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Jasons's Lyric
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Jasons's Lyric
Store:  House Of Nubian Inc.
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Brand Name:  MGM
Item # / SKU:  8824
A tale of good-and-evil brothers. Jason (Payne) is an honest and dependable workingman; Joshua (Woodbine) is a drug-abusing thief. Jason falls in love with an attractive waitress named Lyric (Pinkett)--more a romantic male fantasy than a real person--and you know what's coming. Several sex scenes were trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating, but gruesome violence remains intact. VHS Only
  • Rated R not sold to persons under 18
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    The Color Purple
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    The Color Purple "Whoopi" DVD
    Store:  House Of Nubian Inc.
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    Brand Name:  Alice Walker
    Item # / SKU:  cp
    There is not a movie in this whole world that moved me more than "The Color Purple". It is an instant classic. Spielberg made great character developments and characteristics, unlike the uninspired characters from his other movies, such as Saving Private Ryan. The women of the movie were absolutely UNFORGETTABLE. Whoopi Goldberg gives the performance of the lifetime as the shy, abused, and mistreated Celie. This is the finest screen debut ever!! Oprah Winfrey was heartbreaking as the strong Sophia. Margaret Avery gives an outstanding dramatic and musical performance as the singer Shug Avery, who were only one of the few people that cared about Celie. These 3 women were all nominated for an Academy Award for these performances. Whoopi- Best Actress, Oprah And Margaret Avery for their suporting roles. This film was tied with "Out of Africa" as the film with the most nominations coming to the 1985 Academy Awards (11 nominations each). But it was the ultimate shut out in oscar history. First of all, director Steven Spielberg wasn't even nominated as its director, after winning the prestigious Director's Guild Awards, but was nominated for Best Picture. Second, The Color Purple didn't even receive a single award out of its great feat of 11 nominations. Out of Africa won the award that year, which was undeserving in The Color Purple's presence,similar to this year's Oscars when Shakespeare in Love won instead of the far greater "Saving Private Ryan" (which is also Steven Spielberg's film). But unlike Shakespeare in Love, Out of Africa was a great masterpiece, but not as great as The Color Purple. This film is a must see. It will make you cry every single time you see it.
  • Starring: Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg
  • Director: Steven Spielberg
  • Encoding: Region 1 (US and Canada only)
  • Format: Color, Widescreen, Closed-captioned, Dolby
  • Rated: PG-13
  • Studio: Warner Studios
  • DVD Features:
  • Production notes
  • Theatrical trailer(s)
  • Widesc
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    Carmen Jones
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    Carmen Jones "VHS & DVD"
    Store:  House Of Nubian Inc.
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    Brand Name:  20th Century Fox
    Item # / SKU:  cj
    Few actresses have captivated the camera as powerfully as Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones. Her polished beauty plays in irresistible contrast to her title character's leonine sexuality and fluid emotions; a man can't decide from moment to moment if he wants to save her from doom, build her a castle, or never let her out of bed. Of course, that's the problem with the boys in this semi-experimental adaptation of Bizet's opera, Carmen. Straight-arrow Joe (a strapping Harry Belafonte), an obedient corporal on a Southern military base during World War II, is all set to go to flight school and marry his hometown sweetie, Cindy Lou (Olga James), when his troublemaking sergeant orders him to accompany Carmen to a civilian court. In short order, Joe is swept up in Carmen's carnal anarchy and her craving for release from lousy options in life. An impulsive act of violence ensures that Joe's future is gone forever, putting Carmen in the difficult position of destroying their relationship to save him. Oscar Hammerstein II took Bizet's music in 1943 and rewrote the book and lyrics. The result is largely a smashing success with a few missteps (the bullfighter in Bizet's piece becomes a heavyweight boxer here, which breaks up a certain grace in the story) and a couple of perfect stretches (the long prelude to Carmen and Joe's first embrace, set on Carmen's hoodoo-ish home turf). Despite the fact that both Dandridge and Belafonte were singers, their vocal performances were dubbed by LeVern Hutcherson and Marilyn Horne. (Yes, it is a little disconcerting to hear another voice come out of the more familiar Belafonte's mouth.) Otto Preminger directed with his usual eye on economy of action and production, as the numerous musical numbers tend to be shot in lengthy, single, carefully choreographed takes. The result can be a little visually static at times, but the passion behind the singing pulls everything through
  • Starring: Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge
  • Director: Otto
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    Imitation of Life
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    Imitation of Life "1934"
    Store:  House Of Nubian Inc.
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    Brand Name:  Universal Studios
    Item # / SKU:  IoL 1934
    This original 1934 version tells the story of two widows and their daughters. Bea, played by Claudette Colbert, and Delilah, played by Louise Beavers. Delilah knocks on Bea's door, thinking that she's found the right house for an advertised maid's job. Delilah stresses how difficult it is finding an employer who'd accept her and her daughter as part of the deal. Bea offers Delilah a job on a trial basis, but her kind demeanour quickly grows on Bea, and Delilah ends up staying permanently.

