Movie Preview: Death at a Funeral

One of the more interesting films to be coming out in 2010 is something that no one expected. It's a Black film - not by Tyler Perry - about a family dealing with the death of the patriach of the family. This is a comedy, so don't think you can't see it. And oddly enough it's a remake (in parts word for word) of a British film of the same name that you probably never heard of.

Death at a Funeral is a film starring some of the best Black comedic actors (and comedians) around now. But don't think this is a film only for African Americans. This looks to be a film that everyone can see and laugh at.

Chris Rock looks to be making a strong showing in this film as the son trying to keep his family from imploding, or exploding, or getting exposed (literally), at the funeral of his father. Martin Lawrence is his single, womanizing, more successful brother, and favorite of his mother. These 2 men are at the center of a whirlwind of events that make it clear why tragedy is the mirror twin of comedy.

When I saw this tralier I was just laughing out loud. The timing looks to be superb. The jokes are just spot on. The acting looks like everyone wanted to make this work.

The film also stars Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Regina Hall, Loretta Devine, Zoë Saldaña, Kevin Hart, Luke Wilson, and Ron Glass. And as I mentioned this is a remake, but in an odd twist on things Peter Dinklage who starred in the original British film will also be in this version.



Now as I mentioned this is a remake. Which sets it apart from the ususal Hollywood trend of revisioning a film. Thus it does not suffer from the pain a revision inevitably creates for an audience. This is also the 2nd remake of the film as there was a Bollywood version of it as well, which again is odd (since the film came out in 2007) but also is a clear indication of the comedy in the film.

Even though the American version contains numerous scenes that are verbatim of the original, the differences between the English stiff upper lip culture and a more animated African American culture makes this copy fresh. Still I want you to know where the ideas come from. Here is a movie trailer from the original



Either way, a film touching on the taboo of homosexuality in the Black community, while injecting the humor of the dysfunction that is family, and including the cast that it does is worth the time. I have to say the thing that really sold me on this film was the following line that is at 2:18 on the movie trailer

"Let me get this straight. Our father was romantically involved with a guy that could fit in his pocket... And you're mad because he's White?!" - Chris Rock to Martin Lawrence

Spike Lee talks with Ed Gordon about Tyler Perry and "post-racial" America

I received an interesting email earlier today. It was from Black Entertprise, a company that I respect and occasionally hear from. The subject was an interview with Spike Lee by Ed Gordon back in May 2009 that I think few have seen before.

I found the interview to be interesting and yet another facet of Spike Lee that is often overlooked by the major media's rush to paint him as simply "controversial". While I do not agree with most of the political beliefs of Spike Lee, I am a fan of his 24 films. I believe that he has a great insight to art and American life that is often missed in the race to be exploitive or ghettofabulous.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found in this interview are the discussion about Tyler Perry and the "post-racial" claims for America with President Obama at the helm.

I thank Black Entertprise for providing me with this video.

Conclusion of my interview of independent film director Dennis Dorcth

This is part 5 of my in-depth interview with independent film director and writer Dennis Dortch, creator of the Sundance Film Festival Award winning film A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy (which is available on DVD).

The interview has covered the motivations for Dennis Dortch, the inspiration of the film, working in the film industry, the actors, writing, and other insights. If you want to see the other parts of the interview they are in order:

Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2

Part 3 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

Part 4 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

Conclusion of interview:

Michael Vass : No I can understand that. By the way how old are you now?

Dennis Dortch : I’m in my mid 30’s

Michael Vass : Oh that’s not that old at all. That is a good age. I’m not that much older but I’m older so that’s a good age. So it's something that, the achievement that you’ve gotten at this point. It's something that’s easily achievable you don’t have to wait till your 50 or 60 to get it done.

Dennis Dortch : You know what it is, I wish I’d done this earlier. Cause I had this idea and I had a short film idea Slam Dance in 99. I had an idea, the name, I had the short script version of Black and Sexy. But it took me literally a decade to really get it going from there and I think it really was just life literally.

