The trailer has been released for the upcoming culture-shock comedy film, Step Sisters, debuting January 19 as a Netflix original.
The film, originally planned for a March theatrical release, was in limbo after Broad Green Pictures halted its production division. This impacted over 50 theatrical releases they had pending.
Scripted by Dear White People’s Chuck Hayward and directed by Drumline’s Charles Stone III, the story centers on an ambitious black sorority girl, Jamilah, who is enlisted by her dean to teach the art of black Greek stepping to a white sorority whose charter is about to be revoked. She does this so that she can get admitted to the law school of her dreams.
Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman, Ben Cory Jones, Lena Waithe and Matt Alvarez are producers.
Megalyn Echikunwoke stars in the film, and is joined by Dear White People stars Nia Jervier and Marque Richardson, Power’s Naturi Naughton, How to Get Away with Murder’s Matt McGorry, as well as Eden Sher, Lyndon Smith, Gage Golightly and Alessandra Torresani.
Watch the trailer and view the poster below:
Source: Shadow & Act
On this day in comedy on December 29, 1966, Comedian, Actor, Writer, Host, Mystro Clark was born in Dayton, OH
Known as the “100% Brother”, Clark cut his comedy teeth at the legendary Comedy Act Theater in Los Angeles in the late 1980s. In this pre-Black Comedy Boom period he was mentored by talents such as Robin Harris and Reynaldo Rey and honed a rapid fire comedic style grounded in precise visual imagery. Those writing skills served him well as a writer for the Bill Bellamy show mixing live action with advanced puppetry, Cousin Skeeter.
Clark was seasoned by constantly being on stage. By staying in performance shape when opportunities arose he was ready. One such career break came when Don Cornelius decided to step down as full-time host of his cultural phenomenon, Soul Train. After trying out numerous guest hosts, the long-running program’s creator decided on Clark. His energetic approach gave the show new life and alerted the 1997 audience that there was a new sheriff in town and they better like him. The audience liked him enough, but unfortunately, internal conflicts with the micromanaging Cornelius lead to a termination of the Clark Era in 1999, but not an end to the Clark juggernaut.
Clark could also act. He starred in the short-lived sitcom, The Newz, as well as The Show, Off Limits and Lovespring International. And when he wasn’t working in television full time he was guest-starring on any number of sitcoms. He also did feature films. Clark was featured in the Carrot Top epic movie, Chairman of the Board. He co-starred with Dolph Lundgren in Storm Chaser and appeared in Shrink with Kevin Spacey and the film Out at the Wedding in 2006. Other credits include hosting syndicated children’s programs and releasing the comedy album, Sexy, Funny Bastard.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on December 27, 1939, Actor, John A. Amos, Jr. was born in Newark, New Jersey
Described by Kansas City Chief’s football coach, Hank Stram as “”you’re not a football player, you’re a man who is trying to play football” when Amos tried out for the team (he was signed or played on 9 teams in various leagues), he moved on from his athletic pursuits into acting. In 1970 he gained national notoriety as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on the iconic sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. That gig lasted until 1973. He then landed the role he is most remembered for – James Evans, Sr. on Norman Lear’s Good Times. Evans was a no-nonsense father cut from the old school cloth of hard-working men from that era. Unfortunately, after becoming a hit is was evident to Amos that the show’s executives were more interested in the buffoonery of his eldest TV son, JJ (Jimmie Walker) than trying to present positive images and mine the aspirations of the other two children (Bern Nadette Stanis and Ralph Carter) for comedy. He admittedly became a disruption and Lear fired him after season three.
Amos was not unemployed long. During his Good Times tenure, he’d shot the Sidney Poitier directed hit Let’s Do It Again in 1975. One of his co-stars was Jimmie Walker. Amos went on to guest star or be a recurring character in TV shows like, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Cosby Show, In the House, Martin, Men in Trees, All About the Andersons, Two and a Half Men and My Name is Earl. His film roles include The World’s Greatest Athlete, Roots, Coming to America, The Players Club, Die Hard 2, My Baby’s Daddy, Dr. Dolittle 3 and Madea’s Witness Protection.
