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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

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When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

The lights are all blinking red.

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When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

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Trump should be leading, not lying.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

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It’s the corruption, stupid.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Saturday Movie / Black History Month Open Thread

Saturday Movie / Black History Month Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  February 27, 20214:17 pm| 89 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Popular Culture, Racial Justice

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EXCLUSIVE: Sources tell me that DC Films and Warner Bros. are developing an upcoming Superman feature film written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. J.J. Abrams is producing. The search for Ka-El / Superman has not started. More: https://t.co/x5mLIx8fgA

— Trey Mangum (@treymangum) February 26, 2021

Brother from Another Planet is one of my favorite movies. I’m intrigued to see what Mr. Coates does with a hero raised to believe his survival rests on being invisible to potentially hostile eyes — someone who can disappear by throwing off his cape and assuming a stigmatized identity…

UPDATE: According to reports, it's Warner Bros. and DC Films' "intent" to introduce a Black Superman, and Michael B. Jordan is obviously high on the list of candidates. https://t.co/6dgXNN3eKv pic.twitter.com/sKnqsiKBfq

— Consequence of Sound (@consequence) February 26, 2021

History!

A new version of first known African-American screen kiss from an 1898 film directed by U.S. film industry pioneer William Selig has been discovered in Norway https://t.co/EuGwsZLth7 pic.twitter.com/sn09EpmQa8

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 27, 2021

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Reader Interactions

89Comments

  1. 1.

    gwangung

    February 27, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    I’m interested in Coates.

    He’d write an interesting take with either a black or a white Kal-el.

    And I think he’d understand that choosing a character and their race impacts all sorts of things about their upbringing and interactions with other people.

    (I’m betting, though, if the latest rumor is right, there’s going to be a blend of Icon with Superman…)

  2. 2.

    Fair Economist

    February 27, 2021 at 4:37 pm

    I like Coates’ writing and I like the idea of a black Superman. It would get a lot of racists’ knickers in a twist, which makes me like it even more.

  3. 3.

    cain

    February 27, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    @Fair Economist: 
    I’m going to absolutely love when racists go fucking nuts at the ultimate white totem in superhero genre.

    On the other hand, there is going to be a shit ton of pressure to make sure that this doesn’t flop. The pressure on Coates/J.J. Abrahms and whoever is director is going to be enormous. We’re dealing with the ultimate American identity.

    But yeah, it’s time for this iconic superhero to go black.

    Now who is going to be up for an Indian superhero eh?

  4. 4.

    The Thin Black Duke

    February 27, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    I would highly recommend Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley, a brilliant sf satire. It’s the rare movie where you have no idea where it’s going, and the ride is exhilarating. This is a golden era for black filmmakers.

  5. 5.

    gwangung

    February 27, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    @Fair Economist: Yeah, we had a taste of that when there were rumors of casting a black actress as Lois Lane (and, of course, the ongoing hatred thrown against Candace Patton).

  6. 6.

    Mike in NC

    February 27, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    I believe that Rush Limbaugh was very much against casting someone like Idris Elba as a black James Bond. Hasn’t happened yet, but let’s continue to celebrate Limbaugh’s trip to hell.

  7. 7.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 27, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Well well well Twitter.

    Politics · Trending

    Nazi
    Trending with Hyatt

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    February 27, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    You lost me at J. J. Abrams.

    Whatever comes of it though, has to be an improvement over Abar, The First Black Superman.

  9. 9.

    cain

    February 27, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    @gwangung:

    I really can’t understand the hate. She is a brilliant actress and gorgeous to boot. I think the whole grew up in a black family thing is really an interesting twist. Fuck these people.

  10. 10.

    Geminid

    February 27, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    I wonder if someone will ever make a movie of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

  11. 11.

    cain

    February 27, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    BTW if they are going to be doing a whole thing on Superman, can we have Lex Luthor be Indian? I mean come on man – it’s like we don’t exist in space, in super heroes movies or anything. There are like over a billion of us here. We rarely representation in the western entertainment field.

  12. 12.

