Both films, Charles Burnett’s 1977, Killer of Sheep and Christopher Erskin’s 2004, Johnson Family Vacation, address middle class Black Family issues. The films differ on a variety of levels due to a near 30-year difference. Both films activate different genres. I wonder if comedy would have been as effective to a 1977 audience to address the issues Burnett considers, as they seem to work for Erskin in 2004. It’s hard to say which film more adequately dealt with representations of the Black Family and the way family members confront adverse conditions. I think a general argument suggests that cinema has become more commercial overall, so director’s attempts to speak to an audience become convoluted in cinema for-profit politics. Personally, I find Burnett’s, Killer of Sheep, far more interesting in the way it handles the social issues at hand. The cinematography is very didactic, the music compelling and the narrative demonstrates innovative technique. Burnett’s 1977 style would probably be considered avant-garde or “independent” by today’s standards. Although Erskin’s film is considerably flattened by its storyline and comedic effect, it points to an argument that can be made about Black social issues in cinema more generally. What’s so funny?