Now watching STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. Deserved so much more than it got from the Powers That Be. Or shall I say The Powers That Used To Be. The direction by F. Gary Gray is beautiful. Libatique murders the shots. Performances are stellar. Got one nod. Problematic. #WhoDecides 
Going on a little rant about F. Gary Gray. If the industry was at all fair, he’d be a household name. But it ain’t, so he ain’t. I remember a conversation with a bunch of Academy members who don’t look like us. Had no idea who he was. He was only admitted to the Academy in 2015.
A director is fortunate if they make one film that folks remember beyond the year it’s made. Gary has multiple classics. As in more than one. More than two. More than three! And he’s broken a major industry threshold in the process.
When your first film is a classic that people quote in everyday life two decades later, you’re a real winner. Gary’s first film was FRIDAY. Y’all. FRIDAY! Cube. Tucker. I dare anyone not to laugh watching it. And if you don’t know what “Bye Felicia” means, I’m mad at you forever.
One year later, F. Gary Gray strikes again. In 1996 with SET IT OFF. Y’all. SET IT OFF! I dare you to watch and not feel something. It’s a gem. Latifah. Vivica. Jada. Kimberly Elise. Blair Underwood. Cleo’s last ride at the end with the bullets and bravado?! C’mon, F. GARY GRAY!
F. Gary Gray made a lot of your favorite throwback music videos too. For everybody from Whitney Houston and Babyface to Cypress Hill and Coolio. My favorites would have to be TLC’s “Waterfalls” or Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson.” Yep, both are Gary’s work.
He kept going and made successful mainstream movies with big stars like THE NEGOTIATOR with Samuel L. Jackson, A MAN APART with Vin Diesel and ITALIAN JOB with Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron and LAW ABIDING CITIZEN with Jamie Foxx and Viola Davis. Dude is dope.
Between 2009-2015, there’s nothing on his IMDB. One day if I’m able, I’m gonna ask him what was happening there. He may say, “I’m badass and I wanted a break.” Or something else. But in 2015, he dropped mics and bombs and erthang with what I consider the best film of that year...
Last year, F. Gary Gray crossed a big threshold by becoming the first black director to have a film earn more than $1 billion worldwide with “The Fate of the Furious.” It was the 8th film in the Fast franchise. He did his thing and collected his check! Go, Gary!
Now he’s directing MEN IN BLACK’s spinoff with Chris Hemsworth and the Queen Tessa Thompson. I mean, he’s such a boss.
All this to say, I wish more folks knew his name. It’s F. GARY GRAY! The F is for Fantastic. Yep, his parents named him Fantastic Gary Gray. Or maybe Fabulous Gary Gray. One of those, I’m sure. He’s a little self conscious about it. Understandable. This ends my rant. Bye Felicia.
