Next Generation

Spike Lee started the last resurgence in Black cinema. After She's Gotta Have It, along came John Singleton, The Hughes Brothers, The Hudlin Brothers, and the meteoric rise of Denzel and Wesley. Hollywood started taking note of the box-office appeal offered by Black actors and directors. At the end of the millennium, Malcolm D. Lee is poised to take the reigns and re-ignite a resurgence in Black cinema. With the assistance of Spike and a solid educational background, Malcolm brings us The Best Man. Could it be this year's best film? Breaking ground with Malcolm are young directors such as Kwyn Bader (BET's Loving Jezebel), Booker T. Mattison, and Stacey Holman. Actors on the rise are Nia Long, LL Cool J, Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut and Mel Jackson. This month blackfilm.com celebrates this New Generation of filmmakers as they bring us some new style. Thanks for bringing us more than the old-school, gang-bangin in the hood flicks. Big ups to Spike for being in the pit to help get this thing going again.

FEATURES [All Features] Malcolm Lee - Director of The Best Man "You've got to watch a lot of movies. You have to analyze a lot of movies. You've got to do a lot of writing and be critical." By Nasser Metcalfe Kwyn Bader - Director of BET's Loving Jezebel "Part of what made me feel like I could make films was Spike making them. I love the fact that he puts together a very precise vision in his work and that has definitely influenced me." By Blair Smith Nia Long - Up Close and Personal "I'm extremely passionate about our youth, and I'm putting together a couple of things in the next couple of years." By Rachel LL Cool J - Gets Deep "He's a God not worthy of worship and yet these people worship him. So what's the best way to say that than to name him God, put it out there, show that devilish behavior and let people make that judgement call." By Rachel Taye Diggs - Straight to the Point Straight to the Point - Taye Diggs ante ups to blackfilm.com's Nasser Metcalfe about Black box-office appeal and the idiom - "crossover." By Nasser Metcalfe Back Talk WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT'S BEING DONE TO US? By Part 2, by N.Y.U. filmmaker, James Richards [All Features] DID YOU KNOW? Did you know Laurence Fisburne played Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee's Playhouse? CONTACT US Join our email list or send us a note info@blackfilm.com

REVIEWS [All Reviews] The Best Man-opens Oct.22 The Best Man is a very entertaining movie about a successful group of college friends who's lives are slightly interrupted and ultimately brought closer by two events; a wedding and a book release. By Kelly Glover Three Kings-opened Oct.1 Who would have thought that when Ice Cube lyrically blasted the line "*%# the police " that in 1999 he would be considered a very good actor? By Shelby Jones Blue Streak Blue Streak smoked the competition with a $19 million opening weekend. And, even more important, it was pretty funny. Lawrence proves that he is a master of keeping at a joke 'til he finally gets a laugh out of you. By Sekou [All Reviews] VIDEO Featuring The Best Man Director and Cast Malcolm Lee, the director of Universal Pictures' The Best Man talks to blackfilm.com following the advance screening of his first studio released film. Morris Chestnut Morris Chestnut Talks about staring in The Best Man. John Singleton discusses Shaft and describes what the movie will and will not be. Mel Jackson Soul Food's Mel Jackson tells blackfilm.com that he was discovered on a Chicago bus. Kywn Bader Loving Jezebel's Kywn Bader gets digital. By Video interview by Blair Smith.