put together or simply because it covers such an interesting situation. I would be lying if I said the film didn't have any dull moments, as a matter of fact there is an abundance of dull scenes in the film, not just in terms of images, but actual conversations and individual moments like Oscar waiting on his girlfriend to use the bathroom where quite boring. This isn't a film with any music or real soundtrack, not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but it might not have hurt to have more scene-fitting tunes in the film. Also, the film ends pretty abruptly. Again, this could be seen as both a good thing and a bad thing because you are left on the edge with a lot of emotion by the final scene, but at the same time you feel unsatisfied with emotions such as rage. A lot of the film focuses on Oscars relationship with his daughter, and if the film took the time to build background on that relationship, it certainly could've devoted another twenty minutes that could've still left viewers full of emotion, but feeling more satisfied knowing the fate of Oscars daughter and family immediately after his death. This might be just "a me thing", so speaking more generally of the film I would give it a solid 6.8/10. The sentiment is very powerful, and in terms of directing, there is a lot of things done right, but I know subconsciously this film isn't anything special. Given that the film practically created itself, I would say the final product is something almost anyone could've come up with.

Siramad Gonzalez "Fruitville station "

The film Fruitvalle station is a 2013 film. The film is based about a man named Oscar grant who is a  Bay-area resident. He has a wife and a four year daughter.  The film starts off as Oscar trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He wants to change and do better for his family. His mom calls him to get some things she needs so she can make dinner for the family. He goes to the supermarket and talks to his manager tries to get his job back but his manager is not having it because Oscar always came late and didn't take his job seriously. More into the film he picks his wife and daughter up to go to his moms house to celebrate her birthday. Oscar and his wife want to go see the fireworks. When they are on the train an altercation that Oscar was involved in Oscar and his friends begin to walk out the train where the cops come and begin to treat them bad and then they altercation begins with the cops and the cop shoots him. In my opinion This film is really good I could watch this film over and never get tired of it. The scenes Are very powerful and sad and show us the reality we live in today. 

Fruitvale Station

“Fruitvale Station” is based on a case — the shooting death of 22-year-old Oakland native Oscar Grant by transit police on a subway platform in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, 2009. But there’s nothing sensational about Coogler’s approach. He even starts with the real, pixelated cell-phone video of Grant’s death — not, as some have suggested, to add to the feeling of encroaching dread, but rather to defuse it, lest anyone in the theater not already know how this particular story ends. From there, Coogler retraces the final 24 hours of Grant’s life, and much of what follows feels as authentic as the movie’s documentary opening. Coogler strings together small, incidental scenes that, when put together, form a complex portrait of a wayward young man trying to get his life on the right track. The operative word there is “trying,” for it is one of “Fruitvale’s” strengths that at no point does the film suggest Grant would have been sure to succeed. By the time the movie begins, the character has already served two state prison sentences and has something of an innate gift for falling in with the wrong crowd. And while it’s true that Coogler shows us Grant the loving son (to a nurturing mom, beautifully played by Octavia Spencer), husband (to patient wife Melonie Diaz) and father (to a 4-year-old daughter), he and the extraordinary young actor playing the role, Michael B. Jordan, also give us Grant the fast talking, streetwise hustler, who can’t manage to hold down a job and seems ill prepared for the world of adult responsibility. Grant is a guy whose New Year's resolution is to clean up his act – because he has just been mortifyingly caught cheating by Sophina, who is contemptuous of Grant's mumbling claims that this was the only time he had strayed. It was just the only time he'd been caught, she snaps. This shrewd truth-telling chimes, in my view, with the political rage at the end of the movie. Coogler's camera tracks Grant's final day as he roams about, buying a birthday card for his mother, talking to his brother, taking a difficult call from his sister, setting up an abortive drug deal, getting bad news about his job, picking his girlfriend up from work and finally parking his daughter with the sitter and getting ready to take the train into San Francisco with Sophina and his friends to watch the new year fireworks. The movie follows Grant in what amounts to dramatic real time. But with one expertly positioned flashback to a traumatic period in his life, and a highly charged conversation with his mother: a confrontation whose painful unintended consequences continue right up to the film's final moments. It ends with some tough love on Wanda's part and is, arguably, the first real wake-up call in Grant's life, the second being the discovery of his sexual indiscretion.

