The Death of BET(Analysis)

The Network of BET (Analysis)

               Sometimes i just wish BET would die. Its relevance to black culture just doesn't exist, and its only mission is to entertain middle and high school kids with horrible hip hop with its self degrading show 106 & Park, a show that even its host are even reported to quit in a few months.  Which is the only show giving them major rating besides the re-runs they air of Everybody Hates Chris, The Parkers, and the Bernie Mac Show. The only show that is actually in syndication is The Game, which is BET's only good show with substance, well played out drama, and actually has a black cultural relevance.


                Yet BET didn't even create it, it was a show they picked up from UPN after it stopped airing. The founder and at one time President of BET, Bob Johnson has said it over and over again, he  did not create BET to break a social stigma, with a purpose to improve or show black culture in a better light. He has said time and time agin BET is a business, and he ran it as such. Debra Lee shamefully volunteered in carrying the torch after Bob Johnson stepped down as President, and in doing so created a horrible degrading representation of black culture, giving horrible rap music a forefront and letting a huge generation of hood rat/trap/retarted/ratchet rap touch the mainstream, while underground/creative/innovative rap was left to suffer because it was not "selling." Now in 2012, rap is separated into two different sectors "YMCMB" and "The Throne" its seems that the rest of rap is let to rot in the background because of Mainstream dumbed-down/luxury rap.106 & Park is not even relevant to top charting billboard Hip-Hop or R&b. Besides "YCMB & The Throne" no other hip hop acts even reaches the Top 100 Billboard Charts besides a few R&B singers who can't really be branded as R&b as much as they can techno. All the acts that BET showcase in their daily Top 10 of 106 & Park only reach top Hip-Hop/Rap Billboard charts, which don't sell over 600,000 units and are far away from the mainstream demographic as possible. 
                
                 Even with this dying channel of re-run shows, culturally degrading music BET ironically awards us with The BET Awards. A show that prides it self on thinking it has sometime of cultural relevancy while only scraping the surface of what true black culture is in this day and age.For example, this year you can clearly see the dying art of mainstream hip hop. If you look at the regular line-up  its always hip-hop/r&b awards/performances then then gospel another performances. Since BET didn't have a lot of rappers to chose from they showcased gospel/r&b/awards/achievements first and in-between that, there were the Hip-Hop performances. It's sad that BET choses its hood-rat rappers like Wale/Rick Ross/Nicki Minaj/2Chainz. When they could choose BIg KRIT/ Kendrick Lamar/Skyzoo/ Joey Bad A$$/Brother Ali/Killa Mike even Theophilus London. Most of these artist have appeared and performed on Late Night Television or MTV Specials, and yet BET refuses to recognize their stardom because it doesn't match with mainstream hip hop's"image" of hood rachetness. 


                 BET always fathoms some idea that the are the cornerstone of black media/culture. When that in itself is dying. They produce mindless shows that don't represent the evolution of black culture instead they dryly cut the surface and ignore of the artistic, independent nature and the educated young mind of black graduates. They try to connect to the family/newly married couple demographic with shows such as Reed Between the Lines/Lets Stay Together but ultimately fails with blotchy plots, dry humor, and cheap cliché dramas.


                 Each year BET tries to re-define what black culture is but ultimately fail because they try to define us by one image, by one type of young person, and one type of adult. Yet at the same time BET tries again, with a newscaster report. This is the third time BET tried to do that. First with Tavis Smiley, secondly with a cheaply-produced in-between-show newscast.Both were cancelled becase the hood rat demographic that they attracted doesn't watch they news. Besides why would Tavis Smiley doesn't want to work where they don't pay him at all, which is one of the reasons he left and went to PBS. Speaking on the manner of not paying any one, BET is born on being cheap. BET has a history of paying employes crap and trying to make a produce shows on a shoe-string budget with shoe-string quality. The comedians that were involved and performed on Comic View in the 90's were meagerly payed, and given meager benefits. Its even the reason AJ and Free left, and now (to my theory) is the reason Rocsi and Terrence are reported to leave in a few months. If the banned Boondocks episode "Hunger Strike" is accurate BET pays their employes a chicken wing and an orange as apart of their new health care plan. No matter how hard they try BET will never fully represent every  diverse corner of black culture. They should just stop and quit because in 10-15 years, no one will be watching BET. Right now I feel shamed that I'm even watching the BET Awards right now. Well, besides that D'Angelo performance. Wait......aren't The Incredibles on right now?

