tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post6167633826649057538..comments2024-03-29T00:52:48.587-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: FOR LOVE OF IVY 1968Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8041146981764984112019-11-13T23:25:42.968-08:002019-11-13T23:25:42.968-08:00Hello Ben!
I'm glad to have played a small par...Hello Ben!<br />I'm glad to have played a small part in steering you towards purchasing FOR LOVE OF IVY over AVALANCHE! (A movie I can now only watch with the MST3K commentary.)<br />Abbey Lincoln is a charmer in this film. I hope you enjoy seeing it for the first time! It still makes me cry even after seeing it at least six times by now.<br />Thank you very much for visiting my blog, Ben. See you on Instagram!<br /><br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21775526022626235652019-11-13T13:02:32.966-08:002019-11-13T13:02:32.966-08:00I'm so glad that you wrote this! You've f...I'm so glad that you wrote this! You've finalized my decision to pick up FOR LOVE OF IVY at the Kino Lorber Sale instead of AVALANCHE! (FYI it looks like IVY is going out of print!) . I haven't seen it, and I'm very excited. I saw NOTHING BUT A MAN years ago and remember thinking that Abbey Lincoln gave one of the best performances I'd ever seen. I've never forgotten it. I never knew that she MADE this film!Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15154490186230397830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-36827957803481325962017-09-07T05:39:10.681-07:002017-09-07T05:39:10.681-07:00Hi Peter
Your memory serves you well. Abbey Lincol...Hi Peter<br />Your memory serves you well. Abbey Lincoln delivers an authentic, natural performance that, in its way, redeems the tone that veers perilously close to sitcom on occasion. I can't imagine her being interested in the kinds of roles offered to black actresses at the time, but she's someone who deserved a bigger screen career. She was something special.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-60275590389343054342017-09-05T17:08:36.060-07:002017-09-05T17:08:36.060-07:00I thought Abbey Lincoln was a revelation in this f...I thought Abbey Lincoln was a revelation in this film too. Haven't seen it in quite awhile. I just recall a scene where Ivy gets really angry and her face is wearing an absolutely FIERCE expression. But a tear is running down that face. So - yeah - she was feeling it, not acting it. I always admire performers who can do that. She sure as heck could do that in her singing and songwriting. Peter Morleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-37154193910585068512015-09-24T18:21:48.443-07:002015-09-24T18:21:48.443-07:00Hi David
You really are something when it comes to...Hi David<br />You really are something when it comes to taking a chance on some of the films I write about. I'm glad you took a look at "Ivy", a film that may not be to everyone's taste, but is a film too few people know about in general.<br /><br />You're such an insightful observer of film, it's always a delight when you come back and share your thoughts with us. I really like your comparison of the "service" entrance scene with that sequence in "Imitation of Life." It displays a wonderful understanding of how something very powerful can be included in a film in the most subtle way. I was never much a fan of either film (and yes, you need to share your thoughts on Sirk), but you make me want to check the film out again.<br />Glad you enjoyed the film and appreciate your coming back to complete the cycle!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-76605533507261541872015-09-24T06:29:18.648-07:002015-09-24T06:29:18.648-07:00Dear Ken: Hi!