    NotMax

    February 27, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Trivia:

    Black comedic actor Mantan Moreland was Moe and Larry’s choice to be the new third stooge. However the studio didn’t want to add another name to the payroll so insisted on going with someone already on their books, Joe Besser.

  13. 13.

    debbie

    February 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    @Fair Economist:

    Seconded.

  14. 14.

    planetjanet

    February 27, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke: ​
     I did really enjoy that movie.

  15. 15.

    Jay

    February 27, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    @cain:

    I think that for the next 50 years, all the pure villains should be mediocre white males.

  16. 16.

    Brachiator

    February 27, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    I would highly recommend Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley, a brilliant sf satire. It’s the rare movie where you have no idea where it’s going, and the ride is exhilarating. This is a golden era for black filmmakers.

    This was a wild movie. I can’t recall if it was the same year as the magnificent Moonlight.

    I would also recommend Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk.

  17. 17.

    Another Scott

    February 27, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I’m  reminded (as I believe Adam has discussed here, but I can’t find it at the moment) that Superman was created by a couple of Jewish guys and there are echoes of Moses, etc., in the story.

    Looking forward to TNC’s take.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  18. 18.

    NotMax

    February 27, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    @Brachiator

    Both Beale Street and Invisible Man were announced as “in development” at Hulu several years ago.

  19. 19.

    BruceFromOhio

    February 27, 2021 at 5:14 pm

    @mrmoshpotato:  There is no version of a universe in which this was an “oops.” All that is missing are the swastikas and panzer divisions.

  20. 20.

    trollhattan

    February 27, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    I’m really old and thus, remember watching “Blacula.” Had to look up the director–William Crain–who still walks among us (presumably in sunlight) at 71, so was very young in his directing heyday.

    Coates is a good writer so perhaps can make Superman not-boring. More power to you.

  21. 21.

    Brachiator

    February 27, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    @cain:

    BTW if they are going to be doing a whole thing on Superman, can we have Lex Luthor be Indian?

    One of the main villains in the last Jurassic Park movie was Indian.

    Riz was an under-used bad guy in Jason Bourne.

    But yeah, an Indian actor as Lex Luthor could be very interesting.

  22. 22.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 27, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    @BruceFromOhio: Yup.

  23. 23.

    cain

    February 27, 2021 at 5:20 pm

    @Jay: I think that for the next 50 years, all the pure villains should be mediocre white males.

    Ostensibly, they are the villains now :D

  24. 24.

    Hoppie

    February 27, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    Race is a very poignant subject for me.

    Of my four grandparents, one was Mayflower, one 1628 New Hampshire, one 1640’s North Carolina, and one 1848 German draft-dodger.  I am about as American as any European descendant can be.

    It was my Negro (the polite word then, black or Afro-American is proper now) housekeeper who kept my brothers and me together as a family after my mother died and my father was disabled (there was family money).

    So I grew up with black people, but always had white privilege.  A great deal of the modern world is weird to me.

  25. 25.

    laura

    February 27, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    Black artistry, black music, black entertainment, black athletes, black scientists, black people telling the stories of America. I Want MOAR. We all benefit from the de-Pat Boonification of culture.

  26. 26.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    February 27, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    A TV movie as opposed to a theatrical release, Cosmic Slop is George Clinton meets The Twilight Zone and it’s something completely different.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfBpjkgn5pY

    Not SF, but a timeless satire Putney Swope

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPgId7RgQ2E

  27. 27.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    February 27, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    Love Coates but we need a moratorium on Superhero movies. I think 100 years should suffice.

  28. 28.

    Another Scott

    February 27, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    Meanwhile, in the not so friendly skies, … BusinessInsider:

    An American Airlines flight was diverted after two women got into a fight with another passenger over their use of a racial slur.

    Flight 776 between Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Los Angeles had to be diverted to Phoenix on Wednesday due to the incident.

    Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, were asked to stop using the term by another passenger, according to Phoenix Police.

    In a statement seen by NBC News, Sgt. Mercedes Fortune of Phoenix Police said: Kelly Pichardo became upset and allegedly spat at the male passenger who had asked her to stop using that language,”

    “The male passenger then began to record the two women and that is when Leeza Rodriguez struck the man’s hand to keep him from recording the incident.”

