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Animaniacs: Long May Insaney-ness Reign

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It’s not supposed to work this way.

Beloved shows are cancelled all the time and, occasionally, get revived by other networks or sheer fan support. However, because of the passage of time, aging cast or simply just changing cultural trends, these shows are rarely as good as the original incarnation.

So, how is Animaniacs managing to meet the massive expectations of the original series and (maybe) even surpassing it?

First incarnated from 1993-1998, Animaniacs is the animated adventures of the Warner siblings, Wakko, Yakko and Dot, who live in the Warner Bros. Water Tower on the WB Studio lot in Burbank, California. In a collection of short cartoons, the Warners move through time, argue with network executives, battle monsters and try to get their email working properly. At the same time, the show also features characters like Pinky and the Brain, two laboratory mice committed every night to ‘trying to take over the world’ and others who are involved in their own silliness along the way.

Confused? That’s okay. They promise in the theme song that they’re ‘totally insane-y’.

Produced by Steven Spielberg, Animaniacs has always banked on the ridiculous in order to set it apart from other animated fare. For a series that disappeared almost 25 years ago, it’s remarkable that it remains as frenetic as ever. Sharply written and furiously executed, the show has maintained a sort of ‘timeless’ quality to its storytelling. Taking the most basic of premises (‘trapped in a movie studio’ and ‘taking over the world’), Animaniacs remains somewhat disjointed from any particular place and time. As a result, they have maintained the ability to adapt to the moment, blowing up the cultural icons of the time with satire and silliness. With ‘Chuck Jones-esque’ vitality, this remains a series that wants to bombard the viewer with as much humour as possible, making it easily re-watchable as well. 

Interestingly though, while it’s not unusual for animated fare to include pop culture references that skew towards adults, Animaniacs almost feels like it has taken the opposite approach. Leaning into allusions to Donald Trump, Oliver Twist and even 90s sitcoms such as Cheers and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, sometimes the show feels like its writing for parents as its primary audience. That’s not to say that it’s not appropriate for children. This is very much a children’s product with its eye-popping animation and physical humour. (In fact, both my 6- and 11-year old boys find the show hilarious.) Even so, the series’ emphasis on meta humour (they remind you that they did ‘do meta first’) and political references still seem more targeted to parents as opposed to little ones.

What’s always been interesting about Animaniacs is the role of the Warners themselves. As the show’s central characters, they have always exemplified pure, borderline anarchistic joy and fun. (I mean, the whole premise of the show is that they refuse to remain trapped in a water tower…) Shattering rules in the name of youthful playfulness, Yakko, Wakko and Dot exemplify innocence… in their own way. However, there’s a question that arises during season two that I’d never considered before.

Are they heroes?

Held up against the hilarious maniacism of Pinky and the Brain, the Warners seem to be the ‘good’ characters of the series. Even so, the Warners are not types to proclaim any sort of pious values or virtue that they’re ‘fighting for’. Ultimately, their primary concern seems to be… well… fun. However, in the Oliver Twist parody, there’s a moment this season where they are asked to join Fagan as pickpockets and Wakko refuses. (‘Stealing is bad,’ he proclaims.) Although, when Fagan ‘reframes’ it—they’re actually redistributing wealth—they’re willing to participate. To them, that makes sense… and the activity still feels innocent. They may not be intentionally trying to make the world a better place… but neither do they want to hurt anyone either.

In this way, maybe ‘heroes’ is too specific a term for the Warners. With childlike inexperience and enthusiasm, they’re trying to learn about the world and why the things that we value are important to us in the first place. Their ‘insany-ness’ stems from an innate desire to explore and bust down the social barriers that we’ve constructed around ourselves. To the Warners, spoiled children, Roman empires and spam folders are all just opportunities to ask questions and push boundaries. 

When others are asking ‘why?’, they’re simply going to ask ‘why not?’

