Reviews (23)

How things have changed...
I think Do the Right Thing is Spike Lee's best movie, and the early 1990s was a time where Spike was making his movies with a message. Do the Right Thing is a movie that stands the test of time in my opinion, because so much of it rings so true, it's incredibly funny, and heartbreaking at the same time. Lee received a lot of flak for that movie while making it. When it came out, it shut everybody up.
About one year after that, Jungle Fever was released. It was definitely a big deal at the time - a movie about a black man and an Italian woman in a relationship in NYC, a city at the time still basically reeling from the well-known racist killings of two black men at the hands of Italians in their neighborhoods. So this whole interracial thing and the ramifications of it seemed groundbreaking at the time.

I watched this movie the other day and marveled in terms of the interracial aspect of it how much of it is just not the case anymore in 2003 America. It was a big deal for a black man to be seen with a white woman. Now, it's totally taboo, and desired, and nobody really cares. I mean, I actually found myself giggling during the movie and saying to myself, "Come on, now. It's not even like that!"

Okay. A quick review of the movie: Wesley Snipes stars as Flipper, who starts an affair (for no damn good reason) with a white temp worker, Angie, played by Annabella Sciorra, and then has to deal with the repercussions of it. In the midst of this are storylines with Flipper's brother and his drug use, his strict bible-thumping father, and other storylines with Angie's folks, part-time boyfriend, etc. Spike Lee's ensemble cast is featured, and they do not disappoint. Samuel L. Jackson is absolutely fantastic as the crack addcited brother. His performance is both hilarious and pitiful, Ossie Davis is wonderful in his role (hated the actions of his character at the end, though, did he go to the slammer? He should've), John Turturro is excellent (when is he not? Absolutely phenomenal in Do the Right Thing, btw), and the list goes on and on. Fortunately, these actors all balance out Wesley Snipes who is basically ineffective in his performance. In my opinion, he just can't act. You feel so sympathy for him as he has to deal with his wife and all her anger about the affair, you don't care about him and his issues with his job, and everything else he goes through. And I think we're SUPPOSED to care and sympathize with this guy, I just think Snipes was just unable to pull off the role. BTW, Annabella Sciorra is excellent.

On another note: much has been made of Halle Berry's performance in this movie, how groundbreaking it was, etc. Not! She is totally overrated in this movie. All she does is act crazy, fire off expletives and the like to the point of annoyance. She has proven herself to be a good actress in movies following this, but in this one, give me a break. It's Samuel L. Jackson who makes that storyline, let me tell you.

The bottom line is if you watch this movie around Wesley Snipes, you can actually enjoy it. It gets a little long-winded at points, but the performances are pretty good. Some other performance notes, the little girl who plays Snipes and McKee's daughter Ming (someone explain the chinese name for this black child to me, please?), annoying! I know she was young, but she was totally not cute, though she tries very hard to be. Totally irrelevant to my review of the movie, I just wanted to say that I found her incredibly annoying and not cute.

BEST SPIKE MOVIE EVER!!
I'm a Spike Lee fan and i have to admit that this is his best work ever! I'm a teenager and ever since this movie came out I had always wanted to see it. I finally saw it 2 hours ago and I thought it was excellent. I'm a big fan of Sam Jackson and I think in a way he stole the show. Everybody played their part accordingly specially Anthony Quinn and Lonette McKeen. This actors did a great job and I do think this is an "underrated masterpiece." This movie has been overlooked by some people and I think it deserves way more reviews than it has received. The issue of white/black dating was discussed throughout this movie and I loved the scene where the "girls" were talking in the living room about why they thought black men dated white women. Go rent this movie now if you haven't seen it and if you don't liek it then you're crazy!

One of Spike's Most ambitious films
But he apparently was still having some trouble with balance. The story is , well, you know. And it's a great thing that Spike had the guts to do something like this. And while there was some balance, the scale was a shade racist. Just a shade. Still, one of his absolute best and a must, although he really did have trouble with ending this one.

Spike Showed Truth With This Film
First of all, I am a black female who could care less if someone dates out their race. And I don't know if Spike is a racist or not (because he has dated white women and his father is married to a white woman). But one thing is clear; SOME black people do get offended when they see a black man with a white woman. I have personally seen black women confront black men for dating white women and I have seen black men act crazy when they see a black woman with a white man. In my opinion, Spike showed reality in this film, whether you agree with it or not. However, I don't like this film because it was so unfocused to me. There were too many things going on and in the end, it all seemed useless. I guess Spike wanted to get people talking about race and if that was his goal, then he achieved it. Personally, what I find most offensive and racist is the person who is playing the lead character. He (Snipes) made nasty comments about black women to a black magazine, which explains why his popularity has gone down.

Spike Lee ought to be banned from filmmaking
This is one of the absolute worst movies I have ever seen. Spike Lee is not a brilliant filmmaker. He clearly has racist views that he feels the need to display on film. Jungle Fever is the story of a black man who has an affair with an Italian woman. When their affair is found out, everyone is up in arms. The woman is accused of stealing the Black Man. Black women sit around dissing her when Flipper's (Snipes) wife needs to be questioning her husband. Last I checked, the ring was on Flipper's finger. The very idea that these women can sit around dogging white people and it be deemed ok is deplorable to me. As a young black female, I was disgusted at this image. Queen Latifah's portrayal of that waitress was even worse.

This movie is disgusting and it is a very good example of irresponsible filmmaking. This does not promote racial unity or racial tolerance.

Avoid it at all cost. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just Old Classics
If you've ever watched MAD TV, they do some spoofs off of this series, which include many of the "problems" named in some of the above reviews.

The skit has horrible acting, silly rhymes, stupid villains, an unsteady camera, and just overall... heh, you get the point. Collector shows such as these sometimes get their "fame" on these grounds.

I cannot exactly recommend this, though =)

Must Have for Cheesy movie night
Ok I think this is really a horrible movie. The plot is the pimp drug dealer gets freed from jail to get a worse pimp drug dealer.

This is the primer for our cheesy movie night because no matter what we watch after this one it has to be better and usually is.

THe action sequences are horribly choreographed. the plot is horrendous. But somehow Dolemite seems to be abe to rhyme all his lines. This is probably not the movie for everyone and if you have never seen Dolemite before I would recommend renting it before you buy it to see if it is something you want in your collection. As for me I take the good with the bad.

The Greatest
This is a wonderful idea. To buy them all together not only saves money, but it will be easlier to keep together. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A serious movie that also happens to be pretty funny
Yes, this movie has plenty of funny moments, but there is a very real and sometimes rather touching story that takes precedence over everything that happens. You can't get through the most serious of situations without the palliative of laughter now and again, and Life actually does tell a serious story. Eddie Murphy proves once again that he is a great actor, and Martin Lawrence was surprisingly good as the more serious of two men sentenced to life in prison for a murder they didn't commit. One night in 1932, fate brought Rayford Gibson (Murphy), a smooth-talking hustler with big dreams, and Claude Banks (Lawrence) a respectable fellow about to start a good job, together in a New York nightclub. For entirely different reasons, both guys have to face the displeasure of the club owner's wrath; and so it is that Gibson and Banks end up going on a bootlegging run to Mississippi. One dead man later, and both men are sentenced to life in prison for murder. Since Banks blames Gibson for getting him into all this mess, there relationship varies in quality as the years go by, but gradually a real friendship develops between them. They try to escape several times but end up spending basically their whole lives in prison. Along the way, we meet with several sub-plots involving some of their fellow inmates, but the movie never strays far from the lives of Gibson and Banks. The passage of time is marked by clips of historical events, and some excellent makeup works makes both men look old and worn out as they advance into their senior years.

