Before Hollywood, Chicago was a major film hub in the early era of
cinema. It’s where Charlie Chaplin created some of his biggest silent films.
It’s also where a major film discovery was made possible by the coronavirus
pandemic.
Olivia Babler’s painstaking work preserving films at
the Chicago Film Archives is usually routine, but sometimes
lightning strikes. The director of film transfer operations uncovered the 1923
Midwestern murder mystery “The First Degree” during the pandemic when
she finally had time for long-neglected reels that had come from a basement in
Peoria, Illinois.
“This is a film about sheep farming and blackmail,” said
Babler. “And there’s a villain with a great mustache, and there’s a great
dog!”
It was thought to be lost forever, like 75% of other silent films. “In the film world, this is a pretty big deal,” said Babler. “There’s a lot of folklore about lost films. It’s, there’s something — I don’t know if I can say ‘sexy’? It’s pretty sexy to find something like this.”
Most silent films have succumbed to decay or were
destroyed by their own studios, according to filmmaker and historian Jim Hemphill.
“These things were disposable to them,” said Hemphill.
“They didn’t understand the movie’s value as cultural artifacts. They’re
not just about what they’re about. They are reflections of their time.”
That means they were often censored and is perhaps why this copy is
missing a text slate about murder, which was criticized in early reviews.
“Finding this film during the pandemic makes me wonder what archives would find if they had the resources and the time and the money that they need and they deserve,” said Babler, before these time-capsules are lost forever.
banner image: scene from “The First Degree” via Chicago Film Archives
After former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday in an interview with Kaushik Basu alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is attacking the higher education institutions in the country through their schools and likened them to “madrasas used by radical Islamists in Pakistan”, several political leaders across political parties have reacted to his remark.
Rahul’s demonisation of RSS panned
Calling the Gandhi scion ‘foolish’, BJP MP Rakesh Sinha told Republic TV, “I am convinced that he is foolish. He is insulting the Indian people and legitimizing Pakistan jihad with his statement. He just creates controversy to stay in news. There is a serious crisis in their party as 23 Congress leaders (referring to the G23) are criticizing Congress. To divert from such a thing he is doing this.”
Former JK Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavindra Gupta said, “Nationalist ideology people at constitutional posts being targeted is wrong. Being Nationalist seems bad for Congress.”
Congress leader BK Hariprasad supported the former Congress president and said, “I cannot comment on his emergency statement (that it was a ‘mistake’), but what Rahul ji has said about RSS is right, they are trying to topple the entire fundamental principle of freedom struggle which is what Rahul Gandhi meant.”
VHP’s Alok Kumar furiously criticized Rahul’s comment and stated, “Rahul Gandhi has compared the Sarasvati Shishu Mandirs with the terrorist-producing Madrassas in Pakistan. The statement is dishonest and false. Sarasvati Shishu Mandirs provide quality education to millions of Indian children all over the country. They provide an education that instills in them respect for the country, a good human value system, makes them responsible citizens, and equips them with the knowledge that they can use for a good life. It is for this reason that they are preferred over the govt or costly public schools. “
Kumar added, “I am surprised that Rahul Gandhi is in the habit of making statements that only please the Pakistanis or the Chinese and are against the national interest. Such irresponsible statements are the reasons for the continuing decline of the Congress party. I condemn the statement.”
BJP leader Ram Kadam has also hit back at Rahul and said, “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who usually stands with our enemy countries like Pakistan and China has now given a statement that just like extremism and terrorism is being taught in Pakistan’s madrassas and he is comparing them with RSS. Rahul Gandhi has lost his mental balance. RSS is an organization that talks about nationalism and talks about the development of the country. If he doesn’t understand the difference between extremism and nationalism, then he should visit the Shakhas of RSS. He will get to know about it.”
Madhya Pradesh Minister Vishvas Sarang said, “Rahul Gandhi wants to disrespect the pride of the nation by making such remarks on the international platform. This shows your frustration. Rahul Gandhi you don’t have that ”aukat’ and ”haisiyat” to question RSS.”
While speaking to Republic TV, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi lashed out at Rahul and said, “Attacking RSS and Modi has become a fashion from them, this is leading to their demolition.”
Dear Readers, Republic Bangla is now #LIVE with non-stop breaking news from West Bengal in the run-up to the crucial assembly elections. Tap here to watch.
After a record-setting year thanks to being one of the few pandemic-safe entertainment options available while most of the world shut down, the Aut-O-Rama twin drive-in movie theater in North Ridgeville is ready to emerge from a brief winter slumber come mid March.
The Aut-O-Rama, like other drive-ins, thrived in the summer and fall of social distancing, even as few new titles were released by Hollywood. With specials like a Harry Potter-themed week, they combined the utter uniqueness of getting out of the damn house to do something with some nostalgic pleasures and popular, rewatchable films of years past.
During one week in June last year, for example, the Aut-O-Rama was the fifth-highest grossing movie theater in the entire country, on the strength of a Jaws/Jurassic Park double feature.
Ohio boasts 24 drive-ins, trailing only New York and Pennsylvania for most in the nation.
There’s a reason that civil rights activist and Black Panther deputy chairman Fred Hampton’s story is little known, according to filmmaker Shaka King – because it “would contradict everything America represents”.
Judas And The Black Messiah – the director’s first studio feature – is already very much part of the awards conversation, with six Oscar nods, including prestigious best picture, and best supporting actor nominations for its joint two stars – Daniel Kaluuyaand LaKeith Stanfield.
Image: Director Shaka King on set. Pic: Judas and the Black Messiah/Warner Bros
But King tells Sky News he’s not surprised Hampton’s history hasn’t been widely shared before: “Culturally, folks don’t want to put forth stories about freedom fighters who were assassinated by the US government, because it would contradict everything that this country puts forth to the world about what it represents.
“It would be a slippery slope, because if you told the true story of how the FBI assassinated a 21-year-old black radical, then you’d have to also explain all of the other instances where they did similar things within the nation and across the globe.”
Before Judas And The Black Messiah, King was best known for his indie stoner comedy Newlyweds – a film of a very different sort. And the movie’s produced by Ryan Coogler – the man behind Oscar-winning Marvel film Black Panther.
But for both men, the powerful story of a young black man’s death at the hands of the FBI needed to be told.
Image: Fred Hampton at a protest rally in Chicago in 1968. Pic: AP
The film takes us back to the early hours of 4 December 1969, when 14 police officers stormed Hampton’s apartment, firing 99 rounds, killing him in his bed with two shots to the head at point blank range. A second Panther member, Mark Clark, was also killed.
Hampton’s heavily pregnant wife Deborah Johnson – who was also in the flat at the time of the incident – gave birth to their son, Fred Hampton Jr 25 days later.
Image: The Black Panther deputy chairman’s story has been told on screen. Pic: Judas And The Black Messiah/Warner Bros
As well as his prominent role in the Black Panthers, Hampton had been a community organiser, working to build the Rainbow Coalition in Chicago, setting up breakfast clubs and taking children to swimming pools.
Ironically, from official memos written by J Edgar Hoover at the time, it appears the FBI director was as threatened by the free breakfast programme as any of Hampton’s other activities.
Ahead the film’s production, King spent a year working with Hampton’s fiancee, Akua Njeri (who at the time the film is set was called Deborah Johnson) and his son, Hampton Jr, as cultural advisers for the storyline.
Now active in the Panthers himself as chairman of youth-focused Black Panther Party Cubs, one of Hampton Jr’s stipulations was that he be on set every day, an experience King candidly describes as “difficult for both of us”.
Image: Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson. Pic: Judas And The Black Messiah/Warner Bros
King goes on: “Some things he wanted to change which we thought were innocuous. Other things he wanted to change required tectonic shifts to the production.
“It took a lot of diplomacy on everyone’s part to really find those points of interest amongst us all. The film you see is a result of that and we’re all happy at the end of the day that it exists in the form it does.”
The director admits he was the most nervous he’s ever been when the family eventually watched the final cut, but relieved they were pleased with what they saw.
BAFTA Film Awards 2021: The full list of nominations
British actor Daniel Kaluuya is the man at the heart of the story and alongside the Oscar recognition, the 32-year-old’s portrayal of Hampton has already earned him a Golden Globe and Critics Choice award, as well as nominations in the forthcoming BAFTA and SAG awards.
King is clear he was the only man for the job: “I probably wouldn’t have made the movie if we hadn’t been able to cast Daniel.
“He obviously didn’t have to audition – he’s one of the best actors in the world. But I wrote it with him in mind and at no point did I even see anyone else [for the part].”
Image: (L-R) Actors LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons. Pic: Judas And The Black Messiah/Warner Bros
In fact, King landed his dream four actors for the lead roles, as well as Kaluuya, bagging LaKeith Stanfield to play small-time criminal and FBI informant William O’Neal, Dominique Fishback (who has also received a BAFTA nod) as Deborah Johnson and Jesse Plemons taking the part of FBI special agent Roy Mitchell.
As for the Oscars buzz, King refuses to be distracted by it: “I do my best to ignore it.
“It’s not something that you have any control over… I try to focus as exclusively as I possibly can on the things I have control over.”
And with a new generation who will learn about the Black Panther Party for the first time from his movie, he feels the takeaway message of the film is just one of those things.
King says if people walk away from the film with one insight, he hopes it’s this: “The Panthers led with love – their primary desire was to bring equality and help poor black and brown folks self-actualise.
“And if you look at the historical portrayal of them in movies and in the media [it doesn’t reflect that]. It’s complete propaganda and not true.”
King hopes his film will right that wrong and do justice to a story many feel has been relegated to a footnote in history for far too long.
