I'm expecting some slagging off for posting this but is it only me that finds the all black star cast quite offensive. I don't watch films and couldn't care less what colour the actors are. When I used to watch films a lot, most of my favourites like Lethal Weapon and 24 hours had a mix and I never gave it a thought what colour the actors were.

If a film was made and promoted with an all white start cast there would be an outcry and screams of racism everywhere. I'm not the least bit racist but am getting sick of this one sided culture but of course there is no racism with blacks on white. How can the media refer to them as black actors but if I called someone black I'd be considered racist.

Firthy wrote:I'm expecting some slagging off for posting this but is it only me that finds the all black star cast quite offensive. I don't watch films and couldn't care less what colour the actors are. When I used to watch films a lot, most of my favourites like Lethal Weapon and 24 hours had a mix and I never gave it a thought what colour the actors were.

If a film was made and promoted with an all white start cast there would be an outcry and screams of racism everywhere. I'm not the least bit racist but am getting sick of this one sided culture but of course there is no racism with blacks on white. How can the media refer to them as black actors but if I called someone black I'd be considered racist.

You don't watch films, couldn't care less what colour the actors are, you're not racist and sick of the one sided culture?

For once I can't wait for upthebeehole to appear on a thread

What a strang OP

There have been other films with all black casts and countless with all white casts - so what?
If it provides a vehicle for actors who otherwise wouldn't get a look in it's fine by me. I won't be watching it but then I wouldn't watch Spiderman either, both will probably be all production and no plot. All CGI and lots of noise.

Firthy wrote:I'm expecting some slagging off for posting this but is it only me that finds the all black star cast quite offensive. I don't watch films and couldn't care less what colour the actors are. When I used to watch films a lot, most of my favourites like Lethal Weapon and 24 hours had a mix and I never gave it a thought what colour the actors were.

If a film was made and promoted with an all white start cast there would be an outcry and screams of racism everywhere. I'm not the least bit racist but am getting sick of this one sided culture but of course there is no racism with blacks on white. How can the media refer to them as black actors but if I called someone black I'd be considered racist.

I bet you prefer those films with a predominantly black cast where the few white folk in it own them.

Most films have been exclusively made using white only actors not sure why one film using black only actors should be a problem.

I just watched Good morning, with 2 black guests. 1 saying she was brought up playing with blonde haired blue eyed barbies and there wasn't enough diversity for young black girls. It made her think that was the right thing to be... deluded

I'm yet to meet a child who thinks like that when seeing people thinks like that, certainly has a hint of racism in itself.

She went on to say all super heroes, role models and people children look up to from a young age "fit a certain profile

The black gentleman tripped her up time and time again.

Asking who was your hero/childhood idol.
She answered Disney princess'..... erm not quite sure how more diverse they could get in terms of Children's organisations.

She was a goon, pushing an agenda. The gentleman called her out saying what a load of tosh.

Socrates wrote:I bet you prefer those films with a predominantly black cast where the few white folk in it own them.

No need for that

Firthy wrote:I'm expecting some slagging off for posting this but is it only me that finds the all black star cast quite offensive. I don't watch films and couldn't care less what colour the actors are. When I used to watch films a lot, most of my favourites like Lethal Weapon and 24 hours had a mix and I never gave it a thought what colour the actors were.

If a film was made and promoted with an all white start cast there would be an outcry and screams of racism everywhere. I'm not the least bit racist but am getting sick of this one sided culture but of course there is no racism with blacks on white. How can the media refer to them as black actors but if I called someone black I'd be considered racist.

Can you spot the contradiction in your first two sentences?

By the way, it’s not considered racist to call someone black.

Cirrus_Minor wrote:Most films have been exclusively made using white only actors not sure why one film using black only actors should be a problem.

Not an issue, but not sure there's a need to advertise it as "the first super hero film to have an all black cast

You are pointing these things out to children and making them seem there is a problem with it and it is "different

I've never seen a film production mention the casts colour of skin so much whilst promoting it.
Promote the film, who cares what colour or gender the cast are.