I believe that Oscar was on the verge of turning his life around, proving that people can change.Coogler's film gives him the benefit of the doubt, the film-making equivalent, perhaps, of a presumption of innocence. It is a gesture of faith.

Fruitvale Station-Stephen Collins

Fruitvale Station is the emotional 2013 [docu-]drama directed by Ryan Coogler about Oscar Grant's (Michael B. Jordan) last day before he was fatally shot at the title's train station on New Year's Day 2009.


The film is a very emotional gust-punching film. Coogler said, "I wanted the audience to get to know this guy, to get attached, so that when the situation that happens to him happens, it's not just like you read it in the paper, you know what I mean? When you know somebody as a human being, you know that life means something." He achieved this. We know what's coming, but when is does happen? It's very emotional. 


Michael B. Jordan shines as Oscar. I bought him as the character 100%. Octavia Spencer  is great in everything, but it bothered me that she was Oscar's mom. Jordan was about 25 at the time of release and Spencer was 40, so there is not a big gap between their ages [could she not have been a young mother?].  


Ryan Coogler is a great director for someone who is 31. I like the way he directs. It feels different, and I like his style. Coogler and Jordan could become one of the best actor-director combo very soon, like DeCaprio (or DeNiro) and Scorsese. 




I really like the ending. Oscar's death is handled really well. I loved how the death effects everyone around him. I also loved the emotions his girlfriend's faces is when she doesn't want to tell the daughter. I don't get why it is in the shower, but the emotions is pretty fantastic.


Fruitvale Station is a great fantastic emotional drama about the celebration of one's life. The performances are fantastic (especially, Michael B. Jordan) and is a great introduction to Ryan Coogler as a director. It's hard to watch but a great payoff.

The Life of Oscar Grant III

Fruitvale Station Dir. Ryan Coogler

Michael B. Jordan (Oscar), Melonie Diaz (Sophina), Octavia Spencer (Wanda), Arianna

Ariana Neal (Tatiana)

The Weinstein Company, 2013.

Ryan Coogler’s 2013 film Fruitvale Station sheds light on the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant III. Oscar was shot by a transit police officer who stated in his testimony “I thought I grabbed my taser”. Although Oscar was part of a group of guys who were being insubordinate with the police, the officer had no right to pull the trigger. It was a senseless and cowardly act. Neither Oscar, nor were any of his friends armed. The fact that the officer testified and said it was an “accident” is beyond me. From the perspective of an aspiring law enforcement/government official, this movie shows why only trained or experience police/transit police officers should carry firearms.
That is not all this movie was about. Ryan Coogler is an outstanding director; one of his most famous films: Creed. Michael B. Jordan was also the star in that movie. He grew up in and out of detention centers, turned his life around, and made it big as a boxer. He ultimately defeated the champion of the world: Ricky “Pretty Ricky” Conlan. Had Oscar not been shot by the police I feel like he would have made a name for himself– like Adonis Creed. Oscar grew up in and out of detention centers, but he was willing to stop the “street life” and make the right decisions. In all of Coogler’s films he does a great job of foreshadowing. He was an avid drug dealer until one day that changed. He was schedule to meet an oriental man for a deal along the water, but when he got there he sat along the water and reflected on the times he was in prison. He noticed that if he got caught with drugs again he would go back, and he did not want to. He dumped out all of his paraphernalia into the ocean. Bear in mind, this was his main way in regards to providing for his family.
In Creed Adonis’s girlfriend (Bianca) played a key role in his life. In this film Oscar’s girlfriend/ “baby momma” Sophina played a key role as well. Oscar was known to get around with girls; he would flirt with numerous ones on occasions. At the end of the day, Sophina had his heart. He had a daughter (Tatiana) with her. His family was his world, and that is why he wanted to do everything he can do in order to get back on the right track. He loved his mother (Wanda) very much as well. Wanda was always looking out for him; in fact, she thought by him taking the train to New Year’s festivities would be the safe plan. She never would of expected the clear unexpected.
I was a fan of this movie. I thought that Ryan Coogler did a tremendous job in regards to telling the horrifying story of the shooting death of Oscar Grant III. It was very realistic, and life like. I have turned into a huge Ryan Coogler fan. I cannot wait to see Creed II this November.