Ask Kirk Lockhart about Black Cinema History

09/24/2025

EddieMurphy: TheDirector: 🩷🦅HLM | 🦅🗽 Harlem Nights
R 1989 ‧ Comedy/Crime ‧ 1h 56m Harlem Nights is a 1989 American comedic gangster film directed by and starring Eddie Murphy, who also wrote the screenplay. Set in the 1920s during Prohibition, the film follows the owner of an illegal casino, Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor), and his adopted son, Quick (Murphy), as they navigate conflicts with rival gangsters and corrupt police. The movie features a large ensemble cast, including Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello, and Jasmine Guy, and is known for its period costumes, sets, and performances from its comedic stars.
Plot Summary
Setting: The film takes place in Harlem, New York, during the Prohibition era.
Main Characters:
Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor): The owner of a successful illegal speakeasy and casino.
Quick (Eddie Murphy): Sugar Ray's adopted son and right-hand man.
Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner): A rival gangster who wants to take over Sugar Ray's business.
Miss Dominique La Rue (Jasmine Guy): Calhoune's gun moll, with whom Quick becomes involved.
Phil Cantone (Danny Aiello): A corrupt police officer working for Calhoune.
Conflict: Calhoune, with the help of the corrupt police, tries to shut down Sugar Ray's operation. Quick's involvement with Dominique further complicates the situation.
Key Cast
Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Della Reese, and Jasmine Guy.
Themes and Style
Comedic Gangster Film: The movie blends elements of gangster films with comedy, featuring a large cast of comedians and character actors.
Period Setting: The film is noted for its detailed recreation of the 1920s, including costumes, sets, and locations.
Exploitation Style: Some viewers describe the film as having an exploitation-style feel .
Kirk Lockhart about Movies 🎥
Director: Eddie Murphy
Release date: November 17, 1989 (USA)
Producers: Mark Lipsky, Robert Wachs

✰⋆🌟✪🔯✨ Star Rating

Harlem Nights, great cast poor reviews. What are your thoughts ...
Harlem Nights is a controversial movie where reviews are split; it was a critical and box office disappointment upon release, but it has since become considered a classic by many for its talented cast of Black comedians like Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx, its compelling mix of comedy and mobster elements, and its engaging, albeit sometimes crude, humor. While some critics found the film to be inconsistent and overly harsh, many viewers appreciate its strong story, fun performances, and enjoyable, rewatchable quality. I Love 🥰 This Project In Sprite of Original Critiques.

15 Weird Facts About Harlem Nights (1989) You Never KnewFrom Richard Pryor secretly battling multiple sclerosis to theaters installing metal detectors after ...

09/24/2025

Paramount: Vampire in Brooklyn was the final film produced under Eddie Murphy's ... Filming lasted for 55 days, three of which were spent on location in New York City . 🍎 🏙 🚕 ✨ | 🗽⋆

25 Facts About “Vampire in Brooklyn” – Halloween Year-Round
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) was filmed in several locations in New York City, including a nightclub called The Tunnel in Manhattan, a church located at St. Nicholas Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church, and the intersection of Myrtle Avenue, Central Avenue, and DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn. Other locations mentioned are the Apple Core Theatre and the general New York City area.
Manhattan Locations
The Tunnel (Nightclub):
Located on the Westside Highway and 27th Street in Chelsea, this nightclub was a filming location for the movie.
St. Nicholas Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church:
Situated at 288 E 10th St, this church was used for scenes where Peter (Eddie Murphy) begs parishioners to kill him.
Apple Core Theatre:
This New York City theatre also served as a filming location.
Brooklyn Locations
Myrtle, Central, and DeKalb Avenues:
The intersection of these three avenues was used for the scene where Alva and Emilio drive to Peter's apartment.
Other Locations
The film also used various other parts of New York City for its shooting locations, though specific details are not always provided. When was Vampire in Brooklyn filmed?
Kirk Lockhart about Movies 🎦:
1995
Craven and Murphy Make a Unique and Unsettling Combo

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) is such an interesting film that it deserves a viewing regardless of it being any good or not. Wes Craven and Eddie Murphy combine to make a film that subverts expectations while becoming classic spooky season film.🎥 Vampire in Brooklyn grossed approximately $19.7 million worldwide, with its entire gross coming from domestic (North American) box office sales. The film was released on October 27, 1995.

15 Weird Facts About Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) You Never KnewBehind Eddie Murphy's infamous long-haired wig and Wes Craven's genre-bending direction lies on...