This is not a prison story of hopelessness, however. While no pardon ever comes their way, justice has a way of willing out eventually, and the final ten minutes of the film are just terrific. Since the story does take place in Mississippi in 1932 and beyond, race plays a major part in the film, but it does not define the movie by any means. There are a number of funny scenes, especially those involving pie and cornbread, and Eddie Murphy will definitely make you laugh - Martin Lawrence sort of plays the heavy here to Murphy's periodic antics. Some familiar faces pop up in the movie: Rick James plays the New York club owner, Bernie Mac has a relatively minor role, and Heavy D plays a small but important part. Wyclef Jean contributes an original score for the film. The whole cast is excellent, and a very good script keeps the film on pace and lively.

This isn't Stir Crazy; there are plenty of laughs, but I wouldn't call this a comedy - Life the movie is funny in the way life itself can sometimes be - laughter can get us through the hard times, but it doesn't hide the fact that the hard times are there. This movie really deserves more attention than it has received; with its serious underlying quality, it ranks among Eddie Murphy's most impressive films.

Eddie is hilarious!!
This is a wonderful movie. Eddie Murphy is totally hilarious in this movie. Its basically about two guys (Eddie and Martin) who have to serve a life sentence in jail for a crime in which they were framed. Its about them forming a bond of friendship, but as you will see this takes years. Great effects on ageing Martin and Eddie in different stages of their lives. The only bad thing about this film was that it tended to drag at certian points. This type of movie reminds me of Oh Brother Where Art Thou with its southern humor and setting in the past. I highly recommend both of these movies.

FUNEEEEE!!!
I may be biased cause I love Martin and Eddie, but this movie has me in stitches every time!!!

Boring!!!
After watching this movie, I felt as if my own life was wasted just from watching it. What a piece of garbage. Eddie Murphy is funny, but not always and this movie is the exception. This is by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Anyway.. here's the basic plot:
In the mid-1990s, two inmates bury the burned bodies of two lifers at Mississippi's Parchman Farm; a third old-timer relates their story. They'd served 65 years for a murder they didn't commit, framed by a local sheriff while buying moonshine whiskey for a Manhattan club owner to whom they owed money. Although the plot may sound good.. trust me it's not.

Great Film!
This film was perhaps the last film that Eddie Murphy was geniunely funny in and Martin Lawrance was a geniunely effective actor. Both comedians truly shined in this film and were funny as hell! I recall the scene where Murphy and Martain's character staged a fight and Murphy spelled out SOFT and his taughts against Claude. Funny film and great acting! ... Read more

Reviews (71)

More like one king, two princes, and one sucker
Bernie Mac is undeniably THE king of comedy in this movie, his set smokes all of the others. That's not to say that the other's aren't funny. D.L. Hughley is really funny, especially when talking about how black people and white people view work. Steve Harvey sort of MC's the concert and does like two 10-15 minute sets that are decent. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I really didn't think that Cedric the Entertainers set was funny at all. It's a good thing Spike Lee didn't open the film with him because I probably would have shut it off. The funniest part of the whole movie is hearing Bernie Mac's views on child raising, it's just simply hilarious. Bernie comes from the old school of child rearing where it's ok to give a kid an @ss whippin'. Anyway, this is definitely worth buying just for Bernie Mac's set alone, but D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey do a good job as well...a good addition to any comedy collection.

Almost a classic
The Original Kings of Comedy is not a movie per se; rather, it's an assortment of comics doing, well, comedy. Steve Harvey is the emcee, and he is joined by Cedric "The Entertainer", D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac. They each do an exceptional job of bringing their own comedic style to the stage, and I don't want to really go into the specifics because that would be giving away too much of the movie.

So why didn't I give it five stars? Because there was one problem: part of D.L. Hughley's routine. Sure, his jokes were funny as ever, but we all know damn well that several of those jokes were the same jokes he told a year before (or a year later, depending on when this movie was taped) in his HBO special "Going Home". And I don't mean similar jokes, I mean EXACT jokes. Although the jokes are still funny, you can't help but ache for more new material. I've noticed that with a lot of black comedians. (I'm black too, so that's not a racist remark.) For example, several of Chris Rock's jokes from his HBO special "Bigger & Blacker" were the same jokes given during his monologue when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 1996...minus the profanity, of course. I think that kind of pattern isn't good to follow. I mean, how would you feel if you bought a new album from your favorite artist and discovered that the exact same songs from the previous album are on there? (Are you listening, Jesse Powell?)

This is still a good video, so add it to your collection.

A
this movie is hilarious. you should buy it or even rent it. i cant garantee you'll like it. dont listen to them haters hatin on this dvd. yeah, i agree that maybe its none too smart to make fun of your own culture, but its still funny. it would still be funny if any body from another race made fun of thier own culture. well anywayz this is a good movie. but its not as funny as the latin kings of comedy.

The King of the Stand-up Comedy DVDs
The first time I saw a blurry picture of Steve Harvey in a magazine I thought I was looking at a young Richard Pryor. My mistake, but besides that, I wasn¡¯t too far off; at least they¡¯re in the same business of making people laugh. Harvey, who is more or less the MC of the show, introduces the other comedians while adding in his own jokes along the way. I love that Harvey is so proudly ¡®old school¡¯ and dishes out critique at the ever-so-annoying unenlightened Hip Hop artists; Original Kings of Comedy came out in 2000, but four years on, Harvey¡¯s observations are truer than ever.

Obviously everyone will have his or her favourite comedian, but for me, the weakest link was by far DL Hughley. Maybe the younger crowd will like him more, but to me he seems more pretentious than the others. Unlike them, Hughley isn¡¯t self-effacing or self-deprecating, which to me is an essential quality for a comedian, because to be able to laugh at oneself is Basic Comedy 101. He¡¯s the first one on stage and to me he just sounds a lot like all the other stand up comedians out there. He lacks presence and charisma, which he probably thinks he makes up for by being loud and boisterous. Don¡¯t get me wrong, some of his jokes were funny, but the other 3 comedians just had a more unique style and flair.

Next up is Cedric The Entertainer: I had high expectations of him, so along with his routine and his backstage banter plus Latin singing warm up in the men¡¯s¡¯ bathroom, I was won over. He's got a real knack for pacing his jokes, that is, he takes his time more than the others. I mean this in a good way. It provides a nice contrast to the rapid-fire laughs of Mac and Hughley. He also plays with language a bit, and like Harvey, is excellent at creating a scene, where his characters and ensuing jokes come to life.

