“I’m expecting Afrocentric perfection,” Brandon Gilliam said with certainty just before he got settled into his seat and waited for the first sneak preview screening of Marvel Studio’s “Black Panther” to begin.
He came dressed for the occasion Monday night at The Esquire AMC theatre in Clayton. He stood out in his vibrantly colored hooded Dashiki, but he wasn’t the only one.
Model/actor siblings Jeremi and Justin Farrar, known to most as The Farrar Twins, made their way down the left aisle of the theater like it was a runway. The pair had a cameo in the film – and they appeared to have walked right straight out of Wakanda, the fictional African nation where Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” is set. Their heads were wrapped with cloth to match their shirts – which were accented with gold, black and silver print embellishments that paid homage to African royalty.
“Girl, I told you I should have worn my head wrap,” a woman commented as they walked by.
A few went full African garb, while other paid tribute in smaller ways with jewelry – including a woman wearing wooden earrings in the shape of the African continent – and “Black Panther” t-shirts. A new phrase will have to be created to express the “Black Panther” phenomenon. “Highly anticipated” just isn’t enough to do justice to what black people have already invested in this moment in in black cinema history since the trailer dropped. People who aren’t the least bit interested in superhero films under usual circumstances have geeked out over the Marvel Studios film since the first trailer dropped last year boasting an all-black star-studded cast led by Chadwick Boseman (and featuring St. Louis’ own Sterling K. Brown) and black director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. Folks have been mapping their movie night months in advance to see the film, which is set in an African nation that staved off colonization and is secretly light years ahead of the rest of the world in technology and resources.
On Monday, guests were already lined up outside at 5:45 p.m. waiting to enter for the 7 p.m. screening. Though only a limited number of preview passes were distributed, they showed up early just in case for the screening hosted by Hot 104.1 FM.
Hot 104.1 FM Program Director and Operations Manager Boogie D, a self-proclaimed comic book nerd, chose to give a brief history of how Marvel the comic book character that inspired the movie was conceived before he kicked of the screening with a few giveaways.
“It was the 1960s and Marvel decided that they needed a black superhero,” Boogie D said. “There were a lot of things going on with the civil rights movement and Stan Lee decided to create Black Panther.”
Boogie proudly boasted on what set this hero apart from the others.
“Black Panther is a king,” Boogie D said. “When you think about it, Stan Lee was breaking all kinds of stereotypes when he made this character back then. And he had the one singular black man defeat the most powerful crew – the Fantastic Four. And Wakanda (the fictional African nation ruled by T’Challa a.k.a. the Black Panther) leads the world in technology.”
At this point, guests can barely contain themselves. But once the movie started, there was complete silence.
They sat in awe as they watched the story unfold – and the film more than lived up to the hype, according to several guests.
“I loved it,” popular KMOX Radio Personality Carol Daniel said as she gave her thoughts on the film. “I loved the music. I loved the message – that we have to find a way to take care of each other as if we are one tribe. I loved the sisters with the bald heads. I loved the strength of the black women in the movie… all of that.”
The screening was a family affair for Daniel, who brought her 18-year-old son Marcus Daniel along to see “Black Panther.”
“I felt it on an emotional and cultural level,” Marcus said. “I felt empowered. The filming was great. The scenes were amazing.”
Guests lingered in the theater and lobby to talk amongst themselves about how “Black Panther” exceeded their already high expectations.
“I thought it was great because I’m all for showcasing black excellence,” said A. Keith Turner. “And that’s exactly what we saw on the screen tonight.”
“Black Panther” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, February 16. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 134 minutes.
