OSCARS: ‘12 Years A Slave’ Telling Voters “It’s Time” – But How Will It Resonate?

Deadline Hollywood Daily ^ | February 19, 2014 | Pete Hammond

[C19fan]

“It’s Time”.

That’s the message seen for the past few weeks on the 12 Years A Slave billboard as you drive on to the 20th Century Fox lot. And since the film earned nine Oscar nominations it has frequently been the slogan of choice for the Fox Searchlight contender in newspaper and television ads. A highly emotional close-up of star Chiwetel Ejiofor as the man forced into slavery and just two words to accompany it: “It’s Time”.

[C19fan]

Playing the Whitey Guilt Card.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

12 Years a slave?...How about 8 years a slave under Obama?

[jsanders2001]

Written, directed, and produced by a white man. Once again, the black man will be played like a fool and used as a tool if he engages in the mental / emotional process the puppetmasters intended.

[Gaffer]

It was ‘time’ for Obama. We all see how that bit of brilliance turned out, didn’t we?

The ‘art’ of cinema has given way to guilt and diversity it seems. Regardless of whether the movie gets Oscars, I’m guessing the movie sales will be about as meaningful as “Django” or that ridiculous movie, “White House Down,” both having the dubious honor of Jamie Fox star in them.

[jocon307]

That seems a little overblown to me. What, exactly, are they saying other than: it’s time to vote for our movie for Oscars?

[12th_Monkey]

“Playing the Whitey Guilt Card.”

Beat me to it.

[TheThirdRuffian]

The movie wasn’t very good.

[Vehmgericht]

This movie is one of many produced by Hollywood designed to promote an idea. There is a counterpart to “white guilt.” It is “black rage.” How many people have died as a result of this media campaign?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I saw that movie a few weeks ago and thought it was completely over the top. Yes I know the book was like that but I have a suspicion that the truth was stretched in that book so as to promote the anti-slavery agenda more back then. I mean come on, the guy is constantly constantly beaten whipped, tortured all all the time, the girl constantly whipped beaten tortured all the time. Back then slaves were basically seen as livestock, horses, how many owners tortured and beat the crap out of their horses? It makes no sense as they would just be screwing themselves. Yes there were psychopaths around who did that kind of crap, but to me it just seemed a little too unbelievable in this movie where pretty much EVERYONE is doing it which is why I think that black film critic was badmouthing the director a few months ago.

[bray]

Shouldn’t that disqualify the movie just like the Christian movie?

Pray America wakes up

[Gaffer]

I agree (and vividly remember the 70s Blaxploitation films designed to instill discontent and rage).

[MamaDearest]

Does anyone watch this liberal self-congratulatory show anymore? Bette Midler is going to be "entertaining." She tweets ala Cher, Ellen Barkin and Mia Farrow.

Bette Midler Quotes

Warning: Foul language and vulgar comments within her quotes

[Gaffer]

I mean come on, the guy is constantly constantly beaten whipped, tortured all all the time, the girl constantly whipped beaten tortured all the time.

Well, they HAVE to perpetuate the ROOTS "Yo name is Toby, boy!" whipping scenes, don't they? Contrarily, I do remember seeing old photographs of some former slaves who obviously beaten like this. I guess I'd like to see exactly how the movie comported with the actual author's experience and its retelling. Sadly, I probably won't though as I'm not particularly inclined to review either.

[Secret Agent Man]

did they show any of the several thousand black slave owners in the movie? did they show the victorious black tribes selling their defeated foes to the whites or muslims? did they show that slavery still occurs in africa and the middle east?

[what's up]

Is it time yet for Hollyweird to tell the public that it was the Dems who were the slave owners?

Nah.

[mass55th]

"Playing the Whitey Guilt Card."

I won't feel too guilty, since the black star has a white girlfriend.

[Dilbert San Diego]

To the liberals it’s racist if Oscar voters do NOT vote for this movie.

I remember there were some protests among homosexuals years ago, when Brokeback Mountain didn’t win the Oscar for best picture. The homosexuals charged that voters lost their guts and gave in to pressures to not vote for that movie.

I never saw Brokeback, but, having no desire to see a movie about homosexual cowboys, I’ll never know if that was a great movie or not.

[montag813]

It’s time to stop whining about racism.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Yes they have photos of slaves with scars - actually if you look it's just one slave, this guy:

There's not many other photos. In fact I would say this is the only one. I'm not saying this kind of stuff didn't go on, but not on the scale they were showing in this movie where EVERY white guy this guy runs into basically wants to beat the sh*t out him like it's some kind of snuff flick.

The thing you have to remember is back then the abolitionists, the REPUBLICANS were trying to end slavery so they were going full out making it look as bad as they possibly could, and they used that book "12 years a slave" by Solomon Northup as another means to end it. I read that book from cover to cover by the way, and the impression I got not long after starting it was a lot of it seemed far fetched as if was written exclusively to use for the anti-slavery agenda which to me was a good thing. What I have a problem with is now the very people who were pro-slavery, namely the DEMOCRATS, have used that book exclusively to foment racial tensions today.

[Gaffer]

Thank you for explaining that for me.