When Bernie Mac arrives I was at first surprised by his thick accent, because I¡¯m used to seeing him in movie roles where he pronounces and articulates his lines more clearly. So admittedly I actually had to switch on the subtitles briefly while I reacquainted myself with his accent. Anyway, Mac is just dynamite. He really is. He¡¯s such a great combination of honesty (especially about himself) and saying what the rest of us don¡¯t dare. And by the way he¡¯s right, it¡¯s not about black or white, we all just do things differently.

So if I disliked Hughley so much, why do I still award the film 4 stars? Come on now, you can¡¯t beat the laughs in this one. The deleted scenes are all great (especially Mac¡¯s) and yes, perhaps Hughley is the weakest link to me, but thanks to him you really do get to see a variety of talent, and besides, maybe YOU will like him. This film by Spike Lee is a heap of fun. I¡¯ve seen other stand-up comedy DVDs, but this one is undoubtedly the ¡®King¡¯ of ¡®em all!

Sickeningly Hilarious!
This film captures stand-up performances from comedians Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer and Bernie Mac, and is a non-stop laugh-fest in the highest sense of the term. This review is not going to be a very long one - to be rather honest. The humor, of course, revolves around many taboo subjects like racial stereotypes, sex, religion and other things - if you are easily offended by any of these things, I suggest you avoid this film like the plague, because it is no holds barred! A few of the many hilarious scenes that I consider personal favorites from each comedian:

(1). Steve Harvey does a pretty good job of mocking the characters in the Titanic film who choose to keep playing their violins amidst a major catastrophe. He later goes into detail about why he prefers "old-school" music; particularly old-school R&B, over the hip-hop and rap trends that seem to be preferred by the modern generation. He does an effective job of lambasting rappers, and is absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious. I was practically in tears from laughing so hard at this. Needs to be seen to be believed.

(2). D.L. Hughley was hilarious too, but like some have pointed out, some of his routines came from other, earlier stand-up specials. Side note: If you can find a copy of his stand-up comedic special entitled "Going Home," pick it up. That performance I believe to be his funniest, and it leaves me rolling on the floor everytime.

(3). Cedric The Entertainer's humor was the least brash of all the four, and has more of a laid-back, subtle charm, which still manages to make you laugh. The whole break-dance scene was funny, as well as his "cruising into outer space" scene, his self-made "martial art style" scene, and others.

(4). Bernie Mac - good lord. He was without a doubt the craziest, most brash, most (messed)-up comedian in this set. Sadistic and intensely cathartic, even. It's only fitting that he would be the last performer. His routine was just a little too much for me - and still is - and I mean that in the best way possible. His takes on kids and how they get (or should get) punished, sex and orgasm, and the "stuttering" kid were just too much - not only was I laughing too hard, but my lungs began to hurt, I nearly lost my voice for a brief period, and I was nearly out of oxygen. The guy was too much! Saying that he cracked me up would be a HUGE understatement.

All in all, recommended for many who want (or need) a major laugh-fest. Sometimes, one of the best ways - if not the best way - to deal with unpleasant situations in life is to be able to laugh at them - as exemplified in this film. If you suffer from chronic asthma, heart disease, and/or are easily shocked - particularly by the things mentioned in the above paragraphs (including loads of profanity) - stay VERY far away from this - you will be digging yourself an early grave. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

It's a great film
I love the Dolemite movies, which is quite possibly the greatest duo of films ever made. I'll never in my life forget the kung-fu action scenes and a naked Rudy Ray Moore rolling down a grassy hill in "The Human Tornado." These movies should be viewed every man, woman and child to walk the earth...they are truly an experience like no other.

The Kung-Fu is worth the purchase price alone!!!
Don't believe the fools who doubt Rudy Ray Moore!!! How can people look at the Dolemite movies seriously? The opening credits are printed on his GIANT JAMES-BROWN-STYLE CAPE!! You'll never enjoy the sensory overload and outright absurdity of these movies if you try to THINK about them. Just have a six-pack and a few smart-mouthed friends around when you watch it.

Nothing beats Dolemite's , jokin', hustlin' kung-fu ways. NOTHING!!! Step off, Batman!!!

I quote the man himself when I say: "Man, move over and let me pass, 'fore they has to be pullin' these Hush-Puppies out your ...!!"

My brother MADE me watch this, and I'm a changed man.

Dolemite's back!
Ok, last time we caught up with the godfather of rap he beat willie green and crooked politicans in a brilliant film. This time I'm affraid, Rudy Ray Moore fumbles. The Human Tornando succumbs to the sequel disease of being worse than the first one. It's not horrible it's a very good movie, but it tries to be to formulatic , it wants to be as good as the first one and use sub-plots resembly the first one.

The plot line, Dolemite leaves California behind and is somewhere in the south when he is caught with the sherrif's wife and jumps off a hill naked. The sherrif is pursuing him across the nation as dolemite puts his nightclub act on the go. He makes it back to Cali. and finds Queen Bee in some hot water with nightclub competiors, and Dolemite comes to the rescue. The movie's not horrible, but not as good as the 1st. It sometimes is choppy, hard to follow, and complete nonsense ( even more than in the original) Dolemite saves the day of course but a weird ending leaves you wanting a bit more well enough to leave on a high point. Remember the first had witty comebacks, and two rap songs performed you'll be lucky to catch him even run into rhyme this time. All in all this was good, close but no cigar.

Big time disapointed
I just loved the 1st one but the sequel was just too slow, not very funny and had lost it's charm. It just has a few memorable scenes.

A Dolemite Fan
Although the characters in this movie and other Dolemite movies
are a little rusty with their acting, I can't help but watch
these movies over and over again. The movie hits with the
rest of the top-rated movies of that era. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Rosewood) made an earnest effort in this, his second, film to say a great deal that is true and relevant about living and loving in a violent, difficult time in American history. Janet Jackson plays a beautician and poet who withdraws into herself after her boyfriend is murdered by gangsters. The late Tupac Shakur plays a postman who tries to get through to her, and the two travel on a course through urban America, connecting with family and community. Singleton has so much on his mind that the film comes out a terrible muddle, but there is a certain integrity peeking through the fog. Shakur makes a startlingly good impression in his film debut, and Jackson strips away her star veneer to play something like a real person--and entirely succeeds. Maya Angelou wrote the poems that pass as those penned by Jackson's character, and she also appears in the film. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (59)

This is a great film!
Poetic Justice is about a girl named Justice (Janet) who writes poetry and is trying to get through hard times that have happened in the past and start over. Justice and her friend Keisha take a trip to Oakland with Keisha's boyfriend Chicago and friend Lucky (Tupac). Justice and Lucky fall in love through the movie. This is a really good flick to watch again and again. It also has a great ending and the bomb soundtrack.

Great film; lots of humour, romance, etc.
I loved watching this film. I saw it the first time on TV and afterwards I went out and rented it and saw it a lot more times. It was just wonderful! Full of different emotions. There was romance and love, sadness, fights, and a lot of great humour!! The main actors (janet jackson, Tupac Shakur) were also terrific and they proved that they could be actors as well as a singer/rapper/song-writer. It was the first time I saw Tupac in a movie, acting. After this film I just had to rent more movies that he was in!

