Black
WRITTEN BY AVA CHAND ILLISTRATED BY BRAYLON BELLONI DESIGNED BY ALLIE HARAKUNI
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Blockbusters
hen people think of cult classics, their minds typically go to films like “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Rocky Horror,” “American Psycho,” “Pulp Fiction,” “The Shining,” and other classically quirky and mind boggling films. While these films carry a collection of iconic lines and looks, they are missing a vital ingredient of relatability: Black joy. When you ask people what Black-centered films they’ve seen, the answers tend to revolve around films that feature Black struggle such as “12 Years a Slave,” “The Help,” “The Color Purple,” or “Selma.” Undoubtedly, these films fall under the Black cult classic genre and celebrate both excellence and perseverance, but don’t necessarily show the joyous parts of being black. The “Classic” Classics
“Cult classics” looked a little bit different in my household. In fact, many households of color in the early 2000s likely had similar definitions of cult classics. Now, at 22, I’ve lived through a few different eras of films that could be considered classic. I got the OG classics such as “Coming To America” or “Poetic Justice.” I had the newer classics such as “Creed” or “Black Panther.” I even had the childhood classics like “Jump In” or “Let it Shine.” However, these are the films that were number one in my household. When I mentioned early 2000s households having similar definitions of cult classics, these films are the glue of the similarity — they are staples in Black households. These are the “classic” classics. Friday (1995) My dad first showed me “Friday” when I was about six years old. I remember it on a VHS tape in a bright yellow case with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker hitting their iconic “Daaaammmnnn” pose. Of course, being only six, my dad hit me with, “Don’t repeat any of the words you hear in this.” But to his dismay, the line “Bye Felicia,” was ingrained into my developing brain. The movie follows Craig and Smokey’s day meeting a multitude of characters, including the infamous Felicia, in South Central LA. While the film touches on themes of violence and poverty, it mostly follows Craig and Smokey’s average day. They get high, drink Kool-Aid, people watch the neighborhood characters, and live to see the next day. I think the reason my dad showed ALIGN 90
The #1 classics in my early 2000s household
me this film was because of how silly yet realistic it truly was. Growing up in Oakland, California, I had my own collection of neighborhood characters with their own quirks. It was relatable to our own experience yet added an extra layer of humor which made it almost spoofy. It is a classic movie that I can guarantee almost every Black household has seen at least once. “Friday” is one of those films that provides humor and joy to the Black experience without an overarching dark tone. Love and Basketball (2000) “Friday” is what I watched with my dad, but I watched “Love and Basketball” with my mom, which became our comfort movie. ‘90s and early 2000s Black rom-coms are a genre of their own, usually starring Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah, or Taye Diggs. But, “Love and Basketball” was different from typical rom-coms. It didn’t star the expected actor rotation. It wasn’t a simple guy-chases-girl love story. It showed me Black girl strength for the first time. Strength in terms of showing that girls have power, just like male characters did. My mom first showed me “Love and Basketball” when I was 10, the year I started playing basketball for my elementary school. It follows the story of Monica and Quincy, both aspiring basketball players. Monica is determined to be the first female player in the NBA, and Quincy is under pressure to follow in his NBA father’s footsteps. They grow up as childhood friends, date in college, split up to pursue their personal goals, and end up together in their adult lives. It follows their love story without any added motif of Black oppression or violence. It shows love, joy, and drive. As a 10-year-old brown skin girl, I thought this film showed me my future, one of success and bliss. Do the Right Thing (1989) You can’t talk about Black cult classics without mentioning “A Spike Lee Joint.” Spike Lee is a widely celebrated director who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He uses the phrase “A Spike Lee Joint” to brand his films. One of my favorite Spike Lee Joints is the 1989 film “Do the Right Thing” featuring himself as the main character, Mookie. While this movie holds less nostalgia for me (I watched it as a sophomore in college), it still captured my attention as a classic. Unlike “Friday” and “Love and Basketball,” this movie acknowledges Black struggle, but not in