The Screenwriters

When I read The Invisible Woman’s Top 10 Worst Black Films of 2007 , it got me to thinking. Since film is a collaborative effort, there may be been several people responsible for these “worst films.” I was wondering who wrote them. When a film is successful, the director usually (or the actors) get all the credit and when it’s a disaster, often the actor takes the blame. But there are others involved. Here, we highlight the screenwriters of some of IW’s Top 10 Worst Black Films of 2007.

    
Are We Done Yet?            Hank Nelkin

Apparently this film was a remake of a 1948 film entitled, “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.”
    

       

I Think I Love My Wife        Chris Rock, Louis C.K.
    

Chris Rock

 

 

 

Lewis C.K.
    
 

 

 

 

Code Name: The Cleaner   Robert Adetuyi
                                        George Gallo

(Robert Adetuyi also wrote Stomp The Yard)

 

 

 

 

George Gallo
    
    

    

Who’s Your Caddy?        Don Michael Paul
                                    Bradley Allenstein
                                    Robert Henny

    
Don Michael Paul

 

 

 


(Bradley Allenstein also wrote Juwanna Mann)

 

 

 

Robert Henny
    
    

    

    

    

 

    

First Sunday                David E. Talbert
    
David E. Talbert

Comments

[johnny wishbone]

first off, i want to wish EVERYONE a happy new year. and i want to again thank the young lady responsible for this blog.. then i want to get a defribilator and shock myself back to life. half of the writers of these movies are CAUCASIAN? hmmmmmmm...
i am laffin probably harder at this info than i ever did at any of the films. the whole conspiracy thing is starting to look MORE AND MORE viable every day huh?

[LaJane Galt]

This post is BADASS!! We tend to focus on the actors (sometimes the directors), but the blame is widespread. I want to see who's producing and distributing these films too.

**********

*side-eye* at Who's Your Caddy. Check out imdb & Hollywood.com. They had to reach down to the F list to get people in this one. SHERRI SHEPARD plays "Lady G". I nominate her for a Coonie.

Don Paul also directed this film.

Who's your Caddy Producers:

-Christopher Eberts Producer (white)
-Damon Lee Co-Executive Producer (black)
-Ross M. Dinerstein Executive Producer (white)
-John Duffy Co-Producer (white)
-Christopher Roberts Executive Producer (couldn't find pic, but what do you think)
-Kia Jam Producer (colored, not black)
-Michael McQuarn Co-Executive Producer (probably black also produced Pootie Tang,
-Save the Last Dance, Hav Plenty, Soul Food)
-Arnold Rifkin Producer (white)
-Bobby Schwartz Executive Producer (white)
-Bob Weinstein Executive Producer (you already know)
-Tracey Edmonds Producer (uh huh)
-Harvey Weinstein Executive Producer (sigh)

Note that the same people usually team up as a company, to form a company or presumably on a per project basis. Jam, Roberts & Eberts own Ascendant Pictures.

Michael McQuarn is also Co-President of Edmonds Record Group.

[invisiblewoman]

Somebody actually wrote Codename: The Cleaner? I thought someone just found it in their toilet after their morning BM....

THREE writers for Who's Your Caddy? And all white....SMH.

I Think I Love My Wife was based on a foreign film, and it's more than obvious that it lost everything in translation.

Great post; I'd like to put it on my blog with your permission....btw, have you thought about joining Technorati?

[johnny wishbone]

seriously.. is this the saddest thing you have ever read in your life or what? i mean there are tragedies in life, absolutely, but this is a tragedy we allow for money. this sucks so badly.

[Kimi]

WOW! I don't know why I was initially surprised at this .... also shows how unoriginal and uncreative some of us are. Why are those the ones that always seem to be branded as our brightest stars (Chris Rock in particular on that note).

Not surprised that white folks are behind stuff like "who's your caddy" tho. Thanks for this info.

[invisiblewoman]

Oh I see that you are on Technorati--added you to my faves :-)

[theblackactor.com]

Yes; guys. I wanted everyone to see the pics. And the two who don't have photos -- Hank Nelkin is Jewish and I think we can assume Bradley Allenstein is, as well.

@ Johnny

You ain't laffin harder than they is. Trust. These dudes must sit around and cut up when they look at the dough they made and the product they produced and the people who support this crap. No, dearest Johnny. You ain't laffin' hard as they is.

Oh yes; this is a travesty of monumental proportions!!!!!!!! I agree.

@ LaJane

a coonie! LOL. Thanks, LaJane, for this very intersting info. (and the kind words. :).

@ IW

LMAO @ toilet, BM. You know a film is headed for disaster when it has THREE writers!!!

