This “super-punch” is where a Superhero strike contains so much “kinetic” energy that it compresses, then launches or catapults the nemesis struck across the sky. The punch can be shown by the director to make contact or at times the swing is shown and the sound of the punch is heard but no visual of the fist connecting is offered. The outcome is the nemesis being flung by the impact. When one super strikes another, for example Superman and Batman (in his super-strength suite) or Captain America and Iron Man the contact really should never be the same as two normal people fighting. They are superhuman and therefore the contact during battle should be epic. A classic example that can be used to demonstrate this is when Goku and Vegeta battle they are sometimes depicted as moving so fast that all observers can see are circular percussive explosions of air in various places across the sky.
Most directors don’t get the difference between normal people fighting, punching and blocking and supers doing the same. They take this and apply the same to Superhero’s whose strength is many times greater than the average person. An example of this is in the latest Batman Vs Superman trailer. When Superman swings to strike and Batman blocks Superman’s arm the impact is treated like any other block e.g. like that between two normal people. Its the audience that fills in the missing visual portrayal by knowing Superman's strength - this is a huge technical oversight. Imagine someone watching this didn't know who Superman was. He or she would think Superman simply turned his head with that glare to admire his amazing bicep. There is nothing augmented in the scene to express what just happened. What tends to be forgotten is that when Superman swings his arm even a forklift couldn’t block or parry it, he’s not a normal human being. This is why he is astonished when Batman blocks his arm. When Batman blocks Superman’s fist it is fundamentally like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. This kind of impact is the same for any confrontation between supers with incredible strength, it cannot be depicted like any brawl between normal people this would be like showing the flash at super-speed running like any ordinary person; the scene could very easily come across as quite stupid, and simply look like a guy admiring his bicep. When two normal human beings fight the ducking, blocking and punching produces common sounds and the common impact of flesh against flesh, by standers can hang around and watch the kung-fu, boxing or flying fists. When two super-strength super-heroes fight many directors do not understand that it is absolutely not the same. What may be a simple brawl between two super-strength superheroes is on par with a clash between two armies, the movement, speed and intensity of an arm through the air is no different from a ballistic missile whistling through the air, the explosive impact of the warhead of that missile is no different from a punch connecting with an opponent’s gut or the forearm that blocks the punch. Even a super who blocks or parry's another super's blow cannot treat the impact like any other. Average people cannot stand around and watch supers brawl because the impact of blows will be louder than a tank firing off a round, windows will crack or break, boulders will suddenly prop themselves up revealing moist earth, lose rock and stones will eerily launch into the air and puddles will suddenly form rings as though caught in a quake. Most directors creating Superhero movies don’t get this. The sound of a blocked punch is supposed to be unearthly, it should feel like two freight trains are colliding head on, the air should reverberate, a ripple should affect the camera lens and the screen should rock a little as though even the camera couldn’t withstand the collision because this is exactly what a battle on this scale would cause. Where Superman's arm makes contact with Batman's any rain or water caught between them would be compressed waft out vapourised into steam, whatever alloy Batmans suite is made of would momentarily glow at the point of contact to indicate heat, the reverberating bang of the arms meeting would deafen the audience, the car they are standing on would slide to the side in the direction of Superman's punch, the audience would see that this is not going to be any ordinary battle. The latest Batman Vs Superman trailer is excellent, the tone is right, the execution of the Batman fight scene is flawless; it has the makings of a blockbuster. However, Batman blocking Superman’s arm was nice, it was a wow moment, but it lacked proper execution in that the imaginary forces at play that would create that moment would necessitate it be accompanied by earth moving sound and visual effects to make the impact live up to the fantasy; this is unless Superman’s strength is what has been reduced to match Batman’s (which would be lame) rather than Batman’s suite that has been enhanced to match Superman’s strength.
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| Superman turns his head with a glare to admire his amazing bicep. The difference between good and great: Batman blocks Superman's punch, amazing moment. But the execution is not as earth shaking as it should be. It would not take much for Warner Brothers to go back and improve the sound effects for this feat and the CGI applied to surroundings that would be required to demonstrate the superhuman nature of one powerful force stopping another. This scene is good, but it can be made great. Blockbusters are by necessity cut from greatness. |
The solid, realistic feel of punches between Colossus/Negasonic and Angel Dust in Deadpool that send nemeses flying are possibly the first properly executed punch between supers demonstrated in live action. When Batman stops superman’s arm in that block, what has just happened needs to be interpreted correctly. The expression of shock on Superman’s face is superb, but the actual block itself is too understated. That moment needs to be slowed down, the sound of the block should be like a wrecking ball striking immovable rock, puddles nearby should suddenly ripple, glass should crack and people hundreds of meters away should hear an unearthly, deafening bang. The clash of two supers should ideally be properly depicted in live action, this is currently not happening in live action movies.
