Feb 20 2009
Tyer Perry: Genius?
I can’t even believe I just wrote that title. I’m not saying I like Tyler Perry movies nor will I defend them as underrated comedies. I have nothing against his movies, but they are just not for me. But think about this. The guy writes and directs about 2-3 movies a year, he makes them on the cheap, rarely advertises and makes bank. This guy could be the next Roger Corman, only more wholesome.
Tyler Perry started off producing and directing his own plays in Atlanta and ended up adpating the plays into movies. His stories mostly involve melodrama involving Christianity in some way with shades of comedy added in the form of Madea, the fat black character Tyler Perry plays in almost all of his movies. His first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, was produced for about 5.5 million dollars (extremely low budget for a Hollywood movie). The critics hated it, but the movie made over 50 million dollars at the box-office. Perry continued with adapting his other plays and although the profits have slowly lowered, they still make a profit. He owns all of the rights to his movies through Lions Gate and has opened up his own studio, Tyler Perry Studios, the first African-American owned film studio. He also has his own TV series, House of Payne. This in addition to his sold-out plays and DVDs makes him one of the big names in Hollywood.
What is my point with all of this? My points is that Tyler Perry has a made a name for himself by catering to his audience and making a mint while doing so. And he enjoys doing it without conforming to what Hollywood would typically demand from an African-American movies (rap, drugs, gangsters). Considering this guy had a bad childhood and use to work dead-end jobs, I’d say his story is pretty inspiring. Now, I’m not saying his movies are something to be studied, but rather the method in which his movies made Perry rise to fame. Anybody seeking to make it big in film should take note of Mr. Perry, not for his content, but his drive. And maybe someday you too could end up playing the President of Starfleet in the next Star Trek movie.