@ Kimi

Chris Rock. Okay. So, he's a comedian; an actor; and a SCREENWRITER. Yeah, okay.

SMH, y'all.

[theblackactor.com]

@ La Jane

Michael McQuarn - hmmm; that's prolly a name to remember.

I could not bring myself to see a film entitled Pootie Tang. I never saw it.

[invisiblewoman]

No need to see Pootie Tang. Ever.

It's sad we haven't progressed in 30 years...the large majority of 70's balckexploitation was written by whites, and most of them, Jewish.

[Orville]

This is an amazing post! We finally get to see the faces of these tacky screenwriters and no surprise some of them are black. So here you have some black screewriters that are contributing to the racist and sexist stereotypes against the black community. And the black screenwriters on the list just care about making money. I think this is just great what you are doing here. You are shifting the focus from the general topics and making it more specific. And that is key in this dialogue about this. We need to examine the people that actually are the creative forces behind this racist garbage.

[The Obenson Report]

It's worth noting, if you haven't already mentioned it on your blog, that Robert Johnson's so-called film studio (Our Stories Films Inc) which brought us the masterpiece that was WHO'S YOUR CADDY, is currently in pre-production for their next outing entitled, MISSION INTOLERABLE, starring Mr Pimp Chronicles himself, Kat Williams. But here's the kicker - the film was written AND will be directed by white men.

So, Our Stories Films, supposedly created to provide opportunities for black talent, both in front and behind the cameras, introduces itself to the world by making its first two releases, Caucasoid creations. Robert Johnson is an imbecile... a rich imbecile, but an imbecile nonetheless. I dedicated an entire podcast to Mr. Johnson and his "studio" a few months ago, after I first learned of Our Stories Films Inc. It was more of an extended rant, but something had to be said. I'll touch on this a little more on next week’s show, as I’ve got a few more specifics. It’s truly maddening, but I’ve come to expect very little from Robert Johnson and those of his ilk.

I also hosted an episode last year during which I detailed the rather pathetic list of black films released theatrically in 2007. And yes, it truly was pathetic!!! I think there were about 9 or 10 films out of more than 400 total studio releases. I should mention that my definition of a black film was/is somewhat stringent.

Alright, enough shameless plugging of my own shit :o)

I'll be back though.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Obenson

It's worth noting... that Robert Johnson's so-called film studio (Our Stories Films Inc) which brought us the masterpiece that was WHO'S YOUR CADDY, is currently in pre-production for their next outing entitled, MISSION INTOLERABLE, starring Mr Pimp Chronicles himself, Kat Williams. But here's the kicker - the film was written AND will be directed by white men. So, Our Stories Films, supposedly created to provide opportunities for black talent, both in front and behind the cameras, introduces itself to the world by making its first two releases, Caucasoid creations.

That's why I repeated half your comment! THIS IS WORTH NOTHING. Very, very interesting. And thanks for informaing us at theblackactor.com. I had no idea about this. Like you, I ain't much impressed with him.

Loved 28 - the Bamboozled Podcast!

@ Orville

Thank you, Orville. I'm glad you and any others appreciate what theblackactor.com tries to do.

[Orville]

The Black Actor, why don't you try to get this published in Ebony or something? I am serious, the black media need to be alerted about this? We always talk about the general but your post really gets to the specific heart of this issue. There are white people and blacks in Hollywood that are fostering and promoting these racist stereotypes for profit. I think The Black Actor you should pitch your idea to a media publication because you are so passionate about this topic. The world needs to know about these jackasses.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Orville

Awh, Orville. I'm glad you have faith in me. I can't. I have to say things on a blog. Those pubs would force me to prepare a nice little package wherein I say nice little things about nice little people and erbody lives happily ever after. I'm guessin. Could be wrong. LOL. Thank you for the vote of encouragement! If I came across a mag that could appreciate what I do here, I'd prolly query them. LOL.

[Mes Deux Cents]

Hi The Black Actor,

The good news is that these films were all bombs! Although First Sunday may do decent business since it's a continuation of the Friday series.

I think African Americans should be more aware of who is writing this racist drivel.

Great post.

[LaJane Galt]

Obensen~

Thanks for that Our Voices (*snort*) bit. I saw that when I was digging up dirt on Who's your Caddy. Robert Johnson strikes again.

[Duece]

Can we get a list of the Top 10 BEST Films or is this blog only for complaining?

[theblackactor.com]

@ Duece

Sure, we can get a list -- if someone prepares it. I didn't plan to prepare any best films or worst films lists for the year ending 2007; so I didn't publish any such lists.

Complain -- as in express dissatisfaction?

Yes; among other things, we do that on this blog.