Posts Tagged ‘george lucas’

Redtails True American Heros.

Red Tails tells the true story of The Tuskegee Airmen, a highly decorated unit of African American fighter pilots who flew combat missions over Germany in World War II. The “negro” pilots were thought to be inferior to white pilots because of a 1925 War College study that said “blacks were mentally inferior to the white man”. Red Tails tells the story of the squadron of African American pilots whose achievements were a moving force in the desegregation of the U.S. military. It’s a story which almost didn’t make it to the big screen.

Executive producer George Lucas had the project in development for several years but he found that movie studios were reluctant to “green light” the funds for a “blockbuster film” with an all African American cast. So, the Star Wars producer used his own money to finance the film and enlisted a first time African American director to tell the story. The making of the movie sounds like the plot of a movie in its own right.

Red Tails is beautifully directed by Anthony Hemingway, who directed the award winning TV series The Wire on HBO. Terrance Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. lead the ensemble cast in the telling of a historic story who’s telling has been long overdue. It’s an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles and about courage. The ironic part of the Tuskegee Airmen’s story was their loyalty and patriotism to a country which would still deny them equal rights once they got back home.

Red Tails is a movie about the American military’s belief that people of color could not do something that their white counter parts in the military could do; fight combat missions. I find it ironic that today, in 2012, its still a story about what America thinks people of color cannot do; support an “expensive film” (a blockbuster) with an all African American cast. I’d like to urge you to pack the theaters this weekend and prove them wrong, once agai

Irvin Kershner The Director Of The Movie The Empire Strikes Back Dies At The Age Of 87.

As we are still mourning the death of legendary funnyman Leslie Nielsen passing yet another influential talent has left us to end the long Thanksgiving holiday, yet Most casual Star Wars fans know George Lucas is responsible for the sci-fi legacy (both good and bad). However, more seasoned fans of the franchise know that it was Irvin Kershner who directed The Empire Strikes Back, a movie largely considered to not only be the best movie in the series, but one of the best sequels ever made. Sadly, the AFP news service reported this morning that Kershner passed away at his home in Los Angeles at 87 years old.

His goddaughter Adriana Santini confirmed his passing after a long battle with some sort of illness. Though Kershner’s directing resume isn’t as massive as other more renowned filmmakers, he did have his hand in a couple of franchises. The late director was also behind the camera for the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again with the now retired Sean Connery as Agent 007. In addition, Kershner also directed the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, which actually turned out to be the last film he would direct. Other such works include directing The Flim-Flam Man starring George C. Scott and an episode of Steven Spielberg’s series “Amazing Stories.” Since The Empire Strikes Back is pretty much my favorite film of all-time, this is truly a downer.