This month we’re excited to analyze the films in our January theme of PORTRAITS OF THE ARTISTS. In this theme we will be discussing the films of two major black leading men in film. For our Monday classics we will be exploring the films of Paul Robeson, an actor and activist who would be an outlier in any era of film. The title of our theme is inspired from the Criterion Collection’s Paul Robeson set titled “Portraits of the Artist”. For our first discussion in this New Year of MOVIEHUMPERS, we’re going to explore an important root in film history with an early work by the prolific pioneering director, Oscar Micheaux. Religion gets a little dragged as a crooked and fraudulent reverend (played by Paul Robeson) has connived his way into women and money in the small town of Tatesville. Isabella’s mother wont let her marry the nerdy ass inventor, Sylvester (also played by Paul Robeson) because she’s gotta marry the evil faux reverend. Some great characters in a fairly strange story with an early appearance of a certain film trope. Oscar Micheaux certainly has plenty to say with his 1925 silent film “BODY AND SOUL”, which you can find easily on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A9alUp1pa8 Check out some history and hear our take on it. This is just the beginning of our talks on Paul Robeson and there is LOTS of Denzel Washington to pair with it.