The first properly executed punch between supers in television and movie history
(o.k maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but its spot on)
Finally the cinema audience for this genre is being treated to live action
combat that is only seen in exceptional animations like DBZ and Naruto
Having just seen episode 16 of Supergirl the 3 minute battle between Martian Man Hunter (MMH) and Supergirl simply cannot go without mention. Finally somebody gets the real methodology by which a superhero fight takes place and executes it with the right technical detail. I replayed (pvr-ed) that fight four or five times. Cute Kara rocks the sexy bad-girl version of Supergirl affected by red Kryptonite very genuinely, so well throughout the episode that the audience might want to see more of the style and attitude linger in Kara herself. The way Kara disarms Alex and her crew was well executed. When Supergirl's uppercut connects MMH is launched into the sky, she then leaps powerfully after him, he's seen still drifting upward: that was perfectly sequenced. Someone deserves credit for this. His flight is shown in perspective from where Supergirl is standing. In the distance the audience can see a tiny image of him and his cape swirl just before he hits the building. Excellent, it feels real. Perspective is critical. The breaking glass as they plough up the building, but seen from a distance, the perspective of one of the people in the crowed, nice. The audience watching some with their mobile phones filming the fight injects the awe, some of the spectators fleeing the scene injects the fear: two essential emotions (rather than just one) that cannot be conveyed by simply showing the two supers alone. That shift from mobile phone screen to the actual fight, nice, it adds to the realism. The planning behind this battle is meticulous and multi-dimensional, well done, really. These are important layers that build up the depth in the battle often left out even in big budget movies. The couple fleeing hand in hand when Hank transforms, another layer, brilliant. These layers are the mark between mundane and genius. When MMH punches Supergirl and she rips through the building all the way out to the other end, beautifully done, well executed. It was technically flawless. There is physical drama when Supergirl fails to punch a dematerialising MMH who finally sends her plunging downward with hands clasped he hammers down also with excellent execution. The only place we can get this kind of quality is in Japanese anime like DBZ, Naruto, One Punch Man and so on, thus far no director has been able to transfer this kind of blistering action and energy successfully to live action; which has been hugely disappointing, but this is now changing. Finally somebody gets how a brawl between supers should be portrayed. When she hits the ground the pavement is upheaved. This is one of the best "technically" executed fight scenes between supers that demonstrates superhuman ability in film or television, the visuals where on point. In terms of technical quality and execution, this is even better than the fight between Superman and the three Kryptonians in Man of Steel. The only room for improvement is the sound that backs the fight. For instance, when Hank realizes that if he doesn't transform and intervene Supergirl would kill Alex that beautifully slowed down moment when he begins to transform as he tilts toward her should have been backed by a more heroic "in your face" musical score to enhance the drama of the moment - this is absolutely important. Also, when it comes to visuals don't be afraid to take over the whole screen. For example, when Kara uses her heat vision you can light up or white out the entire screen as though a camera flash has gone off blinding everyone including the audience then recede or diminish this light into the thin twin stream of lasers being emitted as they hit the target. If the audience gets that an initial blinding flash means Kara is deploying her lasers then you can even have a terrified bystander hugging a streetlight pole fill the screen, then just show his background light up like several camera flashes with his terrified face in full view of the camera lens and the audience would know what was happening. MMH's costume and facial prosthetics, especially at the end of the fight when he makes his hero landing are also excellent, he looks handsome but alien something extremely difficult to pull off, the only other time work this good (that makes an alien look handsome) has been seen is the Klingon commander in JJ Abrams Star Trek: Into the Darkness, MMH's costume is so well put together he could be on Superman Vs Batman when it debuts and be believable, its that good. With delivery this good MMH could have his own movie or series. The tone of episode 16 dared to swing into grimmer, grittier more adult feel and this quality gave it a little more spark. Again, anyone making live superhero movies should study this episode and try to learn how its done because the audience is tired of fights between supers where there is no finesse and nothing really super about their inhuman strength, speed and ability during a fight. Its really nice to be entertained like that. This episode was a treat. Whats the point of watching television or a movie if the craft isn't technically this good.
