June 2002 Blackfilm.com supports UNDERCOVER BROTHER and in a letter by its director, Malcolm D. Lee, he expresses his feelings for making the film

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Blackfilm.com supports UNDERCOVER BROTHER and in a letter by its director, Malcolm D. Lee, he expresses his feelings for making the film Dear Film Enthusiast, My name is Malcolm D. Lee and I am the director of the current film, UNDERCOVER BROTHER. At a recent Blackfilm.com screening series event in NYC, I spoke to an audience of Black filmgoers where only a third of the audience had seen my new film. When I asked the audience what their reluctance was to seeing the film, the overwhelming response was that a broad comedy with a Blaxploitation hero with an Afro could only be an embarrassing and insulting one-note coon show. This perception couldn't be further from the truth. First of all you should know that the creative team behind this film is a group of conscious individuals who were committed to making something special. Understand that the origin of this film came from a Black-owned Internet Company called Urban Entertainment (www.urbanentertainment.com). This is the first and only Internet property to be made into a major motion picture. Therefore, Damon Lee and Michael Jenkinson, the founders of the company, have made history with this cinematic achievement. Their company is committed to shepherding stories of different Black experiences in a unique and entertaining way. Successful novelist and screenwriter, John Ridley (an African-American) is the creator of the animated series and the co-writer of the screenplay. He is one of the most prolific and most intelligent writers working in Hollywood today. As for myself, I'm not in the film industry to make Black people look foolish. I have such an affinity and respect for my people that I could never (and would never) make any film that would neither degrade nor denigrate my people. What I've done with this film is build upon what I started with THE BEST MAN: to show the world that Black filmmakers can create characters with intelligence, wit, dignity, and sex-appeal and still make entertaining and thought-provoking films that appeal to a wide audience. UNDERCOVER BROTHER is a broad comedy, but it will surprise you with its satire, sophistication, humor, and self-awareness. But please don't take my word for it. Make an informed decision for yourself or read the stellar reviews. UNDERCOVER BROTHER is one of the best-reviewed films of the year! If you are still skeptical please visit Urbanentertainment.com and see where it all began. Check out the animated web-series "Undercover Brother" and see what inspired me to bring this movie to the big screen. Maybe it will inspire you to see it for yourself. You will be just as surprised as the other skeptics who had their pre-conceived notions about the film and emerge from the theater saying,"That movie was hilarious. I wasn't expecting it to be so smart and so good. How did you get away with making that?" Thank you for your time and patience in reading this email. Sincerely, Malcolm D. Lee