The girls that get it, get it. And by "it," I do mean "B.A.P.S.," the late '90s girl-power romp starring Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle-Reid. The film follows the duo as two homegirls whose efforts to swindle a millionaire inadvertently turn them into Black American Princesses (hence the title). It's a campy, caring chick flick with ridiculous gags and a few endearing friendships — but after 25 years, it's still one of the most misunderstood films of the '90s.
One hesitates to label "B.A.P.S." a cult classic. It was ruthlessly panned upon its release in 1997, and though it's cherished and championed by Black female audiences everywhere, the film is never mentioned with the same ironic awe as the other, equally campy films of the era. Think "Clueless," "Dick," or "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" — all enjoy a special place in the cult hall of fame, while "B.A.P.S." is scarcely mentioned.
One hesitates to label "B.A.P.S." a cult classic. It was ruthlessly panned upon its release in 1997, and though it's cherished and championed by Black female audiences everywhere, the film is never mentioned with the same ironic awe as the other, equally campy films of the era. Think "Clueless," "Dick," or "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" — all enjoy a special place in the cult hall of fame, while "B.A.P.S." is scarcely mentioned.
- 3/2/2023
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
Robert Townsend looks back on his debut film, "Hollywood Shuffle," with a major sense of fondness. By all accounts, it was a struggle to get off the ground — Townsend notoriously maxed out a handful of credit cards to fund the two-and-a-half-year shoot, and the story itself was born from Townsend's frustrating beginnings as a Black actor. But he quickly decided to take that frustration and spin it into an opportunity. "We were just being bad boys and just having fun," Townsend says now of the experience. "I just felt it was funny. I felt like we wanted to say something."
The intervening years have definitely been kind to Townsend, and to the film he co-wrote with Keenen Ivory Wayans. The duo's scathing critiques take on a new form in a series of sharp, ingenious comedy sketches. From a Siskel & Ebert-style chat show to a remix of classic noirs like "The Maltese Falcon,...
The intervening years have definitely been kind to Townsend, and to the film he co-wrote with Keenen Ivory Wayans. The duo's scathing critiques take on a new form in a series of sharp, ingenious comedy sketches. From a Siskel & Ebert-style chat show to a remix of classic noirs like "The Maltese Falcon,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
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