The truth is that, regardless as to the Warners’ true motivations, Animaniacs continues to sparkle with an innate and infectious joy. Despite their age, the adventures of the Warners and misadventures of Pinky and the Brain show no signs of rust. With that in mind, although the series technically was rebooted with the intent to create two seasons, these chaotic cartoons still definitely have a lot of life left in them should they (hopefully) decide to extend the contract. Even if it’s not ‘supposed to work this way’, it’s definitely still working.

So, long may insaney-ness reign.

To hear our interview with co-executive producer Gabe Swarr, and voice icons Tress MacNeille and Jess Harnell, click here (YouTube) or here (audio)

To hear our interview with voice icons Rob Paulson and Maurice LaMarche, click here (YouTube) or here (audio)

Animaniacs returns on Hulu on Friday, November 5th, 2021.

6.20 Emancipating the BIRDS OF PREY

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After her debut in SUICIDE SQUAD, fan favourite Margot Robbie gets her time to shine brightly in BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN). After stepping out from the shadow of her ex—the Joker—Quinn quickly finds herself in the cross-hairs of every hitman in Gotham, especially maniacal crime boss Black Mask (Ewan Macgregor). However, Harley isn’t the only woman in Gotham who needs emancipation and she finds some unlikely allies in tough cop Rene Montoya, Black Canary and The Huntress. In a fantabulous episode, Mira Ibrahim joins me again to talk about the meaning of emancipation and pop culture’s portrayal of gender.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue the conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

6.20 Bird of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Download

5.10 Deconstructing THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

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With the release of LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, Emmet, Wildstyle and the crew find themselves in the worst possible scenario—when everything isn’t awesome. When an attack from DUPLO invaders further disrupts their post-apocalyptic world, Emmett must travel to the far outreaches of the Systar System in order to rescue his friends from the unmalicious queen Watevera Wanabi before she enacts Armomageddon, destroying the entire universe. This week, we welcome back Heather Johnson and Alan Sharrer to talk about the film’s understanding of growing up and the toxic gender wars. 

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, SoundCloud or on Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

5.10 Lego Movie 2 – The Second Part

Thanks Heather and Alan for joining us!


 

 

4.06 a JUSTICE LEAGUE of our own

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Grab your batarang and 5-pronged trident, because, in this episode, ScreenFish Radio wraps the lasso of truth around JUSTICE LEAGUE, the culminating film of DC cinematic universe. Back from his vacation, Steve is joined by super friends Arnaldo Reyes and Pastor James Harleman (Cinemagogue) to decide if the film leaps tall buildings in a single bound… or falls face first in the kryptonite.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.06 Justice League

A very special thanks to Arnaldo and James for joining us!

Saving DC (and it’s Extended Universe)

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Before we get started, let me assure you… I already know what you’re going to say.

Over the last year, there has been plenty of articles written about the DC Entertainment Universe (DCEU) helmed by Warner Bros., but I want to take a different approach. Instead of merely looking at what is wrong and highlighting it, I want to offer my take on a solution.

Numbers can be deceiving and, frankly, that is the number one problem with Warner Bros. While their films have seen massive worldwide ticket sales, does that really mean they’ve been a success? Their films have made so much from name recognition alone but fall short in quality, especially considering their competition. For instance, while Batman v Superman made a good chunk of change at the global box office, comparing it to a film like Deadpool shows that it missed expectations exponentially. Even though the film featured arguably the two most iconic superheroes ever for the first time ever in the same film (not to mention the first live action film version of Wonder Woman), and the film should have grossed well over 1 billion worldwide yet it fell far short. The success of a character like Deadpool should never compare to a film featuring Batman and Superman, but it shows you the difference between mere name recognition and a quality script that carries all the best elements of the character. (In fact, Suicide Squad suffered similar problems, by offering a film that made money from name recognition but not from the quality of the film itself.

