January 2003 Video Blowout

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Video Blowout CLAUDINE Distributed by Fox Home Entertainment Reviewed by Wilson Morales If there was ever a film that needed to be released, it is CLAUDINE. Back in 1974, in the midst of the blaxploitation era, Claudine was released theatrically. Starring Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones, the film was seen as a romantic comedy as Diahann’s character tries to provide for her six children in Harlem while on welfare. At the same time, she’s also being romance by James Earl Jones’s character, Roop. The film received good reviews and Diahann received an Oscar nomination for her role. It’s funny to see that what transpires in the film is still going on today. There are lots of single mothers and it’s not easy raising many kids. It’s 2003 and would you believe that this film was never released on video ever. Not even on VHS. Directed by John Berry, who would go on to direct the Angela Bassett film BOSENAN AND LENA before his death, the film was written by the husband wife team of Lester and Tina Pine. Fox owned the rights to the film and they showed the film constantly on their channel. There were many arguments to get this film on video but each one failed until now. A few years ago, blackfilm.com writer Shelby Jones interviewed Lester Pine shortly before his death and I would to like honor Mr. Pine by having his words be told now that the film is out. THE COLOR PURPLE Distributed by Warner Bros. by Godfrey Powell The Color Purple—the now classic story of Old Mr., Mr., Shug, Sofia, Harpo and Celie is now on DVD. This film which received 11 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Oprah Winfrey), Best Supporting Actress (Margaret Avery) and Best Actress (Whoopi Goldberg) is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. 18 years after its release, the film looks sharp on the small screen as it relates the hardships, burdens, miseries and yes, tribulations of African-American life in the south from 1909 to 1947. Co-Producer Kathleen Kennedy notes, “The Color Purple is about people, about human relationships, about love, about understanding and personal growth and finally about redemption.” This was Whoopi Goldberg’s big screen debut and she captures perfectly the gamut of emotions of a woman whom after having her two children stripped from her, the exile of her sister and the years of physical and emotional abuse by her common-law husband rises to a conscious level of self-respect and determination. Steven Spielberg tightly directs the film so that the well-told story envelops you in the characters' lives for 38 years. He consciously lets his outstanding cast relay their lives almost as if the camera were simply following them around. The motif of purple lingers in almost every scene reminding us of the beauty of life while the use of foreshadowing is smartly done rather than breaking our heads over a “clue” to the future of the plot. Watching the DVD, I felt the frustration of Sofia while she confronted the hissing white crowd. I felt Shug’s desire for love and recognition from her own father. I felt Mr.’s entrapment of trying to live up to the ideals of others while suffering through his own insecurities. I felt Celie’s “slavery” without the wherewithal to gather up the hammer of dignity and break free from her own chains. Lastly, I felt Celie and Nettie’s sisterly love for each other that continued unabated despite their many years of separation. In the end, the Color Purple is a story of complex interlocking weave of feelings, which is what life really is. The two-sided DVD includes the now basic staples of two trailers, production notes, and in-depth cast bios and scene selection. KRUSH GROOVE Distributed by Warner Bros. by Wilson Morales After all the years of waiting for it to come out, the movie that made me appreciate rap has finally arrived on DVD. Most music lovers would probably say that there are at least music films that they can watch over and over again, and KRUSH GROOVE would be mentioned. Featuring the RUN-DMC and their rise to fame, the film also introduced Blair Underwood to the world, and he has made for himself since then. It also features legendary rappers and singers such as THE FAT BOYS, KURTIS BLOW, NEW EDITION, THE BEASTIE BOYS, SHEILA E., and who could ever forget the introduction that LL COOL J made with his radio. Looking at the film again, I noticed a young LISA GAY HAMILTON (The Practice) in the film. With the recent death of Jam Master Jay, I think back to how good the group was back then. Director Michael Schultz probably has no idea that this film would be a classic to many. The DVD also features the Krush Groove All Stars Music Video “Krush Groovin.” After BEAT STREET came out a few years earlier, KRUSH GROOVE proved to many that rap was here to stay. 3 A.M. Distributed by Showtime by Nasser Metcalfe Anyone who has ever tried to traverse through the busy streets of Manhattan knows how essential taxi’s are to the equation. In his film 3A.M., writer/director Lee Davis utilizes the facilitation of this service as a backdrop to explore the lives of several characters who earn a living by driving a cab during the graveyard shift. Danny Glover, Pam Grier, and Michelle Rodriguez lead the cast as we follow the character’s struggle with day to day obstacles and some deeper issues as well. Glover portrays Hershey, a former New York Knick, whose life has been a series of disappointments. Driving a cab has been the only thing that “has worked out right” for him. Pam Grier is his love interest, Georgia, who works nights as a waitress at a local diner. Michelle Rodriguez is a young woman who’s tortured by demons of her past. Add to the mix, the plight of other cabbies and the threat of a serial robber who has murdered 11 drivers and you have a provocative film well worth checking out. UNDERCOVER BROTHER Distributed by Universal Pictures by Wilson Morales Directed by Malcolm Lee, the UNDERCOVER BROTHER DVD includes over 8 hours of special features including the music video that Snoop Dogg did, “Undercover Brother (Give Up The Funk)”. Originally an animated series on the web created by John Ridley, the DVD does some justice by throwing in some skits that help create the film version. If you thought the film was funny, believe me when I say that the DVD offers a lot more. We get deleted scenes, alternate scenes, and even a blooper reel. We even get commentaries from Malcolm and Eddie. When the film came out last May, it brought some attention to those who taught the blaxploitation era died with Pam Grier. In his career-defining role, Eddie Griffin proves that he can carry a film and hold his own with the likes of Martin Lawrence, and Will Smith. To read a review of the film, click here.