16 years ago today the biopic on the legendary Tina Turner opened up in theatres nationwide, which was based on her autobiography I, Tina.

Everyone in Hollywood knew playing the role of Tina Turner would be award worthy and take their career to the next level.  By the early 1990’s Tina Turner was already a legend, respected in every musical circle across the world — one could only dream to play her life story. So, nearly every Black actress sought out the role: Jenifer Lewis, Robin Givens, Janet Jackson, Pam Grier, Halle Berry and Whitney Houston.  The role was offered to Whitney, who had huge box office success with The Bodyguard, but she turned down the part due to pregnancy.  Now, I like Whit, but there is no way she could’ve been Anna Mae…

Eventually, the role was given to Angela Bassett.  Laurence Fishburne turned the role of Ike Turner five times until he learned Bassett was the lead. Cinematic history was made.

Met with controversy and criticism, What’s Love Got to Do with It was a box office smash.  The movie grossed nearly 40 million domestically, won Angela Bassett a Golden Globe and received two Oscar nods.  In addition, the film helped to invirgourate Tina Turner’s career, which was already pretty hot.  What’s Love Got to Do with It is one of the greatest biopics made and considered a true classic.

Lionsgate is keeping the cash rolling in by signing on for two more Tyler Perry films, Why Did I Get Married Too and I Can Do Bad All by Myself.  Perry will write, direct and star in both of the films. In addition, Taraji P. Henson will star in I Can Do Bad All by Myself and everyone from the original cast of Why Did I Get Married? will join for the sequel — even Miss Janet. According to Variety, “Bad, which features Perry’s Madea character, is set for release Sept. 11. Why Did I Get Married Too, a sequel to 2007’s Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married, has been set for release on April 2, 2010, the start of next year’s Easter weekend.

Oscar nominee Angela Bassett is turning director in the movie United States, along with her husband Courtney Vance. According to the Hollywood Reporter, ‘The actress will make her directorial debut with United States, an indie feature she will also produce with her Bassett/ Vance Prods. partner and husband Courtney B. Vance.

States, based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett, is a dramatic comedy about Monk Ellison, a prominent black literary figure who writes a faux autobiography from the perspective of a barely literate hoodlum to decry what is wrong with the glorification of ‘ghetto’ culture. But when the book is lauded as a possible contender for the National Book Award, he must choose between pride and fame.”

Congrats to Angela Bassett! It is good to hear about more women of color behind the scenes.

We always hear about the success of Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Eddie Murphy.  However, who are the top black actresses of all time *according to their box office gross*?  Check out the official list below.

10. Jennifer Hudson (3 films)
To have only been in three films and manage to be one of the top black actresses of all time is amazing for Oscar, Grammy, SAG and Golden Globe winner Jennifer Hudson.  The woman definitely has a long career ahead of her.

Lifetime gross: $293,750,056
#1 movie: Sex and the City $152,647,258

9. Beyonce Knowles (5 films)
The singer turned actresses has only been in five films, but Austin Powers in Goldmember racked in over $200 million, placing Sasha Fierce at number 8.

Lifetime gross: $437.3 (5 films)
#1 movie: Austin Powers in Goldmember $213.3

8. Thandie Newton (22 films)

The UK actress has always been known for her respectable and critically acclaimed roles. From Beloved to Mission Impossible, Newton is a mainstay in cinema from Hollywood to London.

Lifetime gross:$664.9
#1 movie: Mission: Impossible II $215.4

7. Nia Long (22 films)

The Brooklyn born Nia Long has worked with Whoopi Goldberg, Jude Law and Will Smith. She ranks #6.

Lifetime gross: $691,414,242
#1 movie: Big Momma’s House (1999) $117.6

6. Angela Bassett (24 films)

The Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee has become one of the world’s most highly respected actresses for films like What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Waiting To Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Lifetime gross: $750,045,528 (24 films)
#1 movie: The Score (2001) $71.1

5. Regina King (18 films)
While she is considered one of the most underrated actresses of this generation, her box office numbers proves she is a draw.  According to http://www.the-numbers.com, Her films have grossed more than Kate Winslet, Terrence Howard and Jodie Foster.

Lifetime gross: $1,050,799,524
#1 movie: Jerry Maguire $274,000,000

4. Jada Pinkett Smith (21 films)

Jada Pinkett Smith has a diverse range of films from the hood classic Menace II Society to The Matrix.  She manages to rank at #4.

Lifetime gross: $$1,417,189,353
#1 movie: The Matrix Reloaded $281.6

3. Queen Latifah (28 films)

Queen Latifah is an Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner. Credited for 26 films and starring in 13, Latifah’s biggest paycheck was 10 million for Beauty Shop in 2005. At this rate,  the Newark native could easily become the top black actress of all time.

Lifetime gross: $$1,431,366,338
#1 movie: Ice Age 2 $195.3

2. Halle Berry (27 films)

It might surprise some people that  Halle Berry isn’t the top grossing black actress of all time.  She’s had six movies that grossed over 100 million and received 14million dollars to star in Catwoman, which was an international bomb.  Nonetheless, she was the first black woman to receive this much for a film.

Lifetime gross: $1,592,734,690
#1 movie: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) $234.4

1.  Whoopi Goldberg (46 films)

The Oscar-winner for Ghost has been a movie star since 1985. She is credited for 46 films and at the peak of Whoopi’s career she was paid 7 million for her role in 1993’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Lifetime gross: $1,800,253,561
#1 movie: The Lion King (1994) $312,900,000

All numbers are from http://boxofficemojo.com/, http://www.the-movie-times.com and http://www.the-numbers.com/.

* All numbers are approximate.

Oscar season is upon us and while the Academy Awards is a respected institution of American cinema, whoever is behind those awards has missed the mark many times. To get you in the Oscar mood, below are some of the most disastrous Oscar snubs.

10. Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)

Although Denzel Washington had already won an Oscar for Glory, the passing on the best supporting act nod for his portrayal of a homophobic lawyer in Philadelphia was unexplainable. The film received five Oscar nominations (won two), but none for Washington.

9. Halle Berry in Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)

Halle already won her Oscar in 2002 for Monster’s Ball, Things We Lost in the Fire in 2007 was probably the strongest performance of her career. However, she and her co-star Benicio Del Toro, were completely ignored during the 2008 Academy Awards. Although the film was a box office failure, it was a critical success, which is usually the formula of most Oscar winning movies.

8. Samuel L. Jackson in Jungle Fever (1991)

In the late eighties to early nineties, the unspoken rule in Hollywood is if you were in a Spike Lee movie, no matter how brilliant you were, it’s rare you will be recognized by the Academy Awards. Samuel L. Jackson’s performance as Wesley Snipes’ crackhead brother was unforgettable, but he was snubbed. The hardest working man in Hollywood has only received one Oscar nomination, which was for Pulp Fiction in 1995.

7. Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night (1967)

I guess after giving Sidney Poitier an Academy Award in 1964 (the first black person to win for a leading role) for Lilies of the Field, they passed on even nominating him for In the Heat of the Night in 1967. His performance goes down in history when he hollered ‘They call me Mr. Tibbs!” and smacked the white off the racist sheriff.

6. Angela Bassett in Malcolm X (1992)

Angela Bassett’s portrayal of the late Dr. Betty Shabazz was impassioned and poignant. Even though Denzel Washington received a best actor nod and there was a best costume design nod, the passing of Bassett was the Academy Awards biggest flaw — right next to ignoring Spike Lee for best director.

5. “Hopeless” by Dionne Farris for Love Jones (1997)

It’s not only actors and directors who get ignored for the Oscars, but it’s musicians. Dionne Farrris‘ “Hopeless” was a big R&B hit and definitely deserved a nod for best original song from a movie, which was of course 1997’s Love Jones. Even though there was a buzz the song was a contender, the song received nothing. Pretty sad when Eminem can win an Oscar for best song.

4. City of God (2002)

The graphic film about the violent favelas in Brazil did receive three Oscar nods, but what left many people amazed is when it was ignored for best foreign film. Roger Ebert declared he was “mad,” and even as early as 2004 it was obvious the Academy Awards didn’t know when to recognize true work—regardless if Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won their Oscars in 2002.

3. Set It Off (1996)

If Set It Off starred Demi Moore, Gena Davis, Hilary Swank and Nicole Kidman the movie would’ve received Oscar nominations across the board—think Thelma & Lousie. Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox and Kimbrely Elise all gave incredibly strong performances with a well-written script and good direction by F. Gary Gray. However, it was no shocker this movie wasn’t received well by the big wigs at the Academy.

2. Do the Right Thing (1989)

It was a national controversy when the Oscars blatantly ignored Spike Lee’s mega successful Do the Right Thing for best director and best film. The film received two nominations, one for Italian-American Danny Aiello in the best supporting actor category and a nod for best screenplay. The legendary Kim Basinger, who was the Angelina Jolie of her time, famously said, “The best film of the year is not even nominated, and it’s Do the Right Thing.”

1. Eve’s Bayou (1997)

Ignoring Eve’s Bayou, which Roger Ebert said was the best film of 1997, was probably the biggest mistake the Oscars ever made when it comes to African-American film. The movie was flawless with Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitefield and Debbie Morgan. Ebert famously said, “If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention.” Well, they surely didn’t.

***

FYI – Oscar snubs are not just a black thing. Latin actors have been unacknowledged for years (not one nomination for John Leguizamo!) and poor Leonardo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet and Glenn Close — you would think they were black in 1960 with the way the Oscars hate on them!

Notorious is in theaters today!  Starring Angela Bassett, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke and Jamal Woodard as the late-great Notorious B.I.G.  The film, which is produced by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, takes the audience on a trip down memory lane during the era of mid-nineties hip-hop and R&B.  All of your old school favorites are brought to life like Lil’ Kim, Faith Evans and Lil’ Cease.

The Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed nearly twelve years ago.  His murder is still unsolved and he was only 24 years-old.  This movie is a tribute to Biggie’s legacy and his impact on hip-hop and pop culture.

Check our interview with Angela Bassett, who plays Biggie’s mother.  Also, view the clip below!

Happy New Year!  It’s going to be a cold winter and many of us will spend time in movie theaters.  Here are some films to look forward to in the next two months.

January 9th
Not Easily Broken
Director: Bill Duke
Cast: Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, Jenifer Lewis

January 16th
Notorious
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie

Push
Director: Paul McGuigan
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou

February 13th

Friday the 13th
Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Derek Mears, Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti

February 20th

Madea Goes to Jail
Director: Tyler Perry
Cast: Tyler Perry, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Derek Luke

February 27th
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cast: Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Moon Bloodgood, Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas

Thirteen years ago today a female revolution was set ablaze via the big screen.  On December 22, 1995, Waiting to Exhale hit theaters after a major press tour, which included endless magazines covers, a soundtrack that was released a month before, and an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Waiting to Exhale was the film version of Terry McMillan’s best-selling novel of the same name.  Four women in Phoenix, Arizona are holding their breath until that one good man comes along.  Women from all walks of life could relate to the soon-to-be divorcee, the woman who was in love with a married man, the woman who was in love with a man who was no good for her, and the woman who was still in love with her ex-husband.

The film starred Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, and Whitney Houston in her first role since The Bodyguard.  In addition, Forrest Whittaker directed the film.  Waiting to Exhale was met with extremely mixed reviews, mainly because of Whittaker’s directing style that some claimed was too gentle for a novel that had so much edge.  However, most agreed that Angela Bassett and former Broadway Dreamgirl Loretta Devine stole the movie.

Bassett’s character setting her husband’s belongings on fire or Devine’s character inviting her new neighbor over for dinner, “It’s just leftovers. Collard greens and corn bread, some candied yams, a little potato salad, fried chicken, peach cobbler and a few slices of ham.”  — those scenes are legendary.

The Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack was just as memorable.  Produced by Babyface, the soundtrack included songs with Mary J. Blige, Patti Labelle, Toni Braxton and of course Whitney Houston, who got a #1 hit with “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).”  The album was #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for five weeks and within a year of its release went 7x platinum.

Waiting to Exhale would bring in over 14 million dollars opening weekend and gross over 80 million dollars worldwide.  The film was the 26th highest grossing film of 1995.