    Delilah shares her family's pancake recipe with Bea, and before long, a successful business is in operation. The two of them hit the big time, and soon have an affluent lifestyles (albeit unequal - Delilah still insists on sleeping in the basement). Heartache is just around the corner, though. Delilah's daughter, Peola (played by Fredi Washington) is so pale skinned that she passes for white and rejects her mother. Peola's melancholy persona and rejection breaks Delilah's heart. Peola feels that without her mother around, she could easily join the dominant culture.

    At the same time, Bea's has problems of her own to contend with, but of a different kind. Bea and her daughter, Jesse, are in love with the same man, and this can only end in disaster.

    Imitation of Life caused controversy when it was released in 1934. Even today, almost 70 years later, the movie sparks discussions and debates among social commentators. Some complained that the maid stereotype played by Louise Beavers was racist, and is so politically incorrect. Think of life in America in the 30s:

    1 The country was in the middle of the Great Depression 2 Civil rights movements were 30 years away 3 Racial segregation was ingrained in society 4 Film roles for African Americans were extremely limited

    When you consider these points, the plot of the film makes sense. The performances by the main characters are superb. Claudette looks particularly elegant and decadent, yet she remains humble and grounded, unlike the flighty 'diva' persona of Lana Turner's character. Louise Beavers may have been restricted to playing maids, but she made the most of her part. She was the best mother Peola could have wanted. Unfortunately, Peola felt that she was the wrong mother for her.

    The most beguiling character is Peola. Fredi Washington's life was something of a paradox. She was beautiful, green-eyed, straight haired and intelligent. At one point, it seemed as if Peola and Fredi's lives would merge. Fredi was encouraged to pass for white early on in her career. She refused. As such, her film roles were limited. She was far too beautiful and elegant to play maid roles, yet, as an African American actress, Hollywood didn't dare offer her romantic roles with the leading white actors. She was an actress that 30s Hollywood didn't know how to handle.