Now I know, there are some reading that actually like these films, and that’s fine. This isn’t an article to bash DC or even compare them to their more successful counterpart led by the House of Mouse. Rather, this is an article of a comic book fan who wants to see sustained success–and, based on all the recent news, sustained success seems like a farfetched idea at the moment. I won’t link articles because I take rumors with a grain of salt, but with the confirmation that Ben Affleck won’t direct a solo Batman film; the script being thrown out and redone; and even some rumors that Affleck is trying to find a way to no longer play Batman, the state of the DCEU remains a giant question mark.  (Though today’s news that Matt Reeves has confirmed his role as director is, finally, some good news related to the film…). In three months, we will find out if there’s some hope (and again, don’t let initial numbers deceive you) but it could also completely bury the DCEU for quite some time.

With all that being said, let’s offer up some solutions.

My first piece of advice for Warner Bros. is kind of an oxymoron when you first hear it. I want them to both emulate Marvel Studios and also stop emulating Marvel.

Let me explain.

When it comes to emulating, the WB must stop pretending like they don’t care what Marvel is doing.  (Let’s be serious… you do.)  So, emulate the planning process. So far, it seems like the list of DCEU films are based on reaction and “catching up” rather than coming across as piece of a clearly laid out plan. Through their use of their ‘Phase 1-3’ idea, Marvel Studios has come off as a company that had an overall story to tell, rather than just movie titles. This interlocking shared universe paid off and WB would be smart to copy that same formula. This means that you shouldn’t make a film that spends more time trying to set up another film then actually tell a good story on its own. By leaving the interlocking parts for the end credits where the main film can breathe on its own with a few easter eggs, the fans realize in the end credits that it is part of something greater. These are things that Marvel has made successful and definitely should be emulated.

Now to the stop emulating part…

One of the more consistent things we’ve heard about is the constant butting of heads idea that DCEU films aren’t good because tell less jokes than Marvel and aren’t as ‘light hearted’.

But that’s far from the truth.

DCEU films don’t need to be light hearted to be good. They don’t need to follow that Marvel formula. The Dark Knight remains arguably the greatest comic book film of all time, and that’s what DCEU should be leaning on. BvS didn’t fail (critically speaking) because there wasn’t enough humor. Suicide Squad wasn’t viewed as a mess because they didn’t get the humor right. Humor has nothing to do with it, and the execs at WB need to realize that. Suicide Squad should have been dark and stayed with the feel of a black ops film rather than interjecting a supernatural element that simply didn’t make sense in that particular world. It felt like two different stories were trying to be told. Instead, Warner Bros. needs to focus more on storytelling and not just the name recognition (that goes for both characters and the actors picked to play the characters). If you are a fan like me, you probably have watched many of the animated movies that have come out in recent years. When I compare those movies to the live action, it is night and day. Now, we can talk about the differences in filmmaking stylistically, but good storytelling is good storytelling. There are a plethora of stories and ideas to pull from directly from their own umbrella that can be adapted correctly. Whether its Justice League, or Batman, or Suicide Squad, they all have been done extremely well in a film feature on the animated side because they have the freedom to stay true to the characters and the DC formula. If the biggest criticism DCEU films have is story, why continue to revert back to the same screenwriters?

DC comics have always been different from Marvel. Sure, over the years, characters have been created to ‘copy’ one from the other side but, even then, the characters and personalities remain completely different. The DCEU should follow suit and get writers that work within other factions of the DC world in order to craft stories that stay true to the characters. The WB execs should, like FOX did with Deadpool, take a step back and give them the freedom to do it their way. I don’t think all the turmoil surrounding The Batman film, and the lost hope from majority of fans would be an issue if these things were to happen. At the end of the day, we all want to see the films succeed and want to see the DCEU have a sustained success. But please WB, stop trying to take shortcuts and thinking that the names alone is all you need. Make a plan and be willing to let the characters develop and grow while staying true to their nature. Have a freedom and liberty with the characters but respect their foundation and ultimately let them breathe. Think outside of the box and don’t pigeonhole yourself to the same writers or ideas and dare to cast unknowns or non-A-list actors for iconic roles.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how dark or light the film is.  If the story is well put together, it will ultimately–finally?–lead to a sustained success.

Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Giveaway!

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Are you excited about Warner Bros. magical movie, Fantastic Beasts (and Where to Find Them)?  So are we!

To help get you ready to journey with Newt Scamander and friends, we have a great giveaway opportunity for you!  (And YES, this one is open to BOTH residents of Canada and the US…)  This prize pack includes a t-shirt, posters, stickers and a bookmark.

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To enter, like or share this contest and then comment on this Facebook post, answering the following two questions:

  1. If you could have any magic power, what would it be?
  2. What would you do with it?

Comments MUST be received by 11:59pm on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 EST.  The winner will be announced via. ScreenFish’s Facebook page and contacted via messenger for delivery details.

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Suicide Squad: The Characters Who Make It Happen

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It’s the golden age of comic book movies, thanks largely in part to Marvel Studios.

With WB finally starting a cinematic universe and after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fell short of expectations, there were many questions and concerns going into Suicide Squad . With a rating of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, the early reviews  have sentenced the film to death, but is it really that bad?

Let’s answer that question right away, the film does not deserve that rating. Does it have flaws? Sure, but not enough to warrant a rating that bad. You can definitely see where David Ayer’s vision was interrupted by the studio but, overall, the film is actually very good. You can check out my thoughts on the actual film and it’s redemption story on our YouTube page.

For this segment, I want to highlight the characters that really made the film great. There are some that were forgetful (Captain Boomerang), some who were cheesy (Killer Croc), but, in a film like this, you need to the stars to stand out and Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis did exactly that.

SOME SPOILERS

Deadshot (Will Smith)

deadshotDeadshot is clearly the unofficial leader of this ragtag group. Forced to do what they don’t want to do, he has the one thing no one else has — the determination to stay alive in hopes of seeing his daughter again. As bad as he is, Deadshot seems to do all the wrong things for the right reasons. Will Smith does a good job portraying this character where you genuinely see his heart throughout the film, even though what he does is wrong. While he only looks out for either himself or his little girl, this mission brings out more from him. You really see him evolve from not just a deadly hitman rotting away in a jail to a leader amongst thieves. He stands out and really shoulders the burden of not just staying alive, but keeping those around him alive. (And can I just say…the scene where he takes the lead on top of a car, fires off round after round and takes out Enchantress’ creepy army was downright amazing.)

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)

harleyThe true star of the film. I had many reservations going into the film regarding this character but she nailed it. She captured the sillyness, craziness, and deadliness of Harley Quinn. Every scene she was in she stood out above the rest, giving you the right moments of laughter when needed. You get enough of her background and her love for th e Joker yet you are left wanting more. (For what it’s worth, that is a great thing to have.) Harley Quinn has become such a popular character since she first appeared on Batman: The Animated Series and, for her first time in a live action role, Robbie really nailed the part. She brings crazy to a new level, yet you see that deep inside there is a soul searching for love in all the wrong places.  To be able to balance that in a character is an amazing feat.

 

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)

wallerCould there have been any greater person for this role?

Not a chance.

One can argue that Amanda Waller is the real villain of this movie. She neither a hero nor someone you want to cross. In the comics, Waller is ruthless with absolutely no heart. She only cares about doing her job and it doesn’t matter who gets in her way as long as the job is done. Viola Davis nails this role, showing us just how bad and evil Waller can be, even if she is on the good team. (For instance, this was evident when she shoots and kills FBI agents that were serving under her watch just because they never had the clearance to be part of the operation of Task Force X/Suicide Squad.) Who in their right mind would come up with the idea of putting nano-chip bombs in peoples heads in order for them to do what you want them to do? Not only that, these are lunatics! Waller has no friends and only sees others as leverage. For a woman who carried a heart for most of the film, it is the one thing she is lacking and why she is so dangerous. (It makes me wonder if maybe it isn’t the Squad that should be locked away.)

Overall I believe this film had enough value to warrant it a ‘screen it’ tag. There are flaws and some forgettable moments but where the film shines is in it’s characters and these really make it worth the watch.