I think the filmmakers who are young hot shots make films but they don’t know shit after that. It's kind of hard to follow up. I think it's life experiences that make good filmmakers. Even people like George Lucas; to be a good film maker a writer a visionary. I think the new 20’s are the 30’s and the new 30’s are the 40’s.

I didn’t really find myself until I hit 30. I didn’t find out what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to be creative. But I didn’t know how I was going to do it or how I was going to express it. I went to film school by accident. I didn’t know any thing about festivals. I just wanted to be creative and someone told me to do my short film at Sundance so I did Slam Dance.

I got into it with Slam Dance and I was like oh cool, but I didn’t know how to do that stuff. It was not in my world. I didn’t grow up with a video camera in my hands or a mommy and a daddy who were pushing me to do something with the camera. I sort of stumbled into it and found that I took to it. So I think it took … you know I got married and I have kids so its a lot of distractions. So it took me a while and in the time that it took me is the time that I needed if that makes any sense to you.

Michael Vass : Yes it get the fullness of what you needed to be to make what you needed to have. To make your vision become real.

Dennis Dortch : Exactly instead of half assed doing it.

Michael Vass : Yeah, I understand that completely. That’s a good thing to mention; a lot of people aren’t thinking about that sometimes. That little bit of extra time to get the experience to get the full vision is more important than just getting it out now.

Dennis Dortch : Exactly, instead of being that hot shot director and all that.

Michael Vass : No, I understand that … We’ve covered a lot and I’m sure that if we had all the time in the world I could probably give you another dozen different things I would want to ask you, but I love the work you’ve done. I’m very interested in the work your doing and I’m going to ask for just a little peek into what is that next project.

I know you mentioned its bigger, it’s a little different than what we’ve seen so far, that’s always a good thing. It’s a mix of art and contemporary or commercial I should say. I’m just wondering, 'gee is there a little teaser I can give to all my readers out there?'

Dennis Dortch : Ah no…no … I have to keep this secret. Its just a little superstition I have that if I talk to much about it I’m going to lose it. You know in order to tell the story you have to really want to tell somebody and I take that desire to want to tell somebody and I fit it into the writing. So I can’t really talk about it; but what I can do is tell you about another project that I’m doing. A web episodic online it’s a spin off of Black and Sexy.

Michael Vass : I understand, absolutely, so what is that?

Dennis Dortch : It’s called Black and Sexy Besides. What I’m doing is taking the movie and myself and some of my friends writer/directors are re-imagining what happened after the movie or some things about the movie like for example what happened after Her Man.

So there is an episode online now that you can take a look at if you wish. That is our first episode, our first attempt to see about extending the world of Black and Sexy. We currently shot this weekend and we will be shooting more in a couple of weeks to see what we are going to do with it. But its for the spin off of the movie.

Michael Vass : Definitely there is something that will tied over all my readers till we get a chance to see the next thing. That’s always a good thing and I thank you for giving me that.

End of the interview

Part 3 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch

This is the third part in my series of the taped interview with Sundance Film Festival winning director and writer Dennis Dortch. In this part of the interview we discuss the DVD of his movie A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy, the motivations of the characters, and several of the actors.

You can see the first part of the in depth interview at Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

You can read the second part of the interview at Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2


Michael Vass : I can understand. Perhaps that’s why, and I think that a lot of people will find this through out all of your vignettes, that there is a lot of honesty. It is very honest. Very almost taken directly from life. You did a great job with the writing and directing and being able to make it like a real moment. I think that adds a lot to the power of what’s going on there. It’s just that I just like it the other way because it kind of almost gets a comeuppance. To a certain extent it kind of gets that a little more.

I did watch the extras which I think most people should see. You’ve got a lot of different things happing within the preparations. Some of the scenes are very different from what we got in the final version. I guess you did that with all the different actors going just a little bit more off the cuff just kind of letting them roll with it to a certain extent. Is that correct?