Poetic Justice
I was fifteen years old when I first saw this movie when it first came out at the theaters back in the summer of 1993. I liked how the story showed a young black woman healing from the hurt and pain of losing her boyfriend, and how she wrote poetry to help her get through her pain. I thought that the poetry was really good. But the real reason why I give this movie three stars is because there was too much profanity and all the arguing and bickering that went on in the movie. I felt like all of that wasn't necessary for the movie. "Boyz N The Hood" will always be the #1 movie from John Singleton.

janet's acting career
Many kids today forget that before janet became a musician, she was an actress who starred in sitcoms and the jacksons tv show doing skits. If they had known, they would have seen that she had acting skills back then, but this movie is not really representative of it though it's not a bad film. I guess the role was a new kind of role for janet and she has said before that cussing didn't come her naturally back then, and it shows. But if you want a romantic comedy with a street style to watch, you just may want to check this out.

WOW!!! THIS IS SO STUPID!!!!!
Boyz N the Hood- now that was a good movie. I guess John Singleton thought he was invincible when he came out with this goofy movie. Janet Jackson is very hot and has a nice set but not even that can save this one. You've got this girl- her name is "Justice"?!? - and she JUST HAPPENS TO WRITE POETRY?!? - so of course... we get the movie "POETIC JUSTICE". Brilliantly stupid. ... Read more

Description

Kid 'n Play (Class Act) return, this time to blow the roof off college life--and Harris University will never be the same! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Another case of a disappointing sequel
This movie was disappointing, although not a total washout. Martin Lawrence as Bilal still made me laugh, but some of the scenes had recycled jokes and even preachy tones. The scenes where Kamron (of Young Black Teenagers) as Jamal, a white kid who talks black, shows up were so gimmicky it was scary. But one funny scene was when the party was hopping from apartment to apartment while Boyz II Men's "Motownphilly" was playing in the background. Still, all of the best jokes were given away in the trailers, and they weren't even all that funny. The following two sequels are even worse, so just stick with the first House Party.

A anytime movie when you just want to kick back and chill.
This movie is funny and relaxing. It really puts you bcak in the day when everything was just alright. Watch this movie and "roll" with Kid 'n' Play! And if you love Martin Lawrence then you will love this movie. House Party 1 and 3 are also recommended.

Boom,Shaka-laka-laka!!!
This is one of the most funniest films that would really want to make you laugh harder and harder and completely HARDER!!!No other comedy film is as good as House Party 2!Peace,everybody!!!

THIS SEQUEL IS A BIT TOO MORALISTIC AT TIMES
IN THE 1ST SEQUEL, KID GOES TO COLLEGE BUT, REALIZES THAT HE LEFT HIS COLLEGE MONEY WITH PLAY WHO'S GIVEN THE MONEY AWAY TO A CON ARTIST CLAIMING TO BE A RECORD COMPANY EXECUTIVE. MOST OF THE FUNNIEST MOMENTS COME FROM MARTIN LAWRENCE, WHO RETURNS AS BILAL. THIS SEQUEL IS A LITTLE BIT MORALISTIC AT TIMES, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THE HOUSE PARTY TRADITION IS ABOUT. ESCAPES A TWO STAR RATING ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THAT MUCH BETTER THAN THE NEXT TWO HOUSE PARTIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW.

JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST!!!
House Party 2 proved to be just as good as the first. The characters were better and the dialouge and plot made more sense but the lack of his foul mouthed father really crippled it's rating.

This movie delivers a better message than the first but the lack of Robin Harris really sucks (he died shortly after the House Party movie) However Jamal can be funny yet utterly offensive (he is a white guy who thinks he is black).

Lots of messages and innuendos in this movie to convince the viewers to stay in school. Recoomended to troubled youths. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Ghetto Surrealism
This film is THE most deranged, horrific, nasty, disturbing, idiotic mess I have EVER seen pass itself off as a comedy. It's awesome.

At first, I thought this was the most inept movie ever made, but now I see that Rudy Ray and his partner in crime Cliff Roqumore made the first piece of Ghetto Surrealism to stink up the screen (This movie does actually bring to mind certain unpleasant odors). This accomplishment should not be denegrated simply because it was undoubtedly unintentional. Technical flaws aside(and they are plenty ample), there are images and scenarios in this film which play out in mind like a reoccuring nightmare(none of which I can recount without being censored). It is one of the most scatalogically obsessed films outside of Pink Flamingos or Salo, but I think it is more successful than either in its attempts to outrage.

The performances are all variations on racial stereotypes and ghetto caricatures. This film plays like some evil cartoon. Which is to say there is a devilish imagination at work, one with utter disregard for logic and restraint. And one, seemingly without any good intentions.

If you are looking for a twisted cinematic experience look no further.

Not Even Dolemite Can Save This Mess
Rudy Ray Moore was a comic ahead of his time--rapping',rhymin', jivin', conniving --but evenhis classic delivery can't save this low-budget, idiotic mess. You never see the mike hanging down like you did in Dolemite (a better movie), but it still reeks of amateur moviemaking, from the shabby script, to the bad performances, to the hokey martial arts sequences, and, worst of all, a Devil about as evil as your Aunt Bertha. Moore plays Petey Wheatstraw, a foul-mouthed, karate-kicking comic. He gets machine-gunned with a crowd of other people outside a church after a funeral. A couple of fatso, rival comics want Petey out of the way so he won't take away customers from their upcoming show. Dead, Petey makes a deal with the Devil, promising to marry his ugly daughter (whom we never see) to get his life back. He also gets a magical cane from the Devil which gives Petey special powers, even powers over the Devil himself! (That doesn't make sense, but neither does the movie.) The talented Moore offers some fine, raunchy moments. But so much of '70s blaxploitation was BAD, REALLY BAD, baby, and junk like Petey Wheatstraw undoubtedly hastened the cycle's demise. Still, you have to wonder the kind of hilarious movie Moore could have delivered with the backing of a major studio. Unfortunately, he was a little bit too much out there at the time.

Great Old-Fashioned Comedy!
While sitting on the couch trying to recover from an extremely painful tooth extraction, I looked around for a diversion. My eyes lighted on this video, which I had purchased previously but not yet viewed. I was not disappointed; this turned out to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in years! Every character and situation was taken to the extreme, the plot was ludicrous but oh so funny, and Petey's poetic jokes were hilarious. It looked like everyone was enjoying playing his/her role to the hilt. Petey's attempt to beat Lucifer at his own game was bound to fail, as we all knew it would, but it was sure fun watching him try to get out of marrying the ugliest woman ever seen. A few splashes of wisdom are thrown in for good measure. Leroy and Skillet were a comedy team who should have gone straight to the top of the comedic ladder of fame; they were funny enough to build a TV series around their shenanigans. It looked like everyone was having a great time making this film. I laughed from beginning to end and it sure helped take my mind off my throbbing jaw. This movie is offensive only if you are the type of person who takes life way too seriously and cannot laugh at his/her own human foibles. Though raunchy at times, it is a relief to view a comedy that doesn't rely on a continuous stream of sexual jokes to succeed, but creates a nice balance which results in a comedy all adults can enjoy. It has certainly gained a place among my top 10 most favorite comedy films. If you are willing to suspend any semblance of reality and just want to have a good time, get this movie. It is just the thing to brighten your day. Thank you, Mr. Wheatstraw and company, for reminding us that life does have its lighter moments.

