Monday, August 18, 2008

What I'll Be Watching this Fall

Compared to last year, this fall is looking a little better for black actresses. Here are a few movies and television shows that I'm looking forward to seeing. What about you? Am I missing out on anything here?

"Lakeview Terrace"  trailer 


This movie looks interesting. It's about a cop (Samuel L. Jackson) who loses his shit when a young interracially married couple move in next door. I think this movie would have been a little more interesting (and realistic) if the couple was black and one of their white neighbors gave them grief but whatever, I'll wait and see how this plays out. I adore Kerry Washington and she plays the wife. Can I just say I am thrilled that she's in a role that doesn't have her playing against a Wayans brother of The Thing? 

"The Family That Preys" trailer

I am guilty of dismissing Tyler Perry movies unseen in the past but I have to admit that I've found the ones that I saw on cable entertaining in that Sunday afternoon on the couch kind of way. He is employing more black actresses than anyone else in the game so I can't hate and from the looks of this flick, the quality level is going up. This one stars Sanaa Lathan, who I also think is a beautiful, talented and overlooked actress so I might have to get my butt to the theater for this one.

"The Secret Life of Bees" trailer


I started this book and never got around to finishing it. There's not much to this trailer but I know that Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys also star in the film. I've liked Sophie since her small role in "Dirty Pretty Things." The film is directed by Gina-Prince Bythwood, who also directed "Love and Basketball."

"True Blood" trailer (HBO)


Since "The Wire" went off the air, there hasn't been much of a reason to tune into HBO. This fall a new show written by Alan Ball of "Six Feet Under" fame will premiere. The show is about vampires in a backwoods Louisiana town and it has a black actress in it (Rutina Wesley.) Naturally, she's playing the best friend of the lead character in what will probably be a small role. I'll tune in out of curiosity.



"Dollhouse" (FOX)


"Faith" was my least favorite Buffy character, partially because I don't think Eliza Dushku is a very good actress. No sisters appear to have been employed during the making of this show but what can I say? I am a Joss Whedon fan and I will be watching.

In addition Viola Davis will play the mother of an African-American boy who is sexually abused by a parish priest in the movie "Doubt." Entertainment Weekly seems to think that the role might land her an Oscar nomination. You might have seen Taraji P. Henson is a few scenes of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." They've been promoting that flick non-stop during the Olympics but Brad Pitt isn't a name that gets me in the theater these days.  I also read that Angela Bassett will be on the new season of "E.R." but lawd help me I stopped watching that show 10 years ago and I just can't go back.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

E.R. has been great with diversity. Maybe Angela will elevate the shock value plotting. Tyler Perry is proof that unchallenging cineplex filler can be made by those of any race. It's time for something deeper, and his new flick won't cut it. Lakeview Terrace is probably the only way we'll see police misconduct on film, and Denzel's Training Day paved the way so well. That alone will dilute the intolerance message.

Camille Acey said...

I haven't even made it through this whole post yet but Kerry Washington AND Patrick Wilson? I think I just melted into a puddle on my floor. These people are so insanely HOT people....where can I pre-order my DVD?

Camille Acey said...

Also, I think that maybe the cop is black and the dude is white so that white people can identify, maybe they'll finally get it. This white dude is obviously having a truly black experience.

B said...

@camille - You make a good point and had me laughing at the "truly black experience" line :)

Kimberlythinks said...

Irrelevant to most of the post, can I just say how much I love the theme of the latest issue of NYLON (the one that you posted the vampire pic from). I can't say I personally want Claire Huxtable makeup, but it was a nice gesture.

I always think there can be more diversity. That's a given.

B said...

@queen-I thought the same thing and just scanned another image from the magazine to post.

Anonymous said...

Lakeview Terrace is based on real events and the cop was a brotha. Sad but true

Anonymous said...

Have you heard of The Black List its an HBO documentary and Vol.1 will be airing on Aug. 25th. Went to a screening of it and loved it...so simple yet profound.

Anonymous said...

i'm really looking forward to lakeview terrace, cuz it raises some controversial issues and it's a thriller, tyler perry's movie looks good too mostly because it seems a bit more sophisticated like why did i get married, prob wont watch the vampire thing cuz i'm not into that and secret lives of bees is just one of those classic novels that is goign to made into a classic film that will prob yield oscar noms

Anonymous said...

Lakeview Terrace is based on a true story of a black male police officer that harrassed several black female/white male couples in his neihborhood.

It probably has been dramaticized for movie screens although the original story is pretty dramatic and sad.