I'm doing a second post because...Dear Ken: Hi!<br /><br />I'm doing a second post because my husband and I got to see "For Love of Ivy" via Netflix last weekend. We both enjoyed it a great deal. As you note, it's not exactly a "ha ha" comedy, but it's extremely thought-provoking. It was wonderful to see a movie that was so invested in a black woman's goals and feelings and dreams. (In fact, the movie seemed to take all of the characters seriously. When Nan Martin had her anxious rant toward the end of the film about thinking of leaving her job to come back to the home to take care of her family, the moment could have been played for laughs but instead seemed very real.)<br /><br />And I agree that Lincoln was wonderful, and that Poitier was charming. He seemed more relaxed and at ease than usual, possibly because he was playing a human being with flaws rather than a symbol.<br /><br />I especially liked the one shot that you highlighted, above: Ivy coming home from her late-night date and walking past the sign that says "service." That brief moment has so much to say about Ivy's relation to the family and why striking out on her own is so important to her. It also has a lot to say about the troubled nature of race relations in the U.S. and black people having to "know their place." There is a similar shot in the original 1934 version of "Imitation of Life" (which I actually much prefer to the glossier Douglas Sirk version of 1959--one day I'll write about why I think Sirk is ridiculously overpraised as a director). The two mothers, white Claudette Colbert and black Louise Beavers, are sitting together in the living room of the home they share, commiserating about their emotional problems. Then they get up to leave, and Claudette ascends the grand circular staircase to her upstairs living suite, while Louise trudges down the back stairs to her maid's room.<br />It's a chilling moment.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02904043774881615645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-61313649653156958162015-09-10T05:49:59.557-07:002015-09-10T05:49:59.557-07:00Do write about "Boomerang". It's ver...Do write about "Boomerang". It's very entertaining. <br /><br />I like the way you think with your playlist! I've collected soundtracks for loads of sixties films. Half of them are in the style of Ennio Morricone lounge music for italian films of the late sixties and the rest are those cheesy Johnny Williams/Henry Mancini scores with silly theme songs. Heaven!<br />-WilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-27383612342755804682015-09-09T08:29:09.086-07:002015-09-09T08:29:09.086-07:00It's available on DVD now, but honestly, MOST ...It's available on DVD now, but honestly, MOST people haven't heard of this film.Socially, so much was going on in 1968, "For Love of Ivy" was dismissed as summarily as Doris Day's "With Six You Get Eggroll" which came out around the same time.<br />1968 was such a year of protest and change, I think we (naively) thought the future held far more roles more substantial and important than Abbey Lincoln's self-reliant Ivy.<br /><br />Rearview reality is the only thing that makes this film so relevant now. It's just sobering to confront this movie in today's climate. You put it so well in saying that it is a look back that stops you in your tracks. <br />I read a recent interview in Variety with actress Viola Davis which could have been the transcript of an interview with a black actress in 1968. So little progress on such a long road.<br /><br />Thanks very much for commenting (love the name of your blog!)Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-13494253964759643722015-09-09T05:41:19.268-07:002015-09-09T05:41:19.268-07:00I'm ashamed that I don't know this one. Ju...I'm ashamed that I don't know this one. Just on the year of its release alone, it's clearly already a little ground-breaking. Sad that we still have too few strong black female characters, isn't it? It takes a look back like this to really stop you in your tracks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-88283218378451061882015-09-05T13:04:56.835-07:002015-09-05T13:04:56.835-07:00Ha! In spite of that whole Skype thing being a tot...Ha! In spite of that whole Skype thing being a total mystery to me, I really enjoyed that podcast. Gathering one's thoughts for an essay is one thing, but being able to blurt things out felt almost cathartic.<br /><br />And the divided opinions about Poitier expressed in this comment section really is like a microscopic reenactment of what played out during the 60s. He as a difficult actor to feel neutral about. Many felt Poitier never really showed his real charm until he started to loosen up in the films he made with Harry Belafonte. <br />I remember how surprised I was when I first saw him in "Blackboard Jungle" ...he was actually a troublemaker! That didn't last long.<br />Thanks for taking the time to listen to the podcast (I wish Angie had her own broadcast show, so fun to talk to), and commenting!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-68920048788305770132015-09-05T07:21:45.237-07:002015-09-05T07:21:45.237-07:00I really liked this review and its analysis of bla...I really liked this review and its analysis of black actors in Hollywood. But the corresponding podcast was absolute gold! I hope you get invited again or start your own podcast because it was so oppinionated and true.