Black History: My Top 10 fave Movies

As I watch different movies, I'm constantly ranking them in my head. For a while now, I've been making a list of my favorite "black films".  Black films in quotations because I don't understand the need to call it a black film when we don't call the other movies "white films".  I digress.  Of course now that the time has come for me to put my list in writing, I completely forgot what I had on it.  But I gave it a shot anyways.  This list is in no specific order except the order they came to my memory.  It was hard for me to narrow it down to just 10 movies, and I also wanted to have only the movies that were directed by black people (since its black history month and all).  So here's my faves/absolutely gotta watch when it comes on TV:

10. Roll Bounce (2005 Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee Written By: Norman Vance Jr.)

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Allllllll Skate, Rolllllll Bounce! Fun fact about this movie: I had a birthday party at the rink where this movie is filmed! Roll Bounce makes me angry that I can't skate this well.  This is just a really family oriented movie that everyone will love.

9. Baby Boy (2001 Directed and Written by: John Singleton)

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So I admit, Baby Boy is one of my guilty pleasures.  I don't know what it is about this dysfunctional drama filled movie, but I just love the chemistry Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson have on screen.  The movie also has Ving Rhames (who I can't take seriously due to a certain role he played *cough*holidayheart*cough*) Snoop Dogg (or Lion) and my favorite Gooding brother Omar. 

8. Love and Basketball (2000 Directed and Written by: Gina Prince-Bythewood)

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 "Hey...Double or Nothin'?" This is a classic. Nuff said.

7. Poetic Justice (1993 Directed and Written by: John Singleton)

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I love Tupac and adore Ms. Jackson (if ya nasty) so of course Poetic Justice had to be on this list.  This movie was actually really silly for lack of a better term, but I just like the easy flow of the script.  It was like watching real people who decided to record their lives one day.

6. Cooley High (1975 Directed by: Michael Schultz Written by: Eric Monte)

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Cooley High is way before my time and its super depressing, but I still love it.  I wish I grew up in the 70s...

5. Friday (1995 Directed by: F. Gary Gray Written by: Ice Cube and DJ Pooh)

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All of the Friday's are good in their own right, but there's nothing like the original.  Ice Cube and Chris Tucker make a surprisingly good duo.  Again, this is one of those movies that just flows like its real life.  I ain't gots to lie Craig!

4. Harlem Nights (1989 Directed and Written By: Eddie Murphy)

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In case you don't know the meaning of epic, this is it! Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Redd Fox, Della Reese, Jasmine Guy, Berlinda Tolbert, and Arsenio Hall just to name a few made this movie beyond great.  

3. Soul Food (1997 Directed and Written by: George Tillman Jr.)

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This movie and the soundtrack to this movie are something special.  While Nia Long, Vannessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox are the stars of this film, I think the real star is the narrator.  I don't know where he is now, but he definitively did his thing in this one.

2. Pride (2007 Directed by: Sunu Gonera Written By: Kevin Michael Smith and Norman Vance Jr.)

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Of all the uplifting black films, Pride is definitely my favorite.  I love everything about this movie from the performances of the actors to the soundtrack. 

1. Low Down Dirty Shame (1994 Directed and Written by Keenan Ivory Wayans)

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Not your typical Wayans parody film, but this movie is still a hit.  I shall now provide you with one of my favorite scenes from the movie. Peaches and Wayman are too sassy for me!  p.s. If anyone knows the song that plays whenever Salli Richardson is on screen, let a sista know...