I just hope it does Well, as I can see the next big who har already, should it not be as popular as, the last Bat man for instance.

MACCA wrote:Not an issue, but not sure there's a need to advertise it as "the first super hero film to have an all black cast

You are pointing these things out to children and making them seem there is a problem with it and it is "different

I've never seen a film production mention the casts colour of skin so much whilst promoting it.
Promote the film, who cares what colour or gender the cast are.

I just hope it does Well, as I can see the next big who har already, should it not be as popular as, the last Bat man for instance.

He was the first black super-hero when the comic was first written in the 60s. Like it or not, race is an important part of the Black Panther story, like MLK or Malcolm X but obviously on a more frivolous level.

There is an argument (not necessarily one I would subscribe to) that this isn’t a story that needs telling now as much as it did in the 60s, but to try and downplay the black-ness of Black Panther would not be doing the character justice, imo.

(There are also arguments about “appropriation” or exploitation, given that the character was created by a couple of white guys in Kirby and Lee and was originally a fairly broad brush caricature, but let’s not get into that here)

Hands up if you're annoyed with an all black film cast and crew but you've never been annoyed when it's been an all white cast and crew....

Might shorten the thread a little.

I like Stormy Weather - indeed the only musical I do like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSNPpssruFY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036391/?ref_=nv_sr_1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What winds me up a little is that we somehow think (possibly because of carrying a little guilt for the way black people have been treated in the past) that positive discrimination is a way to redress the balance.

An all black musical, now a film with an all black cast. The MOBO’s (yes, I know white people can win awards there) It just reeks. In this day and age when people are screaming for integration, we have people doing this, then wondering why there is no integration! Imagine the outcry if white people set up an annual awards ceremony celebrating “whiteness”!!! This isn’t making things better ya know. Ignoring skin colour altogether and never mentioning it because it doesn’t matter will make things better. It’s almost like the industry is trying to even a score, but in reality they are keeping something alive that should be long gone.

This thread has all the hall marks of being a classic.

After the whole 'Indigenous Briton' thread was pulled after a single racist comment was posted (the rest of the thread was fine, and I was quite enjoying it) I don't expect this one to last very long. Someone will come along and spoil it in a minute.

I have no problem with this film having an all-black cast, or promoting itself as such. Black characters are underrepresented in both film and comic books as a whole.

Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis are black?

I was looking forward to this film, from seeing the trailers over Christmas.

Now after being inferred that it's sole purpose is to promote an only black cast with a black superhero I am not so sure anymore. If I go to watch the film will I be conforming to supporting the positive discrimination that it has been reported to be, or will I be going to watch a film that I think I may enjoy because its just a f#cking superhero film...

Before the discussion I would have watched the film and enjoyed it I am sure, but now I refuse to watch it because it may label me as something that I am not happy to be.

If it's relevant to the story I can't see an issue. Equally sometimes it's not relevant putting a token ethnic minority in some period dramas if it's not reflective of that society at that time.

Rick_Muller wrote:I was looking forward to this film, from seeing the trailers over Christmas.

Now after being inferred that it's sole purpose is to promote an only black cast with a black superhero I am not so sure anymore. If I go to watch the film will I be conforming to supporting the positive discrimination that it has been reported to be, or will I be going to watch a film that I think I may enjoy because its just a f#cking superhero film...

Before the discussion I would have watched the film and enjoyed it I am sure, but now I refuse to watch it because it may label me as something that I am not happy to be.

I wouldn't worry about what people might think / label you. If you fancied watching it before, just go and watch it.

All the modern action films are crap. As Chobulous wrote too much CGI.
You never see a good fight scene or chase now;it's just a blur of colour but the younger generation who haven't seen the older stuff love it. I pity stuntmen and stunt drivers.

piston broke wrote:All the modern action films are crap. As Chobulous wrote too much CGI.
You never see a good fight scene or chase now;it's just a blur of colour but the younger generation who haven't seen the older stuff love it. I pity stuntmen and stunt drivers.

