Before we criticize Leslie Jones character in Ghostbusters...

Leslie Jones is a very talented, intelligent, and gifted comedian which is why Chris Rock pushed for her to be a writer/actor on Saturday Night Live. This weekend with the release of the first Ghostbusters trailer, she felt the need to take to social media to defend her role in the remake of Ghostbusters.

Regular People save the world everyday so if I'm the sterotype!! Then so be it!! We walk among Heroes and take them for granted.

— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) March 4, 2016

Most of the criticism focuses on her portraying a character that fits the stereotype of the loud black woman. There is also some question as to why she couldn't be one of the scientists and is just an MTA worker?

Both may be valid criticisms, but they are criticisms being made without people having seen the movie. At this point we have no idea what Jones' character arch is, we have no idea how the story unfolds or ends. Granted, what is in the trailer does appear to be the loud black woman stereotype but we don't even know if those scenes made the movie or if the movie explains her behavior.

I'm not saying that criticism isn't warranted, but I am stating that fairness is. At least wait until the movie is released before criticizing Jones and her character.

Until then watch the original Ghostbusters and see how Ernie Hudson's character became part of the team.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

It's official, Ryan Coogler to direct Marvel's Black Panther movie

Coogler, the director of the "Rocky" sequel "Creed," will direct Marvel Studio's upcoming "Black Panther" in 2018, the studio's first film starring an African-American superhero. Coogler will be also be the first African-American director in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a film franchise that has made over $9 billion at the worldwide box office.

Coogler will be also be the first African-American director in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a film franchise that has made over $9 billion at the worldwide box office.

"We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family," producer and president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige said in a statement. "The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct 'Black Panther.'"

[SOURCE]

African American Film Critics Relaunch AAFCA Seal Of Approval

The African American Film Critics Association has relaunched the AAFCA Seal of Approval program for film marketers and distributors.

Titles that earn the AAFCA Seal of Approval must meet quality standards, including cultural/historical relevance, and are evaluated by a special panel of AAFCA members, film journalists and academics.

[SOURCE]

African American Film Critics Association: Best Film, Straight Outta Compton

The AAFCA (African American Film Critics Association) honors excellence in cinema by creating awareness for films with universal appeal to black communities, while emphasizing films about the black experience and those produced written, directed and starring performers of African descent. It will hold its awards ceremony February 10 in Hollywood.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Picture
Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Director
Ryan Coogler,Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Ensemble
Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Actor
Will Smith, Concussion (Sony)

Best Actress
Teyonah Parris, Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)

Best Supporting Actor
Jason Mitchell – Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Supporting Actress
Tessa Thompson, Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Independent Film
Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)

Best Screenplay
Rick Famuyiwa – Dope (Open Road Films)

Breakout Performance
Michael B. Jordan, Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Animation
The Peanuts Movie (20thCentury Fox)

Best Documentary
A Ballerina’s Tale (Sundance Selects)

Best Song
“See You Again”, Furious 7 (Atlantic Records)

Best TV Comedy
Black-ish (ABC)

Best TV Drama
How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

Best Cable/New Media TV Show
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz)

AAFCA Top Ten Films of 2015 in order of distinction:

1. Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)
2. Creed (Warner Bros.)
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)
4. Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)
5. The Martian (20th Century Fox)
6. 3-1/2 Minutes/Dope (HBO/Open Road Films)
7. Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)
8. Carol (Weinstein Co.)
9. The Big Short (Paramount Pictures)
10. The Danish Girl (Focus Features)

Was Selma's best picture nomination a "make up" call?

Unless you've been asleep for the last 24 plus hours you have heard or read the uproar over the lack of Oscar nominations for Ava DuVernay's movie, Selma. Although the picture was nominated for best picture, it missed out on what many thought would be sure bets for best director (Ava DuVernay) and best actor (David Oyelowo). Now some thinks it's due to racism at worst or the lack of diversity among the Academy Awards voters at best. (I personally think it's because the voters couldn't properly pronounce their names.) Most of the voters are white males over 65, so it goes to figure that the overwhelming majority of those nominated or white and male.

Now I know some are asking, "Well George if that's true how in the hell did Selma get nominated?"

Well I'm glad you asked that. If you have ever watched a basketball game you know there's something known as a "makeup" call. That's when the referees make a bad or questionable call on one team and then make it up to that team by making a bad call the other way. No referee will admit this happens, but we all know that it does. I think that's what happened with Selma getting a best picture nomination.

To be honest I don't even think that Selma was originally among the best picture nominees. I think that after the tallies were done someone looked at them and said, "Hey guys we didn't nominate any black people for sh*t!"

In my mind the conversation, after that was discovered, went something like this:

Old White Guy #1: What's that you say?

Old White Guy #2: We didn't nominate anyone of color.

Old White Guy #3: What about that black director that made that movie about Martin Luther King?

Old white Guy #4: You mean Spike Lee?

Old White Guy #2: Are there any other black directors?

Old White Guy #1: Well just put Spike's name up there.

Old White Guy #3: What about the voters?

Old white Guy #4: Trust me, they won't notice. It's not like they actually read the ballot.

Old White Guy #1: Hey wait a minute we can nominate up to ten movies for best picture, and we only nominated eight!

Old White Guy #2: Great idea, we just need a movie with black people.

Old White Guy #4: Oh, I vote for Ride Along!

Old White Guy #1: Didn't Tyler Perry make a movie this year?

Old White Guy #2: Guys! We can just put the Martin Luther King movie in that spot, and we will have added a tad of diversity. It's not like it will win anyway.

Old White Guy #1: Agreed!

Old White Guy #3: Agreed!

Old White Guy #4: Agreed!

Yup, that what I believe happened. Selma's addition to the Best Picture category was a makeup call. What do you think?

George L. Cook III, AfricanAmericanReports.com Email: georgelcookiii@gmail.com

Spike Lee Comments On ‘Selma’ Oscar Snubs

During an interview with Marlow Stern at The Daily Beast film director Spike Lee commented on the Oscar snubs of Selma for best director. Read his colorful comments below:

“Join the club!” Lee chuckled, before getting serious. “But that doesn’t diminish the film. Nobody’s talking about motherfuckin’ Driving Miss Daisy. That film is not being taught in film schools all across the world like Do the Right Thing is. Nobody’s discussing Driving Miss Motherfuckin’ Daisy. So if I saw Ava today I’d say, ‘You know what? Fuck ’em. You made a very good film, so feel good about that and start working on the next one.”

“Anyone who thinks this year was gonna be like last year is retarded,” said Lee. “There were a lot of black folks up there with 12 Years a Slave, Steve [McQueen], Lupita [Nyong’o], Pharrell. It’s in cycles of every 10 years. Once every 10 years or so I get calls from journalists about how people are finally accepting black films. Before last year, it was the year [in 2002] with Halle Berry, Denzel [Washington], and Sidney Poitier. It’s a 10-year cycle. So I don’t start doing backflips when it happens.”

Read the full article here: Spike Lee Blasts ‘Selma’ Oscar Snubs: ‘You Know What? F*ck ’Em’