Ernest Dickerson Deserves His Flowers

Before I knew of Ernest Dickerson, I was already a fan of him. You probably are as well. You’ve heard of little shows like The Wire (Hamsterdam episode + more!) and The Walking Dead, right? What about Tales From The Crypt (Demon Knight) and Dexter?

YES!

He’s had a directing hand in some of the best entertainment of our lives. Dickerson also directed Juice and Bulletproof.

So often we forget the creatives that paved the way for our favorites. I’d certainly count Dickerson in that, but my ignorance is more about lack of research. I stumbled on him after falling down a YouTube rabbit-hole.

Like I’m known to do, I found myself watching the Dead Meat Kill Count on YouTube. This time it was a breakdown of Bones, starring Snoop Dogg and Pam Grier. Dickerson gave one of my favorite interviews about the film. As a prominent black director, he talked about how marketing for movies vary from film to film.

One of the many drawbacks that black-led movies face. I wish they got the chance to appeal to a wider audience. The true star power of Snoop and unique story makes this my own cult classic. I have no doubts that others wouldn’t believe the same.

But regardless of this one film’s box office results — Dickerson is accomplished. He’s won an NAACP Image Award and an Emmy for his work. It was only right that he gets shown love in an age that gives black content a major push. His work has opened the doors for the likes of Jordan Peele and Issa Rae. We can only believe that we will get more black content. And the more stories we can tell, the better entertainment can be.