Wright, Carl

Soul Food

Soul Food is the kind of movie that seems to have been blessed throughout its low-budget production, and it's got a quality of warmth and charm that fits perfectly with its authentic drama about a large African-American family in Chicago. Twenty-eight-year-old writer-director George Tillman Jr. drew autobiographical inspiration from his upbringing in Milwaukee, and on a well-spent $6.5 million budget he succeeded where similar films (including Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back) fell short: He depicts his many characters with such depth and sympathy that, by the time they have weathered several family crises, we've come to care and feel for them and the powerful ties that bind them together. As seen through the eyes of Tillman's young alter ego Ahmad (Brandon Hammond), the film primarily focuses on the rivalries and affections that rise and fall among Ahmad's mother (Vivica A. Fox) and her two sisters (Vanessa L. Williams, Nia Long). Through them, and through the weekly Sunday dinners cooked with love by their mother, Big Mama (Irma P. Hall), we witness marital bliss and distress, infidelity, success, failure... in short, the spices of life both bitter and sweet. But when Big Mama falls into a diabetic coma, Ahmad watches as his family begins to fall apart without the stability and love that Big Mama provided with every Sunday meal.

Tillman's touch can be overly nostalgic, melodramatic, and cloyingly sentimental, but never so much that the movie loses its firm grip on reality. As a universal portrait of family life, Soul Food ranks among the very best films of its kind--believable, funny, emotional, and always approaching its characters (well-played by a uniformly excellent cast) with a generous spirit of forgiveness and understanding. As satisfying as one of Big Mama's delicious dinners, Soul Food is the kind of movie that keeps you coming back for more. --Jeff Shannon

Sunday dinner at Mothers Joe's (Irma P. Hall) is a mouth watering, 40 year tradition. As seen through the eyes of her grandson Ahmad (Brandon Hammond), love and laughs are always on the menu, despite the usual rivalries simmering between his mom Maxine and her sisters Teri an bird. But when serious bickering starts to tear the family apart, the good times suddenly stop. Now it's up to Ahmad to get everyone back together and teach them the true meaning of soul food.

Big Momma's House (Special Edition)

Disguise the limit. "Martin Lawrence brings down the house" (E! Online) as crafty FBI agent Malcolm Turner who s willing to go through thick and thin in order to catch an escaped federal prisoner. "Nia Long is capitvating" (Checkout.com) as Sherry the con s sexy former flame - she might have the skinny on millions in stolen lot and she s headed for Georgia to lay low for a while. That s enough to send Malcolm deep undercover as Big Momma an oversized overbearing Southern granny with an attitude as tough as her pork chops. The result is an outrageous comedy of epic proportions filled with nonstop laughs and plenty of action!System Requirements:Starring: Martin Lawrence Nia Long Paul Giamatti Jascha Washington Terrence Dashon Howard Ella Mitchell Anthony Anderson and Carl Wright. Directed By: Raja Gosnell. Running Time: 98 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Twentieth Century Fox.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 024543008194 Manufacturer No: 2000819

No one tries very hard in Big Momma's House, so your enjoyment of this Martin Lawrence vehicle pretty much depends on how much amusement you're able to derive from a guy dressed up as a very ample woman. The setup is of the eye-rolling, only-in-Hollywood nature: Lawrence, as detective Malcolm Turner, is after a killer, and apparently the only way to capture him is to pose as the bad guy's ex-girlfriend's grandmother, who--the film cannot stress this point too much--is quite large.

Apparently, Sherry (Nia Long), the young woman in question--she's as attractive as Big Momma is, well, you know--is none too bright, for she falls for Malcolm's ruse, which of course ostensibly amuses mainly because it's so transparent. She at least has an excuse--she hasn't seen Big Momma in two years--but Big Momma's oblivious friends must be functional morons. Screenwriters Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer didn't tax themselves very much, as they have Malcolm-as-Big-Momma going through fairly predictable motions--botching a meal and delivering a baby unconventionally (Big Momma's a midwife), but ruling at basketball and self- defense and protecting Sherry while trying vainly not to flirt with her. Paul Giamatti is wasted as Malcolm's partner; director Raja Gosnell's clunky sense of comic rhythm is bewildering, because he used to be an editor (he brought a similar lack of magic to Home Alone 3).