Dennis Dortch : Yeah very true I think it goes along with the honesty thing. After a while the scenes start sounding like lines. I think I write natural but it does not sound natural coming out of the actor’s mouth. It’s because for actors its their job to make it believable in the scene; to be in the moment. I can’t direct them on every single nuance. So I think having them have that freedom to be able to improvise and explore goes along with the same goals as being honest and true - makes it more real.

Michael Vass : Ok I can see that and it did work. It works very well.

One thing you didn’t change in any version, at least it looks like that from the extras, is the American Boyfriend storyline. You could have used almost any type of group of people. Inparticular you could have gone with some whites, some Russian. You could have gone to native Indians, or Jewish. There are so many people you could have interjected instead of Ann Marie Liu (Emily Liu) I believe that’s her name. But you went there in that direction and they're Chinese. Traditional Chinese I believe? Is that correct?

Dennis Dortch : Yes that is correct.

Michael Vass : Why did you make that choice to the Asian? To use Asians.

Dennis Dortch : For two reasons, one is because its really happened in my real life so I stuck with that and what I knew. And two - there’s a particular type of tone I was going for. I can only write what I know number one and number two a lot of people can identify and have had more experience with a Chinese family.

I could have made them Mohican but it just seemed too straight forward. To on the nose and racism does go beyond, people learn it. You know what I mean? So that is another part that I wanted to get at and I also wanted to bring in a freshness something that was different to. And felt a little different as far as a Chinese family hanging around popping the Mandarin.

And I think the other part was quite honestly, it was like Alphonso. He had the same experience with a Chinese girl he was dating, and my editor who edited that particular vignette, he had the same experience. He [editor] was not really dating the girl but he was friends with her but she would never take him to her house till one day they dropped by to pick up some stuff and he felt really strong with it… and so everybody can identify with it. But this is after the fact, after I wrote it of course. But I knew I was on to something that was very identifiable. Speaking the Chinese was really the way to go.

Michael Vass : It makes perfect sense to me, and it is a different approach to that theme. I just know some readers are going so say, ”well why did he do that?” So I just wanted to ask that. So you said that it happened to you? Did you actually walk through the door like that at the end? You said it was something that you did.

Dennis Dortch : No it was something that I wanted to do. I didn’t have the courage to do that. I get to do that in the movie but I didn’t. We were caught like the line where Ann Marie says he’s just a friend, that happened. I was hidden in that room or pushed out the back door on about three occasions.

Michael Vass : I’ve had that happen too.

Dennis Dortch : On the fourth occasion her parents walked up. It was hot you know you have the door open the screen door closed and they walked up and I didn’t even see them. They walked in on us and my girlfriend at the time let go of me and jumped and said, “he’s just a friend.” It was hurtful so that is exactly how that happened and so that actually played out in the film, but the other part was made up. A scene that was in my head that I wanted to do since I was sitting in that room steaming for hours you know.

Michael Vass : I think there is a lot of black men who can cheer that on, because I’ve had a similar experience to that same one and I didn’t [do anything]. I’m a strong man too and no I didn’t make that confrontation either so I can relate both to.

We all want to be him walking out that door but then again most of us aren’t going to do it. So that’s why I wanted to ask that because its kind of funny. Because we’ve all had that same experience.

By the way where did you find Nana Hill?

Dennis Dortch : She actually auditioned for Reprisosity and you probably saw that on the extras. She was just a girl who would literally go down and do it. So she didn’t work at all. But I liked her so much, that sensuality in her, and I definitely wanted a chocolate sister. I love natural hair in an afro so I wrote that part for her, it was supposed to be that hidden tract after the credits. But it was shot so beautifully that it was a nice little interlude that I ended up putting it into the main film.

Michael Vass : Where is she from? She sounds almost South African.

Dennis Dortch : Yes she is from Uganda.

Michael Vass : She is stunning and I think you just may have started a great career there because I can’t see Hollywood turning around and going I can’t use her. They’ve got to be using her more.