Super 8 (Review)

 

Super 8 (Review)
Summary
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town
Review
                 Super 8 has said to be a throwback movie to the 80's Spielberg type movies. Personally my favorite essence of the film are the scenes with the kids and the fact that they want to make a film. There is so much irony and nostalgia in that premise alone that I thought it was good on its own. The budding romance between the two lead characters Joe (Joel Courtney)  and Alice (Elle Fanning) is played out well and actually makes sense if played out in a real life situation. Joe's character doesn't have a mother, and neither does Ellie, due to that, Joe seeks that love and comfort he would usually get from his mother in Ellie, whose personality,becuase she has an alcoholic of a father, is a really sweet and caring person. The group of goonies here Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Basso), and Cary (Ryan Lee),all play well of off each other, yet in real life i couldn't see them all as friends and fit too much into archetypes. The most interesting characters were Charles and Ellie for being the more complex characters out of the group. Personally, I wish Joe's performance was a little bit more emotion and he was a little bit more complex than, dead mother and train models. But i do enjoy his performance when he is demanding and becomes the leader of the group, thats when the group as a whole seem to be real close knit friends. 


              The plots mystery becomes gradually more interesting as more inquires begin to happen. As more people, and objects began to disappear the plot becomes more interesting, but what did it for me was the involvement with the air force/ army trying to cover up the mystery of the monster as a whole. Their is not a lot of plot changes and huge dramatic scenes to make this movie overly astounding. But their is enough heart between certain characters and moment of genuine childhood violence and mayhem to make the movie good. Children caught in and dealing with adult situations are always more interesting and complex because children emote and openly express the inquiries than adults do. And thats where the movie gets its spark. Kids over their head making a movie, kids over their head trying to save a friend from a big ass monster/alien, and kids over their head dealing with emotional trauma. The dead mother is overplayed, the whole army thing is not explained, and the monster is not truly explained as to what it is and how it functions.


               Is Super 8 a good film, YES, but their are somethings that dont make sense and   scenes that aren't memorable. The ending is the biggest flaw, it raps up the movie too quickly, and is too simple of an ending. Your telling me just talking to the monster/alien is the way to solve it? The ending is too soon and I wanted to see more of the characters, personally i don't even like the Dad, Ohio Deputy Jack Lamb (Kyle Chandler) . What kind of father puts his community and job before his son. His dam Mom is dead, your suppose to put MORE time and love into your son because of that.  I love the main characters, there are some problems with them but I can see most of them as actual children, and thats where the 80's nostalgia, Walkman, Polaroid essence comes from. I as repeat the ending is too soon, but the great final part of this movie that gives it .5 more points than i would of, is during the ending credits when they played the complete film the kids made. That was fucking awesome. All in all give this movie......

With homemade movie credit scene:8/10
With out homemade movie credit scene: 7.5/10

The Blues Brothers (Review)

The Blue Brothers (Review)

"Were On A Mission From GOD"

The Blue Brothers movie staring John Belushi as "Joliet" and Dan Aykroyd as "Elwood" is muscial/comedy film about to brothers/partners/musicians (they never clarify it). Trying to get 5,000 to pay the tax assessor. Now i know that sound like a boring movie. BUT when you add in James Brown,Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway and Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker....man this movie is AWSOME. The cool thing about the movie is its really how these characters act, respond to certain situations and almost get killed doing it. Yet managing to look quite stylish while doing it. There's really nothing bad about the film. The entire time you watch this its a truck load of a laughs, what the crap just happend's, and how did they get HIM!!!!! The movie directed by John Landin is a really good movie and will be enjoyed by everyone....over 13.

Spoilers

MAN THIS MNOVE FREAKIN AWSOME. That whole church scene with James Brown was so unbelievably cool. They were doing back flips, cartwheels, it was like circus o-lay in there. If that was my church id go everyday...... i mean JAMES BROWN IS THE PASTOR. That has got to e the most funky-fied holy ghost church ever. Another part i loved was the whole final scene when the cops army, national guard, guys in helicopters,tanks, are ALL trying to get him. The thing really that's striking is not the Blues Brothers. Its all the crazy stuff that happens AROUND the blues brothers.The writing for this movie is unbelievably GREAT. There are not a lot of comedy movie is consider to be good, but what this movie brought was a scene of comedy/amazement that you don't see in comedy movies. Some comedy movie show you things that CAN happen. This movie show you what happens when people in the Blues Brothers world decide to be crazy. Its not ONE person did something wrong. NO. Everyone in this movie is a little bit insane and thats whats awsome about it. No One treats anything normally. Like the scene where they got blown up in that hotel . They just took it,got up and acted like nothing happened. But form some strange reason if that happened to me i just would been like...ehh....Tuesdays.Anyway its a wonderful movie from really everyone. IT really shows you how coonected everyone is with GOOD MUSIC. I bet if saw this in theaters everyone would be singing(i guess). I really appreciate how they show what good quality music is by doing old jazz, blues and gospel songs. SHOOT even the COUNTRY music sounds good. Which is extremely hard to do. Anyway in all is a great great movie the only problem is have with is is why don't The Blue Brothers show more character. Sometimes...Sometimes it would be nice for them to show a little emotion. Also that scene where they back up off the incomlete highway was  a biggest plot-hole I've scene yet. YET. All in all this movie gets a.....