<br /><br />Still don't like Poitier though who's always seemed like a charisma void to me. Maybe I was tainted by my watching 'Guess who' at an early age and really hating the mock-progressive politics of that moviemangrovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940525631457357126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66313187564395992702015-09-03T18:12:17.145-07:002015-09-03T18:12:17.145-07:00Much appreciated, Chris. Your comments afforded an...Much appreciated, Chris. Your comments afforded an opportunity to elaborate on many issues I couldn't address in the essay about the film. <br />Poitier has a most impressive body of work, but given his looks, charisma, and talent, he should have been so much more than this shining symbol. The triumph of his career is that he opened doors; the tragedy is that his image so eclipsed his humanity he became a relic of another time.<br />His career and legacy is always a reminder to me how racism hurts us all, and that it has no place in the arts. The debt Hollywood owes him...white Hollywood specifically, is immense. He made them appear more forward-thinking than they actually were. <br />Poitier's self-sacrificing image did indeed need to die, but I'm glad he's revered now for the talented trailblazer he is.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44148450763572477312015-09-03T17:51:26.104-07:002015-09-03T17:51:26.104-07:00Thank you, Ken--I need to read his autobiography. ...Thank you, Ken--I need to read his autobiography. You definitely have a point that whites must feel differently about him...to many of us, Poitier was a catalyst to enlightenment, serving as a bridge between what was and what could be...and still can be. To me, mostly though, he was one of the most charismatic men to ever grace a movie screen...a great star I admire by virtue of his own unique beingness. I too love the scene between Poitier and his dad in Guess Who's Coming...and I see him as an extraordinary man, not merely an extraordinary man of color. Now I need to read his memoir!angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-74074376103835404132015-09-03T17:27:36.048-07:002015-09-03T17:27:36.048-07:00Hi Chris
This is in replay to the first part of yo...Hi Chris<br />This is in replay to the first part of your comment. First off, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you are a big fan of Poitier, too. Subjective differences in tastes is to be expected, as are different takes as to what constitutes Poitier’s personal appeal. But there’s a subtle difference in disagreeing with “liking” Poitier in certain way, and denying a cultural reality that isn’t yours. <br /><br />Black culture’s problems with Poitier extended primarily on the way he and his image were used by white Hollywood. So to historically recount that the social climate in America in the 1950s, when Poitier emerged, had changed significantly by 1968, while Poitier’s screen image had not, is not really a difference of opinion.<br /><br />You can choose not to address it, but it’s a fact, and a fact that impacted his marketability. What appeared liberal in 1955 looked old-fashioned in 1968. Perhaps not to whites, but certainly to some blacks. People my parents age felt one way about Poitier, black youths my age another, whites, even another. All are different perspectives of the same man. It’s fair to say you feel differently, but to say you “disagree” can unfortunately sound like “I deny that reality.”<br /><br />As a black man, I recognize the historical significance of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" but it is through the eyes of a black man that I find untenable the notion that I am to enjoy a narrative in which a black man has to be (in Poitier's own words) "whiter than white" in order to be worthy of marrying a white character. <br />Even the scene you mention, where Isabel Sanford plays a modernized Mammy figure, fiercely protective of the status quo (in which she remains a maid), distrustful of an educated, articulate black man, and leaping to the defense of her white employers (owners)- is too much. I much prefer the more bracing conversation Poitier has with his father. His words to his father are the only words I recognize as coming from a black man. The rest are fantasy to me. <br />But in my heart of hearts, I honestly don't think "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" was ever a film intended for black people anyway. As evidenced by who did the most vociferous and violent protests at the time, it's fashioned to soften the blow of legalized interracial marriage (which became legal just months before the film's release) to those who resisted it the strongest.<br /><br />In Sidney Poitier's memoir "The measure of a Man" he writes a chapter titled- "Why Do White folks Love Sidney Poitier So?" in which he discusses his own sexless image (he is definitely sexy, but he'd the first to say his success was built on a non-threatening sexuality....like Julie Andrews), his eventual irrelevance to black audiences, and his own pride in what he achieved in his career, and awareness of its political limitations. A very good, eye-opening read.<br /><br />I hope you do get a chance to see "For Love of Ivy" (It's available through Netflix) and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Poitier is all the things you say he is in it. Only for once he gets to be those things without first having to prove to whites how worthy he is of being regarded as a human.