News
Editorial: No, Jordan Peele Isn’t a Racist for Not Wanting to Cast White Leads
In a recent speaking engagement with the Upright Citizens Brigade, writer/director Jordan Peele, while addressing a group of students, was quoted as saying, “I don’t see myself casting a white dude as the lead in my movie. Not that I don’t like white dudes, but I’ve seen that movie.”
Naturally, a vocal portion of the white internet blew up, proclaiming the statement was racist and that the director of US and Get Out, himself, was obviously a racist for his remarks.
Sigh…
It’s hard to believe that in 2019, we have to have this discussion. You’d think, by now, that diversity would be the rule instead of the exception. Instead, every time a director, writer, author, actor, politician, fill-in-the-blank, speaks about diversifying the landscape, people get angry, loud, and mean while simultaneously contradicting statements they’ve previously made themselves.
What do I mean?
As a gay man, I have spent a great deal of time writing about the need for more diverse characters and portrayals in genre filmmaking. Not only does this give us new stories, but it also serves the wider audience, allowing fans to see themselves more clearly included in their favorite genre.
Seemingly every time I do this, however, I’m met with the pushback of straight, white, cis, (predominantly) male voices commenting that the very idea is anything from “gross” to “unnecessary” to “a political agenda.” These are the same people, by the way, who whine about nothing new or original ever being made.
The other point they make is “If you want to see it, go make your own movies.”
This is, in essence, what Jordan Peele is doing. As he said, he has “seen that movie” and so he is making something different.
But let’s look at some statistics. According to a diversity report by UCLA in 2018, it was estimated that white leads were cast three times more often than any other ethnicity in film and the same number holds true for white directors over directors of other ethnic groups.
Last Sunday, I posted a review of the new iteration of The Twilight Zone, which Peele is hosting, and the comments immediately began to fill about Peele being a racist. They defended their point of view by saying, “If a white man had said he was only casting white leads, he would be called a racist.”
The point is, looking back at the numbers above, white men don’t have to say it. They don’t have to say it because they’ve been actively doing it since cinema began.
Peele spoke to this and the privileged place he has found himself in since the release of Get Out after his statement about casting black leads in his films.
“The way I look at it, I get to cast black people in my films,” he said. “I feel fortunate to be in this position where I can say to Universal, ‘I want to make a $20 million horror movie with a black family’ and they say yes.”
It’s a position in which few black filmmakers in the studio system have found themselves, but most people didn’t read this portion of the statement because they never got past the “not hiring white dudes” quote which was included in almost every single headline from media covering the event that night.
Do I think if the headline read “Jordan Peele Discusses Diversity at Event” would have appeased those who are determined to be angry about it? No, but I do think most of them would have rolled their eyes and kept scrolling instead of jumping to the conclusion that the man was a racist.
I’ve spoken to numerous screenwriters and directors over the years who have bemoaned the fact that they’ve been told that they can’t get a film make with non-white leads in Hollywood because studios tell them they can’t sell and “urban” film overseas.
“Urban” is one of those fun little catchwords used to denote that the lead isn’t white, if you’re wondering.
Take, for instance, Lucy Cruell.
The award-winning screenwriter has a fantastic award-winning script for a film called 7 Magpies which she has been shopping for years. Despite the accolades the script has received, she simply cannot get the funding to move ahead in production, and predominantly because she’s been told that the studios just don’t know how to sell it.
Why?
It’s a horror anthology script based on stories by black authors, written by a black screenwriter, to be directed by black female directors, starring a predominantly black cast.
That, white folks, is racism. It is systemic. It is a part of the DNA of what goes on in Hollywood, and while things are changing, they are hardly equal.
Movies with big screen releases are still predominantly white and about straight white characters. Jordan Peele making films with black leads isn’t going to take away from that dominance, but it does add color to the landscape. It adds diversity to the conversation.
But most importantly, the appearance of more films featuring people of color, queer people, etc. is not going to slow down the production of predominantly white led films.
As a wise man said, this isn’t pie, so what are you really worried about?
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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