By now I hope you have heard of Red Tails. It’s a film about the trials and tribulations of the Tuskegee Airmen and stars an all black cast. But those aren’t the only reasons we should head out to our local theatres this weekend. Red Tails is a film that struggled to receive the support of Hollywood.
Created by George Lucas, Red Tails is a movie that is over 23 years in the making. Lucas invested $93 million in production and distribution because Hollywood didn’t want to take a chance on the movie. Major Hollywood studios don’t think black films make money at the box office. If they are going to invest in a film, they expect a high return at the box office. That means all of our favorite black films were not produced in major Hollywood studios. While they are great and we support, they don’t make the numbers major Hollywood studios seek to make and promote a film.
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So they really didn’t know how to market stars like Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrance Howard?? *blank stare*
So what does all of this mean? It means we need to go out to the theatres this weekend and support Red Tails. We need to prove that black films are movies that are desired by all audiences and are worth investing. Movies that face challenges like this need to be supported! And if you know any teenagers, especially boys, bring them to the movies with you. Lucas created Red Tails to show teenage boys that there are real, inspirational American heroes.
Love it!!
Red Tails hits theatres Friday, January 20, 2012.
January 20th, 2012 on 3:08 pm
I will def. be checking out the movie. We have to support. I hate how people are judging a movie they haven’t even seen. We have a hard time giving things a chance, no matter what setting: modern or historical features.
January 20th, 2012 on 10:32 pm
I absolutely agree that everyone, especially the Black community, should go support this film this weekend. I received this email from Tyler Perry’s mailing list a couple days ago in regards to supporting this film and it spoke to me:
“Unfortunately, movies starring an all African American cast are on the verge of becoming extinct. THAT’S RIGHT, EXTINCT! Ask any executive at a Hollywood Studio why, and most of them will tell you one of two things. The first thing they’ll say is that DVD sales have become very soft, so it’s hard for a movie with an all black cast to break-even. Secondly they’ll say, most movies are now dependent on foreign sales to be successful and most “black” movies don’t sell well in foreign markets. So what that means is you will begin to see less and less films that star an all black cast. . .
I thought that as black people in Hollywood, this is just our reality, but I quickly realized that this is not racism. What made me realize this is I had a conversation with Mr. Star Wars himself, George Lucas, and he was telling me that he was having the same problem with Red Tails. I was blown away! Red Tails is an important story about, not just black history, but American history about the Tuskegee Airmen. It has an all-star African American cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard, which opens this Friday. He went on to say that he brought the movie idea of Red Tails to several studios and no one wanted to make this film…. AND THIS IS GEORGE LUCAS! Not to be deterred, he put up his own money, shot the movie then took it back to those same studios, and they wanted nothing to do with it. One of them even refused to see the film, citing the above mentioned problems. So George decided to take a huge risk by entirely funding the movie and releasing it himself. What a guy! For him to believe so strongly in this story is amazing. I think we should pull together and get behind this movie. I really do! Not just African Americans, but all of us. I have seen the movie and screened it here in Atlanta. I loved it and I think you will too. The Tuskegee Airmen, who were at the screening, were so happy that somebody is telling a small part of their story”.
GO OUT AND SUPPORT!
January 21st, 2012 on 10:30 pm
I saw it opening day and I loved it!
January 22nd, 2012 on 2:08 pm
Have not heard about the movie. 23 years in the making. That’s long enough. Epic indeed. A must see!