Deadpool will be a success because it is very carefully made in this delicate satirical genre that teases and pokes fun at everything in pleasant but mean spirited kind of fashion. It is delicate as it is very easy for satire of this kind to go south and be viewed as insulting. The Studio stayed on top of the final product and made sure it was funny but not carelessly offensive to any minority or group in society. Satire has to be very carefully managed or it can be misunderstood and prove bad for business. Anyone who thinks the Deadpool formula is new is very much mistaken, it was applied long before this Fox movie, in the huge hit Hancock starring Will Smith. The movie Hancock proved long ago that satire in a super-hero movie is good for the box office, which is one of the reasons why in an earlier write up on Hancock 2, I made the case that this venture made business sense to make the next installment.
Investors who bankroll movies and television series should be very careful about content as a script with visual scenes or dialogue that deliberately hurts or insults a demographic as, in my opinion, these are red flags for fraud. I recently happened to catch an episode of Billions in which an actor, to emphasize some point, makes references to the Virgin Mary that many people around the world would find insulting and blasphemous. The dialogue was cheap, it simply came across like a pointless attempt at selling sensationalism or a writer exploiting a Studio to selfishly put a personal view in a commercial space at the expense of his or her employers. In House of Cards when Frank spits on the the crucifixion statue of Jesus Christ, this is an example of a wholly unnecessary scene. Its a cheap way of trying to convey a specific quality in the personality of a character in a script when there are numerous alternatives for doing this; its intended to shock in a manner with little substance because it does not take into account the demographic that will be hurt, insulted or slandered by the scene. This is a faux pas a talented writer, director and producer would know how to avoid and yet still get the intensity across. This demographic is a part of the general audience the show depends on for viewership and ratings. In other words the franchise or series is destroying itself, too vain to see this and the executives who manage the series are unable to understand how a successful, fascinating and financially viable project like House of Cards is being made fundamentally redundant and will inevitably begin to fail. Like the dialogue in Billions the scene has no genuinely unavoidable use or context, therefore it is a form of vanity publishing on the part of the writers and series that will inadvertently hurt its and the studio's fortunes. Even if this cannot be seen or understood at the time the ball towards redundancy has been set rolling. A television series is a product like any other that a producer hopes to benefit from through sales. I have yet to come across a product in a supermarket that has a bold label that says "Not for sale to Red-heads". Why? Because the business needs anyone interested enough to buy and buy into the product. Therefore, for Studio executives to fail to screen and exclude that kind of scene or dialogue is a red flag that there is a strong possibility they are not really selling. If they are not selling the series then it is an indication that the Studios time and money is possibly being abused and the investors bankrolling the project are possibly being exposed to fraud as their interests and the return on investment are not the priority; in this sense bad business practices are being disguised as art. It is possibly being used in a method that undercuts the business it is by necessity expected to support that it is an executives role to identify in time, before it is screened, in order to cut it off and spare the Studio and the project the potential exposure to unnecessary loss or redundancy. This kind of potential fraud is very easy to identify, but it has become rampant even in the music industry where something as simple as the use of vulgar language, expletives and so on is applied as "artistic content" when in fact all it does is dampen or shrink the demographic of listeners or people who might be willing to purchase music thus reducing its potential profitability. For instance, if as an artist you publish a song about making love that a mum and dad can smile and wink at each other about because their kids think the song is about ice-cream then you are an artist expressing your music and know how to get your paper, your creativity is savvy but if these parents or people in general have to hastily turn off your music or switch stations as a result of the language you are an artist that is vanity publishing music that technically may have a limited understanding of business. In other words it is art disguised as bad business that an entrepreneur, record label or Studio whose objective is to sell, should ideally know how to avoid, camouflage or find a work-around. For instance in Deadpool, a lot of the verbal and visual adult content is presented in a manner that even if someone who isn't old enough happened to inadvertently observe a scene it would go over their heads and they may only appreciate this when they come across the movie again much later as adults, to do this takes real talent.
Ryan Reynolds was a perfect casting choice for this part and plays it to the hilt. Many times I have emphasised the need to separate the hero from the person in television or movies especially if the hero form is not of a normal person. Trying to portray Superheros like the Thing in their strange looking super form to act out normal human social scenes, like a romantic kiss doesn't work. It didn't work in Deadpool. I sat in a packed cinema and was able to gauge the audience's reaction when Deadpool takes off his mask at the end and kisses Vanessa. This should have been a very romantic moment, but it missed the mark, in a comic book it would work, in live action it failed. The audience could be felt cringing, some people looked away and sounds of disapproval went around the audience. It may work in a comic book, but it doesn't work in cinema. It becomes necessary for the director to make adjustments depending on the medium. Even a character like Deadpool should be able to look like a normal human being when not revved into super mode. This is a technical detail a director needs to learn to appreciate. The way Martian Man Hunter seamlessly morphs into Hank in Supergirl when social interaction takes place is a standard that directors should try to follow when they translate heroes from comic book to moving pictures in scenes where they have to socialize with normal people.
