Some trivia questions
 

Here is a trivia question to see how much you know about black cinema:

This is a two-parter:

In the 1975 movie Cooley High, the lead character Preach was aspiring to be a Hollywood screenwriter. In the epilogue he acheived this goal. Preach was based on an actual person. What was his name and what popular 70s TV sitcom did he create? (Hint: double check your sources before you respond).

Part II:
One of the extras in Cooley High, whose name was not listed in the credits, became a very successful writer/actor/director in Hollywood in the 80s and 90s. Who was he?

(If no one gets Part II after 4-5 responses, I will start posting hints).

Re: Some trivia questions
 

Part One:Good TImes and I can't think of his name, but he is an actor and he was in Busta Rymes video as a detective. This is the video where Busta was dressed up as a white man running from him. Ohh, I can't think of the name of that song, but I think it was "put ya hands where my eyes can see". now I've got to go and find out this guys name.

Re: Re: Some trivia questions
 

CORRECT! *ding* I was saying check your sources b/c I initially wasn't going to accept What's Happening as an answer until I found out this individual, in addition to Good Times, did create What's Happening (duh on my part). That was why I was saying to check your sources. BTW, What's Happening was originally called Cooley High in the pilot episode, but because it wasn't well received, ABC renamed it to What's Happening.

C'mon, Honeykiss. I know you can tell me the creator's name *smile* You can do it!

I have received only one guess for the Part II question (albeit incorrect) but lemme hear from ya!

Re: Re: Re: Some trivia questions
 

BILL DUKE!!!! It just came to me!!!

Part Two:

ROBERT TOWNSEND!!!!!!

GIMME MY PRIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been meaning to address this:

PHAT BEACH was stink, stank awful!!!!! I rented this hot mess one rainy saturday and I swear I felt like driving back to Hollywood video and demand my 99 cents back!!!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Some trivia questions
 

Part One Response: INCORRECT *BZZZZZZZ* Good guess, though.

Part Two Response: CORRECT! *ding*. But hold on now, Honeykiss, before you grab that prize, since you knows your stuff, let's go for double or nothing. You must get both parts correct in order to claim the prize.

What role did Robert Townsend play in Cooley High AND what were the two lines he said in the film?

Umm excuse me Bill Duke was a co-creator of Good Times, as well as Cooley High. You must be thinking of Eric Monte, since in addition to Cooley High, he was also a creator of What's Happening.


I know I remember that Robert Towsend played one of the kids in the gym scene, but I can't remember his lines.

Bill Duke was involved with the writing and creation of Good Times (and Cooley High) but he was not the basis for Preach's character, Eric Monte (CORRECT! *ding*) was the basis for Preach.

Yes, Robert Townsend did play one of the kids in the gym scene. I will give you a hint on what his two lines were. One had to do with gym, the other had to do with Preach and Cochise's dilemma and the ultimate consequence thereof.

Anyone out there can give Honeykiss here a hand.

More entries (and the answer)
 

Robert Townsend's lines were:

"I got Cochise on my side" and "Somebody ought to kick 'yo a**"
Here's your prize, Honeykiss *RM gives Honeykiss a nicely wrapped large package* Enjoy!!

Now for more entries:

Disco Godfather (1979) a Rudy Ray Moore film (Dolemite). Dolemite is a former cop who campaigns against PCP after his basketball star nephew trips out on it. Numerous scenes of hallucinations complete with cartoonish gunfire and blood spurting out (also cartoonish).

Note: I picked what many said was the worst Rudy Ray Moore movie. I would not riff on "Dolemite" or "The Human Tornado" for three reasons: One--they are considered "good movies" as far as their genre goes. Two--It would be too easy; everybody and their mama has done it, I like fresh territory. Three--it's kinda redundant; both movies really make fun of themselves in a way.

The Black Witch Project (2002)--another version of the acclaimed "Blair Witch Project" movie. I haven't seen this one yet and a commentary is coming soon.

Any Master P movie (I'm 'Bout It, MP Da Last Don, etc.)

Note: while this isn't a black movie, I had to include this because I considered this to be the Mary J. Blige of movies:

Epicenter (2000). An FBI agent pursues an intelligence criminal in the aftermath of a major LA earthquake. This movie had a major gunfight right in the middle of the quake. I'm talkin' things are falling left and right and folk is just shootin' away like nothing is happening. This movie ripped off scenes from three different movies:

Metro (the car chase/streetcar scene)
Money Train (during the quake, the "money train" derails and cartwheels)
Speed (two kids stuck in an elevator barely escapes and the elevator almost cut a girl's legs off before it comes crashing below. Notice the harness-hook trying to hold the elevator left over from "Speed").

Cmon now, keep em comin'
RM

More celluloid fodder
 

Another entry from da ghetto vault:

Chat Room (2002) Another ghettofabulous Brian Hooks film in which Max (Hooks) and his two friends made a bet with another brother back in high school about whoever could bring the finest looking date to their 10-year class reunion would win $50 (well due to the "suave" brother making some investments with the $50, the pot swelled to $50,000. Well, Max, Jellyroll (this fat brother that eats every 5 minutes), and a third friend get on line and try to find dates by that means. The results should be rather obvious. But there was a winner at the end of the bet.

SPOILER ALERT! The most OUTRAGEOUS character in the movie was named Star, one of Max's dates found online. Her acting was over the top and her antics were crazier than catnip. Note: on MST3K there are "host segments" every 30 minutes where the trio watching the movie leave the theater and talk about the movie, perform a skit, or get a visitor, usually someone from the movie they're watching. Well, in MGT3K, we will have to use Star as a visitor via the Hexfield View Screen, b/c she is THAT over the top.

Anyway, I plan to rent "Hairdo U" and let you know what that was all about.

RM

Straight Outta Brooklyn was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E!!!

CB4......I can't even remember what the entire movie was about but I THINK Chris Rock was in it.

Re: More celluloid fodder
 

Ugggggggggghhhhhhhhh, why couldn't you have posted this like 4 days ago? I had the horrible misfortune of watching this movie last week. When I saw that this topic was brought back to the top, I was on my way in to post about this travesty of a movie. The DVD I had was scratched towards the end, so I was put out of my misery before finding out who won the bet. But let me guess..... Ol' girl who was the waitress at the restaraunt miraculously took off those geeky glasses, let her hair down and became the belle of the ball? Please tell me I'm wrong and the ending gave the movie some redeeming qualities.:rolleyes:

What about "Never 2 Big", also known as "Butter", which stars Shemar Moore, Nia Long, Mark Wahlberg, Salli Richardson, etc.? I thought that it was totally off the wall!