    Both women were charged with disorderly conduct upon landing at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, where Pichardo also faced an additional charge of assault, the Arizona Republic reported.

    American Airlines spokesman Derek Walls told the Arizona Republic: “Their behavior was disturbing and unacceptable, and they have been placed on our internal refuse list pending further investigation.”

    […]

    (Emphasis added.)

    Of course, they might not actually be from Texas, but…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  29. 29.

    Jeffro

    February 27, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    Superman: just…just ANYTHING but the blessed origin story, please ??

    I finished reading Heather McGee’s “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone And How We Can Prosper Together” this afternoon, and wow, what a great examination of this country’s history, and all the ‘nice things’ we can’t have in our current zero-sum system…but could easily have if we worked together.

    All through the book, she makes it a point to return to the theme of “racism hurts people of color the most, but here’s how it hurts most white people, too”.

    VERY eye-opening, and highly recommended!

  30. 30.

    BruceFromOhio

    February 27, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    @mrmoshpotato:  Herr Schlapp confirms it, you know you caught them when they try to blame someone else.

  31. 31.

    Kristine

    February 27, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    Jordan was soo good as Killmonger. I would love to see him play Superman.

  32. 32.

    Baud

    February 27, 2021 at 5:31 pm

    White superman went MAGA and stormed the capitol.

  33. 33.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    February 27, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    we need a moratorium on Superhero movies. I think 100 years should suffice.

    Rather than 100 years, I’d settle for till the end of time.

  34. 34.

    Bruuuuce

    February 27, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    @Jeffro:

    Superman: just…just ANYTHING but the blessed origin story, please

    I finally watched the first episode of Superman and Lois last night. They gloss the origin story and Superboy years in a couple of minutes, because by the gods, everyone already knows that story.

    It worked really well, and if Coates did something similar (and was able to override the godsawful objections Jar Jar Abrams is sure to make) it would play on the big screen, too.

  35. 35.

    Brachiator

    February 27, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    Brother from Another Planet is one of my favorite movies. I’m intrigued to see what Mr. Coates does with a hero raised to believe his survival rests on being invisible to potentially hostile eyes — someone who can disappear by throwing off his cape and assuming a stigmatized identity…

    I’ve only seen clips of Brother From Another Planet. I’ve liked some of John Sayles’ work, but some stuff is just OK. Love Joe Morton as an actor, though.

    A lot of the Superman myth could work with a black character. He could grow up in Kansas, be adopted by a black family, etc.

    But white Clark Kent is kind of a genial nobody. He does not attract attention. A black Kent might be a different kind of character. I have a hard time seeing a black Superman being more interested in fighting crime than in liberating the oppressed.

    A majority black or multi-racial Krypton would be a hoot.

  36. 36.

    Jay

    February 27, 2021 at 5:39 pm

    @Baud:

    and the moron went as Superman, not Clark Kent,

    and posted selfies.

  37. 37.

    Jeffro

    February 27, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    @Bruuuuce: same thing with the rest of them.  Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Captain America origin stories = ugh.  Jump right into some of their best arcs and don’t look back, filmmakers!

  38. 38.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    February 27, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    In very good news, Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” will premier on Amazon Prime on May 14. I can’t wait. Wonderful book.

  39. 39.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 27, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    @BruceFromOhio: Oh that’s a fun link!  rawstory…/cpac-matt-schlapp-nazi/  Sums it up nicely.
    Btw, I didn’t know about the stage design initially.  I just saw Nazi and Hyatt trending and knew it was about CPAC, because OF COURSE.​

  40. 40.

    Another Scott

    February 27, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    Speaking of the “natural order” and suchlike…

    Someone’s mad at me because @jbarro blocked them. Usually it’s the other way around. I blocked him to restore order to the universe.

    — IncitementToResurrectionHat (@Popehat) February 27, 2021

    rofl.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  41. 41.

    Hoppie

    February 27, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    @Hoppie: An American Dilemma by Gunnar Myrdal was remarkably meaningful for its time.  Very much useful if you want to see what we were deliberately ignoring.

  42. 42.

