Stomp the Yard
 

I just saw the trailer for it...it looks like it is going to be pretty good. I may have to go check it out!

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/s...ard/index.html

I usually don't like dance movies, but this looks pretty good, I guess because it includes 'us'.

My brother sent me an e-mail with a llink to the trailer, I'm so looking forward to seeing this when it comes out, I just hope Clifton Commons gets to show it.

Yeah, at first when I heard about it I just thought there were going to be more about the dancing and not so much about the stepping, but it looks as if they have incorporated the two quite nicely. I will most definately be seeing it when it comes out. I hope that it gets the marketing that it needs.

That's where we come in...as a people!!!! It lookz good...

Yeah, I just hope that "we" go to support it instead of waiting to download it from the internet or getting the bootleg version, things like that.

Couldn't agree with you more...

I just saw the commercial for this film during the Bayou Classic.

I am waiting impatiently for this to come out! Colombus Short was one of my choreographers! He's a cool person, humble, and talented beyond belief! You don't often find those qualities with a lot of celebrities. He also co-starred in Save the Last Dance 2. I was wondering where he disappeared to these last couple of years. Now I know, He's been busy starring in movies!:D

I hope the film is deep enough to convey what these org and the "art" represent for our community. I doubt it, and that is why I am always somewhat disturbed by films that attempt to depict black culture.

Dancing ability = fraternity membership?
 

I realize that everyone brings his/her own talent or ability to the membership table, but has anyone ever heard of a frat/sorority courting anyone for his/her dancing ability? I haven't, but since I'm in California and I attended a predominately white university, I may just be out of the loop. Hence, this question is not rhetorical. Have you ever heard of or seen this?

Based off this I would say the "art" of stepping will NOT be preserved.... it will be another media flick

It would be a shame if they put all that talent to waste by producing just "another media flick". They have some serious talent. I hope they use it well. Colombus also choreographed for the "STOMP World Wide Tour"! I'm telling you, this man is amazing! He taps, and his Hip-hop is on another level. Man, I've seen him pull off some miracles making some people look good stepping and doing hip-hop! Although I'm a big fan, I'm not trying to be biased. I'm being honest. They have a good person for the part, I just hope they know it, and they bring it! One person doesn't make the movie, the team has to be great together.

P.S. Besides dancers are getting a little annoyed with the little media dance flicks, that water down the true essence of the art. They're getting a little stale... But I'll keep my hopes up since I know Columbus stars in it.

I thought the same thing when I saw the trailer... "Do greek orgs. really seek people simply for their dancing/stepping skills?" I've never seen that happen before, but who am I to say. I also attended a predominately white college, but I am not a member of a greek org. either.

Thanks.
 

Thanks for your response. I'm thinking that other people may get the same idea--that we recruit people for their dancing skills. :rolleyes: Maybe I'm old.

In reply to Camryn: it's great to hear they have a talented dancer in the lead role; he's cute, too.

Saw the movie
 

Hello All,

I actually got to see a rough edit of the movie. It was pretty good and well received by the test audience. There is an effort made in the movie the educate Columbus Short's character about the overall significance of BGLOs and the history of stepping. Based on some responses from the test audiences some scenes are in re-shoots and there are new edits going on to clarify some confusion that audience members had. But overall the casting was great and the film was interesting, not deep, but interesting!

Choo-ChooAKA: That he is! It was so funny when we had rehearsal, the girls I danced with would pull out sports bras and biker shorts instead of regular dance clothes. Can you imagine wearing make-up to rehearsal. LOL! They were crazy about him.

EyesOnThePrize: That's good to hear. I wish I could see a rough edit! I'm still sittin' here waiting...impatiently...

my assumption is that is going to be for BGLOs what "drumline" was for HBCU bandsmen: interesting, but not deep; entertaining even if not accurate / realistic.

overall, i look forward to seeing this movie.

took the words out of my... fingertips?

i expected not to like "drumline" but turns out i really enjoyed it. maybe this one will woo me?

honestly, id rather it be entertaining and shallow than try to be deep and miss the mark. no one like cheesy movies with a message.

Hmmmm?
 

What I find interesting from the trailer is that the young man does not have ANY heritage to any fraternal organization. Meaning, going away to a small college is his first exposure to the BGLO's System. And he makes a decision to join an organization and take them to the Step Show Championships.

Now, my question is who on this movie is actively part of an NPHC organization. And somehow, this aspect of African American life was "greenlighted by the Hollywood 3 Wise Men"... So, somebody high up must have given the screenplay a chance...

I expect that the movie will be just like everyone says above, but the D9 will have some re-grouping to do. I'd say we all need to go back to our respective communities and proactively make efforts to work with whatever happens to this kind of movie...

It feels like we will be "selling ourselves out again", like how our elders lost "rock and roll"...

I know the scenario you described is rare, but I had a pretty similar experience. I went to exclusively black schools until I was in 4th grade, and even when I went to racially mixed (50/50 black/white) schools I didn't have any exposure to black fraternity or sorority members. And I grew up in The Black Mecca! I saw people with license plates on their cars, but I didn't know what the letters meant - I just knew they were greek letters.

It wasn't until I unearthed my sister's old yearbooks from her days at an HBCU -- during my first year of college at age 19 -- that I became aware of the NPHC orgs.