8.5/10

Whispers of the Heart (Review)

Whispers of the Heart (Review)
"Country Rooooaadddsss"
Okay, so I watched this a week ago and I gotta say I really had to think hard about this movie. For one thing after i got over the fact that it wasn’t a fantasy movie. This is a REALLY good movie. Seriously, it is. It stars this girl named Shizuku. Shizuku is having a hard time accepting her life and finding out what her purpose is, taking life seriously, and how to do it as the world around decides to take things seriously before she does. As she finds, talent, love imagination, and at first problems that lead into comfort from her and family/piers. This movie is really special to me because I actually went thought the same thing as Shizuku.( Except for the love part which didn’t work out so well). As she’s beginning to enter high school, her friend Yuko hangout, find out she has a crush on some dude, Yuko does not Shizuku, and they sing a Shizuku wrote called "Country Roads." The movie then goes to tell about her relationship with a boy Shizuku thinks is a jerk named Seije. Her inhabitations to focus and perfect her writing skills and how it affects her imagination, family and how she views her life. This is a really good drama/anime movie and i hope who ever reads this BUYS the movie instead of veoh-ing it. And when i get enough money I’ll buy it too.

(Spoilers)DANG this movie made me felt somthin’ strange inside. The movie representation of being internally lost while the world around you its finding its way is really inspiring. It shows that around that 8-9th grade transition life in some aspects get real. And everything happy doesn’t last always. Like when Seije leaves and she finds a way to look past that into start writing her own book. Or lie how she's confused on how to handle the situation wit that guy who loves Shizuku but Yoko likes him. This little girl is maturating and actually grows though character development. Seije is an extremely handsome/enjoyable character. He's just really heartwarming and at the same time swave. Its easily noticeable that he likes her and that was the reason he said and did the things he did to Shizuku in the first place. The movie shows how growing up with a dream and aspiration at a young age matched with creativity is beautiful thing. I love how it all comes at one time and it builds up and builds up. Also I love how they don’t screw with her being in middle school because at the time she goes though her creative breakthrough she needs to be studying for her thigh school exams and how she get IN TROUBLE for pushing her self so much. It’s really a beautiful, glorious movie that can be looked and loved for so many things and angles. So I give it a

                                                 

10/10

Black Dynamite (Review)

Black Dynamite (Review)

"DY-NA-MITE,DY-NA-MITE"!!!!!

You give mother turkey better watch the baaaaddest movie this side of....where ever this movie was shot at...Black Dynamite gonna kill all yall honkys Out-a-site and Out-a-town. Dang I Iove this movie. Just watched it and I gotta say Scott Sanders the director should get ALOT of more work than he has ever since.....he made this movie. As an homage to the ill reputedly named genre of Blaxploitation. Now if you dont know your history which I asume alot of you don't. Im actually NOT gonna sit down and explain it to you. What i am do is type the word blaxploitation and give you a link to a Wikipedia page about it...right here... blaxploitation. Now if you DONT know what that is DONT see this movie. REALLLLY only black people and Quentin Tarantino should see this movie and not get offended. As a black guy if you watch this and you white and get offended that’s YOUR fault. No body else’s. Anyway I REEEEAAALLLY love this movie. It starts Michael Jai White as Black Dynamite who is the baaaaddest motor scooter in town. Or the world. I'm serious the guy is like the black Chuck Norris. Only more blacker than you would of actually thought. The movie consist of Black Dynamite "an ex CIA agent and Vietnam veteran " who brother just got killed and is after the guy who did it and the same guy who pushing dope onto orphans. Before I spoiler it up it has a great story you should go see it. Anyway the only thing it lacks is a depth a seriousness and actually sitting down talking this out and well long scenes. All this the scenes are very quick precise to the point and do what there suppose to do. But what make this more special is the formatting,  i mean shooting of the movie, in "16 mm camera" but it really helps bring you into its world. If anything like this exists. If you've watched any Blaxploitation move like this..."Shaft" "Coffy" Boss(N-word i wont say because well you know)". Its not too far away from that. Shakey loos cameras crazy cool editing like Mario Van Peebles style and its just a really good "i-wanna-see-black-dudes-beat-the-crap-outta-people-70's-movie"......."to-the-extreme" I feel like this movie was made specifically for me and because of that i want get into EXTREME detail like other reviews and spaz out over the kung-fu. Which i really wanna do. But if you love Blaxplotation , funny, butt kicking, movies,....this is it. All in all i give it

9/10

Pulp Fiction (Review)

Pulp Fiction

"SAY WHAT AGAIN" !!!

