May 1, 2019 The Skanner Portland & Seattle Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
John Singleton, Maker of ‘Boyz N the Hood,’ Dies at 51
By Jake Coyle and
Hillel Italie
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Direc-
tor John Singleton, who
made one of Hollywood’s
most memorable debuts
with the Oscar-nominat-
ed “Boyz N the Hood” and
continued over the fol-
lowing decades to probe
the lives of black commu-
nities in his native Los
Angeles and beyond, has
died. He was 51.
Singleton’s family said
Monday that he died
after being taken off
life support, about two
weeks after the director
suffered a major stroke.
Singleton was in his
early 20s, just out of the
University of Southern
California’s School of
Cinematic Arts, when he
wrote, directed and pro-
duced “Boyz N the Hood.”
Based on Singleton’s up-
bringing and shot in his
old neighborhood, the
low-budget production
Review cont’d
from pg 6
in Vlad (Zlatko Buric),
a fan who has seen her
perform in a local bar on
open mic nights.
Turns out Vlad, a for-
mer opera singer, is ea-
ger not only to train Vio-
let’s voice, but to serve as
her guardian. And over
starred Cuba Gooding
Jr. and Ice Cube and cen-
tered on three friends in
South Central Los Ange-
les, where college aspira-
tions competed with the
pressures of gang life.
“Boyz N the Hood” was a
critical and commercial
hit, given a 20-minute
standing ovation at the
Cannes Film Festival
and praised as a ground-
breaking extension of
rap to the big screen, a
realistic and compas-
sionate take on race,
class, peer pressure and
family. Singleton would
later call it a “rap album
on film.”
For many, the 1991 re-
lease captured the explo-
sive mood in Los Angeles
in the months following
the videotaped police
beating of Rodney King.
“Boyz N the Hood” also
came out at a time when,
thanks to the efforts to
Spike Lee and others,
black films were start-
ing to get made by Hol-
the ensuing weeks, we
watch as a diamond in
the rough blossoms into
a world-class talent.
Thus unfolds “Teen
Spirit,” a coming-of-age
tale directed by Max
Minghella. The uplifting,
overcoming-the-odds
adventure borrows ele-
ments from many a clas-
sic of the genre, ranging
from “Cinderella” to “Ka-
lywood after a long ab-
sence. Singleton became
the first black director
to receive an Academy
Award nomination, an
honor he would say was
compensation for the
academy’s snubbing Lee
and “Do the Right Thing”
two years earlier, and
was nominated for best
screenplay. (“The Silence
of the Lambs” won in
both categories). At 24,
he was also the youngest
director nominee in Os-
car history.
“I think I was living this
film before I ever thought
about making it,” Single-
ton told Vice in 2016. “As
I started to think about
what I wanted to do with
my life, and cinema be-
came an option, it was
just natural that this was
probably gonna be my
first film. In fact, when
I applied to USC Film
School they had a thing
that asked you to write
three ideas for films. And
one of them was called
Summer of ‘84, which
was about growing up in
South Central LA.”
In 2002, “Boyz N the
Hood’ was added to the
National Film Registry
by the Library of Con-
gress, which called it “an
innovative look at life
and the tough choices
present for kids growing
up in South Central Los
Angeles.”
None of Singleton’s
subsequent movies re-
ceived the acclaim of
“Boyz N the Hood” and
he was criticized at times
for turning characters
into mouthpieces for po-
litical and social messag-
es. But he attracted tal-
ent ranging from Tupac
Shakur to Don Cheadle
and explored themes of
creative expression (“Po-
etic Justice”), identity
(“Higher Learning”) and
the country’s racist past,
notably in “Rosewood,”
based on a murderous
white rampage against a
black community in Flor-
ida in 1923. He also made
AP PHOTO/NICK UT, FILE
Singleton, the first Black director to receive an Academy Award
nomination and the youngest director in Oscar history, sought to tell
stories from ‘an authentic Black perspective’
In this Aug. 26, 2003 file photo, director John Singleton touches his
new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Oscar-
nominated filmmaker John Singleton died April 29 after suffering
a stroke almost two weeks ago, according to his family. He was 51
years old.
the coming-of-age story
“Baby Boy,” a remake of
the action film “Shaft”
and an installment in the
“Fast and Furious” fran-
chise, “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
More recent projects in-
cluded the FX crime dra-
ma “Snowfall,” which he
helped create. Starring
Damson Idris, “Snow-
fall” returned Singleton
to the Los Angeles of his
See SINGLETON on page 11
rate Kid.” It even goes
so far as to include the
theme from “Flashdance”
on the soundtrack.
Shamelessly
deriva-
tive, but still manages to
tug on your heartstrings!
Very Good HHH
Rated PG-13 for sugges-
tive content, and for
underage smoking and
drinking
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PRESENTS:
The 27th Annual
Good in the Hood
PRE-MOTHER’S DAY EVENT!
Sweet Taste of the Arts Gala “A Night in Harlem”
Treat that special someone to an evening of elegance. Dress to impress! Get your
suit or tux and bowtie; grab your hat and silk scarf – because we are meeting
you in Harlem on May 11th! Ladies, sequins, feathers, furs are chic and stylish
attire, too. It’s The Savoy, and everybody’s welcome to come and experience an
unforgettable evening with PassinArt: A Theater Company as they celebrate
artists for their contributions to cultural arts in Oregon. Enjoy cocktails, dinner,
a live auction and dancing to the music of Bridge City Soul.
Saturday May 11, 2019 – 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Reception 6:00 pm Dinner 7:00 pm
Red Lion on the River, Jantzen Beach, 909 North Hayden Island Drive, Portland
Tickets on sale at PassinArt.org
Multicultural Festival
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 21-23
King School Park, NE 6th Ave & NE Humboldt St, Portland
LIVE MUSIC!
Jazz • Blues • R&B • Latin • Pop Conscious Hip/Hop • NEO-Soul • DJ intermission
Food • Market Place • Informational Village • Kids Space • Parade
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s “Trauma Nurses Talk Tough” $6 discounted bicy-
cle helmet sale and free health screenings , Saturday, June 22 , 12-4pm
New! Movie in the Park, Friday night June 21 featuring the movie “Black Panther”
Hours: Kick-off Party, music by DJ Pryce, hosted by MC Seezinin, Friday June 21
King School Park 6-10pm. Parade (NE MLK), Saturday June 22, 11am.
Festival continues, Saturday and Sunday June 22-23, 11am to 10pm.
Interested in becoming a Food Vendor, selling merchandise at the Market Place, haveing an information booth
in our Information Village, participating in the Parade, becoming a Kids Space sponsor or volunteering at this
year’s festival? Contact GITH Hotline at 971-302-6380, or visit www.goodnthehood.org