robert townsend
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The Original Cookout Invite? Pee-wee Herman Was an Honorary Member of 'The Black Pack'
Pee-wee Herman (born Paul Reubens) had a big adventure in 1985, but his blackest adventure happened in 1988. A quite interesting revelation was unearthed via Twitter last Wednesday by Movie Promotional Merch Unlimited, and it had us all scratching our heads. In the above picture, Pee-wee is proudly holding a plaque alongside Valeria Golino (his…
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Robert Townsend Talks Cooley High, Carmen: A Hip Hopera and Paying It Forward to Young Filmmakers
Hollywood Shuffle, The Meteor Man, The Five Heartbeats, B*A*P*S, The Parent ‘Hood, Jackie’s Back!, Holiday Heart and beyond—you know a Robert Townsend project when you see it. A tenacious and prolific writer, director, actor and producer, Townsend’s work is cemented in film and television history. “I [recently hosted] an event at The Academy and we…
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'Sweetness, Flowing Like a Faucet; Body Banging, No Corset': What's New and Black on Netflix in June 2019?
June, also known as the halftime show of the year, is here—and that means more Strong Black Leading content from Netflix! And the blackest headliner is… Carmen: A Hip Hopera This 2001 made-for-TV movie helmed by the legendary Robert Townsend should be in everyone’s entertainment catalogue, and now Netflix has scooped the licensing rights! Like,…
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9 Things I Learned (and One Thing I Didn't) From Robert Townsend's Fun and Informative Documentary, The Making of The Five Heartbeats
On Monday night, I went to check out the documentary dedicated to the creation of the classic Robert Townsend movie The Five Heartbeats. Full disclosure: The Five Heartbeats is my second-favorite movie of all time. Coming to America currently occupies that No. 1 slot, but it’s really more like 1 and 1a. I own The Five…
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Hey Y'all, His Name Is Eddie KING, Jr. Not Eddie Kane, Jr. Here’s How I Know.
It is amazing how a simple comment or Facebook status message can lead to clarity, but that’s exactly what happened that has me out here doing it for the culture and providing some definitive information to settle bets that have languished for years. Hell, I, myself, lost $20 on this very discussion because of a…
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Racial Progress in Film Remains Slow Drag 30 Years After Hollywood Shuffle
Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle was released 30 years ago this year. Although it couldn’t have been noted at the time, Shuffle became a foundational film that launched the careers of two of our most prolific filmmakers and made us aware of an entire family of comedic geniuses—the Wayans family. I most remember the film for…