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-74018169641894084132015-09-03T17:25:41.239-07:002015-09-03T17:25:41.239-07:00Really? Because there are countless film books (es...Really? Because there are countless film books (especially books about black cinema) which reference that very phenomenon. Rapid social changes made Sidney Poitier obsolete practically overnight. Among young people and Civil Rights groups at the time, he was a seriously controversial figure. He didn’t stop making movies because he found interests elsewhere, the movies he made consistently lost money as he attempted to change his image. An act that found him alienating those who liked his “safe” persona, and largely coming across as irrelevant to the young.<br /><br />As detailed in the documentary about Nina Simone, black Americans in the sixties bore witness to the murder of all of their heroes (Malcom X, MLK), their fighters (Medgar Evers), and the innocent (the four girls killed in the Alabama church bombing). Sidney Poitier’s image, one of winning over white people’s trust and approval, was beloved by whites, but egregiously out of step with black lives and black voices of protest. <br />Even in his own memoirs he relates how he was embraced by whites and dismissed as an “Uncle Tom” by sectors of the black community. The passivity, acquiescence, and most certainly the non-confrontational nature of his image – after nearly 20 years onscreen – definitely began to pall. He recognized it, tried to change it in a few films, then, thereafter…moved on to other things. He was an idol, but he was also a dinosaur.<br /><br />White audiences still embraced his image to their bosom, but blacks saw that his brand of “respectability politics” didn’t stop black children and leaders from being killed. A new kind of movie hero was sought, and if you look at all the black male stars of the early 70s black film explosion (Melvin Van Peebles, Richard Roundtree, Jim Kelley, Fred Williamson, Raymond St. Jacques, etc.), they are distinguished by their disinterest in making white audiences comfortable. The regrettable cornerstone of Sidney Pouter’s screen legacy.<br /><br />I go into so much detail here because it’s important to make a distinction between a subjective difference of opinion and the denial of a reality that isn’t our own. It’s well-documented in many sources that black and white America responded differently to Sidney Poitier’s image, for his career served different purposes to each.<br />Recognizing that two truths existed simultaneously is, to me, more accurate than denying that Poitier was always problematic for some factions of black culture. In the 70s, when Poitier lost interest in playing selfless/noble roles, white audiences abandoned him, and black audiences found his roles at this time, a case of too little too late.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34120636671953880302015-09-03T11:35:20.729-07:002015-09-03T11:35:20.729-07:00I also was under the impression that Poitier eased...I also was under the impression that Poitier eased out of film in the 1970s by choice, because he was more interested in doing humanitarian work than in acting? It seems that many think he simply "went out of fashion" and I don't think that was the case at all...I thought I had heard or read him say that he found the medium of film acting not to be fulfilling at all, or something to that effect...angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-38103027336553533212015-09-03T11:27:37.633-07:002015-09-03T11:27:37.633-07:00Ken, this looks like a wonderful film - I need to ...Ken, this looks like a wonderful film - I need to see it. I have been in a Sidney Poitier swoon lately, having just seen A Patch of Blue, the Slender Thread and Raisin in the Sun again recently. Poitier is divine...<br /><br />I have to disagree with you about Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...I think it's a very important film and a very entertaining and moving one as well...my favorite scene is where Isabel Sanford catches him without his shirt on and then tells him off...mind-blowing. <br /><br />Sexless? I have to differ with you on that too...I agree that he had to be superhumanly "noble" in all of his roles, a real burden, but he carries it off with such graceful ease...but he's also a very sexy man. I am disappointed that he didn't enjoy a liplock with Katharine Houghton in Guess Who's Coming, BUT - I just saw Patch of Blue the other night and he DID have a very steamy kiss with Elizabeth Hartman. A pretty erotic moment, if you ask me. <br /><br />Anyway, Ken, I cannot wait to check out For the Love of Ivy...not only for Poitier but Beau Bridges looks adorable in your screencaps, such a studmuffin...and Carroll O'Connor, and Nan Martin (I LOVED her in Big Eden, have you ever seen it?). Thanks again for giving me yet another "old" movie to look forward to. <br /><br />You are awesome. I look forward to every post!<br />-Chris<br /><br /><br />angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-73125661723888683122015-09-03T09:00:21.820-07:002015-09-03T09:00:21.820-07:00I plan on writing about Boomerang someday specific...I plan on writing about Boomerang someday specifically because Grace Jones is so outrageous in it (I never know if she's aware of parodying herself ) and it has such a killer female cast.