The success of Deadpool at the box office proves another very important aspect of movie making that directors have to be very clear about and this is who they are making a movie for. Are they making a sci-fi or fantasy for children or for adults? You cannot make a movie for both these targets at the same time, in all likelihood the movie will fail. Its therefore important to know your target audience early on. Star Wars 7 very nearly suffered from this targeting problem and just barely managed to remedy it. Had Star Wars 7 steered itself toward an adult audience from the very start, without a doubt, it would have cleared the US$2.5 billion mark at the box office. If sufficient time had been spent on building intrigue related to diverse planets, space and the nature of the story it would have gained staying power and eclipsed Avatar. If these two lacking areas are carefully dealt with in episode 8, there is still a chance of breaking existing box office records. Deadpool is rated R, from the very start the dialogue, humour, ideas are targeted at an adult audience. Always remember that for this genre an R rating is not necessarily about violence; focusing on violence without the critical thought process that drives scenes, humour, emotion and dialogue can still make an R rated movie fail. Its about the what, why, how, when and the emotions stirred in the audience associated with the development of the story. The psychology applied fits the target market therefore the interest is high and so too are the ticket sales. The success achieved by Deadpool makes for a good case study.
Diversity
Deadpool, as is expected of this genre of Hollywood movies is weak in diversity in the sense that not a single superhero in Deadpool is black. This will inadvertently dampen the full earning power and importance of this otherwise well put together movie. Diversity is not easy to implement. There are many directors who are non-conformist, who feel being asked to introduce diversity to a project is an interference of their creative liberty. This kind of attitude can possibly be viewed in movies like Hail Caesar. However, directors that allow personal feelings to interfere with their work are not very smart. Failing to apply diversity is an indication of either a shallow mind or a lack of exposure. Saying "diversity is important but the Oscars aren't" and then producing a movie with no diversity like Hail Caesar is double speak one would expect to hear from a person who is less intelligent than he thinks he is. Diversity is not easy. When people who believe in equality try to express it, it is often not welcome. White people who embrace diversity can often be given a hard time by their own kind. They will be ridiculed, bullied, tormented called "ni--er lover" and made to feel ashamed by their own race, their friends, partner or spouse, their family often outside the public eye. Actors and actresses face many pressures and challenges. The same applies to some black actors who embrace diversity, they can often be viewed as sell outs by their own people. Go to a "conservative" white chat-room or forum and read through the racist views expressed after Star Wars 7 about the on-screen relationship or non-relationship between John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. These racist views in "conservative" white communities make it difficult for white people be they actors, directors etc to embrace diversity. Most will turn back to the racist fold with tails between their legs and make movies and television series without diversity. Actors and directors of all races have to be brave when it comes to reaching out and crossing colour lines; they should be given credit for being brave and strong willed enough to not be bullied into a lesser person or shrinking violet by their own kind who are often much less accomplished than they are. Lets not pretend diversity is as easy as a, b, c. When it comes to diversity we have to admit that black people have been at the short end of the stick. However, being a black person and belonging to a race which endured prosecution does not give you the right to be racist yourself. This makes you no different from those that work against the equality striven for. Even Malcolm X accepted this truth later in his life. Being black in the United States, Africa or anywhere in the world does not absolve you from or reduce your responsibility to embrace equality and diversity.
