Living in Oblivion of the Deferred Dream of a Raisin in the Sun

I know it may seem like I’ve been slacking, because I haven’t posted that much lately. The truth is I have done a ton of writing these last few weeks, but I can’t bring myself to post most of it. I spend hours writing this stuff, and then when I read over it, it all sounds like a bunch of negative, whiny bullshit. And I don’t feel like putting that sort of shit into the universe right now—especially the long-winded diatribes I’ve been pounding out on the keyboard. There’s too much negative bullshit out there at this moment in time, and the last thing I want to do is contribute more of it to the collective consciousness. But at the same time, I do have some crap clogging my mind, and it all seems to be weighing me down.

Back Issue SUPER SALE!!!!

Here’s the deal…It’s tax time, and I owe The Man some loot. I also have too many back issues lying around, and I want to get rid of some. And finally, the United States Postal Service is raising its rates in May. All of these factors have led to the SUPER CLEARANCE SALE. Between now and April 30, 2008, you can get 5 issues of BAMF for $10. You get BadAzz MoFo # 3, 5, 6, 7 and Super Digest #3 all for the LOW price of $10 (that includes shipping and handling). That means each issue is only costing you $2.50 each!!! ORDER TODAY!!!

The Store has been UPDATED!!!

We have added more back issues to the Store page. And keep your eyes open for for Clearance Sale on back issues in the next day or so.

dvd review: BLACK ENTERTAINMENT IN FILM

Even though we live in a time when black actors like Will Smith and Denzel Washington are top box office draws who play to a diverse audience of people all over the world, it wasn’t always like that. It wasn’t that long ago that black people were rarely seen in films—especially in leading rolls—and it wasn’t that long ago that black people were not permitted to watch movies in segregated theaters. During the years when motion pictures overlapped with legalized segregation, there was an industry of movies produced specifically for black audiences known as “race films.”

T-Shirt of the Week: WEEK 25

Some people believe you can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear. I believe you can tell more about a person by the t-shirts they have worn. This is the story of my life, as told by the t-shirts I have worn.

dvd review: BLACK AUGUST

When I first heard about the film Black August, my initial reaction was an odd mix of excitement and trepidation. I was excited because someone had actually made a film inspired by the life of black militant George Jackson, a prisoner who became famous for the letters he wrote while incarcerated, which were eventually published as the book Soledad Brother. At the same time, I was concerned that the film would not be good. It was, after all, a low budget film that had played some festivals, but was not making much of a buzz. I had found out about it by accident, stumbling across the trailer on YouTube, and the fact that no one I knew had ever even heard of the film was not a good sign. So, while I was excited that there was a film about George Jackson, I was hoping that if nothing else it simply did not suck too bad.

dvd review: GABRIEL

Gabriel, the feature film directing debut of Shane Abbess, is one of those films that can be hard to process at first. The trailer certainly makes it look like a dark, brooding, fast-paced action film, which is partially accurate. The film is certainly dark and brooding, but it’s not quite as fast-paced as one might hope; or more specifically, when it slows down, it really seems to slow down. The film, however, offers an interesting concept that is well-executed and entertaining more often than not.

R.I.P: Robert DoQui

I would be remiss if I did not call attention to the passing of actor Robert DoQui, who died earlier this month on February 9^th. Some of you may not know DoQui by name, but if you are a die-hard fan of badass films, then you most definitely know his face. Blaxploitation fans will remember DoQui for his unforgettable role as King George, the yellow jumpsuit-wearing pimp in Coffy. He also appeared in Willie Dynamite and the unfortunately bad Soul Soldiers. With over 100 film and television credits to his name, DoQui appeared so many things it would blow your mind. He is probably most recognizable for his recurring role as Sgt. Reed in the RoboCop films, or his work in Robert Altman’s Nashville. With a career that started in the early 1960s, DoQui was part of the generation of black actors who helped make black people visible in pop culture.

dvd review: BLADE: THE SERIES

For what it was, the first Blade film was entertaining (in a devoid-of-intelligence sort of way). Sadly, the franchise took a rather significant nosedive with Blade II, and continued its freefall into crapitude with Blade Trinity. In fact, with the introduction of new vampire hunters in Blade Trinity, it looked as if the series was coming to a merciful end. But while the cinematic demise of Blade seemed to be a done deal, a fate worse than death would present itself for the Marvel Comics’ vampire slayer in the form of a television resurrection, Blade: The Series.

David Walker’s VD Film Festival of Lust & Heartbreak

There are few holidays I dread more than Valentine’s Day, and not just because it is some manufactured reason to sell tons of cards, flowers and candy. No, the reason I hate Valentine’s Day is because it is a larger part of the twisted notion of what love and romance in this society is supposed to be, as opposed to what love and romance really is. Call me cynical, but purchasing a dozen roses, and sending them along with a box of chocolates and a card has nothing to do with love. That, quite simply, is buying a product called “love.” The difference between buying the sort of love that is being sold during Valentine’s Day in the form of boxes of candy and bouquets of flowers and the sort of love that makes you feel like you have a secret you want to share with the whole world is so vast that the difference can’t even be measured. VD love is a manufactured illusion that can be purchased at any store. But the other type of love, that shit is hard to come by. You can look your whole life, and never find it. Or worse, you can find it, but the other person is so messed up for whatever reason that they can’t comprehend the depth of your love unless it comes in the form of all the Valentine’s Day bullshit.