<br />And I have entire ipod playlist devoted to cheesy 60s movie themes. My favorite is perhaps the Peter Sellers collaboration with The Hollies for "After the Fox". Trying to be hip is the perfect description for composer John Williams in his Johnny Williams days, and the themes he came up with for "Penelope" and "Not With My Wife, You Don't"... movie title sequences were looooong and expensive in the 60s!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-64487979687290428162015-09-03T04:46:33.174-07:002015-09-03T04:46:33.174-07:00I've seen "Boomerang" a few times. I...I've seen "Boomerang" a few times. It's funny and it has Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt and Halle Berry. Robin Givens was such an underrated actress!<br /><br />I love those cheesy theme tunes by Boyce & Hart and The Cowsills! Those Movies were trying to be hip.<br />WilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90973844478290524292015-09-03T00:41:46.931-07:002015-09-03T00:41:46.931-07:00Wille, I wish you were my writing agent! Thank you...Wille, I wish you were my writing agent! Thank you very much. <br />Yes, "For Love of Ivy" is a very sweet movie. I could wish for it to actually be funnier and maybe not so choppy in tone (as you note, the romance and casino caper parts); but I really root for this couple and this romance has a nice layer of personal and social emancipation. And as you say the performances are so good (Peters didn’t leave much of an impression on me, either_<br /><br />One of the things I so respect about Sidney Poitier is that he shouldered so much alone. He really had to be all things to all people and he could never really satisfy them all. But unlike some of the public figures today who seek to be role models when it suits their bank accounts or press junkets, Poitier took his role as a “symbol” very seriously, and his later career suffered for it. I don’t think they make them like him anymore.<br /><br />I can’t vouch for what young people make of contemporary civil rights films, but as someone who sat through a load of them in the 60s, I kinda thought we’d have a bit more variety by now. You hit the nail on the head in noting how so many black films today have a controversial setting. The close association of black life with strife and political discomfort is a good deal more sociologically retrograde than some people think.<br />The normalizing of black experience (for example, I really enjoyed Eddie Murphy’s “Boomerang” [and I pretty much hate Eddie Murphy] because it was a relationship comedy.<br /><br />I really cracked up at your description of the Mamas and the Papas theme song. It really is a bit of a mess, isn’t it? It reminds me of the kind of song groups like Boyce & Hart (The Ambushers) and The Cowsills (The Impossible Years) added to movies, dating them instantly.<br /><br />Thanks for the very kind words about my essay, and a special appreciative nod for what you said about my mom. Maybe someday, when Hollywood is tired of playing the tolerant liberal, more black kids will aspects of their lives and those they love, represented with some regularity on the screen.<br />Take care, Wille!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-10898264523493187472015-09-02T04:25:04.211-07:002015-09-02T04:25:04.211-07:00Hello Ken,
Your film site is the best on the inte...Hello Ken,<br /><br />Your film site is the best on the internet and your criticism should be taught as a course at film schools! The selection of films and your reviews are always excellent. I have seen “For the Love of Ivy” on TCM a few years ago and liked it. I remember it being very sweet with the romance and how it suddenly seemed to change tone to become a caper movie what with the secret casino in the trucks! <br /><br />Lincoln, Poitier and Bridges gave fine performances. I seem to get Laurie Peters mixed up with Michele Carey (who was in an Elvis Presley movie). Both of them have an annoying cheerleader “quality”. <br /><br />Thanks for explaining why Sidney Poitier’s star dimmed in the 1970’s when he should have been a big star on the same level as McQueen and Redford! A bitter irony for him who blazed the trail that he should become so unfashionable in such a short time! <br /><br />As you say, it is so strange that the films being produced today don’t reflect more normal aspects of African American lives. Can’t they be portrayed in anything but in a controversial setting? “For the Love of Ivy” should be more well known because it seems so unique as a romantic comedy with blacks in the leads. I am so tired of all the mean spirited comedies being made today. I’m not asking for Doris Day type films but something less aggressive would be good…<br /><br />Now I know that the Mamas and Papas song was not included in the film and it’s just as good as it’s a little hopeless, especially at the end of the song when they’re all singing at once and it’s just a mess.<br /><br />I must see this film again for Abbey Lincolns performance and the rare experience of seeing a three dimensional black woman portrayed on film. Thank you for sharing your views and your memories of your mother who sounds like a remarkable woman.<br /><br />-Wille<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-18569003972581870972015-08-30T21:08:08.447-07:002015-08-30T21:08:08.447-07:00Much appreciated, Joe!