Dennis Dortch : Last time I saw her she was on CSI, but yes she is getting work here and there.

Michael Vass : Let me just skip ahead a little bit on a question that is also of interest into the actors you’ve worked with so far. Are you looking at going into the same thing that Spike Lee, Clint Eastwood and a few directors do. Which is to use a consistent core group of people over and over again in most of your films, or at least several of them?

Dennis Dortch : I don’t know, I’m not sure yet. But it’s possible to do that some times. I’m not sure yet but I don’t think that they knew that at the time either you know.

I think they were kind of looking for people. Probably new fresh people and just going back to people like Wesley Snipes, you know just kind of going back to the same actors. Because you know there really is only so many great actors. So I don’t know if we really are premeditated to do that, I think we just naturally kind of run out of options.

Who knows what this person really embodies, then you just start writing for people we know because we’ve got something so strong in our heads. So its kind of hard for me to say what I would do. I have no idea right now.

I have my next film in my head and I’m not thinking about any particular actor I’d use. Chonte is probably the one that comes to mind more often. Between her and Mylika who played the girl in Tonight, those are my best actors. And in my head yes I’d use them again but I’ve not made any plans yet.

Michael Vass : Ok so there is something for people to look forward to and I know they both have fans. But there are people who are fans of several of the people you use. So there is something they will be looking forward to in your next item.

Before I go there though …give me a moment, I’m just thinking through … there are a couple of things I wanted to hit on. Did you have a favorite story in this? I know American Boyfriend is one that you’ve lived but was that your favorite or was there a favorite in all the stories?

Dennis Dortch : No. They’re all my babies.

Michael Vass : Well its all yours that’s true.

Continued in part 4…

Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2

This is the continuation of my taped interview with acclaimed director and writer Dennis Dortch. You can see the first part of the interview at Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass.

To see the review of the award winning film by Dennis Dortch, go to DVD Review: A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy


Michael Vass : The truth is truth.

Dennis Dortch : It may not be the truth for everybody but its certainly something that exists in the world. Its apart of behavior. I have not thought about him in years. You asked me that question and he is probably the guy that turned on the switch on for me to make it ok for me to do what I do, and think what I think, and do it the way I want to do it, you know?

Michael Vass : Would you include him in say the heroes or people who were inspirational in your life that have helped create the directorial vision that you have now?

Dennis Dortch : I would if I could remember his name. I should add George Lopper. He was my creative writing teacher in my senior year and I almost flunked out that year. I had all good grades but, you know, I had a girlfriend who kind of took my attention away.

Those two people I would definitely include them as my heroes and inspiration. I almost forgot about Nikki Giovanni. I had just discovered Nikki Giovanni for the first time. I was in an AP Class in high school, and literally there was two black people in this entire thing. We had a half black school but in this class there was only two if us. So your looked at as being special or whatever and I was reading books that I had never been exposed. I was reading Nikki Giovanni and he [George Lopper] was like ok if that’s what you want to read that’s cool. Giovanni was saying some pretty strong anti-white stuff and he was cool with it. He’s white and the whole class was white, but he was like if this is something your interested in then I’m going to let you go with it. So defiantly I think those three people would probably be a heavy influence on me to be myself.

Michael Vass : I can understand completely. I’ve had a couple of teachers like that myself. I think they are really important. Besides just going to school, having a teacher somewhere along the line that gives you that opportunity to expand on besides what is there is really critical. That’s what I’ve always felt.

Going back to the movie, and looking at the order of the film. Was there a purpose in the way you put the order of all the vignettes together?

Dennis Dortch : I had a slightly different order of my first cut and the writing it was a little different too. My goal really was to make it feel like a mix tape. So sometimes you know when your mixing songs together you go by the feeling and the beat. If I do something different in the vignette that I put together then it’s the feeling and the beat, the rhythms, how they flow, how you feel about them.