Podcast: Believing in GHOSTBUSTERS + COMIC CON!

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This week on the show, Steve Norton and Chris Utley prove they ain’t afraid of no ghosts as they discuss Paul Feig’s controversial remake of GHOSTBUSTERS! Plus, in What’s Biting, Arnaldo Reyes gives us a report on the excitement of this year’s Comic Con!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

2.20 Ghostbusters (2016)

Comic-Con International

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comic-con-2016It used to be that when you mentioned Comic-Con, it was only referencing San Diego. However, in the past decade, pop culture has evolved and, with so many “comic-con’s”, one has to be more specific.

Comic-Con International is THE Comic-Con.

There isn’t any that actually comes close to the massive convention that takes over San Diego, CA every year. As the gaming industry and Hollywood have jumped on board, the Con has developed and now focuses on more than just comics making it a behomoth of a convention. In fact, Comic-Con International has grown so large that the San Diego Convention Center can no longer contain it, spilling into the streets and nearby hotels in downtown San Diego (even the San Diego Public Library has panels this year!).

Since we all know how big it’s become, let’s get to what we can expect this year. Due to personal reasons, I can’t make it to the event this time (my nice Walking Dead press badge is sitting on my kitchen table), but I am more than happy to share what I know and what to expect each day.

Outside of Twitter and Facebook, you can follow live from Comic-Con from the likes of ScreenJunkies Central (YouTube), Marvel.com/sdcc2016, twitch.tv/skybound, and comic-conhq.com. Some will be comics related, others movies and shows, and some breaking news as they come.

Whether you are attending Comic-Con, or following from afar, here is what you can keep an eye out for this weekend when it comes to movies and TV.

Thursday:

luke-cageExpect news and chatter from CBS Tevlevision presentation early in the day. However, even with Dreamworks presenting on the first day, I expect most of the news and conversation will be from Netflix/Marvel Luke Cage series. That panel is near the end of the day, so expect news, descriptions of footage and how the series can stack up next to Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

Friday:

Marvel’s Agents of Shield will be on hand discussing what happened in Season 3 and also what to expect in Season 4 (perhaps a fiery skull faced motorcycle rider?)

As great as that news might be, the big guns of TV will take center stage on Friday as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones will be the talk of Hall H.

Also, Friday evening is the world premiere of WB/DC Animated Batman: The Killing Joke that sees the return of Mark Hamill as The Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Tara Strong as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. This title remains a very popular comic book that many fans have been clamoring for, and one of the few Joker origin stories that many refer back to. Batman: The Killing Joke will also have a one-time theatrical debut on Monday July 25 or, if you don’t have tickets, you can also wait until it comes out on digital or Blu-ray.

Saturday:

wwssAs the biggest day of the event. If you are in San Diego, this has to be the one day where you looked at the schedule and channeled your inner Luke Skywalker “NOOOOOOOOOO”. For TV shows, the day features: Once Upon a Time; Supergirl; Flash; Arrow; Vampire Diaries; Grimm; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. That is one heck of a lineup all in Ballroom 20. So expect announcements and confirmations all throughout the day. One thing I’m looking out for with these, are the rumors true that Batwoman and Oracle will be debuting on season 2 of Supergirl? We shall see!

Well, the TV shows are just the appetizer. Saturday is the big Hall H day as well. Warner Bros. will start the day off with a monstrous 3 hour slot that includes Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Lego Batman, King Arthur and Kong: Skull Island. One film that’s surprisingly missing though is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. One would think that bringing back the world of Harry Potter would be a no brainer, but the film does not appear on their schedule. Either way, Wonder Bros. is sure to have the talk of the day.