While we're on the topic of diversity. The reaction to Beyonce's Superbowl performance is interesting. Anyone who knows anything about the Black Panther movement of the 1960s would know that it was not a racist organisation, but rather a movement evolved by African Americans to monitor and defend themselves against police brutality initially in Oakland California. The movement also organised community social programmes offering free food for children and community health clinics. The movement was eventually undermined and demonized by J Edgar Hoover. If Black consciousness is merely a positive expression of one's race; in this case the black race in all its shades and skin tones, then there was nothing wrong with wearing black attire, headgear and donning Afro's for the performance. This is no different from wearing African traditional dress; it is simply an expression of race that has nothing to do with racism. We live in world dominated by white consciousness in the sense that people around the world wear suites and ties, t-shirts and sneakers, jeans and so on that are really examples of many of the positive attributes and contributions of the white race to humanity. No one ever complains or creates an SNL video that makes fun of being white in the conventional sense of modern culture, the way the short SNL video pokes fun at the idea of Beyonce being black, illustrated using hysteria. Its funny but the video and "hysteria" can be easily misunderstood as a clever shared wink to imply black people are really not that important portrayed in manner that uses the comedy to hide the back-hand. This kind of psychology is not uncommon where people try to prevent black people from working together to uplift one another. Facebook staff recently scrawled "all lives matter" over "black lives matter" messages written on the walls of the social network's Menlo Park, California headquarters. This is a classic example of the obstacles the race faces. What this does is mistakenly attempt to make black people believe that their attempts to help one another is form of black supremacy and therefore make them ashamed of their own race. Its this kind of seemingly tame and naive attitude that is being used to manipulate black people into preventing them from coming together to try to find solutions to the real problems the race faces such as crime, unemployment, police brutality, disproportionate arrest and incarceration, poverty, lack of progress, under-representation in diverse structures including award ceremonies so that the race can be a more positive part of humanity. Its a shame to try to prevent black people from coming together. The title of the song "formation" hints at the need for unity amongst black people and the need for them to come together beyond geography not just as an idea or ideal, but a reality; something tangible that improves the welfare and fortunes of the race so it can contribute more to humanity as a collective. The rap artist Nelly, for instance, is said to have put two students through college every year for the past ten years. This is a positive view that shouldn't be thwarted by trying to confuse black people about their identity, or by trying to make them ashamed of being black as a way of preventing them from helping one another through real life challenges. Manipulating black people into thinking that trying to help each other make progress is a form of "black supremacy" rather than a contribution to humanity has a huge negative impact on the black community. Rather than view wealth as an ideal based on education, employment, job creation, fulfilment, creativity, family values that black people can use to help each other to make positive gains they are instead encouraged to escape the shame of poverty, unemployment and suffering often associated with them by focusing on cars, jewellery, gold chains, opulence, bragging rights, how rich they are, billions which of course are not bad things but, like faith without works, this psychology perpetuates the cycle of poverty in the black community across the world. It becomes an attempt to escape being associated with poverty and hardship due to the shame when it should be what attracts you to black people in need or in difficulty so that you can draw closer and be a part of the solution that lifts them out of the problems and challenges faced. As a black person you shouldn't be distracted from using your progress to help black people become a positive part of humanity by helping them overcome real day to day challenges. Don't shun it by being manipulated into thinking or feeling it is "black supremacy". As a black person as long as you don't see this manipulation the way you think, live your life, the progress you make and the way you go about your daily business may not be in the direction you really want because you have been cleverly manipulated into disregarding the plight of your people.
There tends to exist a baseless fear of black people congregating or caucusing even if it is for a worthy cause related to black consciousness; this is a double standard when white consciousness is embraced and an every day reality. White consciousness is not racist, it is constantly supported by other races and has nothing to do with the discrimination found in the Ku-Klux-Klan and modern renditions of it that champion hate and white supremacy. Black consciousness has nothing to do with "black supremacy" in the way white supremacy is simply an expression of hate and inhumane racism.
When have you ever heard of people of colour rising up in protest or for a rally against wearing western clothing or living that is an expression of white consciousness? Its taken for granted because its done everyday by people who are not white, but you need to remember that this is not their original culture, it is a consummately adopted one. If we can support and embrace what is yours, why can you not equally support and embrace what is ours? Why then should people protest because on just one day Beyonce decided to express black consciousness. This is a selfish attitude. Every day we live in white consciousness, we embrace it, participate in it, wear it, speak it, live it and encourage it for all its positive attributes and contributions to the progress and cohesion of humanity. Why then, should there be so much hysteria when black consciousness is expressed either through a performance, art, dress or any other medium. Are black people only acceptable when they present themselves in white consciousness? If anything the Superbowl is the perfect place for the expression of this kind of diversity and inclusiveness. Anyone can be a part of black consciousness in the same way that anyone can be a part of white consciousness which is a part of everyday reality. As a black person you should be careful and wary about people who attempt to turn your need to have pride, self-respect and have a sense of self worth into "black supremacy" when it has nothing to do with racism. This is the kind of manipulation and negative attitude that keeps you from coming together in order to make positive contributions to the welfare of people of colour. Black people should not allow themselves to be persistently manipulated in this way into abandoning the need for them to come together in order to improve black lives, make them matter and push forward black causes. Any person of any race can be a part of this endeavor. There is nothing exclusive or racist about it, you don't have to be black to sing or enjoy listening to R&B, and you don't have to be black to have black consciousness in the same way you don't have to be white to have white consciousness which we all live and in a sense celebrate every day in the modern world. Black people around the world face many disadvantages that affect how their lives turn out. Anger, cursing, vulgarity, middle fingers is not the solution to these problems. The reality is that struggling families need help coping with the financial and economic challenges life throws at them, help with parenting, help with keeping their kids in school. What is the point of being so rich when your people are suffering? These kids need help to achieve the best grades, move from high school to college and to eventually find careers they otherwise would not be able to have without someone looking out for them. Those adults that have already fallen through the cracks need support to find meaningful work, counselling, role models and the the support that enables them to earn a decent living. This is the kind of support black people need that black people who come together can try to provide. Less crime, less violence, less negativity in the black community is a positive force that makes life better for all races and is why one black person should never be made to feel ashamed for helping another in need when the entire community benefits from this action.
