U N E A S Y (?) about R E D T A I L S

The movie Red Tails is due out in theaters tomorrow (Friday, January 20). It's about the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII and it's an all black cast (which is awesome) + Tobias Beecher from the HBO series OZ. The main actors are Cuba Gooding Jr, who also starred in the HBO movie Tuskegee Airmen and Terrence Howard, who played a pilot in Harts War. The cast also includes R&B singer Ne-Yo, Tristan Wilds (Michael Lee from the final season of The Wire), and a couple of British actors of African decent (I have a thing for these African Brits mercy me...) by the name Aml Ameen and David Oyelowo... If you would like to read more about the movie and cast, you can do so here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Tails now that Wikipedia's back on :) Boondocks fans will also love the fact that Aaron MacGruder is one of the screenwriters, yes the Boondocks were conceived when MacGruder was a student at University of Maryland (#feartheturtle)

You can also watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpA6TC0T_Lw

If you haven't heard the latest drama which unfolded when the movie's executive producer, George Lucas, told Jon Stewart of his failed attempts in getting a major Hollywood studio to make the film because they don't believe they can earn sales. He went on to tell him that he had to front his own money (almost $100 M if I remember correctly) to have the film made. This I can believe... Hollywood won't even touch Tyler Perry movies, and while I'm proud of the brother for making something of himself from nothing, I don't particularly care for the way black folks are portrayed in his movies and apparently, neither does Hollywood... Fuck Hollywood, anyway... aren't I technically still supporting Hollywood, who doesn't want to make films with all-black casts (in positive roles) because they think it won't make money overseas (which is bs, btw) and what about the motion picture Ray? That must have been the only exception and Hollywood doesn't want to take too many chances.


The interview is here: http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2012/01/george-lucas-hollywood-didnt-want-fund-my-mostly-black-film-red-tails
The article is pretty dope as well.


While I love the fact that this is an all Black cast, it doesn't sit well with me that George Lucas will be making that money back, more so than any of the cast... he acts like $100M is a lot of money, well for you and I, it is, but for George Lucas, I don't think it should be, think about it; Star Wars trilogy x2, Clone Wars (tv), Indiana Jones and a couple of other movies here and there... am I wrong to look at it this way? Why wasn't the movie made for PBS (or even HBO) for free like they did with Roots in 1977 during Black History Month. 


Am I going to see the movie? Most likely, yes. Because my appreciation for black history and all black cast outnumbers why George Lucas doesn't sit well with me (personally), but I guarantee he won't lose any money or any sleep.