The versatile Amos wrote, produced and starred in his critically praised one-man play, Halley’s Comet. He’s appeared in music videos, released his own album of original country tunes in 2009 and was a national spokesman for The Cochran Firm (like in Johnny Cochran). John Amos is a multiple NAACP and Emmy nominee and holds the record of more wins than any other artist from the TV Land Awards.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on December 25, 1907, Musician, Bandleader, Singer, Songwriter, Cabell “Cab” Calloway III was born in Rochester, New York
In a career that spanned eight decades, the innovative Cab Calloway was a pioneer in comedy recordings. In his era of post-minstrel acceptance, comedy was reflected in music with the lyrics as the set ups and punchlines. Bandleaders like Calloway, Louis Jordan and Fat Waller blended musical virtuosity with humorous themes. These recordings and filmed musical shorts were the precursors to “party records”; those XXX-rated albums sold in brown paper bags from under the record store clerk’s counter. The songs of Calloway were tamer than the verbal assaults of Redd Foxx, Lawanda Page, Rudy Ray Moore and others, but no less vital to the genre. With tunes like “The Skunk Song” (referencing to a man’s offensive odor) Calloway’s orchestra was able to show off their musicianship as well as their sense of humor.
Calloway began formal vocal lessons at age 15. He was good, but despite his parents and teachers guiding him towards a career in law (like his father), Calloway wanted to sing and perform jazz. The family had relocated to Baltimore and there he met influential jazz artists as he hung out in the local spots trying to pick up pointers. Once he graduated high school he joined his sister, Blanche (an accomplished musician and bandleader well before Cab and his inspiration to pursue show business) touring in the black musical revue, Plantation Days. Afterwards he went to Chicago where he gained attention as a drummer, singer and club MC. It was during this time he met Louis Armstrong who taught Calloway how to scat; which became an integral part of his act and persona.
The big thing in the 1930s and ‘40s were big bands and Calloway got him one. He took over a strong, but unsung group, The Missourians and got them a booking substituting for Duke Ellington’s Orchestra at the Cotton Club in Harlem when Ellington toured. Calloway’s new group (now called Cab Calloway & his Orchestra) was so well received that when Ellington returned Calloway’s band stayed on as the co-house group. As his popularity grew, Calloway was regularly featured on live radio broadcasts and was caricatured in cartoons (Betty Boop, Porky Pig).
Calloway reconfigured boundaries. With his hit, Minnie the Moocher, Calloway became known as “The Hi De Ho Man”. He performed flashy dance moves (including a gliding back step called The Buzz then, but later known as The Moonwalk) and sang about the joys of smoking weed (His song, Reefer Man). He did some duets with Al Jolson in the movie The Singing Kid and blew Jolson off the screen. He was a judge for WWE Wrestle Mania 2. He penned the book, Cab Calloway’s The Hepsters Dictionary: Language of Jive, wrote the column “Coastin with Cab” for Song Hits Magazine and had his autobiography, Of Minnie the Moocher and Me published in 1976. Calloway starred in all-black race films, Hollywood mainstream movies, commercials and appeared on Sesame Street. He popularized Zoot Suits and even after his band broke up in the late 40s, Calloway remained active in stage and screen projects; most notably 1980s The Blues Brothers (capturing a new generation and causing career resurgence) until his death on November 18, 1994 five months after suffering a severe stroke.
Cab Calloway received the national Medal of the Arts and was presented the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. He posthumously was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 after he was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on December 22, 1953, Actress, Author, Bern Nadette Stanis (Bernadette Stanislaus) was born in Brooklyn, New York
The Julliard School graduate is best known for her role as Thelma Evans in the CBS hit sitcom Good Times. The Norman Lear produced show about life in the projects ran from 1974-1979. Stanis was the teenage daughter of James (John Amos) and Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) and sister to older brother JJ (Jimmie Walker) and younger brother, Michael (Ralph Carter). The program dealt with social issues of urban life and gave Stanis an opportunity to represent the trials and tribulations of a young black girl in post-Civil Rights America to a generation. The fact she was attractive helped. Girls wanted to look like Thelma and guys wanted a girl who looked like Thelma.
Good Times made Stanis a cultural icon and she embraced it. Unlike many celebrities who the public confused with their popular alter ego, if you called Stanis “Thelma” she’d answer to it with a smile and talk to the adoring fan. She’s done promotional commercials as Thelma, radio spots, personal appearances, Black History Month recollections about Good Times and played Thelma Evans on an episodes of The Wayans Bros. Stanis was even part of a “Battle of the Thelmas” for TV One. The stunt was to air the weddings of Thelma from Good Times (to actor Ben Powers) and the wedding of Anna Maria Horsford (who played Thelma Frye on Amen).
However, Stanis proved she was more than Thelma Evans. Following the cancellation of Good Times, Stanis guest starred on The Love Boat, What’s Happening Now!!, The Cosby Show, The Parent ‘Hood, Girlfriends and Black Jesus. She’s appeared in over a half dozen films and has published two books; Situations 101: Relationships, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly and For Men Only, a collection of her poetry.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on December 21, 2001, How High was released by Universal Pictures
Entertainment Weekly ranked this stoner film as third in their top 10. Other mainstream critics dismissed the Dustin Lee Abraham written movie, but what do they know? It won a Stony Award in 2002. Not bad for the first feature film of director, Jesse Dylan. Starring rappers Method Man and Redman, How High was a celebration of smoking weed and hallucinating.
