Ep. 324: "Judas and the Black Messiah" is a Marvelous and Flawed Film

The Chauncey DeVega Show

Adilifu Nama is Professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He is the author of several books including Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes. His newest book is I Wonder U: How Prince Went beyond Race and Back.

Nama reviews and analyzes the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah” in the context of black cultural politics, history, and our understanding of the life and legacy of Fred Hampton, the civil rights movement, and the Black Freedom Struggle.

Nama also reflects on the obligation of the black cultural critic and why he believes that “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a magnificent and ambitious film, which hopefully will inspire other filmmakers to offer their own (re)telling of the events of the civil rights movement.

In their own version of the great TV show Siskel & Ebert “At The Movies”, Chauncey’s feelings towards “Judas and the Black Messiah” are much less enthusiastic and generous than Adilifu Nama’s.

And on this movie-themed episode of this week’s podcast, Chauncey also shares his thoughts on the new films “Land”, “The Marksman”, “My Zoe”, and “Nomadland”.

SELECTED LINKS OF INTEREST FOR THIS EPISODE OF THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW

• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Fred Hampton was a radical revolutionary. Judas and the Black Messiah ignores that
• “Twenty Years Ago, It Would Have Been Impossible”
• The History of 'Judas and the Black Messiah'
• CPAC stage is shaped like a Nordic rune used on some Nazi uniforms
• Let's tell the truth about the Republican Party: It's the real enemy of the people
• Republican Party is now a terrorist organization — and none of this is a surprise

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Music at the end of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show is by JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. You can listen to some of their great music on Spotify.