Lawrence won't have anyone forgetting Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot, Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire anytime soon. Big Momma's House benefits mainly by being first to the marketplace ahead of Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps; Murphy's work in prosthetics is far more accomplished, versatile, and funny. --David Kronke

Barbershop 2 - Back in Business (Special Edition)

Ice Cube triumphantly returns as Calvin Palmer, proud proprietor of a neighborhood barbershop in Barbershop 2. The first Barbershop was a surprise smash; even more surprising is how good this sequel is. The plot isn't much--there's a corporate haircutting chain opening across the street, leading to the usual sentiments about the importance of small businesses and neighborhoods--but the well-conceived characters and the loose, genuine banter give this movie a striking richness of feeling. Barbershop 2 cuts back and forth in time, flashing back to when Eddie (garrulous Cedric the Entertainer), the shop's oldest and most outspoken barber, first came to work for Calvin's father. Glimpses of black history give weight to the modern-day struggles; most impressively, this device doesn't feel forced or cynical. Also returning are Eve, Troy Garity, and Sean Patrick Thomas; Queen Latifah (Bringing Down the House) is a new face on the block. --Bret Fetzer

You ll need a second viewing just to catch all the jokes! LA WeeklyGo back to the barbershop with Ice Cube Cedric the Entertainer and an all-star cast in this sharp savvy (Entertainment Weekly) sequel that s a pleasing blend of humor sentiment and commentary (Los Angeles Times)!Special Features:Deleted ScenesHilarious OuttakesCast Video Commentary by Cedric the Entertainer Sean Patrick Thomas Troy Garity and Jaszmin Lewis Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Rodney Sullivan and Producers Robert Teitel and George Tillman Jr. Extended Music Video Mary J. Blige Featuring Eve: Not Today Music Video Sleepy Brown Featuring OutKast: I Can t Wait Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery Original Theatrical TrailerSystem Requirements: Running Time 106 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616905147 Manufacturer No: 1006313

The Cookout (Widescreen Edition)

Queen Latifah lends her comic sparkle to The Cookout, a new comedy she also helped conceive. Todd Anderson (Quran Pender) becomes a first draft pick in professional basketball and starts spending like there's no tomorrow; he buys a car, diamonds for his golddigging girlfriend (Meagan Good), and a huge house in a gated community. But though his life has been turned upside down, his family hasn't--and when everyone assembles in his new ritzy neighborhood for a celebratory cook-out, chaos follows. The Cookout is loaded with charismatic performers, such as Jenifer Lewis (Juwanna Mann) as Todd's no-nonsense mother, Eve (Barbershop) as his former best friend, Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) as a new neighbor, and the aforementioned Latifah (Bringing Down the House) as an over-ambitious security guard. Unfortunately, the underdeveloped script gives them little to do and nowhere to go. Many lessons are learned, but few laughs are had. --Bret Fetzer

When Todd Anderson signs a $30 million deal with his hometown team the New Jersey Nets he knows that his life is set for a big change. To keep things real he decides to throw a barbeque at this place just like the ones his family used to have. But when your have new and old friends family agents and product reps in the same house things are bound to get crazy.System Requirements: Running Time 97 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 031398168294 Manufacturer No: 16829

Barbershop & Barbershop 2: Back in Business

Disc 1: BARBERSHOP 1 Disc 2: BARBERSHOP 2

Movies With Soul Collection (How Stella Got Her Groove Back / Waiting to Exhale / Soul Food)

Disc 1: Soul Food Disc 2: How Stella Got Her Groove Back Disc 3: Waiting to Exhale

Soul Food

Soul Food is the kind of movie that seems to have been blessed throughout its low-budget production, and it's got a quality of warmth and charm that fits perfectly with its authentic drama about a large African-American family in Chicago. Twenty-eight-year-old writer-director George Tillman Jr. drew autobiographical inspiration from his upbringing in Milwaukee, and on a well-spent $6.5 million budget he succeeded where similar films (including Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back) fell short: He depicts his many characters with such depth and sympathy that, by the time they have weathered several family crises, we've come to care and feel for them and the powerful ties that bind them together. As seen through the eyes of Tillman's young alter ego Ahmad (Brandon Hammond), the film primarily focuses on the rivalries and affections that rise and fall among Ahmad's mother (Vivica A. Fox) and her two sisters (Vanessa L. Williams, Nia Long). Through them, and through the weekly Sunday dinners cooked with love by their mother, Big Mama (Irma P. Hall), we witness marital bliss and distress, infidelity, success, failure... in short, the spices of life both bitter and sweet. But when Big Mama falls into a diabetic coma, Ahmad watches as his family begins to fall apart without the stability and love that Big Mama provided with every Sunday meal.

Tillman's touch can be overly nostalgic, melodramatic, and cloyingly sentimental, but never so much that the movie loses its firm grip on reality. As a universal portrait of family life, Soul Food ranks among the very best films of its kind--believable, funny, emotional, and always approaching its characters (well-played by a uniformly excellent cast) with a generous spirit of forgiveness and understanding. As satisfying as one of Big Mama's delicious dinners, Soul Food is the kind of movie that keeps you coming back for more. --Jeff Shannon

Sunday dinner at Mothers Joe's (Irma P. Hall) is a mouth watering, 40 year tradition. As seen through the eyes of her grandson Ahmad (Brandon Hammond), love and laughs are always on the menu, despite the usual rivalries simmering between his mom Maxine and her sisters Teri an bird. But when serious bickering starts to tear the family apart, the good times suddenly stop. Now it's up to Ahmad to get everyone back together and teach them the true meaning of soul food.

