Rick Famuyiwa, the writer and director of The Wood and Brown Sugar, is back with what’s sure to look like a hit among Black audiences. Both of Famuyiwa’s previous movies are two of my all time favorites, so I’m definitely looking forward to Dope.
Dope is a coming-of-age comedy that tells the story of Malcolm (Shameik Moore), a teenager who is clearly obsessed with everything about the ’90s, but lives in present day Inglewood. Some how Malcolm he gets caught up in a drug dealer’s ring and the story unravels from there. Dope also stars Kimberly Elise, Zoë Kravitz, Chanel Iman, Keith Stanfield, Blake Anderson and A$AP Rocky.
It’s definitely been a while since there has been a coming of age move for a young Black audience. There’s been several Black relationship movies like Why Did I Get Married I & II, but never really anything directed towards teens.
The Wood, which I probably watch about 3 times a year, is one of the few movies I can think of off the top of my head that was able to infuse comedy and romance for a younger Black audience.
Clutchettes, what are some of your favorite Black movies?
April 3, 2015 -
It’s so hard to pick just one. My first thought is “Boyz in the Hood.” I love that movie. My favorite old school movie is “Cooley High.” Sorry, I chose two. 🙂
April 3, 2015 -
People die in your faves! Lol.
April 3, 2015 -
LOL! I never thought of that, Love!!!
April 4, 2015 -
Loved Cooley High!
April 3, 2015 -
Love Jones all day. No really, all day.
April 3, 2015 -
That’s a tough one. I’m going to go with Juice….and Do The Right Thing.
April 3, 2015 -
1) Love Jones
2) Love and Basketball
3) The Wood/Best Man/Soul Food
4) Stomp the yard
5) The Brothers
April 3, 2015 -
“4) Stomp the yard”
THANKS! for the reminder. Came close to not listing this Fave.
April 3, 2015 -
1-Love and Basketball,
2-Stomp the Yard,
3-Brown Sugar,
4-The Best Man
April 3, 2015 -
Interesting that Sanaa Lathan starred in 3 of my 4 favorites.
April 3, 2015 -
The woman literally exhaled at the end of Love and Basketball, I think most people fell in love with Monica in that movie.
Forgot about Brown Sugar, it should it added to my line 3.
April 3, 2015 -
Loved the entire cast — Upwardly mobile middle class individuals that are black. Beautiful coming of age movie.
April 3, 2015 -
Mos Def was so funny in that movie. As far as Love and Basketball it is why Gina Prince-Bythewood is one if my favorite directors.
April 3, 2015 -
Sanaa Lathan is a very hard working gifted actress.
April 3, 2015 -
Coming to America
April 3, 2015 -
Do I have to pick just one?
-Crooklyn
-Just Another Girl On the IRT
-Girlstown
-Coming to America
-Boomerang
-Clockers
-Friday
-House Party 1 and 2
April 3, 2015 -
Like others said Boyz in the hood
2 can play at that game (Vivica Fox was stunnnningggg in this)
ATL
April 3, 2015 -
Yes she was on her A game in that one, that was a cute movie!
April 3, 2015 -
My favorite black movies would be Malcolm X, Sugar Hill (from 1994), Soul Food, Sarafina, Dead Presidents, Boyz in the Hood, Juice, and Do the Right Thing.
April 3, 2015 -
Dang how could I forget about Malcolm X and Sugar Hill
April 3, 2015 -
Yes, Sugar Hill is very underrated with jazz music shown throughout the film. Everybody loves and respects Malcolm X.
April 3, 2015 -
Love Sarafina!!!
April 3, 2015 -
That’s great. I first saw Sarafina during the 1990’s. I love the movie Sarafina. It has Miriam Makeda and the great actress
Leleti Khumalo. The struggle of liberation inspires us to this very day.
April 3, 2015 -
Something New! Romacoms for black women are rare.
April 3, 2015 -
Coming to America, The Color Purple, Purple Rain, Boyz in the Hood, Waiting to Exhale, Boomerang, House Party–the first one, all = Game Changers. Hmmm so many to choose…
April 3, 2015 -
I can cosign quite a few already mentioned…
Juice
Boyz n the hood
Dead Presidents
Malcolm X
SchoolDaze
Dreamgirls
The Five Heartbeats
Cooley High
Mahogany… and more
April 4, 2015 -
Dead Presidents (Loved the scene when N’Bushe Wright kissed Larenz Tate after going off on him)
Dreamgirls (Loved how daughters sat there stunned at the whole experience of that movie)
The Five Heartbeats (Loved how my wife always cries at the end, Love Robert Townsend’s vintage Tuskegee Institute sweat shirt)
Mahogany (One name “Diana Ross”, that’s all)
April 3, 2015 -
Serious: Crooklyn, The Color Purple
For fun: Coming to America, Vampire in Brooklyn
April 5, 2015 -
I’ve never seen Vampire in Brooklyn.
