Monday, November 11, 2024

(Watch Trailer) Can Nate Parker Overcome His 2016 Scandal with Controversial New Film “American Skin”?

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I’ll say one thing for Nate Parker.  He doesn’t shy away from trouble. His new film, “American Skin,” looks violent and incendiary. He’s gotten Spike Lee to “present” it, and he’s found Vertical Entertainment– not exactly Sony Pictures Classics — to release it.

Parker’s very good, Oscar bound “Birth of a Nation” was run aground in 2016 when the story of his college rape trial was revealed. Parker was acquitted and the subject didn’t come up for years. But when “Birth of a Nation” looked like it might be a big awards contender, the whole saga was revived. It turned out the rape victim had subsequently committed suicide years later. Parker didn’t seem contrite or apologetic. “Birth of a Nation” collapsed, disappeared, and so did Parker.

So now what? Now “American Skin,” for better or worse, a revenge movie about a Marine veteran who’s out to punish the bad white cops who killed his 14 year old kid.

Can Parker overcome his 2016 scandal? Is this the way to do it? Time will tell.

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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