Someone pitch a "Beulah" Miniseries. Hear me out.

Imitation of Life (1934) starred Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers who went into the pancake business

On this day in 1902 Louise Beavers born in Cincinatti. Though she was never as famous as the similarly cast Hattie McDaniel she also had her own big film moments in the studio system including the original Imitation of Life in which Claudette Colbert got wildly rich off of her recipe while she Beavers struggled with her light-skinned daughter. FREE PITCH IDEA FOR WRITERS OF COLOR: Don't you think a prestige miniseries on Black Hollywood throughout the years would be fascinating?

More on Louise Beavers and other "on this day" items after the jump...

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Yes No Maybe So? "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

By Nathaniel R

Spider-Man longs to be on top. But there are still more Batman movies.You might safely be asking 'why do we need a sixth Spider-Man movie in fifteen years?' The answer is of course 'We don't.' But an equally correct answer might be 'We don't... but Tom Holland! The correct comic pitch. Marvel Studios is finally involved... at least in some capacity. Etcetera'

If you answered the question the first way, chances are you're a "no" sight unseen. We would've been in that camp but for the fact that we kept campaigning for Tom Holland to get the part (his incredible work in The Impossible was enough) without actually believing that he would get the part. So now we must keep an open mind.

If you answered the hypothetical question the second way chances are you've probably already seen this new Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer. Either way we'll break it down together via our Yes No Maybe So survey...

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Doctor Strange and the Comic Book Movie Dilemma

by Deborah Lipp

I have a pet peeve about comic book movies, and Professor Spouse is sick of hearing it, so I’m imposing on you all. When Professor Spouse and I got back from seeing Dr. Strange, I said, “I have one* complaint—it’s an origin story.” She said, “I knew you would say that.” 

*Well, only one complaint that is the subject of this essay.

The fundamental problem in comic book movies is the shift into a different medium, though in many ways the mediums are a natural fit...

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"Black Panther" Rescues Angela Bassett From "AHS"

Chris here. Fellow bemoaners of how Angela Bassett is being wasted on the likes of American Horror Story bemoan no more. The actress has joined the cast of Marvel's Black Panther as Ramonda, the mother of Black Panther himself. It's fitting that our queen will finally play a queen again.

It may not be the kind of heavy lifting we'd really love to see Bassett working with (though she was part of the brilliant Chi-Raq ensemble), AHS has proven that the actress can still have a good time. And with an already exciting cast, it'll be a thrill to see her alongside the likes of Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, and her Waiting to Exhale director Forest Whitaker. Fingers crossed her superpowers will include setting cars and our hearts on fire just like Exhale's Bernadine.

Can you believe Angela Bassett only has one Oscar nomination to her name?? It's been over 20 years since channeling Tina Turner for What's Love Got to Do With It? and she hasn't returned to the awards fray. It's about time someone gives her another brilliant role and an "overdue" narrative to go with it.

Box Office: Doctor Strange, A Man Called Ove, and More...

What did you see this weekend?

The bulk of the moviegoing nation went to either Doctor Strange (reviewed) or Trolls as expected. Doctor Strange's nearly 85 million is a major success for Marvel Studios, though weaker than the Guardians of the Galaxy launch it was quite a lot stronger than the Ant-Man launch. It's already earned over $325 million globally. When is Marvel going to have their first flop? It seems a long way off, doesn't it? 

The top 10 wide and limited charts and notes on other pictures after the jump... 

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