My Brother
Codeblack
by Kam Williams
When L’Tisha Morton (Vanessa Williams) discovers that she’s dying of tuberculosis, her first concern is for the welfare of her sons, ages 8 and 11. The single-mom desperately wants them both to be adopted by the same family, because James (Christopher Scott), the younger one, is mentally-challenged. Full review
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Ali's 65
Genius
by Kam Williams
Muhammad Ali was much more than “The Greatest” boxer of all time, he was also a defiant international icon who captivated the world by articulating the feelings of the oppressed underclasses. He was an unusual sports figure in his day, being an outspoken conscientious object willing to offer an opinion on civil rights and the Vietnam War (Ain’t no Viet Cong ever called me ‘nigger’). Full story
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Rain
Codeblack
by Kam Williams
Cleo Virginia “VC” Andrews (1923-1986) is a best-selling novelist known for sweeping, intergenerational sagas revolving around shocking family revelations. Her first eight books were so successful, that after her demise her estate hired a prolific ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, to continue publishing under her name, and he has gone on to pen far more than Ms. Andrews herself. Full review
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Constellation
Fox
by Kam Williams
When Carmel Boxer (Gabrielle Union) passed away, all of her relatives returned to Huntsville, Alabama for the funeral, including her brother, Helms (Billy Dee Williams), an embittered expatriate living in Paris. Helms had skipped town because he had made such a mess of his life there. Full story
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Stanley Clarke-Night School
Universal Music Group Distribution
by A.Scott Galloway
The pioneering electric bassist gathered together an all-star cast of friends to play in various groupings for an Ocotber 24, 2002 Musicians Institute concert. The jam sessions yield mixed results but there are plenty of highlights music lovers will want to see. Full review
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Apocalypto
Touchstone/Buena Vista
Mel Gibson (Braveheart, The Passion Of The Christ) tackles the downfall of Mayan civilization in his latest turn as writer/director. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) and his fellow villagers lead a peaceful life in the forest until a savage, unprovoked attack turns their world upside down. Full review
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Marvin Gaye
Live in
Belgium
1981
Hip-O/Motown/Universal
by A. Scott Galloway
Overall, this is a fairly standard concert for Marvin - making ends meet with an American rhythm section fleshed out with local horn players and singers while he was in exile in
Ostende
,
Belgium
. He emphasizes `70s hits here from "Got to Give it Up," "I Want You" and "Let's Get it On" to the searing "Inner City Blues." Full review
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Dreamgirls
Paramount
Though boasting an impressive cast which includes Jamie Foxx, Beyonce’ Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jaleel “Urkel” White, Anika Noni Rose and John Lithgow, all of the above are easily overshadowed by the Oscar-winning screen debut of Jennifer Hudson. The American Idol also-ran brings down the house as Effie Melody White (aka Flo Ballard), recreating the Tony-winning role originated on Broadway by Jennifer Holliday.. Full review
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Notes on a Scandal
Fox HE
By Kam Williams
Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett), the new art teacher at a high school in London, finds herself soon befriended by Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench), a lonely colleague who happens to be a very repressed lesbian. Sheba’s straight, though mired in a passionless marriage to a much older man (Bill Nighy), and burdened by a bratty daughter (Juno Temple) and a son (Max Lewis) with Down Syndrome.
Full review
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Sparkle
Warner HV
by A.Scott Galloway
People have been awaiting and demanding the release of the 1975 film Sparkle on DVD for decades. This story of a female singing trio striving for musical stardom starring Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Philip Michael Thomas, Tony King, Mary Alice and Dorian Harewood - filled with songs, romance, comedy and sobering life-lesson drama - holds a special place in the hearts of those who saw it in a theatre or drive in back in the day. Full review
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Deja Vu
Touchstone/BVHE
By Kam Williams
BuddyATF Agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is one of the first feds on the scene following an explosion aboard a New Orleans ferry. Over five hundred passengers perish in the fiery inferno, and Doug suspects it to be the work of a terrorist as soon as he discovers traces of a weapon of mass destruction amidst the charred bodies bobbing in the water and washing up along the banks of the Mississippi River. Full review
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Let The Music Play-The Barry White Story
Eagle Rock Ent.
Let The Music is An intimate portrait of the life and work of the legendary Barry White told through archive interviews with the great man himself and new interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, including Smokey Robinson, Ray Parker Jr., Nathan East, Taboo from Black Eyed Peas, producer Jack Perry, record company boss Russ Regan, Love Unlimited member Linda James and ex-wife Glodean White, and his children Barry White, Jr. and Shahera White, among many others. Full review
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Music and Lyrics
Warner Home Video
by Kam Williams.
Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) skyrocketed to fame as a lead singer for Pop, a British boy band which enjoyed a string of bubblegum hits back in the Eighties. But at the peak of their success, the quintet went their separate ways and Alex’s career fell apart to the point where he was languishing on the fringes of show business. Full review |
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Night at the Museum (SE)
Fox Home Entertainment
Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (Just Married, Cheaper By The Dozen). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but none of them comes to fruition. In an attempt to prove his stability to his ex-wife (Kim Raver) and his son, Nicky (Jake Cherry), Larry accepts a job as a night guard at the
Museum
of
Natural History
. Full review
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The Queen
Buena Vista HE
By Kam Williams
When Lady Diana died unexpectedly in a car crash along with her playboy boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, in August of 1997, Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) found herself in quite a quandary. On the one hand, the ugly rumors of infidelity which surfaced during Di’s messy divorce from Prince Charles had reflected rather badly on the Royal Family. Thus, the Queen was not inclined to acknowledge her disgraced, former daughter-in-law’s passing. Full review
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Stomp the Yard
Sony PHE (Cat #16042)
What is the difference between a gang and a team? DJ Williams (Columbus Short) is forced to confront this question, along with the usual post-adolescent romantic and family conflicts, when his well-meaning uncle (Harry Lennix) enrolls him at his
Atlanta
alma mater,
Truth
University
. His enrollment is part of a plea bargain that will save him from being imprisoned, and it is also a last resort to rescue him from the LA gang life that has already claimed his beloved brother. Full review
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4-
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17
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-07
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Smokin' Aces
Universal
By Kam Williams
Buddy “Aces” Israel (Jeremy Piven) was a two-bit magician with a mediocre lounge act until the Mafia turned him into a Las Vegas headliner. But instead of feeling indebted to mob boss Primo Sparazza (Joseph Ruskin) for the helping hand, the creep decided to create his own competing crime organization. Full review
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The Last King of Scotland
Fox Home Ent.
By Kam Williams
This fairly-faithful adaptation of the best selling novel of the same name was directed by Kevin MacDonald who must be credited with coaxing an Oscar-winning performance out of Forest Whitaker, even if in service of a mediocre melodrama. Full review
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