From ‘Menace II Society’ to ‘Poetic Justice’: Was 1993 the golden age of black movies?

ANALYSIS - Just twenty of year ago, the multiplexes gave a glimpse of a very different picture of black Hollywood...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

What made 1993 so special?

Will we ever see the embarrassment of riches that was black film in 1993 again? Probably not.

Hollywood films are now often marketed based on age and gender instead of race.

Also, there are simply fewer roles and directing gigs being offered to creative people of color. The New York Times declared 2010 one of the “whitest” years in film history.

In 2011, according to Shadow and Act, of the roughly 300 films released in the U.S. only six were directed by African-Americans.

And last year, despite the indie success of Beasts of the Southern Wild and its pint-size star Quvenzhané Wallis, blacks went largely empty handed during the awards season.

The future of black film.

Many African-American actors and filmmakers have found more opportunities in the increasingly fertile ground of network and cable television.

And there is also a handful of very promising talents on the rise. Directors such as Steve McQueen and Ava DuVernay are doing challenging, critically-acclaimed work. The success of Think Like a Man proved that there may be black box office life beyond Tyler Perry. And Will Smith and Denzel Washington remain two of the most valued A-list stars in Hollywood.

Still, a look back on the films of 1993 offers an inspiring slate of fun and diverse entertainment which could provide a blueprint for the future of blacks in the movie business.

Follow Adam Howard on Twitter at @at_howard

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