Rosalind Cash Movies

Boyz N the Hood meets Tales from the Crypt in this alternately horrific, funny, and socially conscious anthology film. The four grim vignettes are framed by the tale of three street hoods who break into Mr. Simm's inner-city funeral home to find a stash of drugs. The mortician puts them off, by telling them a few eerie stories about his "patrons." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A highly principled African-American independent filmmaker hides his early profession because his films never became popular. This Wonderworks drama chronicles what happens when the former filmmaker's niece finds his old films in a trunk and then begins researching her uncle's contributions. She then helps teach him to become proud of his refusal to make films that exploited his actors. The girl also learns the value of working on a team. The video comes with a handy viewer's guide to promote discussion after the film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This episode marks the first appearances of Ajai Sanders as Gina Deveaux and Gary Dourdan) as Shazza Zulu (aka Sylvester Simon). The spotlight is on Shazzu, a sixth-year undergraduate who stirs up controversy at Hillman when he publishes a book about the sexist behavior of college men. Before long, all the Hillman girls are mad at all the Hillman guys and vice versa, their mutual animosity climaxing in a wild food fight--while Shazza loftily insists that he was merely trying to bring everyone together in peace and harmony. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this provocative drama, the young son of a Holocaust survivor searches for the answers to many painful questions about the great tragedy when he is cast as Hungarian-Jewish poet Miklos Radnoti for an upcoming film. The young man is a Method actor and as he researches his role he becomes so engrossed in the life of the poet, who was killed in a Jewish labor camp, that he begins to lose his identity. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Volunteering to teach dance classes at a community center, Whitley befriends a self-proclaimed poor child named Dion (Brandon Adams in his first regular series appearance)--an accomplished liar who specializes in playing on people's sympathies. Elsewhere, Col. Taylor fills in when Walter is unable to show up for his bowling team, whereupon the other bowlers begin planning a "mutiny" on the maladroit martinet. Appearing as team member "Norm" is former NBA star Norm Nixon, the husband of episode director Debbie Allen, while future Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar James Avery is cast as the aptly named "Pin Punisher." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This horror anthology is hosted by Vincent Price and features a quartet of chilling stories, all of which took place in a single town that seems to inspire people to do horrendous things to each other. The stories contain scenes of graphic violence and considerable gore. The film is also known as From a Whisper to a Scream. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Returning from college to help out when Clair (Phylicia Rashad) suffers a back injury, Denise (Lisa Bonet) tries to hide the fact that she has been given a "D" in one of her courses. Making matters worse, Denise's patterns make a big deal over her sister Sondra's (Sabrina LeBeauf) Straight-As. And just so she won't be left out of the family crises, Rudy (Keshia Knight-Pulliam) grouses over being cast as "The Wind" in a school dance recital. Rosalind Cash guest stars as Denise's instructor Dr. Hughes, a role she would reprise in the Cosby Show spinoff A Different World). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Despite mixed reviews and a disastrous initial release that dumped the film into theaters for a week in the midst of the 1984 Summer Olympics, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension went on to become one of the major cult films of the 1980s, developing a rabid following after its release on videotape. Drifting between satire and improbable sci-fi adventure, the film stars Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai, the son of an American mother and Japanese father who is a combination physicist, neurosurgeon, martial arts master, secret agent, and rock star who travels with his band of assistants/backing musicians, The Hong Kong Cavaliers. As the story opens, Buckaroo is driving his car through a mountain to test his new invention, the Oscillation Overthruster. However, a race of boorish aliens called the Red Lectroids have been waiting for such an item to become a reality, as they need it to return to the distant planet they call home. One of Buckaroo's arch-enemies, Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow), who has been possessed by the Red Lectroids, attempted to created a similar device decades before; now escaped from an insane asylum, he is back at work with the Lectroids on a plan to control the world. Throw in Rastafarian aliens, unscheduled travel between dimensions, and the odd inexplicable watermelon, and you get a film that defies conventional synopsis. With its fast pace, quotable dialogue ("No matter where you go, there you are"), and barrage of gags (subtle and otherwise), you won't be bored even when you're not sure what's going on. The supporting cast includes Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey, a Cavalier with a snappy cowboy outfit, and Ellen Barkin as Penny Priddy, the twin sister of Buckaroo's late wife. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Advertised as "a realistic depiction of fictional events," the harrowing speculative drama Special Bulletin was shot on videotape and staged as an actual late-breaking news event. The story concerns a group of anti-nuclear activists who take over the waterfront of Charleston, South Carolina. The group wants the 968 nuclear warheads located in the Charleston area to be disarmed immediately; if this demand is not met, the activists will detonate their own nuclear device. Written by Marshall Herskovitz and directed by Ed Zwick (who would later collaborate on the TV series thirtysomething), the Emmy-winning Special Bulletin first aired on March 20, 1983. This initial broadcast was accompanied by repeated disclaimers, assuring the audience that what was transpiring on their TV screens was not really happening. Even so, the production was so authentic-looking (right down to the fabricated previews of upcoming network dramatic programs) that thousands of panicky viewers called in to NBC, demanding further information on the siege of Charleston. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Maya Angelou may be eminently qualified for her position as America's poet laureate, but her skills as a scriptwriter areat play in Sister Sister. Diahann Carroll plays a Southern schoolteacher who lives in the large house willed to her by her pullman-porter father; here she takes care of younger sister Irene Cara, striving to keep the girl on the straight and narrow. Into this proper household descends Carroll's other sister, Rosalind Cash, an uninhibited swinger. The inevitable confrontation is spiced by the fact that the "saintly" Carroll has been busy helping her preacher boyfriend (Dick Anthony Williams) siphon church funds in order to finance his political career. Set in North Carolina, the made-for-TV Sister Sister was actually filmed in Alabama. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The three-part TV miniseries The Sophisticated Gents covers 25 years in the lives of a group of close friends. Nine African-American members of a sports club gather for a quarter-century reunion. As they reminisce over the high and low points of their lives, some of the members await the arrival of the group's troublemaker with less than enthusiasm. The story comes to an out-of-left-field conclusion involving an escaped killer (Melvin van Peebles) and a pursuing cop. The nine "gents" of the title are played by Ron O'Neal, Thalmus Rasulala, Bernie Casey, Dick Anthony Williams, Raymond St. Jacques, Robert Hooks, Rosey Grier, Paul Winfield...and the aforementioned Melvin van Peebles. Based on John A. Williams' novel The Junior Bachelor Society, the 4-hour The Sophisticated Gents was originally telecast September 29, October 1 and October 2, 1981; for reasons unknown, its debut had been postponed for nearly two years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Miss MacMichael (Glenda Jackson) is a dedicated teacher. She needs to be, because her students are delinquents who are barely one step away from prison. She has a boyfriend, Martin (Michael Murphy) who would love to take her away from the chaos and heartbreak of the classroom by marrying her, but she doesn't want to leave. Her efforts to connect with the students are hindered by the school's principal (Oliver Reed), who puts on a kindly face to outsiders but believes that totalitarian techniques are good enough for these unruly students. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi