Great Debates: Is ‘Red Tails’ director Anthony Hemingway getting lost in the debate? | Movies

Unless you’re a news or film junkie, you are probably not caught up in the debate over whether to see or not to see the film Red Tails during opening weekend. For one, news junkies and town criers as we like to call them, can blow any situation out of proportion.

The debate comes from those who think we need to rush to theaters opening weekend or else Hollywood will never make another black movie. Whatever! The theory is that George Lucus had trouble getting the movie out because of its black cast. Whatever!

Now comes town criers saying we need to send a message to Hollywood. Well what was the message sent to Hollywood over the last 50 years?

It happens every year. This is how Black movie going season opens. Whatever! Never mind the fact that Hollywood has known for fifty years or more, that if you add a black character, you’ll get a black audience. Add a Black lead and you will make millions open weekend. Add a black director and wait a minute – that’s too much power for that… we’ve been here before.

How does Hollywood get to decide that Black movies have to start from square one every year? Why are all the Black movies coming out during the 1st quarter? It might be business and not personal. Does it makes good business sense? Open the movie in 1st quarter; drop the DVD in 2nd and 3 quarters — thus the bank roll continues.

Black movies might be the one segment of box office not suffering. We still want to see movies. Especially those with Black directors. In the debate that is growing, we hear about the issues with cast and George Lucas. But, is director Anthony Hemingway getting lost in the discussion?

See the movie. But don’t try to prove anything to Hollywood. We’ve been here before. Until another vehicle for financing and distribution is in place, looks like Hollywood is it for those who want to stay the course. It is what it is — unless you make change.

–Y. Lattimore, DryerBuzz.com

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From the Grio: ‘Red Tails’ director Anthony Hemingway and star Nate Parker hope film soars at box office (VIDEO)

“This is not the first film that’s had a struggle to get something done or told,” Red Tails director Anthony Hemingway told theGrio’s Todd Johnson in an interview. “We’ve all been trying to take the focus off that. This [film] is about the Tuskegee Airmen.”

WATCH theGRIO’s TODD JOHNSON INTERVIEW THE STARS OF ‘RED TAILS’ HERE:

Hemingway, who has also directed several episodes of the HBO series Treme, as well as the cult classic drama The Wire, admitted he wasn’t shocked by Lucas’ struggles with the film and says the “system of Hollywood” has historically been slow to tell stories that focus on African-Americans.

Red Tails star Nate Parker agrees. The 32-year-old actor portrays ace airman Martin “Easy” Julian. He said one of the first things director George Lucas shared with him before filming began was that there were people who told him Star Wars wasn’t going to work.

Follow the Buzz via thegrio.com

See Red Tails in Atlanta with DryerBuzz.com and WestSide Dinner and A Movie Sunday January 22nd.

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