Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 29, 1988, edition 1 / Page 6
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6The Daily Tar HeelMonday, February 29, Director calls for broader scope of Ru liiruACi eniDTie -n.u t . - ... ..... By MICHAEL SPIRT AS SHI! Writer "The first time I did a pimp I thought it was great, but by pimp number 29, 1 was a little nervous." The above quote is not from a pimp, prostitute or any other such character. The source of this quote is none other than Robert Townsend, the up-and-coming director pro ducerstarwriter of "Hollywood Shuffle.'" Townsend spoke at the Student Union Film Auditorium Friday night as part of the Black Student Movement's Discovery 8 Whole Q Gain Detergent PPS1.59 t 1 2! 42 Oz. Crisco Shortening 48 Oz. HscS Fresh Perch Fillets Lb Detergent 72 oz. S.l'S 35C Off Label -ShPPK Snuggle Fabric PP 99C Shield Bath y 2 a. 20C Off Label On 2 Caress Bath n Soap 4.75 Oz. l.'SO Regular Or Soft Mint TV T-l -r. - riax rre-uental ci Rinse soz. JLj Sudafed Tablets 24 o. 229 am 4. I 1988 program. The talk was also sponsored The plot of Dy the Carolina Union Film Com mittee. The filmmaker, who spoke after each of two showings of his film, gave his opinions on a variety of subjects, including the present state of filmmaking, race relations in America, his optimistic approach to life, the unorthodox manner in which he created "Hollywood Shuffle" and his sudden, unexpected fame. The result of the film and talks was a humorous, introspective look at the way blacks have been treated by American filmmakers. focuses on the life of a black actor who is forced to make the choice of whether to accept humiliating roles that run parallel to black stereotypes. The film takes a sarcastic view of the current situation in Hollywood through a series of hilarious skits. Some of these scenes are "Sneaking into the Movies" (a parody of Siskel and Ebert's "A Look at the Movies"), "The How to Act Black Acting School" ("You too can walk black"), "Death of a Breakdancer" (a black version of the classic private detective 35 yP WW London Broil Sealtest Ice Cream o Sliced To Order In The Deli-Bakery Honey Cored m AACJhI&J. LD. Sun Ueht Dish Detergent 12 oz.. 75C Off Label Lemon Dash Detergent .... 72 oz. uaaiea rius Tablets 24a..sy budafed 12 Hour ngy, Capsules 10 a d.cll& Sudafed 12 Hour ti mr Dannon , i. L lOBUn... 8 Oz. U3 For Snow Crop Five Alive Citrus Beverage 64oz. (5) Half Gal. ViZ 64 9 Price Supermarket ,ir J" ms Ad Effertive Through Saturday" Mar 5. 1988 In Chapel HE iStores Oniv Wc Reserve The Right To Limit Quantities None Sold To Dealers We Gladly Accept Federal Food Stamps "Hollywood Shuffle movie) and "There's a House (a ridiculous sitcom centered around a black man who dresses like a bat and lives in a suburban home). Townsend went to great lengths and considerable risk to complete "Hollywood Shuffle." The produc tion took over two and a half years to film and was financed by Town send's personal credit cards. Before he sold the movie to Samuel Goldwyn Company, Townsend was more than $40,000 in debt. In order to save money, most of the scenes in the movie were shot in one too Coca-Cola Or Diet Coke Sealtest Or light n Lhrtey Cottage Cheese 24 Oz. $ Sliced To Order - In The Deli-Bakery xuTKey nreast Lb. Ragu Spaghetti Sauce 32 oz. Corn, Peas, Or Green Beans 1.59 Hi Vegetables leoz.For.S' ivory Shampoo Or j Conditioner 15 oz. Kellogg's Kellogg s Pop larts 1 1 0z. Kellogg's Frosted Flakes 25 02. Pre-Priced$1.99 Cheer Laundry -g Detergent .... 42 oz. l.USf i B J I I V II I IJT. I III k I U I I "V 1 V J 1 9 roles for black actors Bat in My night Townsend stressed his confi dence in the film: "I believed in the film ... it always made me laugh." The filmmaker also mentioned his extraordinary ability to keep an objective view on a project that he wrote, produced, directed and starred in. "I'm a part of the audience," he said. "I step outside of myself. . . and see a lot of different things in the movie." The performer admitted that "this film has gone beyond my wildest dreams." Townsend is an individual who take. Friday truly believes in himself. "I Foigers Hated Coffee Red Or White Seedless Grapes Chilean Grapes ROSAFE Russet Potatoes mm ' 4 "H" Sealtest t Sherbet , q, 1.39 Corn-on-the-Cob Green Giant Niblet Ears.... 12 a. ,.S9 Jeno's Pizzas 10 oz. Seneca Apple Juice 12 oz .79 Cool Vlifhip . . . . 12 Oz. 119 Seabrook Sliced trawoemes .... 