ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper) (07/29/85)
> movie in the not to[o] distant past about a guy on a motorcycle > who somehow got sent back to the Wild West? It was TIMERIDER. > This lack of strong, non-ster[e]otypical female characters is not just > Spielberg's disease. Everything that I have said about sexism may also be > applied to racism and nationalism. [Mentions of OUTLAND, ALIEN, 2010.] I can > only think of one black in a semi-lead role and that was in Ice Pirates. > Minority leads who are leads for reasons other than their sex and the > opportunity for the white male lead to show off are rare and devoutly to be > desired. Many lead roles in science fiction movies could be played by anyone > regardless race or sex. I just heard an interview with George Romero in which he was asked about his casting of blacks and non-WASPish types (along with females) in major roles in his films. Certainly NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD had a strong black character (whose role had nothing to do with his blackness--in fact the part was written before the actor was even chosen). Also DAWN OF THE DEAD. Also presumably DAY OF THE DEAD (which I haven't seen yet). The characters in MARTIN are white, but not your standard WASPs. KNIGHTRIDERS had a fairly strong black character (as well as a gay and a woman--that's three different characters, in case that's not clear). HUNGRY WIVES had mostly female characters, but I can't remember enough of the characterization. The casting in CREEPSHOW was dictated mostly by people other than Romero. Another example: Gregory Hines played a strong character (who wasn't written as "black") in THE WOLFEN. I suspect there are other lesser-known film-makers who don't worry about having "Hollywood types" in the lead roles of their films. (Unfortunately, my mind draws a blank right now.) Certainly a studio that spends $20 million will want to "play it safe" to make sure they make it all back. But right now, they're probably playing it too safe. Partly the problem is Hollywood's feeling that there must be a love interest in every film (something that the director character in the 1933 KING KONG complained about!) and, with few exceptions, they won't risk an inter-racial love story. (When they do, *it's* the plot!) They could easily put someone like Harold Rollins in just about any "leading-man" role (he's certainly as sexy as Mel Gibson!), but they don't dare show him in a love interest with a white woman, and they don't want an "all-black" cast. So he's type-cast as a "black man". Oh well, maybe someday Hollywood will learn. Evelyn C. Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl