KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Delight Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

micab360 I thought it was a pretty good film. I loved the story lines. And the music was really good throughout the film. It showed young black people from a another perspective. It was fresh and innovative. It reminded me of Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It". It was edgy and provocative. I would like to see each of the stories developed into short films of their own. Too bad we can't see more films of this caliber on the big screen. The way young black people are depicted in American culture is often disheartening. I look forward to seeing more films from this writer/director. Maybe we can start telling more of our stories from other point of views besides the "hood" point of view.

asgbeat This movie snuck up on me. I was clueless to its existence the week it blew into a local multiplex. 7 days later it was gone and I had to scramble to find an insider friend with a screener so I could see just what was meant by the title "A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy." Frankly, I was left with the cinematic equivalent of blue balls (quite the cross to bear for a black man).The film is a series of six vignettes...wildly divergent ones at that - from tone and style to length and level of eroticism. The film's title, poster and trailer all led me to believe I was in for more heat than I received and no clue to its sophomoric drama. Had this been marketed as about young people and the baggage that comes with sex, I would have been better prepared for what was delivered on the screen.The most satisfying story comes early in the sequence: Vignette #2 subtitled "Her Man." This episode had the deftest balance of sexiness and storyline. It opens with a couple in the middle of some slow-n-sweet afternoon delight - woman on top. We soon learn that this is a married man being ridden by his chick on the side - at her house - and running late to get back to work and his wife. A tug of war of wills ensues that is very realistically acted out as both parties are forced to share their feelings about what is really going on here...beyond the bonin'. The dialog is so well done that you wonder what percentage was improvised off of a given story arc, then fortified by some slick post-production editing between two or three takes. Both Marcuis Harris and Chonte Harris are strong here (and not related, I hope...unless they are a real life couple which would explain their undeniable chemistry). Plus Chonte makes the cutest facial expressions, conveying a myriad of emotions. The end of this story, which hinges on the guy's serial carelessness with his cellphone, will have folks shouting back to the screen, "Oh, no she didn't!" The other eps suffer from being overly long, poorly lit, woefully improbable and/or just not hot. The opener, "Reciprocity," while mildly humorous, will have ladies and gents alike calling the girl out of her name for her sexual selfishness. The two-part story "Tonight" takes forever to make a point about the way a young girl (a very sympathetic Mylika Davis) chooses to lose her cherry. (Note: this would have been an appropriate place to send a safe sex "message" by at least panning to an open condom wrapper.) A quickie dealing with a straight man's adamant refusal to partake in anything anal-erotic is damn near unintelligible. And in the closing segment "American Boyfriend" - about a Chinese girl trying to keep from her family that she's messing around with a Black guy - the biggest laughs go to her sister (the fetching Chris Yen) whose attempts to one-up the situation by coming out about her lesbianism at the dinner table steal lead actress Emily Liu's thunder.Besides "Her Man," the only other saving grace is the music - well-chosen selections ranging from Rahsaan Patterson and Teena Marie to several lesser-known acts serving up some seriously sensual boudoir boot-knockers. When this DVD-destined misfortune descends from late night cable to urban video bargain bins, tossing in a CD or MP3s of the soundtrack songs as a bonus would surely increase sales. Also identifying the songs by scene in the end credits, as was thoughtfully done in another recent black indie film "Medicine for Melancholy," would be helpful for both the musicians and consumers. In the meantime, director Dennis Dortch should market this as the black hybrid "Love American Style"/"Afterschool Special" that it is, or bump and grind on up to an NC-17 and truly bring black and sexy back.

martinjonesfilms-1 A GOOD DAY TO BE BLACK AND SEXY - this is a fantastic picture! I went from the depression of seeing the worst black film ever in my life to seeing one of the most promising films since I got a sneak peak of Spike Lee's SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT over 20 years ago!The audience was packed, the room was ready, and we loved every frame of it! I did not want to see it end. The openly loud and excited crowd response was electric from the first frame! And then wow, that opening title sequence!This is truly a wonderful picture. You have the opportunity to do something incredible with this film. Although this film is artful and erotic, NOT porn, it has the power to do for adult black audiences what DEEP THROAT did for hip couples in the 1970's. Magnolia Pictures has made a shrewd move to give black audiences both inspiring and hopeful family and faith images as well as now open the bedroom door cinematically for black adult audiences hungry to see our sexuality in all it's complexity, humor and uniqueness.Bravo! When's the sequel coming out!!!???!!!

whitfld64 With a little fear and trepidation, I saw this film at Sundance in Jan 2008. I ended up enjoying it immensely! Instead of one story with a single set of characters, the movie used several vignettes (each with different actors) to cover different sexual scenarios with realism, sensitivity, humor and intelligence. The camera angles and editing style lent a visceral "reality TV" feel to the movie, but never was it pornographic or in bad taste.This set of stories have a little something for everyone because these experiences and situations are universal to being human. Two of the stories in particular still make me chuckle when I think of them because I've been there (well, almost!). Lastly, the soundtrack is a perfect match for the film. Filmmaker Dennis Dortch spent some time as a recording engineer before deciding to go into film, and this results in a soundtrack that is tight and very complimentary to the mood; a work of art in its own right.