09/19/2025

AskKirkLockhartAbout: Films directed by John Singleton
Boyz n the Hood (1991): His groundbreaking debut chronicles the lives of three young men growing up in a tough neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles.
Poetic Justice (1993): A romantic drama starring Janet Jackson as a grieving hairdresser who goes on a road trip with a postal worker, played by Tupac Shakur.
Higher Learning (1995): Explores racial tensions, identity, and violence on a university campus.
Rosewood (1997): A historical drama based on the 1923 massacre of the African-American community in Rosewood, Florida.
Shaft (2000): A remake starring Samuel L. Jackson as the nephew of the original detective, who pursues a killer with a racist motive.
Baby Boy (2001): A coming-of-age story about a misguided 20-year-old in South Central L.A. played by Tyrese Gibson.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003): The high-octane second installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise.
Four Brothers (2005): An action crime film about four adopted brothers who reunite to avenge their foster mother's murder in Detroit.
Abduction (2011): An action thriller starring Taylor Lautner as a young man who uncovers a conspiracy after finding his own baby picture on a missing persons website.
Films produced by John Singleton
In addition to directing, Singleton also produced films, including:
Hustle & Flow (2005): The story of a pimp from Memphis who decides to become a rapper. The film won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Black Snake Moan (2006): A black comedy-drama starring Samuel L. Jackson as a bluesman who takes a troubled woman (Christina Ricci) captive.
Illegal Tender (2007): A crime thriller about a young man and his mother who must flee their home when an enemy from their past returns.
Television work
Singleton also worked in television later in his career, directing and co-creating the series Snowfall (2017–2019), which explores the crack co***ne epidemic in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
Kirk Lockhart about Movies

🚨SPOILER WARNING for All Of John Singleton's Filmography🚨(Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Rosewood, Shaft, Baby Boy, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hu...

09/19/2025

The Penitentiary series
This film launched a series of sequels.
Penitentiary (1979): The first film follows Martel "Too Sweet" Gordone, a hitchhiker who is wrongly convicted of murder after a fight with bikers. In prison, he joins an underground boxing circuit to survive and earn his parole.
Penitentiary II (1982): The sequel continues the story of "Too Sweet," now on parole and attempting to restart his life and boxing career. However, his life is disrupted when an old prison rival escapes and seeks revenge. The cast features some early roles for notable actors like Mr. T and Ernie Hudson.
Penitentiary III (1987): In the final installment of the trilogy, "Too Sweet" is sent back to prison after accidentally killing an opponent in the ring. He is once again forced to box for his life against a new adversary.

15 Weird Facts About Penitentiary (1979) You Never KnewFrom a student film that became the year's biggest indie hit to an actor who literally fed the cast wi...

09/17/2025

Leeroy Scene 1 🎬

09/17/2025

The Richard Pryor film is titled Which Way Is Up?, released in 1977. The movie had a modest box office performance, a soundtrack with a hit single from the group Stargard, and a theme song that charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Box office dates and performance
Which Way Is Up? (1977) release date: The film was released in theaters on November 4, 1977.
Budget: The film was made with a budget of $3 million.
Box office gross: It brought in a total domestic gross of $17 million.
Soundtrack credits and Billboard performance
The official soundtrack was primarily written and performed by the group Stargard.
Songwriter: The music and lyrics for the theme song were written by Norman Whitfield.
Title track: Stargard performed the main title song, "(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up?".
Billboard chart history:
The single was a success on the R&B charts, holding the #1 position for two weeks in February 1978.
It also appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #21.
On the disco charts, the single reached a peak position of #12.

👑🕊 👑 Best of the Best: Which Way Is Up? Part 3 (1977)🎬 of the Best: Which Way Is Up? (1977)🎬 ...

09/17/2025

Ai 🤖 Video Skills: The 1977 American film Which Way Is Up? starring Richard Pryor is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy The Seduction of Mimi, directed by Lina Wertmüller. The Pryor film did not receive major foreign film awards, as it was a Hollywood remake rather than an international release.
Foreign film: The Seduction of Mimi
Original film: Directed and written by Lina Wertmüller, The Seduction of Mimi was a prominent Italian release.
International recognition: The film and its director were nominated for a number of major international awards, including:
Best Foreign Film by the National Board of Review, USA (1972).
Best Foreign Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards (1972).
Awards: The film was entered into the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. Wertmüller herself was later the first woman ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for her 1975 film Seven Beauties.
American remake: Which Way Is Up?
Remake date: The American version was released in 1977.
Changes in adaptation: While the plot structure remains similar, Pryor's film recontextualized the story to explore the Black American experience of racial capitalism and labor exploitation.
Pryor's roles: In a display of his talents, Pryor plays three different characters: an orange picker, his elderly father, and a hypocritical reverend.
Awards and nominations: The remake did not receive the same critical or awards attention as the original foreign film did. It is primarily remembered as a vehicle for Pryor's comedic performance.

15 Weird Facts About Which Way Is Up (1977) You Never KnewDid you know Richard Pryor's one thousand nine hundred seventy seven comedy spawned one of hip-hop'...

09/11/2025

We Love Black Music 🎶

19.5K likes, 588 comments. “ had tge best summer Jams #92.3 The Beat # i miss radio”

09/11/2025

Jennifer Holiday Finale : The Black Movie Soundtrack V concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. The show featured music celebrating Black excellence in cinema, curated by Reginald Hudlin and Marcus Miller.

09/11/2025

09/11/2025

Another Great Night at The Bowl 🎶🎼🎤 AskKirkLockhartAbout: The Black Movie Soundtrack V concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. The show featured music celebrating Black excellence in cinema, curated by Reginald Hudlin and Marcus Miller.