This post signifies the start of my 2014 film awards! While the other day I lamented stuff I had to exclude this post is all about celebration, or in the case of my worst films of the year list, derision. Since I am a writer/podcast producer at Awards Circuit, the following choices will represent part 1 of the ballot I will turn in, so you can’t blame me if the choices turn out boring lol jk. Anyways, here’s my special film awards.
Movies can often stir up emotions and speak to a current culture’s issues and climate. Often times this is a conscious choice, but in the case of a film like Selma, which comes at a time where protests and racial conditions have factored into the news cycle, a film can hit a portion of the zeitgeist. Thankfully for audiences Selma is more than just a film that people are using to explain the now, it’s a wonderfully made picture with crackling energy and a larger than life performance at the helm.
There are movies that manage to touch upon current issues and then there are films that speak to you, as an audience member, and your life experiences. Luckily, for me, Dear White People managed to be both of those films, and extremely successful at that. While Justin Simien does encounter some minor stumbles, in his capable hands Dear White People is a perfect film for today’s generation.
I decided that since I’d skipped a week, I’d hit you with a whammy and since it’s Black History Month, why not explore the works of the greatest Black playwright, August Wilson? Wilson has to be the greatest untapped resource of the arts community and his Century Cycle plays are just sitting there waiting for