Had there been some dancers accompanying Bruno and Beyonce of different races, styled in the same way then this would have been understood as it would have expressed how black consciousness is open and all embracing. If Beyonce and company had come out in white leotards or suites and ties, straightened permed hair this would have been acceptable, so lets avoid counterproductive manipulation and accept dancing in a way inspired by African heritage, accept that wearing black headgear or clothes, wearing chitenges or any African dress and donning Afro's to express black consciousness and coming together for black causes are something positive, after all black people are just as much a positive part of humanity as any other race.
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| Supergirl episode 16 gets it right, a treat to watch. |
Investors who bankroll movies and television series should be very careful about content as a script with visual scenes or dialogue that deliberately hurts or insults a demographic as, in my opinion, these are red flags for fraud. I recently happened to catch an episode of Billions in which an actor, to emphasize some point, makes references to the Virgin Mary that many people around the world would find insulting and blasphemous. The dialogue was cheap, it simply came across like a pointless attempt at selling sensationalism or a writer exploiting a Studio to selfishly put a personal view in a commercial space at the expense of his or her employers. In House of Cards when Frank spits on the the crucifixion statue of Jesus Christ, this is an example of a wholly unnecessary scene. Its a cheap way of trying to convey a specific quality in the personality of a character in a script when there are numerous alternatives for doing this; its intended to shock in a manner with little substance because it does not take into account the demographic that will be hurt, insulted or slandered by the scene. This is a faux pas a talented writer, director and producer would know how to avoid and yet still get the intensity across. This demographic is a part of the general audience the show depends on for viewership and ratings. In other words the franchise or series is destroying itself, too vain to see this and the executives who manage the series are unable to understand how a successful, fascinating and financially viable project like House of Cards is being made fundamentally redundant and will inevitably begin to fail. Like the dialogue in Billions the scene has no genuinely unavoidable use or context, therefore it is a form of vanity publishing on the part of the writers and series that will inadvertently hurt its and the studio's fortunes. Even if this cannot be seen or understood at the time the ball towards redundancy has been set rolling. A television series is a product like any other that a producer hopes to benefit from through sales. I have yet to come across a product in a supermarket that has a bold label that says "Not for sale to Red-heads". Why? Because the business needs anyone interested enough to buy and buy into the product. Therefore, for Studio executives to fail to screen and exclude that kind of scene or dialogue is a red flag that there is a strong possibility they are not really selling. If they are not selling the series then it is an indication that the Studios time and money is possibly being abused and the investors bankrolling the project are possibly being exposed to fraud as their interests and the return on investment are not the priority; in this sense bad business practices are being disguised as art. It is possibly being used in a method that undercuts the business it is by necessity expected to support that it is an executives role to identify in time, before it is screened, in order to cut it off and spare the Studio and the project the potential exposure to unnecessary loss or redundancy. This kind of potential fraud is very easy to identify, but it has become rampant even in the music industry where something as simple as the use of vulgar language, expletives and so on is applied as "artistic content" when in fact all it does is dampen or shrink the demographic of listeners or people who might be willing to purchase music thus reducing its potential profitability. For instance, if as an artist you publish a song about making love that a mum and dad can smile and wink at each other about because their kids think the song is about ice-cream then you are an artist expressing your music and know how to get your paper, your creativity is savvy but if these parents or people in general have to hastily turn off your music or switch stations as a result of the language you are an artist that is vanity publishing music that technically may have a limited understanding of business. In other words it is art disguised as bad business that an entrepreneur, record label or Studio whose objective is to sell, should ideally know how to avoid, camouflage or find a work-around. For instance in Deadpool, a lot of the verbal and visual adult content is presented in a manner that even if someone who isn't old enough happened to inadvertently observe a scene it would go over their heads and they may only appreciate this when they come across the movie again much later as adults, to do this takes real talent.