Petey Wheatstraw...a Blaxploitation classic!
For anyone looking for a serious movie about Blacks in the 70's you probably don't want to watch this. But if you grew up in the ghetto and you're looking for something GHETTO FABULOUS then this is your movie. If you're looking for a movie that is absolutely HILARIOUS this is your movie. This is truly a classic and I saw it for the first time when I was in the 9th grade about 18 years ago. Up until now, I had not been able to find it, and when I would mention it to people, only the "real" people I met had seen it. Everything about the movie was wrong, the lighting, the acting, the costumes, and especially the karate (I know Bruce Lee was (mad)!), but it was so wrong that it was funny as HELL. Even the people who say they hate it know they had to laugh when he tried to use that fake Jamaican accent to get into Leroy & Skillet's show. Or when Philadelphia Nell (OK..HELLO...the movie was shot in LA) kept answering the phone with that GHETTO "Hello". There are 2 movies that every Black person should own. ROOTS and this movie.

Helped Seal the lid on Blaxploitation's coffin
I saw this junk at a ghetto theater in Charleston, SC in 1978. Even then, people were walking out on this trash and calling it ignorant! PEE-OOOH! The ever unfunny low-grade ghetto juke joint comic who deservedly never made the big time "Wild Man" Steve Gallon appears, telling bad defecation jokes. Skillet and Leroy (who were better at making comedy albums) come across as Amos and Andy on food stamps. Hold on to your stomachs, folks. This makes "Wild Man" Steve's "Super Soul Brother" look like "Gone With The Wind!" ... Read more

Reviews (49)

The Nutty Professor
Reviewed Date: November 2003
Studio: Universal Studios
Genre: Comedy
Exposure: Color
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 1996
Directed By: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Eddie Murphy and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The movie takes place in a college town where Eddie Murphy plays Sherman Klump a 400 pound Professor that is in love with Professor Carla Purty played by Jada Pinkett- Smith. Carla sees Professor Klump as the beautiful person that he is.

The Nutty Professor is a very well put together film with Eddie Murphy playing seven different roles. If you want to see a good comedy The Nutty Professor is for you. There are some scene's that really put down overweight people. I have always been overweight and I did not take the scene's offensively but some people may.

There are some parts of the movie some people could find inappropriate. You may want to watch the movie before letting your children enjoy the comedy.

I give The Nutty Professor 5 stars for any adult. It is just really a funny movie any adult could find humor in. But on the other hand I give the movie a 3 ½ for children, a child being anyone under the age of 18, because of the inappropriate actions in the movie.

Hilarious
I haven't seen an Eddie Murphy movie yet that wasn't hilarious and The Nutty Professor is one of the best he's ever made. He plays the role of an overweight and intelligent professor that likes a gorgeous new teacher, but he doesn't have the courage to ask her out because of his size. He develops a formula that turns him into a skinnier, arrogant man that seems to have a better chance with the teacher that Mr. Klump (the overweight professor)likes. She turns out to like the skinnier, more arrogant version of Eddie Murphy but thinks he's too out of control. Later on, Eddie Murphy gets stuck in the new body and wants to go back to being Mr. Klump, but the new arrogant version tried to keep him from becoming Mr. Klump again.

The professor creates a formula that can drastically make anyone lose weight within seconds and can't wait to prove it to everyone. However, even this is a challenge when the new, skinnier Eddie Murphy tries to take over and do away with Mr. Klump.

The Nutty Professor is one of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion. Some of the sequences might not be as good as the others, but I don't know anybody in my family or any of my friends that didn't like the movie. It's one of Eddie Murphy's best and if you feel like laughing, you need to get this movie.

Eddie at his best
Eddie Murphy is definitely one of the undisputed kings of comedy. He's so hilarious. He's definitely phenomenal. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR really is a good movie. The scene with Dave Chapelle in da club is real hilarious esp when Eddie went back to show him who has been the game for long.

H I L A R I O S
This is Eddie at his best. I love the dinner scene and club scene. You can't help but to laugh at the family and feel sympathetic for Sherman in his battle to loose weight; later to discover that he loves himself how he is. I love this movie.

Funny and Sympathetic
Eddie Murphy revived his sagging career with this movie. Before The Nutty Professor (NP), he had made a long series of duds. His chubby hero is sweet and kind and therein lies the genius of NP. Murphy plays the title character straight and allows everything else to be funny. In NP, Murphy finally seems to understand something that had escaped his attention until this movie: people aren't just funny because they crack jokes, use profanity and make snide remarks. Absurd and embarrassing situations and how people deal with them are funny. The dinner at his family's house (w/ Eddie playing all the characters) is hilarious laugh out loud stuff. This is a kinder, gentler Eddie Murphy and it proved a gold mine. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the riveting bestseller by Richard Price, this 1995 crime drama was directed by Spike Lee with such authority and authenticity that it has the hyper-real quality of a stylized documentary. Fully capturing the thoroughly researched detail of Price's novel, the film focuses on Strike (newcomer Mekhi Phifer), a young, ambitious "clocker"--or drug dealer--who works the streets of his New York housing project, selling drugs for a local supplier named Rodney (played with ferocious charisma by Delroy Lindo). Just as Strike is struggling to get away from his dead-end life of crime, another dealer is murdered in a fast-food restaurant and local detectives (Harvey Keitel, John Turturro) consider Strike the primary suspect. In cowriting the script with novelist Price, Lee uses this murder mystery to explore the plague of guns and black-on-black crime in America's inner cities, in which drugs and death are familiar routines of daily life. The film doesn't pretend to offer solutions, nor does it dwell on the problem with numbing insistence. Rather, this taut, well-acted film takes the viewer into a world often hidden in plain sight--a world where options seem nonexistent for youth conditioned to have little or no expectation beyond a probable early death. Lee and Price are deadly serious in handling this volatile subject (which incorporates racism, powerless law enforcement, and political indifference), but Clockers is also blessed with humor, insight, and humanity. It's one of Lee's most confidently directed films, signaling a creative maturity that Lee continued to develop throughout the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (25)

An Average Joint
This crime drama about a troubled, confused teen boy has some well-done elements but the overall result isn`t too exciting or innovative. Strike is a young dealer living in a dangerous and claustrophobic neighborhood, and as he becomes more involved with some bad influences his problems start to increase and leaving him in a difficult situation.
Director Spike Lee uses a typical murder mystery to offer some insight into this NY community, showcasing their connections and relations. There are some stylish and edgy camera angles, the acting is generally convincent and the characters complex enough (even if a bit stereotyped), but the movie is ultimately too long, the pacing slow, the plot unsurprising, the score melodramatic and the ending a bit weak and forced.
So, despite some good moments, "Clockers" could have been more developed and edgier, since most of the picture offers nothing that hasn`t been shown in some TV series out there. Passable entertainment.