Two academic loafers get a break is the basic story. Their friend dies. So naturally they use his ashes for fertilizer and grow weed that when smoked brings forth visions of the dead friend. However, he’s a spook with a purpose. He gives his buddies all the right answers to their Finals exams which land them into Harvard University. There, they hook up with beautiful girls and frustrate the Dean (Cain) with their free-wheeling falderal and anecdotes. It’s all good until their plant is ripped off and the two are actually forced to study. When that doesn’t work they dig up another dead guy, smoke his ashes, but no go. Looks like they’re out of college until a truth serum experiment works and they pass their exam. It’s the kind of thing that happens all the time.
How High had a number of comedy cameos. Comedians, Mike Epps, Fred Willard, Tracy Morgan and Garrett Morris are featured as well as comedic personalities, Obba Babatunde, Anna Maria Horsford, Jeffrey Jones, Lark Voorhies, Hector Elizondo, Essence Atkins, Spalding Gray, Chuck Liddell and Cypress Hill. Produced by Danny DeVito and 5 others How High was made on a budget of $20 million and grossed $31,283,790 at the box office.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Lilltleton
www.darryllittleton.lol
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Mariah Carey’s comeback and the mercury’s dip proved a potent combination for ABC’s “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” as viewership soared over last year’s telecast.
ABC averaged 10.5 million viewers and a 3.0 rating/12 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, a spike of more than 50% in both measures over the 2017 telecast, for the 8-10 p.m. ET portion of the annual special.
From 10-11 p.m., the crowd swelled to 15.7 million viewers and a whopping 5.2/20 in the key demo — up 35% and 39%, respectively, from last year. Those numbers marked the highest scores in that hour since the Ryan Seacrest edition of the “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special bowed in 2000.
Specific viewership figures for the 11 p.m.-midnight hour when Carey performed won’t be available until Tuesday. But it’s clear that America showed up to give the singer another chance after a technical debacle last year led an angry Carey to make a hasty exit from the stage.
Meanwhile, Fox also saw a big bounce in viewership by planting Steve Harvey in Times Square for a live special. Compared to last year’s Pitbull-hosted event from Miami, “Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey” attracted nearly five times the crowd (5.8 million from 8-10 p.m. compared to 1.4 million).
It didn’t hurt that an NFL overrun fed a much larger audience into Harvey’s special than repeats of drama series “Bones” and “Lethal Weapon” did last year for Pitbull. Preliminary Nielsen estimates indicate at that Harvey had a lead-in of at least 10 million viewers from “The OT on Fox” in the 7 p.m. ET hour.
The Harvey special pulled in a healthy 1.8/8 in adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. Fox carried the live Harvey special from 8-10 p.m. After an hour break for local news on Fox affiliate stations, Harvey returned for the big countdown to 2018 from 11 p.m.-12:19 a.m. Ratings for the final segment won’t be available until Tuesday.
Source: Variety
Netflix has given a second season order to the half-hour series “She’s Gotta Have It,” based on the 1986 movie that launched Spike Lee as a filmmaker.
Lee announced the renewal on New Year’s Day through an Instagram video. Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, thanked fans for supporting the show in a brief New Year’s Day video message. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Spike Lee said.
The series produced by Netflix has been picked up for eight episodes. Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Barry Michael Cooper and Lynn Nottage are executive producers.
The series stars DeWanda Wise as the central character of Nola Darling, a Brooklyn artist who happily juggles romantic relationships with three very different men. Cleo Anthony, Anthony Ramos and Lyriq Bent co-star.
The 10 episodes of “She’s Gotta Have It” Season 1 premiered on Nov. 23. Spike Lee directed all 10 episodes.
Source: Variety
Nick Cannon has teamed up with Chris Brown for his new indie film, She Ball, which focuses on a women’s street basketball team, and the famed entertainer is getting flack for his decision to cast Brown. People online were scolding Cannon for giving Chris, who was convicted of felony assault for beating Rihanna, a chance.
When TMZ caught up with Nick at the airport to ask him about the wave of backlash, he said that the media loves to cast a negative light on black entertainers. Cannon asked, “What about Sean Penn? They ever hate on his past and the movies he did?”
Nick was referring to allegations surrounding Sean Penn hitting his then-wife Madonna, which the “Like a Virgin” singer denies.
TVCheck out more of what he had to say in the above clip.
Source: TMZ, Youtube, Vlad TV