When we hear that a movie went straight to DVD we figure the movie was somehow lacking, and wasn’t good enough to be shown on the big screen. Or if a Black movie had a limited run in theaters and went to DVD we naturally think it couldn’t attract an audience. We’ve been fed this information by the media, from those fortunate few who look down on their fellow filmmakers who haven’t received the big break yet, but who, by any means necessary, get their films to the public. “Straight to DVD” is the breeding ground of Black cinema.
The other day I watched “N-Secure” on Netflix. Released in 2010, I selected the movie based on the fact that I’m a big fan of actress Essence Atkins (TBS’s “Are We There Yet?”), and I saw that Tempestt Bledsoe (“ParaNorman”) was also starring in the film. She, too, is of interest to me, because she’s apparently acting again. And this would be the first time I’d see Denise Boutte (“Why Did I Get Married?”) in a true dramatic role.
“N-Secure” tells the story of David Washington, played by Cordell Moore, a brother who looks as if he has it all together, but in reality has some serious issues. After his fiancée, Robin (Atkins) breaks his heart, the Memphis businessman immediately jumps into another relationship with the insecure Tina Simpson (Denise Boutte), but his raging jealousy and deep insecurities slowly poison her feelings for him, and that’s not good.
This movie is a thriller and a shocker, and very well acted and produced. I was on the edge of my seat, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film as I have with so many other Black films that have a very short life in theaters, if any at all, and then go to DVD. “N-Secure” was in the theaters five weeks before it went to DVD.
It takes a nice “chunk of change,” as they say, to produce a movie, and it takes a great deal of money to promote it. A filmmaker has to get hooked up with the right people to make sure his or her movie is seen by the public, one way or the other. And one media visionary has made it his business to do just that.
Entertainment industry veteran Jeff Clanagan has long been in the business of promoting quality entertainment, be it music, television, films and digital media. In 2005, he launched Codeblack Entertainment LLC, with a mission to super-serve the global Black community through the development of a diversified portfolio of entertainment media companies that create quality products and experiences that speak to, engage and accurately represent the global African American experience. Codeblack focuses on brand strategy consulting and content production and distribution. If you visit www.codeblackentertainment.com you will see a variety of DVDs you either didn’t know existed, or forgot all about, and you can purchase these films online. And I suggest that you take the opportunity to learn more about Codeblack Entertainment and what it offers.
Also, there are sites online where you can see movies starring, written, directed and produced by Blacks, from horror to superb dramas, featuring some of your favorite actors and actresses. From Netflix to Amazon.com, you can join these sites for a nominal fee and be entertained until your eyes glaze over.
Black cinema is here to stay because filmmakers are using every avenue available to them to get their stories to the public. These films help Blacks in front of and behind the camera achieve a quality experience that will one day propel them to the top in the movie-making industry.
And just think, we benefit from their hard work; we get to see our own images, the good and the bad, from our own point of view.
Gail can be reached at gail@hollywoodychoice.com.
