Kasi Lemmons... Director

Kasi Lemmons is also an actress and a screenwriter.

    

Although Kasi Lemmons has been a working actress for almost three decades, I believe she’s better known for her artistic talent as a director. I know her best from her role as Agent-in-Training/Special Agent Ardelia Mapp, alongside Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs (1991).

    

Kasi Lemmons continues to fulfill her promise as a director. Her first full-length feature, Eve’s Bayou (1997) (which she also wrote) is one of my all-time favorite movies. I am unfamiliar with the second film she directed, Dr. Hugo, a short film. I hated the pic, The Caveman’s Valentine (2001) her third effort. But I really enjoyed her fourth film, Talk to Me*, released in July, 2007.

    

I hope to see her at the helm of more projects in the future. I’m expecting great things from her. I am glad she is getting these opportunities. This is a sister in the business who is making moves.

 

I like her and I respect her creative and artistic vision.  And I’m proud to say SHE DOESN’T MAKE STUPID MOVIES.

    

The next film she directs (which she also wrote) is The Jailhouse Lawyer, currently in production, set to be released in 2008. I’m looking forward to this.

 

 

 

    

    

    

*Grrrrrrrr. :-( This movie opened on only 36 screens and only made $4.5 million dollars! WTF? What’s up with that?!  :-(

Comments

[rubyspirit]

You have to pay for the # of screens. 36 screens doesn't sound like enough.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Rubyspirit.

Oh. Is that how it works? Ohhhhhhh.

[LaJane Galt]

I SHOULD have gone to see Talk to Me for Don Cheadle. I take my share of the blame.

I love Eve's Bayou!!

[johnny wishbone]

talk to me only opened on 36 screens? wow that is a SURE recipe for disaster. shows how much the company wanted it to succeed.

[johnny wishbone]

the gay and lesbian conversation door has been opened . so i walk in.. gays and lesbians, most people don't want to see it because most people don't agree with your "choice" of lifestyle. I am NOT homophobic as I am NOT scared of gays. They are committing an act that i do NOT agree with. That being said i wish to say you guys shoulud get your own little forums and stop trying to force it down everyone else's throat. pun intended.

[aulelia]

eve's bayou is a near-perfect film.

@johnny wishbone, maybe i missed something but what does homosexuality have to do with the post? *confused*

by the way, blackactor.com, chiwetel ejiofor is getting great press! i was flipping through a paper here in the UK and he had a full page, it was a mainstream national newspaper. looks like britain has finally cottoned onto how wicked he is!

[theblackactor.com]

@ LaJane

I felt guilty, too about not seeing Talk to Me when it opened. I've since seen it on DVD. I still feel guilty about this. It's haunting me. LOL.

@ Aulelia

What was missing in Eve's Bayou? I'd love your perspective on that.

Chiwetel -- oh goody. :) I am so glad. I adore him. I do.

What??!! - Britain don't know whassup?! Surprising.

Johnny may have read or commented on another post where the topic (raised by Orville, I believe) of the lack of gay filmsm came up.

[aulelia]

for me, eve's bayou is a classic film. my only quibble to calling it flawless was the casting of sam l. jackson. he is cool and everything but do we really need more ''cool'' black actors? i don't know about his range. but other than that, it is a stellar film!

[thembi]

This is great info! I do a weekly black c-lister post and considered her, but only remember her from Silence of the Lambs and Candyman (theme: the black friend of the white curious lady who says - "um, I think you should back up off of the freaky serial killers, ma"). I had NO idea that she wrote and directed Eve's Bayou, which was a classic in my opinion as well. But I think that Samuel L is just slimy enough to have played that role.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Aulelia

Okay. A. Thank you. Just wondering. :)

@ Thembi

Poor Sammy. LOL. Ima check you. And thanks! :)

[invisiblewoman]

I've posted about Kasi a couple of times on my blog...imo she should be getting much more credit than she has been--she is practically a pioneer these days.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Invisible

You have?? Ima look for them.

Yup. I agree with you. I just wanted people to know she existed. It's important.

[LaJane Galt]

Johnny, I think there is room for all!

[cassandra]

I was able to see a sneak preview of Talk To Me. It was a great movie and I hate that it was shown in limited release.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Cassandra

Me, too. I'm sick over that, really. It was a good movie. :(

[Orville]

I love Eve's Bayou its a real crime this movie didn't get the recognition it deserved. I still believe that Eve's Bayou is what I want to see more from black filmmakers. I want to see movies with drama, with deep layers, good storytelling and complexity. The movie was incredible. I love it! I remember watching it on DVD at a friend's house ten years ago. I got to buy the movie on DVD for my collection. It really was a great movie.

I also loved the fact that the black actresses such as Debbie Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, and Diahann Caroll got a chance to shine.

[theblackactor.com]

Orville, I completely agree...

And you said it best...

"I want to see movies with drama, with deep layers, good storytelling and complexity."

[Angela]

Wait, would 4.5 million on only 36 screens--and little press--be a good thing?

[theblackactor.com]

@ Angela

No. I want it on 3,000 screens with an opening of 50 million, like everybody else. LOL