Ryan Reynolds was a perfect casting choice for this part and plays it to the hilt. Many times I have emphasised the need to separate the hero from the person in television or movies especially if the hero form is not of a normal person. Trying to portray Superheros like the Thing in their strange looking super form to act out normal human social scenes, like a romantic kiss doesn't work. It didn't work in Deadpool. I sat in a packed cinema and was able to gauge the audience's reaction when Deadpool takes off his mask at the end and kisses Vanessa. This should have been a very romantic moment, but it missed the mark, in a comic book it would work, in live action it failed. The audience could be felt cringing, some people looked away and sounds of disapproval went around the audience. It may work in a comic book, but it doesn't work in cinema. It becomes necessary for the director to make adjustments depending on the medium. Even a character like Deadpool should be able to look like a normal human being when not revved into super mode. This is a technical detail a director needs to learn to appreciate. The way Martian Man Hunter seamlessly morphs into Hank in Supergirl when social interaction takes place is a standard that directors should try to follow when they translate heroes from comic book to moving pictures in scenes where they have to socialize with normal people.
The success of Deadpool at the box office proves another very important aspect of movie making that directors have to be very clear about and this is who they are making a movie for. Are they making a sci-fi or fantasy for children or for adults? You cannot make a movie for both these targets at the same time, in all likelihood the movie will fail. Its therefore important to know your target audience early on. Star Wars 7 very nearly suffered from this targeting problem and just barely managed to remedy it. Had Star Wars 7 steered itself toward an adult audience from the very start, without a doubt, it would have cleared the US$2.5 billion mark at the box office. If sufficient time had been spent on building intrigue related to diverse planets, space and the nature of the story it would have gained staying power and eclipsed Avatar. If these two lacking areas are carefully dealt with in episode 8, there is still a chance of breaking existing box office records. Deadpool is rated R, from the very start the dialogue, humour, ideas are targeted at an adult audience. Always remember that for this genre an R rating is not necessarily about violence; focusing on violence without the critical thought process that drives scenes, humour, emotion and dialogue can still make an R rated movie fail. Its about the what, why, how, when and the emotions stirred in the audience associated with the development of the story. The psychology applied fits the target market therefore the interest is high and so too are the ticket sales. The success achieved by Deadpool makes for a good case study.
Diversity
Deadpool, as is expected of this genre of Hollywood movies is weak in diversity in the sense that not a single superhero in Deadpool is black. This will inadvertently dampen the full earning power and importance of this otherwise well put together movie. Diversity is not easy to implement. There are many directors who are non-conformist, who feel being asked to introduce diversity to a project is an interference of their creative liberty. This kind of attitude can possibly be viewed in movies like Hail Caesar. However, directors that allow personal feelings to interfere with their work are not very smart. Failing to apply diversity is an indication of either a shallow mind or a lack of exposure. Saying "diversity is important but the Oscars aren't" and then producing a movie with no diversity like Hail Caesar is double speak one would expect to hear from a person who is less intelligent than he thinks he is. Diversity is not easy. When people who believe in equality try to express it, it is often not welcome. White people who embrace diversity can often be given a hard time by their own kind. They will be ridiculed, bullied, tormented called "ni--er lover" and made to feel ashamed by their own race, their friends, partner or spouse, their family often outside the public eye. Actors and actresses face many pressures and challenges. The same applies to some black actors who embrace diversity, they can often be viewed as sell outs by their own people. Go to a "conservative" white chat-room or forum and read through the racist views expressed after Star Wars 7 about the on-screen relationship or non-relationship between John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. These racist views in "conservative" white communities make it difficult for white people be they actors, directors etc to embrace diversity. Most will turn back to the racist fold with tails between their legs and make movies and television series without diversity. Actors and directors of all races have to be brave when it comes to reaching out and crossing colour lines; they should be given credit for being brave and strong willed enough to not be bullied into a lesser person or shrinking violet by their own kind who are often much less accomplished than they are. Lets not pretend diversity is as easy as a, b, c. When it comes to diversity we have to admit that black people have been at the short end of the stick. However, being a black person and belonging to a race which endured prosecution does not give you the right to be racist yourself. This makes you no different from those that work against the equality striven for. Even Malcolm X accepted this truth later in his life. Being black in the United States, Africa or anywhere in the world does not absolve you from or reduce your responsibility to embrace equality and diversity.
While we're on the topic of diversity. The reaction to Beyonce's Superbowl performance is interesting. Anyone who knows anything about the Black Panther movement of the 1960s would know that it was not a racist organisation, but rather a movement evolved by African Americans to monitor and defend themselves against police brutality initially in Oakland California. The movement also organised community social programmes offering free food for children and community health clinics. The movement was eventually undermined and demonized by J Edgar Hoover. If Black consciousness is merely a positive expression of one's race; in this case the black race in all its shades and skin tones, then there was nothing wrong with wearing black attire, headgear and donning Afro's for the performance. This is no different from wearing African traditional dress; it is simply an expression of race that has nothing to do with racism. We live in world dominated by white consciousness in the sense that people around the world wear suites and ties, t-shirts and sneakers, jeans and so on that are really examples of many of the positive attributes and contributions of the white race to humanity. No one ever complains or creates an SNL video that makes fun of being white in the conventional sense of modern culture, the way the short SNL video pokes fun at the idea of Beyonce being black, illustrated using hysteria. Its funny but the video and "hysteria" can be easily misunderstood as a clever shared wink to imply black people are really not that important portrayed in manner that uses the comedy to hide the back-hand. This kind of psychology is not uncommon where people try to prevent black people from working together to uplift one another. Facebook staff recently scrawled "all lives matter" over "black lives matter" messages written on the walls of the social network's Menlo Park, California headquarters. This is a classic example of the obstacles the race faces. What this does is mistakenly attempt to make black people believe that their attempts to help one another is form of black supremacy and therefore make them ashamed of their own race. Its this kind of seemingly tame and naive attitude that is being used to manipulate black people into preventing them from coming together to try to find solutions to the real problems the race faces such as crime, unemployment, police brutality, disproportionate arrest and incarceration, poverty, lack of progress, under-representation in diverse structures including award ceremonies so that the race can be a more positive part of humanity. Its a shame to try to prevent black people from coming together. The title of the song "formation" hints at the need for unity amongst black people and the need for them to come together beyond geography not just as an idea or ideal, but a reality; something tangible that improves the welfare and fortunes of the race so it can contribute more to humanity as a collective. The rap artist Nelly, for instance, is said to have put two students through college every year for the past ten years. This is a positive view that shouldn't be thwarted by trying to confuse black people about their identity, or by trying to make them ashamed of being black as a way of preventing them from helping one another through real life challenges. Manipulating black people into thinking that trying to help each other make progress is a form of "black supremacy" rather than a contribution to humanity has a huge negative impact on the black community. Rather than view wealth as an ideal based on education, employment, job creation, fulfilment, creativity, family values that black people can use to help each other to make positive gains they are instead encouraged to escape the shame of poverty, unemployment and suffering often associated with them by focusing on cars, jewellery, gold chains, opulence, bragging rights, how rich they are, billions which of course are not bad things but, like faith without works, this psychology perpetuates the cycle of poverty in the black community across the world. It becomes an attempt to escape being associated with poverty and hardship due to the shame when it should be what attracts you to black people in need or in difficulty so that you can draw closer and be a part of the solution that lifts them out of the problems and challenges faced. As a black person you shouldn't be distracted from using your progress to help black people become a positive part of humanity by helping them overcome real day to day challenges. Don't shun it by being manipulated into thinking or feeling it is "black supremacy". As a black person as long as you don't see this manipulation the way you think, live your life, the progress you make and the way you go about your daily business may not be in the direction you really want because you have been cleverly manipulated into disregarding the plight of your people.
There tends to exist a baseless fear of black people congregating or caucusing even if it is for a worthy cause related to black consciousness; this is a double standard when white consciousness is embraced and an every day reality. White consciousness is not racist, it is constantly supported by other races and has nothing to do with the discrimination found in the Ku-Klux-Klan and modern renditions of it that champion hate and white supremacy. Black consciousness has nothing to do with "black supremacy" in the way white supremacy is simply an expression of hate and inhumane racism.
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| In an inclusive society no-one should ever make you feel ashamed of expressing black consciousness. |
Had there been some dancers accompanying Bruno and Beyonce of different races, styled in the same way then this would have been understood as it would have expressed how black consciousness is open and all embracing. If Beyonce and company had come out in white leotards or suites and ties, straightened permed hair this would have been acceptable, so lets avoid counterproductive manipulation and accept dancing in a way inspired by African heritage, accept that wearing black headgear or clothes, wearing chitenges or any African dress and donning Afro's to express black consciousness and coming together for black causes are something positive, after all black people are just as much a positive part of humanity as any other race.
tbc.........