ALEXS CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS
Highlights: Harvey Keitel's, Mekhi Phifer's and Delroy Lindo's amazing performances; the tightest script ever written by Spike Lee; philosophical themes well-developed; candidly brutal depictions of the projects, with all their crack dealers and lack of aspiration.

Lowpoints: The musical score at times gets a little too overwhelming; Clockers' pace falters, but that's to be expected from a Spike Lee joint, and Clockers is the most successful venue on his resume yet.

Conclusion: A fine, powerful drama that deals with the life of a young man, born in the projects and trying to make a living from dealing crack cocaine. The acting is exceptional, particularly Harvey Keitel's, who always mesmerizes and here delivers a performance that, in terms of intensity, could only be compared to his work in Abel Ferrarra's Bad Lieutenant. The characters are spot-on, the script sizzles, and there are scnes that will make viewers choke on tears of compassion.

SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED: Do the Right Thing, Menace II Society, Baby Boy.
DON'T SEE THIS IF YOU LIKED: O, Save the Last Dance, Monkey Trouble.

Classic Gangsta Cinema from the hardest of hardcore Spike
Yo, you gotta buy this yo. This is where it all comes from. This is the movie that in the future will be viewed as the end all be all of gangsta movies. It chronicles the trials and tribulations of a smart teenage drug dealer as he grows up in Brooklyn and tries to gain a lucrative spot in the drug game off the benches. It shows with flashbacks and good storytelling how black on black crime is created and perpetuated in the hood: too many men dealing crack son. This teenage hardcore is called Strike and he must choose his path in life and one thing the movie makes abundantly clear: Strike can stop dealing anytime he wants. Strike has money and trains. Strike has people in the community including two understanding cops and a mother and a brother and a sister in law who would like to see him change his ways and the script shows that he can chance anytime. He can go into witness protection. He can just up and move and take his money elsewhere. He's smart. he can do alot of things, but he chooses to stay and be a dealer. Why? because the most father-like influence on him is a hard-boiled dealer played by Delroy Lindo who permeates the film with rationale evil and avarice that make bad leutenant look like good family fun. So in short, Spike is showing through Strike how all the black youth just need a good father figure to set them straight, stop dealing and raise a family like Strikes brother who is honorable and sympathetic to the extreme. The soundtrack is brilliantly wrought to effect sympathy and compassion from the audience while the shocking visual elements cause us to question our own society.

Fair to middlin'
I'd probably like this movie a lot better if I didn't feel it was such a disservice to the novel it's based on.

Delroy Lindo does give a standout performance as Rodney, but I just wasn't that impressed with Keitel. I guess it's a testament to Price when I say that the Rocco Klein of his novel felt more lifelike, more deeply conflicted, and more rounded than Keitel's Klein seemed on screen.

I found it irritating that there were certain surreal elements added to the script which seemed to compromise the grittiness of the story. The additions didn't make the movie funnier, they just made it strange.

As a side note, less than ten years old, the soundtrack already seems incredibly dated.

Don't even rent this one, go read it. If you're dead set on spending your loot, buy two copies of "Do the Right Thing."

VERY NOSTALGIC
This film is probably the most emotionally compelling film I've ever seen. I feel like the ghosts of my past are reaching into me as I watch this. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very good movie, grab a box of tissues.
This movie was excellent, very sad but realistic about racism and how African Americans were not treated equally in the South. A great line from the movie that sums up the entire film is "when a white man dies, a black man has to pay for it", in summary. No matter who is actually guilty, whether there's proof or not, a black man must die. I don't think I'd want to see this movie again because it was very, very sad, but powerful. A great movie and I'm glad I watched it.

Faithful to the book
This movie faithfully captures the essence of the book and brings it to life. When I read the book I just loved it. Shortly after I finished reading the book, I found out that HBO was going to show the movie, but I didn't have HBO. So when I saw that it had come out on DVD, I knew I had to buy it. When I got it, I popped it in right away and WOW, I was pleasantly surprised. It followed the book very well and wasn't "Hollywood-ized".

I warn that this movie isn't very action-packed, but it's a great intriguing drama. I recommend it to anyone looking to see an intelligent, well-made movie.

Deals With Issues Much Deeper That Skin Color
I missed the first few minutes of this film, so I watched the rest not knowing if the convicted man was guilty. By the end of the film, it was no longer an issue...
The same appeared to happen with the racial issues presented. The open demoralizing of the blacks (by the whites) was soon overshadowed by the more personal issues of spirituality and self-esteem. One of Cheadle's finer performances, in my opinion, with equally impressive supporting performances.

This is a wonderful film, with a "Lesson" or two for us all.

Dreadful PC Propaganda
I'm a huge Don Cheadle fan, but this film is unworthy of him. [People] who claim that it's a story about racism either don't understand the film or don't understand racism. Basically, here's the plot: The character played by Mekhi Pfeiffer is an unwitting accomplice in a botched armed robbery that leaves three people dying on the floor of a grocery store. Rather than summon help for the others, all Pfeiffer can think to do is help himself to the money in the cash register. He is caught, and in the ensuing trial the prosecutor calls him an animal because of his depraved indifference to human life. That is supposed to be the psychological turning point in the film, because Pfeiffer's family insists on proving that he's no animal and can take his punishment -- in this case, death -- with his head held high. Yeah, right. Guess what? He is an animal, and if the story had involved all-black or all-white characters, racism wouldn't be an issue. A more compelling question: if Pfeiffer's family was so concerned with his "dignity," why didn't they teach him moral values in the first place?

Great Film Adaptation!
This was one of the best film adaptations of a book that I have seen in a long time! The film had a great cast and managed to capture the essence of the book. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

THE Movie That Set the Style of 70s
All of Pam Grier movies in the 70s, "Coffy" is the most famous. She deserves it; watch this movie, and you see what so-called blaxploitation films are all about.

The fast-paced "Coffy" starts with a dynamite opening, in which Pam's character Coffy lures her enemy into a nasty surprise, and she blows away poor fool's head with a shotgun literally. Then, her mission of eradicating drug racket goes on until a very bitter ending. There are actions, fighting, nudity, and battling girls at a party where Pam uses most unexpected weapon -- salad! Frankly they look rather bland by today's standard, but good soundtrack by Roy Ayres is still wonderful.

Probably the most interesting thing about "Coffy" is its gorgeous 70s fashion: music, clothes, and hairstyle. even if you find its story a little stale, you never get tired of watching dresses, glasses, hats, and everything -- they are so big! And surprising thing is that the film to certain extent reflects the political condition of those days (see how a black congressman address a speech about drug issues among Afro-Americans).

"Coffy" is one of the movies that set the style of the 70s. Those who are interested in that period should watch it (and the original "Shaft") once.

Vigilante action with Pam!
Pam Grier is Coffy, an inner-city nurse whose younger sister's life has been destroyed by illicit drugs, and who is now out to avenge her by killing the drug dealers. Her method is to lure the dope pushers by offering them her sexual favors, and then blasting them with a sawed-off shotgun!