Judas and The Black Messiah is available to stream at home on various platforms now.
“It’s thrilling that in such a terrible and strange year, there has been so much great stuff, the fact that there’s so much diversity too and so many women making things, it’s just really exciting. It feels like there’s this whole kind of rush of newness, of exciting things that you haven’t seen before, including TV – Normal People, I May Destroy You, Bridgerton, The Queen’s Gambit – I mean, what a year for stories.”
Co-written with Danish screenwriter Tobias Lindholm, Another Round sees Mads Mikkelsen play Martin, a history teacher, who together with his colleagues Tommy, Peter and Nikolaj (played by Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe and Magnus Millang) conduct an experiment to see if alcohol can help them discover the lost joie de vivre and mental agility of their youth.
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Maverick Entertainment Group today announced it is expanding its free live/linear channel ‘Maverick Black Cinema’ on The Roku Channel in the U.S.
The Maverick Black Cinema channel features a 24/7 line up of diverse Black Cinema born from diversity both behind and in front of the lens. The channel features curated Maverick Movies in every genre, from Action, Comedy, Faith Inspirational, to Crime, Romance, Drama and Thriller.
The Maverick Black Cinema Channel features a diverse array of Maverick Movies in every genre. #maverickblackcinema #maverickmovies @MaverickMovies
“We’re excited to partner with Roku and bring more free, niche content to The Roku Channel” said Doug Schwab, President and Founder, Maverick Entertainment.
The Roku Channel is the home for free and premium entertainment on the Roku® platform. It delivers both free and premium entertainment in a single, easy to navigate destination and is home to thousands of titles, including free movies and TV episodes. The Roku Channel also features a Live TV Channel Guide, which gives users a convenient way to discover and watch live TV in an easy-to-navigate on-screen guide experience.
The Maverick Black Cinema Channel presents movies starring Clifton Powell, Tammy Townsend, Omar Gooding, Joe Torry, Chuck D, Torrei Hart, and more with works from Filmmakers Juney Smith (A Hard Lesson) and Mark Samuels (Murder Gardens).
HOW TO WATCH Maverick Black Cinema Channel is available on The Roku Channel in the U.S. starting today. It is accessible via “Live TV” row and within the Live TV Channel Guide on The Roku Channel.
About Maverick Entertainment Group Inc. Founded in 1997, Maverick Entertainment continues to be the premiere distributor of niche and Urban content. Having released more than 900 films over the past 23 years, Maverick currently controls the world’s largest library of Urban feature length films. In addition to funding and producing originals, Maverick releases 45 movies a year and distributes physically and digitally worldwide to a growing list of platform partners. For more information, visit https://www.maverickentertainment.cc/.
Roku® is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.
Press contact: Maverick Entertainment Group Kelcie Schwab [email protected] (954) 422-8811
“Medical Racism” illuminates the shocking history of human experimentation targeting Blacks by government health regulators and private pharmaceutical companies. “While many Americans are familiar with the historic medical atrocities by CDC at Tuskegee, by the father of American gynecology, Dr. J. Marion Sims on South Carolina slave girls, and the continuing medical larceny against Henrietta Lacks, they are likely unaware of the routine medical barbarism against Africans that persists today,” said the film’s co-producer, Curtis Cost.
The documentary, directed by Academy Award nominee David Massey, chronicles the medical cartel’s long history of targeting minority populations for unethical experiments, the acquiescence of regulatory agencies and medical ethicists, and the silence of physicians that allow these atrocities to continue today.
According to “Medical Racism” Producer Kevin Jenkins of the UGHA, “These racially targeted experiments have been hiding in plain sight for decades. It’s time to expose the truth and end inhumane and barbaric forms of racism by the ‘respected’ medical establishment.”
“The high levels of medical mistrust in the Black community is a rational response to routine callousness and systemic savagery toward Blacks by medical professionals and pharmaceutical interests,” said CHD Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Our hope in producing this film is to learn from the past misdeeds, so we can avoid their future repetition.”
Producers and select film participants are available for interviews upon request. For more information and to register to receive a notification on where and how the film can be seen when it’s released, go to medicalracism.org.
About Children’s Health Defense Children’s Health Defense, CHD Films and CHD Chairman, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. are devoted to the health of people and our planet. CHD’s mission is to end the childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to illuminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable and establish safeguards to prevent future harm.
About Centner Productions Centner Productions was founded by tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, inventor and producer David Centner to produce humanity-uplifting content in partnership with organizations and award-winning filmmakers and producers. Centner Productions supports causes to raise awareness on global issues, including the state of healthcare systems, children’s rights and mental health to inspire audiences around the world.
About Urban Global Health Alliance Urban Global Health Alliance serves as a valued partner with communities to empower and engage all on the issues of health and wellness. CEO and founder Keven Jenkins recognizes that in an increasingly urbanized world, health issues present new challenges that go far beyond the health sector and require action at the global, national, community, and individual levels.