Strangely enough the recent Star Wars films have tried to be less CGI and still the fans are complaining.

Is it a black comedy ?

MACCA wrote:Not an issue, but not sure there's a need to advertise it as "the first super hero film to have an all black cast.

That is exactly the point I was trying to get over. I obviously didn't do it very well.

Falcon wrote:I wouldn't worry about what people might think / label you. If you fancied watching it before, just go and watch it.

I may well do, I was just attempting to highlight that if there wasn't so much guff about it being a film for a particular purpose and not just a superhero film then I would have watched it just like any other film.

Once the hype takes over for me it spoils it - it's almost a pandora's box scenario - they want you to know its a film with a primarily black cast representing a black superhero, but by saying that it highlights the positive discrimination which will undoubtedly tarnish what they want to achieve - which should be that they can make a film with a primarily black cast with a black superhero and nobody gives a sh!t about that but concentrates on whether its a good film or not.

Crikey....don't tell me the Pink Panther has lost his job? Oh, this is PC gone mad.........

Archie Claret wrote:Crikey....don't tell me the Pink Panther has lost his job? Oh, this is PC gone mad.........

I don't watch films and couldn't care less what colour the actors are

Haha. And then you go on to 'explain' why you DO care what colour the actors are. Awesome.

piston broke wrote:All the modern action films are crap. As Chobulous wrote too much CGI.
You never see a good fight scene or chase now;it's just a blur of colour but the younger generation who haven't seen the older stuff love it. I pity stuntmen and stunt drivers.

Not so. The last Wonder Woman film was pretty impressive in its production, content and er, casting.

Was the OP expecting the black characters from the Black Panther comic book to be played by blacked up white actors?

The under representation of black cartoon characters is a big issue in Burnley

I’m going to claim some oneupmanship here...... when the Black Panther organization (Malcolm X et al) started up and wanted to record some early pro-mo, they brought my father-in-law in to do it. He’s white. Somewhat ironic, right? Cost him his job though at a Christian University

NRC wrote:I’m going to claim some oneupmanship here...... when the Black Panther organization (Malcolm X et al) started up and wanted to record some early pro-mo, they brought my father-in-law in to do it. He’s white. Somewhat ironic, right? Cost him his job though at a Christian University

Wow
You win !

martin_p wrote:Was the OP expecting the black characters from the Black Panther comic book to be played by blacked up white actors?

To be fair they have made plenty of white characters black for no reason in the films.

I agree with the guy who said skin colour should just not matter, the fact that the media is promoting it as all black is sending the wrong message out. They should just be promoting it as the next big superhero movie. No different to any other.

I hope and I’m sure it will do well.

ClaretSteve wrote:To be fair they have made plenty of white characters black for no reason in the films.

I agree with the guy who said skin colour should just not matter, the fact that the media is promoting it as all black is sending the wrong message out. They should just be promoting it as the next big superhero movie. No different to any other.

I hope and I’m sure it will do well.

This messageboard is the first place I've seen mention it being 'all black'.

martin_p wrote:This messageboard is the first place I've seen mention it being 'all black'.

Agreed that this messageboard appears to be the first mention of an "all black" cast but I suspect that was a misinterpretation of other news outlets such as the BBC highlighting it to me as being "a predominantly black cast".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42992914" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

piston broke wrote:All the modern action films are crap. As Chobulous wrote too much CGI.
You never see a good fight scene or chase now;it's just a blur of colour but the younger generation who haven't seen the older stuff love it. I pity stuntmen and stunt drivers.

Have you seen the opening fight scene cum car chase in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I thought that was excellent.

Falcon wrote:Have you seen the opening fight scene cum car chase in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I thought that was excellent.

Not yet but we did enjoy the first instalment. I'll remember your point.

I prefer the Pink Panther films TBH. However I never knew Peter Sellars was gay.