I would lay them out and watch and see how they made me feel, you know. The only thing majorly I changed in my final edit was American Boyfriend - the last one. It used to be second to last and I had Tonight part 2 to be last. And what it did was have a real sleepy feel to it so it was like…

Michael Vass : Too slow.

Dennis Dortch : Yes literally, and it was like a real somber ending. I had a test screening. Really I thought it was my premier but it turned into a test screening after I thought that it didn’t quite work with the audience. I didn’t embody the concept. It just felt like kind of a somber ending. So I ended up changing the ending. That was the only thing that I sort of you know changed.

Michael Vass : Well I liked the way it ended because that was a real big positive and it starts with a big jolt. As I said before at least for me it was a big jolt. Because it’s so different what we are getting there and then it ends with the American Boyfriend and that was pretty much the best of the vignettes. The one I like the best. It’s very positive to me. Very up lifting. Very... break through. I don’t know how to explain it exactly but it was very positive, I liked it a lot. So I agree with your order.

I was just wondering if there was that. I noticed that your going in many different directions through out the entire film. Were you trying to emphasize one type of over all theme through out the entire movie or was it one theme. Besides the idea of being black, being sexy, relationships can be more multi-dimensional than what’s been exposed already. Besides that theme was there anything else you were tying to get through?

Dennis Dortch : No that was really basically the cohesive thought I was going for. The goal was really to make each one feel different. And then do something different. I was literally trying to make a mixed tape on film. That was my real goal.

Michael Vass : Ok well it worked it’s a different approach because you really just don’t see films that really do that. At least if there were they are probably really very old because I have not seen anything like that in quite some time, quite some time. Nothing even close.

You also picked a great cast, I mean you really had a great cast. Chonte Harris - I really liked her a lot, I think she did very well. Alphonso Johnson as I said he’s one of the reasons I loved the American Boyfriend section. The section with Julian, I forget his actual name…

Dennis Dortch : Jerome Hawkins

Michael Vass : Yes. That story line drove me nuts. Tonight part 1 and 2 and its very... I guess harsh is the word. Cause your kind of dealing with child sex. In a way. Did you have trouble filming that? Was that a difficult one to write?

Dennis Dortch : It was probably not difficult in the sense of any angst but it was difficult to try to get it honest. You know, it actually changed several times. But the outcome is the same to a degree. And I talked to the actors before hand about their own experiences. Even the talking to the girl her first time, was with an older dude and she was under aged, they all identified with it. I just played on it, I mean I have a different ending …

Michael Vass : I saw that…

Dennis Dortch : And there is the extra that I just cut out thought it was kind of a cop out to me.

Michael Vass : You think so?..

Dennis Dortch : I’ve heard from people like these older black gentleman that like the alternative ending…

Michael Vass : That would be me… I’m old and I like the alternative ending.

Dennis Dortch : They told me ‘like oh another older black man, I didn’t want to see another negative of a black man this and that.’ And my wife echoed ‘it reminds me of [her] first time.’ Or some have said its sounds like what happened to my first boyfriend. It depends on your perception.

You know it’s quite funny how the same film effects people depending on what their experiences are, what their agenda is. How some people are like "oh god I wish you weren’t going to do this" and then others were like, "this reminds me, this is so real." I think this was my goal.

I had an actor who is semi known, who I was sort of pursuing for playing the role and he didn’t want to play it. He said I just can’t play this role because he does not even get his comeuppance; he does not even go to jail. Nothing happens.

How many times do you see a guy go to jail for statutory rape? It does not may any sense. It’s not going to stop anybody from doing it either by playing it realistically. The only time you’re going to have the conversation about it, it’s got to be somewhat controversial true and honest. And I’m not trying to save the world or say its ok. I have a daughter myself who I don’t want that to happen to. But I have to be honest with myself, with what my goals were, and portray things honestly. I could not take away from the uncomfortableness of it. You know?

Continued in Part 3...

Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass

The following is a taped interview with Dennis Dortch, Sundance Film Festival award winning director and writer of A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy and Michael Vass of M V Consulting, Inc. The interview was taken earlier this year and is quite in depth. Dennis Dortch discusses his background, motivations, the meaning in his film, and hints at plans for the future.

Since this is an extensive interview (over 45 minutes of conversation), I will be breaking the entire interview into several parts. I will be posting each part over the next couple of days, with a summary listing the links after it is all posted.

The delay in posting this interview is mine. My transcription skills are hardly the best and I apologize for the delay. But I invite you enjoy this interview, to see my review of A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy, and to check out the B-sides (the continuation of the stories in the movie).

Michael Vass : You’ve got quite a film. The film was incredible and powerful. The first thing I have to ask is where did you get that idea for this film?

Dennis Dortch : Real life you know what I mean. The title itself is from Black Is Beautiful. You know just trying to make it a little more modern, that idea that concept. So I just really wanted to see certain images of ourselves up on the screen. And that was my first you know, little part of the concept. Then the other parts just came naturally for me, the particular things and issues that I’m interested in and the little tells and anecdotal type stories that don’t really warrant an entire movie, but they are little moments. You know that’s kind of the concept that formed on that and I wanted to do something a little different.

That was my point I wanted to break the mold a little bit. Especially for black film and for film in general, so I think those three things combined is kind of what made Black and Sexy come about.

Michael Vass : I can see that you definitely broke a lot of things. I don’t know if people said it before but I would imagine, well for myself and from what I’ve heard from a couple of people I know who have seen it, it definitively throws you off at least initially in that your almost kind of uncomfortable because its so what you’ve not seen, so different. But powerful - not in a bad way, its not bad its just …new. You know what I mean?

It shocks the system to go and say, "wow its so different and that‘s still beautiful and good." So I think that’s quite an accomplishment You did well in the way that you styled it for that.

Dennis Dortch : Thank you.

Michael Vass : No problem. Let me ask you something, one of the things I like to know about people and I’ve found is very important is the education. The most successful people almost always have great educations of some type. What was your education like?

Dennis Dortch : I was going to school for the recording arts, I was going to produce music. My education was kind of all over the place from elementary school on to high school because I was a military brat too. So I went to middle school in Germany on a military base and my experiences - well I was a pretty good student but my experiences being overseas helped me out with a lot of things too. I’ve always been a book worm and I’ve always been a writer. I’m not sure if I’m really answering your question., but I think I’ve always been the sort of guy to be sitting at home who would rather read than go out.

Michael Vass : It wasn’t a specific type of knowledge but more experience of the world and the accumulation of general knowledge that kind of led you foward. That’s been your background. Would say is that accurate?

Dennis Dortch : You know I’m not really sure. It’s kind of hard to analyze myself. I think for the most part I’ve always been into being honest in looking for the truth of things.

I think it’s [the truth of things] probably going to be my entire career and in everything that I chose to be apart of or read or be into. It’s something that gets at sort of a greater truth or something more honest and raw.

So I had a few choice teachers. I think everyone has had a few teachers that have changed your life or shaped you. When you’re coming up as adults they look at you as a kid and they are able to identify what your about and help shape that a little bit by saying a few things. You know there are a couple of key words that a life holds up.

I think I remember in junior college I had a far east Indian teacher who I literally had for one semester for philosophy and I had a tendency to apply real life situations to this class. I could not study the actual period, I had to apply them to real life. It was apart of our curriculum anyway.

I would come up with these scenarios that are very similar to the stories that I am writing now that are in Black and Sexy that are mainly based in philosophy. I think that one particular teacher for that one semester told me that it was ok. You know other people got mad at me saying things that felt so hurtful to them or so honest and so on. I guess it was raw so they didn’t want to talk about it in class. They felt offended like I’m saying these things, 'how could you say this. It’s not kosher.' But he actually told me it was ok Because it’s the truth.

Michael Vass : The truth is truth.

...Continued in part 2