Date: November 25, 2006

To: The Members of the Council of Presidents

From: Darryl R. Matthews, Sr.
General President - AÖA

Re: Rainforest Productions, Sony Pictures, et¢al
Stomp the Yard

To Whom It May Concern:

Please know that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. does not endorse the film Stomp the Yard. The Fraternity prefers not to be associated with a movie that juxtaposes gang activity with that of black greek life. The Fraternity, through its general counsel, made a direct request to the film's producers to not include any trademarks of the Fraternity in their film. The producers ignored that request and included the Fraternity's trademarks in the film without permission. Their act of defiance is illegal and will be addressed through the proper legal channels. To that end, the Fraternity has requested that Sony pictures and Rainforest productions cease and desist from distribution of this movie due to the unauthorized use of Alpha's trademarks.

The Fraternity owns a family of trademarks that include Federal registration numbers 2227381, 2218329, 2770575, 2481901, 2178342, 1459737, 1459736 and 1459735. The Fraternity has at least ten additional applications for registration currently pending before the United States Patent and Trademark office. The majority of these trademarks have been in use since as early as 1906, the year of the founding of the Fraternity. All of these marks are rigorously protected by the Fraternity.

It is truly unfortunate that the Fraternity has to divert its attention to this matter during this its centennial year. However, the fraternity will protect its legacy and its future and we respectfully request that you not contribute to the illegal acts of the producers of this film by paying money to view it or by promoting it.

OOOOOhhhh, Sony's gonna get sued.....

I'm looking forward to this movie.

Oh, the irony! :rolleyes:

Wooowwww... unbelievable and yet believable. *excuse me while I pick up my jaw* So sad...

AKA joins APA
 

right

I am too. I hope the acting isn't bad though.

...good lookin' out, pham.

I wouldn't pay to see this movie b/c it should be straight to DVD in the first place.

Moderate entertainment value aside, I think the concept is dumb and can't imagine why people would get all hyped over a movie about stepping.

I'd rather they keep it dumb and superficial than to insult people's intelligence and just throw this in there. :rolleyes:

^^^

I would have to agree. It seems like the significance of BGLO's is going to be overshadowed by the need to win a stepshow.

I'll be going to see it. I love simple movies like these. The trailer looks really interesting and fun and in addition I love supporting black filmakers. I hope the movie doesn't dissapoint.

Haha... I immediately thought forget DVD... The bootlegs will be out the next day! :eek: ;)

Thumbs up!

Interesting...(From BV Buzz)
 

Step Up

Not since Spike Lee released 'School Daze' in 1998 has there been a major motion picture to showcase Black college life. Because of that, anticipation for Sony Screen Gems' 'Stomp The Yard,' has been extremely high. One of the film's producers, William Packer, describes 'Stomp The Yard' as a "contemporary look at Black college life." And though "a story about a young kid who goes to a black college and gets uplifted and redeemed" aren't commercial themes in Hollywood, Packer said they were able to get the movie made because they "interweaved those themes with a lot of the traditional elements that work in Hollywood."

Despite its positive subject matter and a cast that includes Brian J. White ('Mr. 3000'), Darrin Henson ('Soul Food'), Meagan Good ('Waist Deep'), Laz Alonzo ('Jarhead'), Ne-Yo, Chris Brown and newcomer Columbus Short ('Save The Last Dance 2'), a few fraternities have raised concerns about the film being released without even having seen the movie.

Packer, who has also produced 'The Gospel,' 'Motives' and the 'Trois' series, wants to eradicate any negative buzz those organizations may be causing. "We have heard some people say this is a Hollywood film and that it is not about steppin', its about dancing, and the fraternities and sororities are not going to be depicted correctly. [They think] it was shot at [the University of Southern California] and its just some white Hollywood studio behind it. That's not true," Packer explained. "This is a film that originated with people; myself and my partner who produced the film, members of Alpha Phi Alpha, a Black Greek letter organization. [We] are both married to Deltas. We went to a [Historically Black Colleges and Universities]. Our director, his father is a Kappa. One of our main choreographers is a Kappa. We shot it at the AUC in Atlanta. We shot it at Morris Brown, shot scenes at Spelman, we shot scenes at Morehouse and we shot scenes at Clark Atlanta. Yeah, its loud and its big and its flashy and that's why people think its just a dance movie, but when you get in you're going to be in store for so much more."

Opening around the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend has served films like 'Glory Road,' 'Last Holiday,' 'Coach Carter' and 'Are We There Yet' well in recent years and Packer is hoping to impact the same way with 'Stomp The Yard.' "Anytime you're doing the right thing, you're not going to have everybody support you. We're hoping people will reserve judgment until they see the film because I'm confident that they're going to be pleasantly surprised," he concluded.

LOL. Two points:

1. I guess people think that having members of BGLOs on the movie team and being married to other BGLO members means something. Yeah it gives the film more credibility than if it was done by a Hollywood studio with no background on BGLOs. However the larger point is that there are hundreds of thousands of members of BGLOs and many of them use their BGLO for some personal and professional gain. But having permission to use trademarks or present yourself as some type of representative or spokesperson is a different story.

2. My how the tables turn. I remember when people (some of whom are Alphas and AKAs) were acting like the Deltas had lost their marbles when President Rice's letter went out about the Black Sorority Project. Now the Alphas' and AKAs' national bodies are speaking out against Stomp the Yard and it's good that they are. Once again, this brings home the point that our organizations are bigger than the individuals who comprise them.

What I find interesting is that these guys are Alphas. Is this a trend? I already thought it ironic that A PHI A had issued a statement against the movie (considering the producers of the Black Sorority Project are also Alphas,) but to find out that these producers are also Alphas makes this even more crazy. What's even funnier is that Derek Fordjour was married to a Delta when he started BSP and used that as a justification for doing it.

Kudos to A Phi A and AKA for their stance. I hope they will support us in our stance against the Black Sorority Project. As stated, this issue of trademark infringement is bigger than our individual organiztions and a legal precedent needs to be set.