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A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 17 June 2019
Toxic masculinity in a sitcom package in 'Shaft'

By LINDSEY BAHR role as John Shaft II, seem-
The latest "Shaft," which ingly having a blast every
adds a new generation of step of the way.
bad mother------- to the mix, It's not that it's sanitized or
is not what you might ex- without violence. There are
pect. It's not gritty or raw or guns, many of them, and
even attempting to be all of the automatic assault
that cool. Instead it main- variety. But this is the kind
tains intoxicatingly upbeat of movie that will play The
sitcom-style energy, with Ronettes' "Be My Baby" dur-
gentrification jokes, gener- ing a big shootout, and not
ational jabs (mostly at the in a Scorsese kind of way.
expense of millennials) and It's hard not to be on board
Samuel L. Jackson, repris- with the liveliness and the
ing his nearly 20-year-old generally sharp writing. The

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows from left, Jessie Usher, Samuel Jackson and
Richard Roundtree in a scene from "Shaft."
Associated Press

film starts off so well, too, ger (and his father). all the way to the top and
and as most movies really Shaft is there in J.J.'s life works for the FBI (aka "the
should, in 1989 Harlem. Re- through the occasional man"). He's played, charm-
gina Hall (Maya) is dressing Christmas present which, ingly, by Jessie T. Usher.
down Shaft for his reckless over the years include a The mysterious death of his
life choices and he's not re- New York Giants Super friend, and his inability to in-
ally having it, but their con- Bowl XXV ring, Magnum vestigate on his own, leads
versation gets interrupted condoms and pornogra- him to his dad's office to
by an ambush that almost phy magazines. But de- ask for some help. He gets
kills Maya and the baby we spite his attempts to raise a more than he bargained
find out later is in the back mini-mother------ from afar, for in terms of late-game
seat. So Maya moves up- J.J. grows up to be a nice fatherly advice on how J.J.
state to the suburbs with lit- young fellow and M.I.T. is failing to be a man, and,
tle John Shaft Jr. (or J.J.) to grad who wears slim fitting specifically, a black man
raise him away from dan- jeans and shirts buttoned worthy of the Shaft name.q

Investigation begins into supposed

voice of Frida Kahlo

Associated Press analysis."
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Frida The 90-second audio clip
Kahlo's voice may have fi- from a 1950s pilot episode
nally been unearthed, say of the Mexican radio pro-
researchers at Mexico's Na- gram "The Bachelor" con-
tional Sound Library. sists of a woman describ-
Library officials say it would ing Kahlo's former husband
be the first record of the and painting partner, Di-
Mexican artist's voice if ego Rivera.
confirmed. "He's a large child, massive,
The director of the Frida with a friendly face and sad
Kahlo Museum, Hilda Trujil- look," the woman's voice
lo, told The Associated Press says. "His bulging, dark, in-
on Thursday that "there's still telligent and big eyes are
a long way to go" to verify difficultly detained." In this April 14, 1939 file photo,
the voice in question. Kahlo is not directly identi- painter and surrealist Frida
"I personally think that the fied by the narrator, but her Kahlo, who was the wife of
noted Mexican muralist Diego
art world has to be very voice is introduced as "she Rivera, poses at her home in
strict in its judgment and who no longer exists." Li- Mexico City.
can't rush to assumptions," brary officials estimate that Associated Press
Trujillo said. the program was released
Investigations will involve in 1955 or 1956, a year or "I would have imagined
sound library officials, en- two after Kahlo died. that it would be a bit deep-
gineers, audio experts and The voice is notable for er and worn out," Trujillo told
even still-living sources. its light and smooth tone, AP. She noted that Kahlo
Trujillo said she is optimistic which contradicts previ- was very sick at the end of
that there are still "enough ously held assumptions of her life and was a heavy
elements to do a rigorous the artist. smoker and drinker.q