    NotMax

    February 27, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    @Jeffro

    just ANYTHING but the blessed origin story, please

    Marlon Brando argued it would be cool if instead of his person showing up on screen that his character would be portrayed by a green suitcase.

    Wartime propagandish as they are, the Fleischer Superman cartoons remain the best screen adaptations, IMHO. Although the depiction of the destruction of Krypton is rather … breviloquent.

  43. 43.

    Jay

    February 27, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    @Brachiator:

    But white Clark Kent is kind of a genial nobody. He does not attract attention. A black Kent might be a different kind of character.

    A Black Clark Kent would be amazing at going unnoticed. It’s a skill many BIPOC people have had to learn to stay alive.

  44. 44.

    Ken

    February 27, 2021 at 5:44 pm

    @Jeffro: Superman: just…just ANYTHING but the blessed origin story, please.

    Agreed, though I could accept a faithful adaptation of the one-page, eight-word version from Morrison and Quitely’s “All-Star Superman”.  Thirty seconds tops, then roll opening credits.

    (“Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple.” to save you google time.)

  45. 45.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 27, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    @Another Scott: ​
     Hahaha, nice one, Popehat!

  46. 46.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 27, 2021 at 5:47 pm

    the Best Socks in the History of Feet

    What if better socks existed before feet?

  47. 47.

    raven

    February 27, 2021 at 5:48 pm

    The Kinks – Superman

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    February 27, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    Not a movie of course, but Isabel Wilkerson’s “The Warmth of Other Suns” is a wonderful book on the “Great Migration” North of black people in the early 1900s. It fleshes out a story that had not previously been covered in many books about American history and is essential reading for Black History Month or any other month.

  49. 49.

    Bruuuuce

    February 27, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    @Jeffro: Did you see how it was handled for the Peter Parker segment of  Into the Spider-Verse? That was pretty much the same handling as S&L, and it worked there, too. They only did a more expanded version for Miles Morales because, well, Miles != Peter.

  50. 50.

    Ken

    February 27, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    I must admit that when minority superheroes are mentioned, I have unpleasant flashbacks to Challenge of the Superfriends and its roster of, well, crude ethnic stereotypes. Someone reassure me that we’ve made progress over the last forty years.

  51. 51.

    RSA

    February 27, 2021 at 5:56 pm

    Blasphemy! This would up-end 80 years of… comic book history.

    I mean, if we’re talking about violation of continuity, in the 1990s they KILLED comic book Superman. (He got better.) There have been so many retcons over the decades that a black Superman shouldn’t be a big deal.

  52. 52.

    Baud

    February 27, 2021 at 5:56 pm

    @Ken:

    Yes. The ethnic stereotypes are much more sophisticated now.

  53. 53.

    cain

    February 27, 2021 at 6:06 pm

    @Brachiator: But white Clark Kent is kind of a genial nobody. He does not attract attention. A black Kent might be a different kind of character. I have a hard time seeing a black Superman being more interested in fighting crime than in liberating the oppressed.

    Truth – but I have no idea how a man wiht great physical powers can help against a political system. I suppose you could turn into a Moses figure – but boy that will lead to all kind of things.

  54. 54.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    February 27, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    @raven: Low Budget, the story of my life. ?

  55. 55.

    Yutsano

    February 27, 2021 at 6:19 pm

    I came across this clip of Roger Stone vs Larry Klayman and if ever there was a root for injuries situation it’s this one. Also: Christ what an asshole.

  56. 56.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    February 27, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    My favorite live performance ever. Lenny Zakatek jumps down in the crowd at the start of the song and completely fucks over the camera operators. Then the crowd – mostly teenaged boys – refuses to sing along when prompted.

  57. 57.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    February 27, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    @Yutsano:

    Also: Christ what an asshole.

    Which one?

  58. 58.

    LuciaMia

    February 27, 2021 at 6:31 pm

    ‘Chariots of Fire’ on TCM right now. Now that is one white movie.

  59. 59.

    A Ghost to Most

    February 27, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    I think I’m almost as sick of comic book movies as I am of Rs. Almost.

  60. 60.

    Yutsano

    February 27, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Yes. The answer you’re looking for is yes.

  61. 61.