    Imitation of Life is a classic movie that's worth getting.
  • Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, See more
  • Director: John M. Stahl
  • Format: NTSC
  • Color: Black & White
  • Rated: NR
  • Studio: Universal Studios
  • Video Release Date: January 29, 2002
  • Run Time: 1hr 51min
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    Imitation of Life
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    Imitation of Life "1959"
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    Brand Name:  Douglas Sirk
    Item # / SKU:  IoL 1959
    Douglas Sirk's 1959 remake of John Stahl's 1934 film, Imitation of Life, is a parody of the original. In a comical rendition, Imitation of Life, addresses intersections of race, social and economic class, and gender in the film, as well as existing stereotypes, through the use of Neo-Brechtian gestik acting which means over-the-top, melodramatic and campy acting that is quoting a character and his/her emotions and exaggerates the role of a character in a situation. Sirk deliberately wanted to use gestik acting and avoided method acting (acting out what your emotions would really be, if you were in a certain situation) because he didn't want audiences to think that this film was real and to be taken seriously. Two single-parenting mothers, Annie and Lora meet on the beach of Coney Island, in search of Lora's daughter Suzie. When Lora and Suzie find out that Annie and her daughter Sara Jane are homeless, Lora decides to let them live in her apartment as long as Annie agrees to contribute some help around the house, and do the dirty work for Lora. Annie is depicted as a parody for blackness, just because she has typical attributes of any nanny. A loving, nurturing, understanding, and caring mother is the stereotypical mother that society adores which is played out by Annie. On the other hand Lora is a neglecting figure in the eyes of Suzie. Annie is more like the mother for Suzie, but not Sara Jane. Sara Jane refuses to admit that she a daughter to a black woman and passes as a white girl while in school. Sara Jane fires up the racial tension in this film because of her denial and mistreatment towards her mother. Lora meets a man named Steve, who almost right away, proposes to her. She denies the proposal in an effort to pursue her dream of becoming a Hollywood actress. Steve tries to make her stay, by telling her that she doesn't have to work, and that he will bring home to money. This shows us how Steve along with the majority of society view women and their roles of life. A women's life should be to stay home, clean, take care of the kids, and put dinner on the table, which is the old fashion way that much of male Americans viewed women to perform in. Opposite roles of gender for the male figure in this film was shown through Steve, who has found a detective out of now where, who has found Sara Jane and her place of refuge from her mother. This situation renders Steve as if he were Superman, the one being able to fix any problem. This campy imitation of life is viewed throughout most of the film, except for the scene of Annie's funeral, where Mahalia Jackson sings a gospel song. Eulogy of Annie is brought to her through the singing voice of Mahalia. This scene is supposed to be a serious one among the other witty scenes, because the character of Mahalia is the only realistic one in this film and is not to be criticized. Mahalia does not exemplify the overly dramatic acting.
  • Run Time: 2hrs 4min
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    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1968)
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    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1968)
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    Brand Name:  Columbia Pictures
    Item # / SKU:  GwctD
  • Starring: Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn, Katherine Houghton
  • Director: Stanley Kramer
    Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn (who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance) 1967 movie about mixed marriage. Joanna (Katherine Houghton), the beautiful daughter of crusading publisher Matthew Drayton (Tracy) and his patrician wife Christina (Hepburn), returns home with her new fiancé John Prentice (Sidney Poitier), a distinguished black doctor. Christina accepts her daughter's decision to marry John, but Matthew is shocked by this interracial union; the doctor's parents are equally dismayed. Both families must sit down face to face and examine each other's level of intolerance.
  • Run Time: 1hr 48min
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    Shaft
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    Shaft
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    Brand Name:  Gordon Parks
    Item # / SKU:  8818
    Gordon Parks directed this 1971 detective story about John Shaft (Richard Roundtree), an African American private eye who has a rocky relationship with cops, an even rockier one with Harlem gangsters, and a healthy sex life. The script finds Shaft tracking down the kidnapped daughter of a black mobster, but the pleasure of the film is the sum of its attitude, Roundtree's uncompromising performance, and the thrilling, Oscar-winning score by Isaac Hayes. Parks seems fond of certain detective genre clichés (e.g., the hero walking into his low-rent office and finding a hood waiting to talk with him), but he and Roundtree make those moments their own. Shaft had a couple of sequels and a follow-up television series, but none had the impact this movie did.
  • VHS & DVD
  • Rated R
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    Autobiograpghy of Miss Jane Pittman
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    Autobiograpghy of Miss Jane Pittman "VHS & DVD"
    Store:  House Of Nubian Inc.
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    Brand Name:  Movies4U
    Item # / SKU:  amjp
    This 1973 television movie about 110 years of American history as seen through the eyes of a black woman from Louisiana (Cicely Tyson) is a terrific achievement, a window onto racism from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. Tyson gives a career performance as the title character, whose personal life is inextricably woven into the fabric of the African American struggle for equality. A mixture of the sentimental and the unflinching, this is the kind of educational experience that fully engages a viewer
  • Director: John Korty
  • Format: Color, NTSC
  • Rated: NR
  • Studio: United American Video
  • VHS Features:
  • NTSC format (US and Canada only)
  • Color, NTSC
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