And what man can resist such a statuesque beauty? Many a dope pusher meets his Maker after making it with Coffy. Pam Grier has some outstanding nude scenes in this movie, and that alone makes this DVD worth the price, but director Jack Hill's commentary is an interesting bonus. This DVD is a must-have for every Pam Grier fan!

One vengeful mama.
For a blaxploitation movie this one isn't too bad, thanks largely to Pam Grier. She is one tough lady in this interesting retooling of "The Bride that Wore Black," only in this case it is little sister who Coffy is seeking vengeance upon. There is plenty of violence and nudity to thrill, but the movie actually develops a story and posits the moral question whether vengeance is justified if criminals can't be brought to justice. Ultimately, Coffy enters the world of prostitution, posing as a sultry Jamaican bombshell, to get the top crime boss in the city. The movie is vintage 70's with luscious babes lounging around swimming pools, garish interiors and love-inducing fireplaces. Too bad Pam Grier had to wait such a long time to get the plum role of Jackie Brown, building her fame on Jack Hill movies.

Errors and omissions
From the information from other sites I am to believe that this is not an 'Anamorphic/16:9 enhanced' DVD. Foxy Brown is. All Region 2's in the MGM Blaxploitation-series are...

They call her Coffy and she'll cream you!
This was a pretty enjoyable movie, but I have to admit that I enjoyed Foxy Brown just a little more. This movie is basically about Pam Griers' character getting revenge on those who have hurt her and her family. She starts out with lower level pimps and pushers, and workers her way up the power structure to the head sleezebags. The one thing that didn't really sit well with me was the way she portrayed the moments of remorse her character felt about what she was doing. I am not saying that a person who becomes a vigilante wouldn't have these feelings, but I just didn't really buy it coming from her. I know, I know, maybe I am delving too deep into the character, but if they're going to go there...anyway, it didn't make me enjoy the movie any less. And it's always nice to see as much eye candy as there was in this movie. Pam Grier is really hot and made most of the other women in this movie look kinda dumpy. To sum it up, it's a fun movie, some minor slow points, but it kept me interested throughout. If funk with a dash of groovitude is your bag, then this movie is for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Martin Lawrence can certainly talk a blue streak (witness his concert film, You So Crazy), but he tones it down to PG-13 for this by-the-book action comedy. Lawrence stars as Logan, a bank robber and jewel thief (nice role model we're supposed to cheer for) who, just before he is arrested, manages to stash the $20 million diamond he has just heisted at a construction site. When he is released from prison two years later, he returns to the scene of the crime only to find that the completed building houses a police station. To get inside and retrieve the precious gem he secures a fake ID and passes himself off as LAPD's newest, and most unorthodox, detective. As he demonstrated on his TV series, Lawrence has a knack for characterization second to Eddie Murphy.But he's no Beverly Hills Cop. Indulgent sequences where Martin has seemingly been given free reign to ad-lib are the film's weakest. Early on, Logan cases the police station outlandishly disguised as a snaggle-toothed, Geri-curled pizza deliveryman. You'd think the last thing his character would want to do is call attention to himself. Lawrence is at his best in the scenes in which, thanks to all those years of breaking and entering, his formerly lawless character proves to be a natural at cracking burglary cases. Logan is paired with the requisite white partner, Carlson (Luke Wilson), a buttoned-up rookie. Departing from the Lethal Weapon, buddy-movie playbook, they are not antagonists; theirs is more a teacher-mentor relationship. "Don't we need a warrant to do that?" Carlson asks Logan at one point. "We don't even need a key," Logan responds, picking a lock. There is little in Blue that is remotely fresh, but Lawrence fans, who watched him play it straight opposite Murphy in Life, will relish the opportunity to see him get down with his bad self. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (66)

OK Comedy/Action Movie!
This is a Martin Lawrence vehicle all the way. It's the first time he has to carry a whole movie and he comes out semi/successful. The plot is passable and the screenplay manages to create some likable characters, mainly Luke Wilson. Also with some nice action sequences. Lawrence brand of comedy may not appeal to some, Martin Lawrence plays it safe doing an impression of Eddie Murphy in 'Beverly Hills Cop' and '48 Hours'. Ultimately successful at being funny and entertaining. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 6!

Great Ensemble Cast,Incredible Disc,Great Sound,Hillarious.
This Movie is Sooooo Good, For One I like it because it has william forsythe,and anyone who's seen the movie gotti, he played sammy gravano, very well, he's an excellent talent, martin lawrence is also an incredible talent,it's a pleasure just to watch him in any film, but this story isn't even half bad, it's actually very good, david chapelle - with martin, they've got this tremendous chemistry together, they just "flow" - worth the price of admission alone, there is a great soundtrack, So Plus, Featuring Ja Rule(Also One of the Features Music Video's In the Extras.) You've Got Tyrese and Heavy D(The Second One.) And You've got the man Of NY Himself, Jigga, Jay-z In Girls Best Friend, These Videos are alone worth the Price, you've got "two" making of documentaries,this disc is loaded, also there is a scene in the movie, where martin "jams" to his music, in the film itself, there is a Joint In it by the hot boys, Juvey,B.G.Lil Wayne, and Young Turk, This is easily one of my favorite films of all time, because when you watch it, you don't get that usual "tired" feeling, it's just so pleasurable, like champagne, and a big fat cuban cigar, ment to be enjoyed, you'll watch this movie, several times over, you'll listen to Ja Rule's Video, hundreds of times over, it's incredible, so push, the features artists to me, they bring to mind En Vogue, They've definately got talent, and the Soundtrack BUMPS, GET THIS DISC! , I'm Out.

Mindless Fun
In one of the few movies where Martin Lawrence's humor doesn't become seriously racist and xenophobic he plays Miles Logan, a jewel thief, after a $20 million diamond. But one of his team betrays him (Peter Greene, once again playing a bad guy) and they're plan is thrown all out of whack. After hastily stashing the diamond in a nearby construction site he is soon arrested sent away for 2 years.

Upon release he heads back to the construction site only to find it's turned into a police station. No luck getting back in unless you're a cop then. A series of disguises fail and Logan ends up impersonating a cop in order to get to the diamond. But he's so good at the impersonation that police duty gets in the way and he's partnered with Carlson (Luke Wilson).

Mild plot complications ensue and it becomes increasingly difficult for Logan to get to the diamond. Though the trouble really starts when Deacon (Peter Greene) comes back to get him.

It's all brainless stuff but it makes for enjoyably silly viewing. Lawrence's improv isn't all that funny but the rest of his performance is strangely tolerable. Wilson isn't his usual self in the wimpy cop role but it's weird watching him pronounce 'real OLD SCHOOL' 4 years before said movie was released. And Dave Chappelle is hilarious Tulley, the amateur liquor store robber.

There was supposed to be a sequel but plans for it fell through. It would have been a hundred times better than the awful Bad Boys sequel regardless of script quality.

The DVD is in bright, clean 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with a lively Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. There are some extras but nothing groundbreaking.

A man with a plan
Martin Lawrence, (Miles Logan), plays a jewel theif who is arrested by police and returns to the place where he left his jewel only to find that it is a police station after his release from prision. He becomes a police while trying to find his jewel and actually solves crimes. Martin Lawerence has a good role and a good sense of humor in this film.

This movie has jokes
funny, both cast and story. Loved it and sure you'll love it too, not just another comedy but this has something rare, comedy and action. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

unparalleled fun
Great, funny, outrageous.... This set has a combination of both dry and "wet" humor. I am a big fan of black comedy and this is definitely a great set to start with, especiallyl for me. During the time of these acts being filmed I was barely in elementary and was clueless about cable television, so watching this now, certainly takes me back to memory lane of all the things that were happening at that time. Great collection if you want to start your comedy library, no dvd collection should be without!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Undiscovered Blaxploitation Gold
Fans of Blaxploitation will be more than satisfied with this DVD double feature. "The Black Gestapo" is a mean, nasty race-riot of a movie. A benevolent police group, the People's Army, attempts to aid the citizens of Watts, who are being terrorized by what appears to be a mob of bitter appliance salesmen. There's dissention in the army's ranks, however, and a splinter group made up of local criminals forms to run the white mob out of Watts (one wise guy is castrated in his bathtub, another is run off the road by a breast-baring Uschi Digart and shot up by the gang). The mob retreats, but this new People's Army takes their place, shaking down the citizens and having drunken orgies at their new compound (where Ms. Digart shows up again in the leader's bed). "Gestapo" is directed by R.L. (Lee) Frost, who directed such exploitation gems as "The Defilers," "The Pick-Up" and "Love Camp #7." This one's not as stylish as his earlier roughies, but he keeps the story moving with brisk pacing and plenty of sex n' violence (though mostly violence). There's not a single one of "The Black Gestapo"'s 88 minutes that's politically correct.

By comparison, "The Black Six" is an After School Special, focusing on a good-natured biker gang of six Viet Nam vets (all played by pro football players, including "Mean" Joe Green) who are riding across the U.S., doing odd jobs for weak-chinned farm women or terrifying bigots at a poorly constructed roadside cafe (our heroes literally bring down the clapboard restaurant while its owner--a part I'm sure was originally written for Shelley Winters--stands by the road shrieking). The beating death of one of the brother's brother takes the guys back to a hick town to avenge his murder. By this point, you'll have heard the theme song about 12 times. You'll hear it 12 more times before the final credits. Bad acting, silly dialog and extreme afros all lead to a totally incomprehensible ending. All this hilarity is brought to us by director Matt Cimber, who later went on to direct the Pia Zadora potboiler "Butterfly," which is, in view of "The Black Six," an accomplished film.

No fan of Blaxploitation can afford not to see these movies. The entertainment value is double the cost of the DVD!

Great Social Comentary
Black Gestapo is a great social commentary. I would rank it with Animal Farm. It shows the dangerous of the black militant movement. In the movie a black militant , but non-violent organization hires outside help for protection. They warant this unit unlike any other in the group to use force to push out the opperessing mafia. Unfortuneatly, they become more crooked than the mafia. I love how the movie put extreme black radicalism in the same boat as the nazis movement. It was a wake - up call to me and many others.

The Black Six was a little lighter. It was about cool bikes and football player. It was good none the less.

A Strange Little Gem
First, I'll admit that the only reason I bought this film was because Uschi Digard was creditted in it (anD, well, I found it cheap :-).

This is a strange little story about black revolutionaries, Panther styled, that split groups. One becomes very domineering and tyranical, which leads them to greater power. The other are the good guys who keep their revolution's ideals in sight. The two finally duke it out.

Look for:
The main bad guy is "Mack" from TV's "Night Court"
Uschi Digard in a few eye candy scenes. Some nudity, some action scenes. Worthwhile for Uschi Completists (am I the only one :-D) ... Read more

Description

From the director of ' 'Do The Right Thing' ' and ' 'Malcolm X' ' comes ' 'a masterpiece.' ' (Chicago Tribune) When a bomb tears through the basement of a black Baptist church on September 15, 1963, it takes the lives of four young girls. This racially motivated crime, sparks the nation?s outrage and helps fuel the civil rights movement sweeping across the country. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

America's Embarrassment . . . . Where were you?
Spike Lee has struck a cord in this classic work. Poignant portrayals of racism in 1964 as 4 Little Girls are brutally murdered in the Birmingham church bombing by the KKK. I was 4 years old living in an all white community in rural Ohio. I didn't even know these things were happening and I am embarrassed and outraged at the ignorance and stupidity of those involved. The scars the community and a nation carried from that moment on will last a lifetime for those who lived and relived the beautiful memories and the horror of the deadly event in the interviews provided in this documentary. The pain, sorrow and powerful message will affect the lives of anyone who views this picture. This should be required viewing for all school aged children so we can work to eliminate hatred and encourage a celebration of diversity in America.

4 Little Girls superb documentary
Spike Lee's 4 Little Girls was briefly released to theaters in 1997 to qualify for Oscar contention as Best Documentary. It was first broadcast nationwide on Home Box Office. It is a remarkably clear-eyed telling of an incendiary tale--how four young black girls, ages 11 to 14, were killed in a 1963 bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

I hesitate to compare 4 Little Girls to Schindler's List, and yet it has that same quality of being a restrained, dignified recounting of an emotional incident. Spike Lee had been wanting to tell this story since before he became a noted filmmaker, and Lee brings all of his remarkable talents to bear. The movie is not flashy, just quietly gripping.

Lee frames the incident within the bigger picture of the Southern civil rights movement, particularly as it took place within an inflamed Birmingham. We see the town's police commissioner, Bull Connor--described by one interviewee as "the dark spirit of Birmingham"--keeping order in town while driving a tank painted white, an image that is sure to bring gasps to those who aren't familiar with the full story (which, I humbly admit, included me). And we see a repentant Gov. George Wallace, dragging a reluctant black colleague on camera so that Wallace can introduce him as "my best friend in the world." (Notably, the "friend" looks quite unconvinced.)

It is that Wallace footage that might seem the most showy in a documentary otherwise bereft of editorializing. But it seems right to include the footage after seeing how the segregationist tactics of Wallace and others led indirectly to the deaths of Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, and Cynthia Wesley. Using little more than home movies and interviews with surviving family members, Lee brings the dead girls back to life and shows us that, when racial stereotypes are accepted and even honored, individual tragedies are the result.

Mostly, the story is told through simple, heartbreaking facts. Chris McNair tells us of the day he had to explain to his daughter Denise how she was taken by the aroma of a cooking hamburger at a lunch counter but could not eat there because she was black. And the film comes full circle by pointing out the inexplicable resurgence of black church bombings in the 1990's.

Most of the victims' relatives, understandably, become quite emotional on-camera. It can't have been easy to reopen these old wounds, but 4 Little Girls makes you grateful that they endured their pain to do it. I only wish the movie had been up for Best Picture, as it is worth a dozen L.A. Confidential's.

4 Little Girls is rated TV-14 for violence, brief nudity, and racial epithets.