Tag: Film

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2/12/24 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY- BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Sounder (1972)| Cicely Tyson | Paul Winfield | Kevin Hooks

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Four Oscar nominations went to Sounder a moving drama about a family of Louisiana sharecroppers facing hardships during the Depression. The story concerns Nathan Lee Morgan (Paul Winfield), a black man sent to a prison camp for committing a petty crime. When his wife Rebecca (Cicely Tyson) sends their young son (Kevin Hooks) to visit him, the boy’s journey becomes a life changing rite of passage. Critic Roger Ebert praised Sounder, calling it “a film for the family to see.” Continue reading

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2/1/24 O&A NYC BLACK HISTORY MONTH THROWBACK THURSDAY : Cab Calloway- Minnie the Moocher

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Minnie the Moocher is a jazz-scat song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over a million copies.”Minnie the Moocher” is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed (“scat”) lyrics (for example, “Hi De Hi De Hi De Ho”). Continue reading

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1/26/24 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Chris Rudd’s Touché featuring Calvin Royal III and João Menegussi

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Touché, a work for two dancers, explores the themes of male love. The pas de deux was created by Chris Rudd and featured dancers danced by Calvin Royal III (Adam) and João Menegussi (Steve). Continue reading

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1/22/24 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Claudine (1974) Starring Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones

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Claudine is a 1974 American romantic comedy-drama film, directed by John Berry. Claudine was written by Lester Pine and Tina Pine, starring James Earl Jones, Diahann Carroll and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs.  The film was released on April 22, 1974, grossing about $6 million, a modest hit for the times. It was praised for showing a new dimension in black cinema during the height of blaxploitation. Continue reading

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11/29/23 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: Whoopi Goldberg- Direct From Broadway, 1984 – 1985, (originally – Spook Show)

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In 1983 Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson) created The Spook Show, a one-woman show composed of different character monologues. Director Mike Nichols offered to take the show to Broadway. Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway premiered on October 24, 1984 and ran until March 10, 1985, for a total of 156 performances. Continue reading

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11/27/23 HOLLYWOOD MONDAY- REVIEW: RUSTIN

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By Alex Smith Jr.

I went to an advance screening of the film RUSTIN last night (Oct. 12, 2023). It was opening the 35th Anniversary of the LGBTQ+ Annual Film Festival here in NYC. This film is a triumph plain and simple. I am trying to hold back from using to many superlatives to lavish on this film. Continue reading

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11/23/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY ON THANKGIVING : Miracle On 34th Street

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After a divorced New York mother (Maureen O’Hara) hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn) at Macy’s, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer (John Payne) defends him in court by arguing that he’s not mistaken.
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10/20/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: House of Flowers From Carmen & Geoffrey (2005)

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This House of Flowers excerpt featuring Geoffrey Holder and Carmen De Lavallade  is from the 2005 documentary Carmen & Geoffrey. Holder and his brother Boscoe talk about their early roots in Trinidad, forming a dance company and Holder meeting his wife (De Lavallade) in the 1955 production of House of Flowers. Continue reading

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10/9/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Cooley High

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Set in 1964 Chicago, Cooley High is a slice-of-life tale of high school students coping with the challenges of everyday life and growing up in the shadows of the housing projects. Continue reading

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9/25/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: The life of Alvin Ailey

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Alvin Ailey revolutionized the world of dance by honoring the African American experience, but his journey was not without its struggles. Continue reading