    Tony Jay

    February 27, 2021 at 6:39 pm

    There’s already a black Superman (well, there’s two, actually, but let’s not be greedy) who not only saves the world on a regular basis but also finds the time to be President of the United States.

    Coates will be well aware of Calvin Ellis and his status as, perhaps, the ‘main’ Superman of the DC Multiverse, so it would be nice to think that he’s actually going to be telling his story as part of a wider DCCU storyline. Marvel are certainly leaning into the Multiverse idea for their next tranche of blockbusters, and you know what these studio execs are like when it comes to following the money.

    I’ll be honest, a Crime Syndicate spin-off TV series would keep me couchbound through the 2023 Lockdown period very happily indeed.

  62. 62.

    Belafon

    February 27, 2021 at 6:43 pm

    @cain: They have cast the Pakistani-American to play Ms. Marvel.

  63. 63.

    Jeffro

    February 27, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    @Ken: yes, this exactly!  (and I loved ‘All-Star’ btw)

    Just. get. going. with the freaking stories, already!

  64. 64.

    Woodrow/asim

    February 27, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    A few notes on this:

    • Abrams isn’t automatically a bad thing — her was a Producer on PERSON OF INTEREST, which was an amazing show that avoided a lot of the crap Abrams tropes. Really depends on how involved he gets and who ends up with creative control.
    • Regarding Indian villains — the current incarnation of the Doctor Who villain The Master is played by an actor of Indian descent, Sacha Dhawan.
    • Although Barack Obama is not an immigrant, he is someone whose life experience is based upon being raised by a mother, and grandparents, who were White folx born and raised in Kansas. And Coates has written on this, if I recall correctly.
  65. 65.

    Jeffro

    February 27, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    @Brachiator: It’s tremendous.  It’s something I try to push on my non-reading family members on a regular basis.  Totally eye-opening.  I think we covered the Great Migration for about 15 minutes tops back in HS – sad!

  66. 66.

    debbie

    February 27, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    @Another Scott:

    I’m reminded (as I believe Adam has discussed here, but I can’t find it at the moment) that Superman was created by a couple of Jewish guys and there are echoes of Moses, etc., in the story.

    Immortalized in Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

  67. 67.

    Jeffro

    February 27, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    @Bruuuuce: yup, it was great!

    It’s like the movie people have never heard of ‘in media res’ or something.  EVERY comic book worth its salt starts off in the middle of the action and steps on the gas!

  68. 68.

    James E Powell

    February 27, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    @cain: 

    I mean come on man – it’s like we don’t exist in space, in super heroes movies or anything.

    In 2010, the character who programmed HAL, Dr Chandra, is Indian, but they cast Bob Balaban, a Jewish guy from Chicago. What was that all about?

  69. 69.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 6:57 pm

    @cain: Anyone in particular you’d like to see?

    DC or Marvel?

     

    Edit: Nice….

  70. 70.

    James E Powell

    February 27, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    Brother from Another Planet is classic from the era when indie movies were truly indie and definitely looked like it.

  71. 71.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    @cain: I would commit petty crime for good Indian themed sci-fi.

    I wonder why it’s so unexplored? I mean, I recall a video game from like, the mid 2000s loosely patterned on the Ramayana. And that’s about it.

    RPG wise there’s Coriolis, which is much more Arabian Nights, but has a pretty interesting take on polytheism as dominant religion that seems a bit Indian in nature.

    That’s really about it, though.

  72. 72.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    February 27, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    Seems an appropriate place to drop a link to a concert by a friend of ours, “In the Spirit of the Spiritual”, songs and letters of enslaved people.

    Live YouTube right now. John is founder and director of the Chester Children’s Chorus (this is the chorus channel), an amazing, amazing group.

  73. 73.

    gwangung

    February 27, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    @James E Powell: A decades long tradition of Hollywood white-washing Asian characters. (Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansen et al)

  74. 74.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    @Jay: Also something in there about the daily restraint needed for survival. And patience. And forgiveness.

    Huh. The more I think of it, I’m almost more fascinated by the idea of a black Klark Kent than a black Superman…

  75. 75.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    February 27, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    @James E Powell: In 2010, the character who programmed HAL, Dr Chandra, is Indian, but they cast Bob Balaban, a Jewish guy from Chicago. What was that all about?