Star Trek, which had their premiere Wednesday evening, has the unfortunate task of following Warner Bros. After them, it’s a 30th anniversay panel of Aliens, and one of the most recent popular additions is Entertainment Weekly’s Women who Kick Ass.

strange-1However, the final big presentation of the day belongs to Marvel Studios. We are for certain that Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be shown. Fans can also expect something from Thor: Ragnarok, as well as possible details on Black Panther film and of course, Spiderman: Homecoming. Marvel never dissappoints, so stay tuned Saturday night as I’m sure social media will be on a frenzy over what happened at the Marvel Studios presentation.

Sunday:

This is the “Get the last deals before you leave” day… but contrary to popular belief, there are still panels.

Hungover from his Marvel Studios Dr. Strange panel the night before, Benedict Cumberbatch will be on hand for Sherlock, followed by Supernatural. And well, actually, that’s it, so maybe Sunday is deals day!

Well, there you have it, what to expect this weekend. Follow ScreenFish on Facebook as we will try to share any breaking news we hear.

 

 

 

Story Still Matters: Race, Film, & the Oscar Nominees

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straightouttaI’m a reluctant writer.  It’s a gift.  It’s a curse.  It’s a gift because God has given me the voice to express myself.  It’s a curse because of the toll it takes and the burden I have to carry.  Your fearless leader Jacob has been nudging me to write film commentary like we used to do at Hollywood Jesus.  The gift kept calling.  The curse kept weighing on me.  So I ducked and dodged him.

And then the Oscar nominations came.  

There was one nomination for the white screenwriters of Straight Outta Compton.  One nomination for the white superstar supporting actor in Creed.  Zero/nada/zip for Beasts of No Nation, Chi-Raq and the other African American centric films/actors/etc.  The question of diversity within the Motion Picture Academy is now on the table.  Blacks across America are furious.  Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee are calling for a boycott.

I can feel most of you sharpening your knives because you think you know what I’m going to say.  Allow me to disappoint you.

Sorry, Jada.  Nothing but love for you, Spike.  But I won’t be boycotting anything. I will spend my Oscar night in front of the TV like I do every year cheering the winners I loved and booing the winners I didn’t want to win.

creed-movieAnd while I’m being honest…here’s more of my $0.02 regarding the lack of diversity in this year’s nominees.

  • Creed was good…but it was nothing more than Rocky 7. The notion that Sly Stallone is nominated  for playing Rocky is a joke to me…but, hey…strokes for folks.
  • A note to filmmakers: if you’re using Netflix to launch your movie in the Oscar race, you’re a TV movie. Beasts Of No Nation getting snubbed is not a statement against Black actors. It’s a statement against a TV distribution system that  is attempting to destroy the motion picture theatrical experience. The video on demand industry is dedicated to shrinking theatrical release windows to the point of non-existence.  Within the next few years, movie theaters will be few and far between due to the fact that everyone can watch movies on their tiny smartphones.  I still love going to the movies.  Nothing beats sitting in the theatre with popcorn in hand and watching a story be told on a sixty-five-foot (NOT INCH!) screen.  Cry all you want about Idris Elba getting snubbed, but I’m doggone proud that the Academy chose to preserve my favorite national pastime!
  • Had Universal received the memo that Steve Jobs wasn’t playing to audiences and the guilds like it had hoped – and repurposed their 2015 awards campaign to ride behind Straight Outta Compton as they should have, Spike wouldn’t be boycotting and Jada wouldn’t be ranting. Harvey Weinstein does the same thing every year, which is why his films bag a gazillion nominations and wins year after year. Don’t blame the Academy. Blame Universal for betting on the wrong horse.

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  • And, as much as I loved Chi-Raq…and as much as I admire your body of work, Mr. Lee, you can’t call a major Hollywood studio a “plantation” and not expect any fallout or blacklisting. Yep.  Back in 1992, out of his frustration with completing his classic biography of Malcom X, Spike Lee called the film’s distributor Warner Bros. those very words.  Twenty-something years later, he’s expressed in news outlets his difficulties in getting the major studios to finance his projects.  I wonder why.  Yeah, we have freedom of speech, but that freedom ain’t necessarily free.  God Himself through the inspiration of Scripture reminds us to be wise, slow to speak and, by all means, watch that flaming inferno called The Tongue.  Unfortunately, many have not heeded this warning – Mr. Lee included.   Speak your mind…but be willing to pay the price!
  • As I shared my thoughts on my Facebook page, I undoubtedly received my fair share of dissention – particularly from an old buddy from my old South Central LA neighborhood.  This particular gentleman called me a sellout because I wanted to see films that were off the beaten path.  I will never forget how he read me the (uncensored) riot act because I wanted to see the U2 documentary Rattle & Hum in the 80’s.  Dude lost his mind back then…and lost his mind again today as I took my anti-boycott stance.  He’s not the only one who gave me grief in  our “hood.” I got ridiculed for saying that Clint Eastwood was a better actor than Eddie Murphy.  My constant pleas to see a movie at the larger than life Hollywood movie theatres were ignored.  While everyone else was living the 70MM life, I used to take the bus to a piece of crap three-screen shoebox across the street from USC’s campus. Once I got a driver’s license, I made my way to Hollywood Boulevard and haven’t looked back in thirty years! I still march to the beat of my own drum.  I don’t explore EVERY film that’s off the beaten path, but I take pride in the fact that I will have seen every one of this year’s Best Picture nominees.  I will not allow my old pal, or anyone else, to use my color or race to define who I am as a person. The fruit of my life transcends my color. I am a child of God and a lover of cinema FIRST!  That’s never gonna change.

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  • Lastly…there’s one way to fix the diversity problem at the Oscars: make a film SO DOGGONE GOOD that the industry can’t take their eyes off of it. Make a work of cinema so decadent and impactful that it simply will not be denied. Steve McQueen did in 2013. The result: 12 Years A Slave. Winner of Best Picture…and many Black folks refuse to even watch it because we won’t grieve the pain and scars of slavery. In order to heal, we must go back to the pain and discover that, in spite of what we went through, we must first realize that we WENT THROUGH – and SURVIVED. Props to the writers/directors/actors taking number one spots from Star Wars. But I’d rather see Sam and Denzel taking shots at each other as opposing attorneys in a courtroom judged by James Earl Jones than Cube and Kevin Hart shucking and jiving across the streets of Miami!

warroom

  • That same sentiment goes to the world of Christian film, too.  I have ZERO INTEREST in the US vs. THEM mentality set forth by stories like God’s Not Dead.  The success of War Room was based on the fact that the story was centered in actual reality.  Like 12 Years A Slave, War Room was so doggone good that it would not be denied.  Let’s see more stories like that!  Yes, we as Christ followers stand for what is right in pure in the eyes of God.  But we need to see more gritty and real stories of transformation through His power.  Let’s see the story where the lead starts out as a foul mouthed, train-wrecked mess of a man and, two hours later, we see the spirit of God upend his life and transform his soul. Let’s see the story about the sister who uses sex to gain acceptance from the world only to discover that, through Christ’s love, she has the acceptance that she longs for.  And please don’t make it PG rated.  That’s not real.  

We live in an R-rated world (X…if we wanna be truly honest).  Are we too proud to take the Apostle Paul’s example of becoming all things to all men in order to save some?  Or are we too concerned about our image?  I don’t know about you, but my journey with God has been decidedly R-rated.  I was the foul-mouthed trainwreck.  I was the one who used sex to gain acceptance from the world.  But His love continues to transform me.  My story of redemption is not pretty…but I know He has taken my ashes and made them beautiful.  Can we get more stories like that on screen instead of incessant preaching to the choir? God doesn’t need us to create sanitized classroom scenarios to prove that He’s not dead.  The harvest is in the muck and mire of the world.  And that harvest is sho-nuff ripe.  But the laborers are few.  Hopefully, in this artform that I love, that will one day change for the better.

Editor’s note: Chris Utley is a forty-something writer, director, (sometime) actor, songwriter, singer (only at church!), husband, and father to three beautiful children. Hailing from Los Angeles, he shares his love for film and Jesus Christ with everyone he can.