Hudlin Entertainment

REGGIE HUDLIN PROVES WHY THURGOOD MARSHALL IS HIP-HOP

BY NDSMITH OCTOBER 17, 2017

When we heard that Reggie Hudlin was directing a movie about Thurgood Marshall, starring the new Black Panther Chad Boseman, we did the happy dance: Shmoney Dance. Nae Nae. Hit Them Folks. We did them all.

Hudlin is as Hip-Hop as it gets in Hollywood.

Since the 90s, he and his brother have set the tone for the modern era of Black cinema. Exaggeration?  We think not. While Russell Simmons can brag about introducing Black comedians to the world through HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, Hudlin can pop his collar also! It was Hudlin that provided the iconic funnyman Robin Harris his first feature film, Bebé Kids and produced one of the best stand-up specials on the late comic. Hudlin introduced big screen films to the community through the House Party franchised starring Kid N’ PlayQueen LatifahMartin LawrenceTisha Campbell and Full Force. This college-feel good classic not only captured the fun side of Hip-Hop but afforded rappers an opportunity to dip their toes in the Hollywood pond. But for this writer, what makes Hudlin so Hip-Hop is his film Boomerang starring a young Halle BerryEddie Murphy, the fabulous Eartha Kitt and the gut-busting John Witherspoon. Or the Boondocks with Aaron McGruger? Or Django starring Jamie Foxx? Or the animated Black Panther movie (or the graphic novel series)? Or his title as the President of BET Networks during the great Reconstruction Era that shifted the quality of programming from videos that did not elevate the community to that which reflected a more rounded glimpse into the diverse mosaic of Black life. He gets that there are many stories of Black and Brown people that deserve to be told. And he tells them. Which brings us to Marshall— his most substantial and influential work yet.

Thurgood Marshall, our country’s first African American Supreme Court Justice, deserves to be immortalized on film. His legendary case Brown v. Board of Education etched him in the history book annals for eternity. But Hudlin chose not to lift that case. Hudlin lifted in this film (that hit the screens this past weekend debuting to $3 million in its first few days) a more obscure case: The State of Connecticut vs. Joseph Spell.

In this case a white and wealthy Greenwich socialite named Eleanor Strubing accused her chauffeur, Joseph Spell of raping her. This was in the 1940s and so you already know this was going to be a case of epic degrees of bias. This is when the NAACP gets a whiff of the trial and sends their superman of an attorney, Thurgood Marshall to the rescue. At the time, Marshall was one of the top lawyers for the organization and it was his job to travel the country and offer free counsel to people of color who were in need. In the movie, Marshall comes off more of a bad-assed action figure than a stiff-necked-suit-and-tie-wearing litigator. Imagine the swag of Big Daddy Kane, the confidence of JAY-Z and the intellect of former President Barack Obama,with a splash of Batman’s sarcasm.  Welp… that is Hudlin’s Marshall and we were all the way there for it.

Lastly, what was a definite Easter-egg for the Hip-Hop community were the special cameos of Jussie Smollet (as Langston Hughes), Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas (as Zora Neale Hurston), Trayvon Martin’s parents Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton and his attorney Benjamin Crumpto remind us that this was a generational effort without the heavy handed use of rap music. It also reminded us that the struggle is still real and the work that began with Marshall has to be continued by us and completed by the next generation.

Perhaps, Hudlin’s charge to the Hip-Hoppers is to get busy. Are you ready?

 

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MARSHALL PREMIERES ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

LOS ANGELES

Jussie Smollett, moderator Will.I.Am, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, me and Sterling K. Brown at Compton High School. We screened the film and had a discussion with students afterwards.

We were part of a larger anti-bullying initiative the school was having.

The kids blew us away with their own rendition of our closing theme song STAND UP FOR SOMETHING. Songwriter Diane Warren invited them to her studio later.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti attended the premiere of the film.

The Mayor gave a POWERFUL speech on violence in America and the need for heroes like Marshall.

Mayor Garcetti gives a plaque commemorating Oct 2nd as Thurgood Marshall Day in Los Angeles!

 

I introduce Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, Jussie Smollett, Keesha Sharp, Marina Squerciati, Sophia Bush, Anha O’Rielly, songwriter Diane Warren and Roger Guenover Smith at the premiere.

Me with Sabrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin.

Two great activists: Najee Ali and Van Jones!

Mr and Mrs. John Marshall with cast members Josh Gad and Dan Stevens and producer Laura Friedman.

Open Road owner Donald Tang, associate producer Lena Evans, me and Cate Park.

Me and Tommy Davison.

NEW YORK

 

Here are shots from the UrbanWorld debut of the film!

Interviews on the Red Carpet with Jocelyn R. Taylor.

Josh Gad, me and Sterling K. Brown with my sister in law Karen McMillian.

Me with my college roommate, musician and author Jacob Slichter with his wife Suzanne.

Jacob sent me these great pictures from the church where he was married, St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco. They have a lot of contemporary saints there, from jazz musicians….

…to Saint Thurgood!

WASHINGTON D.C.

After the screening for Congressional Black Caucus, we have a conversation with Sunny Hostin, DeRay Mckesson, myself, Chadwick Boseman and Janai Nelson from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Andra Day performs at the afterparty!

The next day, I talked to students at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University.

I loved talking with the students about art, careers and everything else. Smart and engaged group of students!

 

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REGGIE HUDLIN ON MARSHALL

LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY

RBTV’s Mike D chats with producer/director REGINALD HUDLIN (Boomerang) about his latest movie MARSHALL, which hits theaters nationwide on October 13, 2017

Shawn Edwards Interviews Reginald Hudlin Director about his new film “Marshall”.

Linh and Marty have Coffee With director Reginald Hudlin.

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