Such a good point you make ...Much appreciated, Joe!<br />Such a good point you make about those stellar actresses who all deserved more high-profile careers. Eached teased us with hints of what they could do, and to a one, was almost never afforded opportunities to mine their talents in worthy roles.<br />When I see how Viola Davis is making inroads in her career visibility, I can't help but think back to Alfre Woodard and the kind of career I imagined she would have after "Cross Creek." I'm glad she continues to work, but she's such a favorite i always wanted a bigger career for her.<br />And don't me started on Diana Sands! <br />Love Pam Grier, but never saw "Fort Apache"...another one I need to check out!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-72476944556771819582015-08-30T21:02:28.447-07:002015-08-30T21:02:28.447-07:00Hi David
You're always so kind in your referen...Hi David<br />You're always so kind in your referencing my posts, and I'm particularly pleased that you like the minor biographical context stuff (and yes, like everyone's mom, I'm sure, mine was pretty terrific. But we don't seem to ever really get that until we're old).<br />I hope you like "Ivy" when you see it. Lincoln's performance is certainly a must-see in my opinion. <br />You're the first person I "know" who saw "Dear White People," a film i was curious about but had so little to go on. I know you sometimes say that due to you job, you really don't gravitate to films that are depressing or about abuse.<br />I have to say that as a back man who has lived through the early days of Civil Rights battles and dealt with decades worth of what passes for equality in the US, I tend not to gravitate to films I think might be showing/telling me more of what I already see and know. It can be very depressing and angering. That's why I crave more character and "life" films about black life. The political stuff is kind of 57 years of unchanged history for me sometimes.<br /><br />I never heard of "Something New," but I put it on my Netflix list! It sounds terrific, and indeed, I'm surprised this ten-year-old film totally slipped by without even a memory of a release.<br />Thanks for the recommendation. After your seeing so many films I've written about here, it's nice to repay the compliment.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-56869207095511855072015-08-30T12:52:08.091-07:002015-08-30T12:52:08.091-07:00Another great post Ken.
Abbey Lincoln was, of cour...Another great post Ken.<br />Abbey Lincoln was, of course, a fantastic singer but she could have had a major film career, based on 'Ivy' and 'Nothing But a Man.' The range she displays in those two films is quite remarkable. <br />The way Hollywood has wasted black female talent is beyond tragic. Diana Sands should have been a superstar, and while Alfre Woodward has worked a lot, she hasn't had the starring roles she deserves.<br />I agree with the other post-er about Sanaa Lathan and "Something New" - I had hoped the movie would be a hit and lead to similar romantic comedies for that terrific actress.<br />I still don't understand why Pam Grier didn't get more traction from her stunning comeback performance in "Jackie Brown" (not to mention her terrifying supporting work 15 years earlier in "Fort Apache - The Bronx"). She should be working all the time!<br /> Joe Meyershttp://blog.ctnews.com/meyersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-49502809429392411122015-08-27T02:40:27.283-07:002015-08-27T02:40:27.283-07:00Aw, Deb, that's very sweet! Thank you. I miss...Aw, Deb, that's very sweet! Thank you. I miss her to this day, but so happy the latter part of her life was 180 degrees different from the start.<br /><br />And thanks for bringing up The Mamas and the Papas song. I'd read somewhere the John Phillips was commissioned to write the a song for the film, but the hippie-pop ditty was rejected in favor of Quincy Jones' more jazz-influenced theme. <br />i don't know if this is true, but it would certainly explain how two songs with the same name came to released in 1968.<br /><br />Lastly, had the film used the mamas ad papas version, your choice of The 5th Dimension as preferred vocalists is right on the money for the perfect sound for such a light movies as this.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.com