    This is discussed in at least one episode of the Aziz Ansari Netflix series Master of None. I think it was the “Indians on TV” episode. Toward the end of the episode one of his friends asks plaintively, “What about Mindy Kaling? Is she real?”

  76. 76.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    @James E Powell: Spaghetti western principle.

    It’s still a whites-only town. White just means Italian now, too.

  77. 77.

    NotMax

    February 27, 2021 at 7:28 pm

    @Subsole

    Could open up a slew more story lines if he’s adopted by a mixed race couple?

  78. 78.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 7:34 pm

    @NotMax: Oh god…that would be so fucking cool.

    Black/Asian or Black/Latino would really bake their sad little noodles, wouldn’t it?

  79. 79.

    Ken

    February 27, 2021 at 7:41 pm

    @Subsole: I would commit petty crime for good Indian themed sci-fi.

    Have you read Roger Zelanzy’s Lord of Light?

  80. 80.

    prostratedragon

    February 27, 2021 at 7:48 pm

    Queen & Slim:

    Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defence. Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law. When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.

    Betty: They Say I’m Different, a biography of Betty Mabry Davis.

    Coming tomorrow @7pm Eastern on TCM, the too-seldom shown To Sleep with Anger. Directed by Charles Burnett with a straight out of the Mojave sense of humor.

  81. 81.

    Another Scott

    February 27, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    @Woodrow/asim:  There’s a story in (FTFNYT link) the biography of Obama’s mother of their time in Indonesia when he as a kid. He was being picked on by neighbor kids, them throwing rocks at him, etc., and him finding ways to dodge them and not be bothered. She made sure he found his own way to find his place even when he was an outsider. One could find lots of parallels if one wants to look. ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  82. 82.

    Timill

    February 27, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    @Ken:  Zelazny, but who’s counting…?

  83. 83.

    Subsole

    February 27, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    @Ken: 
    I have not, yet.
    Thanks for the suggestion.

  84. 84.

    Martin

    February 27, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    @Jay: Look man, I don’t have that kind of time.

  85. 85.

    The Lodger

    February 27, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    @Subsole: Grant Morrison’s comic Vimanarama (I may have misspelled it.)

  86. 86.

    Angela (@Toocananj)

    February 27, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:  Chester Children’s Chorus used to practice in the Meeting House of my Quaker meeting in Chester. Now they practice in Swarthmore. Thanks for the link, I had not seen this.

  87. 87.

    Sasha

    February 28, 2021 at 1:41 am

    This may be a minority opinion, but I really rather they don’t do a black Superman unless they’re doing Calvin Ellis. Hell, what is the point of having black Superman when Icon is just sitting there begging to be realized?

  88. 88.

    JML

    February 28, 2021 at 11:09 am

    Huge fan of Coates, who is a terrific writer, but notably also clearly likes and respects the comic book form. Nothing drives me crazier than seeing people who clearly have contempt for comic books making them into films.

    The casting thing is going to be interesting. A lot of people will lose their shit if they make Superman black, and they’ll be showing their racism when they do. Similar to Spider-man…there’s nothing about the origins and core of the classic character that preclude them being another race or demand that they be played by a white actor. Casting an actor of color should almost certainly inform the story you tell and how you tell it…but it’ll still be Superman. And if you wanted to, you could make an interesting statement by casting a black Superman and ignoring any racial implications at all in the story & scripting.

    With Coates writing, I have a level of confidence in the storytelling that makes me very interested to see what happens…but they’ll need a strong director too in order to ensure it doesn’t end up a studio hack job.

  89. 89.

    Sasha

    February 28, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    I’ve seen this comment before and I find myself disagreeing with the assertion that people who object to a black Clark Kent/Superman are merely displaying racism. (Totally losing their shit though? Very possibly.)

    I’m very happy that Coates has been tapped for this assignment, and that is part of the reason why I hope they don’t try to racelift the character. I’m interested to see what he has to say about Superman as opposed to having it be yet another example of “black writer only allowed to write for black characters”.

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