Big Momma's House (Full-Screen Edition)

To protect a single mom from her ex-con ex-boyfriend, FBI agent, Malcolm Turner, goes undercover disguised as her grandmother.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 2-SEP-2003
Media Type: DVD

No one tries very hard in Big Momma's House, so your enjoyment of this Martin Lawrence vehicle pretty much depends on how much amusement you're able to derive from a guy dressed up as a very ample woman. The setup is of the eye-rolling, only-in-Hollywood nature: Lawrence, as detective Malcolm Turner, is after a killer, and apparently the only way to capture him is to pose as the bad guy's ex-girlfriend's grandmother, who--the film cannot stress this point too much--is quite large.

Apparently, Sherry (Nia Long), the young woman in question--she's as attractive as Big Momma is, well, you know--is none too bright, for she falls for Malcolm's ruse, which of course ostensibly amuses mainly because it's so transparent. She at least has an excuse--she hasn't seen Big Momma in two years--but Big Momma's oblivious friends must be functional morons. Screenwriters Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer didn't tax themselves very much, as they have Malcolm-as-Big-Momma going through fairly predictable motions--botching a meal and delivering a baby unconventionally (Big Momma's a midwife), but ruling at basketball and self- defense and protecting Sherry while trying vainly not to flirt with her. Paul Giamatti is wasted as Malcolm's partner; director Raja Gosnell's clunky sense of comic rhythm is bewildering, because he used to be an editor (he brought a similar lack of magic to Home Alone 3).

Lawrence won't have anyone forgetting Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot, Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire anytime soon. Big Momma's House benefits mainly by being first to the marketplace ahead of Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps; Murphy's work in prosthetics is far more accomplished, versatile, and funny. --David Kronke

Big Momma's House

No one tries very hard in Big Momma's House, so your enjoyment of this Martin Lawrence vehicle pretty much depends on how much amusement you're able to derive from a guy dressed up as a very ample woman. The setup is of the eye-rolling, only-in-Hollywood nature: Lawrence, as detective Malcolm Turner, is after a killer, and apparently the only way to capture him is to pose as the bad guy's ex-girlfriend's grandmother, who--the film cannot stress this point too much--is quite large.

Apparently, Sherry (Nia Long), the young woman in question--she's as attractive as Big Momma is, well, you know--is none too bright, for she falls for Malcolm's ruse, which of course ostensibly amuses mainly because it's so transparent. She at least has an excuse--she hasn't seen Big Momma in two years--but Big Momma's oblivious friends must be functional morons. Screenwriters Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer didn't tax themselves very much, as they have Malcolm-as-Big-Momma going through fairly predictable motions--botching a meal and delivering a baby unconventionally (Big Momma's a midwife), but ruling at basketball and self- defense and protecting Sherry while trying vainly not to flirt with her. Paul Giamatti is wasted as Malcolm's partner; director Raja Gosnell's clunky sense of comic rhythm is bewildering, because he used to be an editor (he brought a similar lack of magic to Home Alone 3).

Lawrence won't have anyone forgetting Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot, Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, or Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire anytime soon. Big Momma's House benefits mainly by being first to the marketplace ahead of Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps; Murphy's work in prosthetics is far more accomplished, versatile, and funny. --David Kronke

FBI agent Malcolm Turner is tough smart and a master of disguise. There's nothing he can't handle. Stop a brutal crime ring? No problem. Malcolm transforms himself into an aged Asian man to crack the case. Malcolm's latest assignment brings him to a small southern town where he's determined to trap a brutal bank robber (and a recent prison escapee). Malcolm sets up a stakeout across from the home of a southern matriarch known as Big Momma who's about to be visited by the con's former flame Sherry and her son. It's a simple plan but there's one Big Problem: Big Momma has unexpectedly left town. So Malcolm taking on his most challenging "role" ever decided to impersonate the cantankerous Southern granny. Using a few tricks of disguise he completely transforms himself into Big Momma even taking on the corpulent septuagenarian's everyday routine-from cooking soul food to delivering babies to "testifying" at the local church. As if things weren't complicated ! enough Malcolm finds himself falling for Sherry who might be hiding some stolen cash. Now Malcolm/Big Momma must somehow find a way to get his man - and woman.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 024543008200 Manufacturer No: 2000820

The Cookout

Queen Latifah lends her comic sparkle to The Cookout, a new comedy she also helped conceive. Todd Anderson (Quran Pender) becomes a first draft pick in professional basketball and starts spending like there's no tomorrow; he buys a car, diamonds for his golddigging girlfriend (Meagan Good), and a huge house in a gated community. But though his life has been turned upside down, his family hasn't--and when everyone assembles in his new ritzy neighborhood for a celebratory cook-out, chaos follows. The Cookout is loaded with charismatic performers, such as Jenifer Lewis (Juwanna Mann) as Todd's no-nonsense mother, Eve (Barbershop) as his former best friend, Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) as a new neighbor, and the aforementioned Latifah (Bringing Down the House) as an over-ambitious security guard. Unfortunately, the underdeveloped script gives them little to do and nowhere to go. Many lessons are learned, but few laughs are had. --Bret Fetzer