NRC wrote:I’m going to claim some oneupmanship here...... when the Black Panther organization (Malcolm X et al) started up and wanted to record some early pro-mo, they brought my father-in-law in to do it. He’s white. Somewhat ironic, right? Cost him his job though at a Christian University

wooh, the thread suddenly got interesting after a pretty naff start. Is this TCU that we (you) are talking about? I suppose it depends on the job that was performed, but on the face of it, that looks pretty shocking. The part that always surprises me is that it was only in 1965 that Malcolm X got assassinated. Ralph Coates, Dave Merrington and Willie Morgan were on the books at Turf Moor, so relatively recent. The US (particularly in the South, of course) seems to be a generation behind most of Europe when it comes to issues of race.

That said, from what I've seen/heard of TCU (if it's them), and admittedly that's only stories of/relating to their football team, things have moved on a bit. Trevone Boykin was a decent college QB.

PS. The Pink Panther films were awful when they came out, and are worse when now repeated.

It believe the 1959 film 'Porgy and Bess' had an all black cast. No major furore at the time, though it didn't do well at the box office. Regarding this new film, it's not my cup of tea so will not be watching it.

Don't know much about this film at all, but I've just had a look at the cast list, and Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis are both in it. I've yet to see anywhere promoting it as having an 'all black cast', so I'm not sure what the OP is even on about. As far as I'm aware, large portions of the film are set in Africa, so why on earth wouldn't the cast be predominantly black?

Squarepusher wrote:Don't know much about this film at all, but I've just had a look at the cast list, and Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis are both in it. I've yet to see anywhere promoting it as having an 'all black cast', so I'm not sure what the OP is even on about. As far as I'm aware, large portions of the film are set in Africa, so why on earth wouldn't the cast be predominantly black?

It's been going on years and is nothing new...those poor white soldiers didn't stand a chance in ZULU the film.

Socrates wrote:I bet you prefer those films with a predominantly black cast where the few white folk in it own them.

FRIDAY
NEXT FRIDAY
FRIDAY AFTER NEXT

BETTER THAN ANY WHITE FILM

Not aware of this film. For me it boils down to is it a good film and does it offer good entertainment or is it putting the content across well. If so, great.

If it has been promoted as an all black cast then I think that's wrong. The socially aware amongst society who can accept diversity for what it is don't need reminding of prejudices that exist, or existed.

Potentially inflammatory by just advertising as an all black cast in my opinion. Why can't folk make a film or put across an opinion without the need to make some form of reference to the politically correct way we live in.

Winds me right up.

I'm not naive enough to think everything is rosey but it's almost getting to a point where there's fear of voicing your opinion without some sort of rationale just in case you may have offended someone.

Squarepusher wrote:Don't know much about this film at all, but I've just had a look at the cast list, and Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis are both in it. I've yet to see anywhere promoting it as having an 'all black cast', so I'm not sure what the OP is even on about.

They're both blacked up in it though.

Any road Sidney Poitier isn't in it so it's bound to be shite.

They will be complaining next when some of them get killed off.

Can't bloody win.

Just when I thought this forum couldn't get any more ignorant, people are finding fault in the casting of a movie adaptation (and a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, for that mater) of a comic book whose protagonist is the literal king and protector of a fictional African nation.

Wait...ha ha, silly me! It isn't the casting which is the problem, it's the 'promotion'. Yeah, nice. That'll do. 'Promotion'.

It's the same as the Ku Klux Klan making a film to promote their agenda.

Spiral wrote:Just when I thought this forum couldn't get any more ignorant, people are finding fault in the casting of a movie adaptation (and a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, for that mater) of a comic book whose protagonist is the literal king and protector of a fictional African nation.

Wait...ha ha, silly me! It isn't the casting which is the problem, it's the 'promotion'. Yeah, nice. That'll do. 'Promotion'.

Oh the drama. But no one is actually finding any fault with the casting, don’t let that stop you from trying to make something from nothing.