10 oz. To iler Like Owe! believe in obstacles. I don't believe in being scared." The comic admitted that before making the movie he had "never directed anything before, but I'd seen enough bad movies to know what I didn't like." Townsend believes that life is all about "accepting the challenge." He calmly noted, "If 'Hollywood Shuffle' didn't make it, I would be in jail. "Townsend believed in himself to the point that he was able to take an extraordinary risk and produce a surprise hit at the same time. As an actor in New York, Town send grew frustrated with the way blacks were treated by the film industry. The majority of roles offered to blacks are pimps, prosti tutes, drug dealers and gang members. As a result of this imbal ance the public receives a distorted view of blacks that perpetuates harmful stereotypes that presently exist in society. The screen artist asked seriously, "Besides Eddie Murphy, tell me one black actor who saved the day and got the girl?" Instead of merely cursing the situation Townsend responded with "Hollywood Shuffle." "I didn't want to be bitter, so I made a movie about it." Townsend said he hopes the film will force other filmmakers to come out of the woodwork and give black actors better roles. "Doors are being opened," stressed the optimistic artist. Townsend's ambition does not end at black actors getting better parts. He said that our culture should be a society where blacks, as well as other races, are seen as people, and not members of a certain group. Townsend said he yearns for the day when he will be seen as "just a director, not a black director." Townsend said that only after society stops categorizing people as black, white, yellow, etc., will we be able to live in a world where there is equality in the true sense of the word. Townsend works toward this world in the medium of film and asks that everyone help him in whatever way he or she can: "People have to realize that they have a choice." RPOrt from Page 1 master's degree program in reading and language arts was not very high. "We have data that there were several other programs with similar characteristics as ours." Spiegel said the members of the faculty were appalled that the School of Education would consider elimi nating the reading program. Out of the 54 top-ranked American schools of education, only one lacks a program emphasizing reading and language arts, Spiegel said. UNC should not become number two, she don't said. Spiegel said faculty members wanted to form a new reading program in combination with the special education program. "We are very excited about it," she said. Despite controversy surrounding the task force report, Spiegel said she thought it would be unrealistic to disregard it entirely. "We're trying to move beyond that with attempts to reconceptualize,"she said. Rune Simeonsson, a professor and investigator for the school, said task force investigators did not entirely base their decision to eliminate the program on appropriate data. Reductions should be made in programs in the school, but the method used to evaluate programs should be consistent, he said. "Reading is a national priority for a department of education," he said. "It is also a state priority." Simeonsson said that if other faculty members, the provost or other University officials have different priorities for the school, they should inform the faculty. "We want to know if it's a political decision," he said. Simeonsson also said he welcomes the idea of combining reading and special education programs. "It's not that we don't welcome change," Simeonsson said. "The issue really is, 'Let's do this in an orderly way and look at the facts.' " Protesters from page 1 threatening, intimidating or disrup tive nature or because it improperly restrains freedom of movement, speech, assembly, or access to pre mises or activities can result in expulsion, suspension or other penalty. In telephone interviews over the weekend, several of the trustees discussed their reasons for voting as they did. One of the trustees who voted against the resolution. Earl PhilliDs. said he did so because Chancellor Christopher Fordham had already promised that the Universitv would investigate the incident. I thought that was sufficient action," Phillips said. The Universitv mav find it difficult to discipline the students becam e the events took place off campus, he said. l nomas Capps. who also voted against the resolution, said he did not agree with some of the wording of me resolution. "The conduct by the eroun was unacceptable," he said, "but calling tnem terronsts is a little heavy."
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 29, 1988, edition 1
6
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