Okay let me start of as saying this is my FAVORITE movie(so far).Well.....i guess that really wasn't a good way to start...ANWAY this is awesome directors 2nd movie after Reservoir Dogs. The main movie consists of two hit men, a crime boss's wife, the crime boss, and a boxer. The thing i admire most about the movie is their not the main characters. Its the the things they do,say,act and the things that happen to them AS REAL PEOPLE. Quentin Tarantino keeps you edge of your seat and its AWSOME the stuff that happens to these people are adrenaline rushing moments that are crazzy!!!! Not just that every moment is a interesting/exciting. If you haven't seen this movie. Watch it. Its worth it. Watch it with 2 or 3 friends its much more fun that way.

(Spoilers)

THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME. when Samuel Jackson recited the Bible it just came the hell out of NOWHERE. And then he shoots the guy right a the height of the text is just polished badassery at its finest. The whole look of the film is awsomely cool to. The who stylized neo-film noir look is just great and i love. My favorite character would probably be Jules. For him just being so badass and black. It just crazy that a white writes dialogue. The pure amount of profanity, dug implications and reference to other works of film is just great. Films like Bande à part,Saturday Night Fever,Psycho, to Kiss Me Deadly. It really shows that the guys  is a fan of films. This is a filmmakers film. He totally upped the bar on what story telling should be taking normal plots and screwing with them. This movie shows that you can make a movie about ANYTHING you want that's really personal with you and shows the essence of film making. Also what i like about it a the scene's where it just goes slow where they're just conversating and talking like normal people(something we don't see that often in movies nowadays) also how they handle real situation. Like when Mia overdoses or when Jules undertakes divine intervention. Also for those aseome moments like Mia getting stabbed in the hear the adrenaline shot or Marvin's head getting blow off and Travolta just saying "Oh man i shot Marvin in the face" like he dropped a pen or something. Every moment is either horrifying or funny. From Marcellus Wallace getting rapped or having Marvin getting shot in the face. Its just a great movie. I always wondered what Quieten Tarantino ment when he said these are just regular  pulp magazine story lines with a twist. For SOME REASON every one heard the story about the man taking his wife's boss out to dinner but he cant touch her. I guess its more of a film noir/pulp magazine fan kind of thing. Its like if i told you every romance anime consist a regular high school teenager meeting some strange intergalactic hot alien/catgirl/wizard/angel that eventually falls in love with him. If someone made a movie about THAT and put a twist to it you could have 1/4 of Pulp Fiction influenced movie. All in all this is my favorite movie and has shown me what a real movie is. It gets a

10/10

"WHAT COUNTRY YOU FROM!!!!!"

Saturday Night Fever (Review)

 

 Saturday NIght Fever

Okay as i start this review i must admit......i dont hate disco. I dont think is the best genre of music but  i understand what it was trying to do....with that said French House music is awesome and over trump disco any day.ANYWAY lets get to the matter at hand, and by that i mean a movie that cant decide what it wants to be. The plot contains of a Young Travolta before his gang banging days with Jules(Pulp Fiction Reference). Living in Brooklyn(with no black people) trying to get by at a paint shop and at night he goes out with his sex seeking friends to a disco. NOW, at first this seems like a little harmless plot about how someone with an ambiguous dream with having fun and being recklessness.....19 year olds. THE DUDE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF HIS PARENTS HOUSE!!!! The thing is they really to make us feels sorry for him, living in the shadow of his older brother, his father never respecting him,and then thing seem to look up for him. He starts training with this I WANNA BE SOPHISTICATED PRISSY soon to be every stereotypical 80's movie girl.

(Spoiler Time)I saw it coming when i understood her attitude, Travolta is gonna eventually have to decide, because he love this girl, whether to grow up or keep being a free loader. and the thing is i HATE these kind of coming of age plots when the movie is forced by love. The thing i do find interesting and where the movie gets its heart and my sympathy is his relationship with his family,brother,and the girl. His friends aint interesting AT ALL. They are the most dry back up characters EXCEPT that one character who commits suicide/stupidity at the end of the movie. Which is REALLY stupid REALLY REALLY stupid. This ultimately leads to the most cheapest way of him growing up after almost raping . So end in the end she forginve him. OH i forgot about the disco, mabey because im borin in ...NOT IN THE 60's ot 70's this doesnt shock me because i know disco exzisted but other that is not very surpizing i only remeber actually two cool dacing teams. Oh i and i doo also like the fact that he gives the trophy to latino(spicks as they call them in the movie)couple is kind of cool. All in all this is a really misguided movie that doesn't understand what it wants to be. Its just a very good/cliche movie. That the average boring American would like. Just like Grease.So being i just remingd my self of that movie i give ths one a...

  

6/10.