*off to Netflix*
April 5, 2015 -
Vampire in Brookyln is a very witty, funny, and interesting movie.
April 3, 2015 -
Malcolm X and Color Purple and Friday
April 3, 2015 -
I forgot What’s Love Got To Do With It and now that Whitney Houston has passed away Waiting To Exhale
April 3, 2015 -
Those are great choices.
April 3, 2015 -
Love Eve’s Bayou and Jason’s Lyric. Most of you all mentioned lots of my favorite movies!
April 3, 2015 -
@mds29: Oh my goodness yes loved Eve’s Bayou and Jason’s Lyric and the Inkwell too.
April 6, 2015 -
Eve’s Bayou..yep
April 3, 2015 -
How about The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, Lift, and Sugar Hill.
April 3, 2015 -
I forgot to add Crooklyn and Do The Right Thing
April 4, 2015 -
Oh yes! Definitely Do The Right Thing!
April 3, 2015 -
And Five Heartbeats and Roll Bounce and The Jacksons An American Dream i know the dialogue to that one by heart.
April 3, 2015 -
I feel you Sister. The Temptations is a great movie too.
April 5, 2015 -
A friend of mine was in The Jacksons movie 🙂 She’s 9 months preggers right now with baby number two 🙂
April 5, 2015 -
@Love.tweet.joi:What part did she play?
April 5, 2015 -
She played Rebbie as a child. She’s not on the credits tho…I actually had to google her bio to figure that out. Hmmm… I need to watch it again…it’s been years!
April 3, 2015 -
Off the top my head:
The Color Purple
Love Jones
Eve’s Bayou
Malcolm X
Sarafina
I may come up with more
April 4, 2015 -
That’s a great list Sister.
April 3, 2015 -
a raisin in the sun (1961 version)
April 3, 2015 -
forgot claudine
April 5, 2015 -
also forgot devil in a blue dress written by walter mosley. loved easy Rawlins played by denzel and the character mouse played by don cheadle.
April 4, 2015 -
I forgot about Sounder and Claudine! Loved those two.
April 4, 2015 -
There’s so many but off the top of my head are:
Baby Boy
Cooley High
Car Wash
Color Purple
Mahogany
April 5, 2015 -
The Color Purple!!!
April 5, 2015 -
Shaft is an exciting movie.
April 6, 2015 -
(Shrugs) I liked his style!
April 6, 2015 -
Richard Roundtree played the role as Shaft greatly.
April 4, 2015 -
A lot of people mention my favorite ones but I would add:
What about your friends- cute coming of age movie
Just Another girl on the I.R.T-an underrated classic
Buck and Preacher – Western movies aren’t my first go to genre but Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, and Harry Belafontaine need I say more.
New Jack City – no explanation needed…lol
April 6, 2015 -
Yep New Jack City fo sho.
April 6, 2015 -
Wait who was in What About your friends? I feel like I remember that movie
April 6, 2015 -
It was Keshia Knight Pulliam, Monica McSwain, and Alexis Fields. It was about three girlfriends trying to find their path and transitioning in being an adult and going to college and stuff.
April 6, 2015 -
Omg I think I remember that movie it played on upn. It was so good!
April 5, 2015 -
Boomerang, Mo Betta Blues, and Girl 6.
I’m sorry in advance…
Diary of A Mad Black Woman
“I’m not bitter, I’m mad as Hell!!!”
April 5, 2015 -
Mo Better Blues, Do the Right Thing, House party, The Temptations, Shaft, Malcolm X, Love Jones, Friday, Cooley High, Beat Street and many more.
April 5, 2015 -
Boomerang.
April 6, 2015 -
To me, Do the Right Thing is not a black movie but one of the best movies ever made. So ‘Do the Right Thing” it is. Color Purple (although white director so not sure if it consitutes a ‘black movie’) is a close second. My 3rd favorite movie is probably Goodfellas and ‘A Train Car Named Desire”. #5 is ’12 Years a Slave’. #6 is Mahogany. #7 is probably Malcolm X.
April 6, 2015 -
Daughters of the Dust
Dear White People
April 7, 2015 -
Can’t even watch some of my favs anymore unless I want to cry me a river: Boyz n the Hood, Sarafina, Set if Off, Malcolm X, Glory….