Tamala Jones Movies

When a high-profile hip-hop star is denied membership into an exclusive country club in the Hamptons, he comes up with a cunning plan to subvert the questionable ruling in this comedy of manners starring OutKast's Antwan Andre Patton. By purchasing property directly adjacent to the 18th hole, popular rapper C-Note (Patton) is subsequently granted membership into the haughty club by default. As the curmudgeonly club members make it their mission in life to get him kicked out, the clever rapper infuses the stodgy old club with new life. Andy Milonakis, Jeffrey Jones, and Faizon Love co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Katt Williams: American Hustle - The Movie offers a night of stand-up comedy featuring the controversial comic, framed by a story about him refusing to sell out to Hollywood's idea of what he should be doing with his career. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The first feature-length romantic comedy produced exclusively for the Oxygen cable network, Nadine in Date Land stars Janeane Garofalo as the title character, who though her own love life is in a shambles somehow believes that she can run a successful dating service. Having borrowed heavily from her mother (Swoosie Kurtz) to get the business started, Nadine must now prove to Mom that she herself can have a lasting romance, lest every penny be withdrawn. Thus, when her old flame Adam (Brad Rowe), comes back to town, Nadine vows to literally force him to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, our heroine faces two formidable obstacles: Adam's erstwhile fashion-expert girlfriend Magda (Julie Claire), and Nadine's own incredible gift for stumbling over herself and inserting foot in mouth at all the wrong times. Essentially a contemporary screwball comedy with a generous supply of Bringing Up Baby-style slapstick, Nadine in Date Land was written and directed by Amie Steir, whose short comic films had been an Oxygen channel mainstay for years. The movie was given several video-on-demand previews before its official debut date of June 25, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Can a high-attitude African-American politician who says what he thinks stand a chance in a presidential campaign? Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) is a straight-talking alderman representing a inner-city neighborhood in Washington, D.C. In the midst of a hard-fought race for the White House, the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates are killed in an airline crash, and with little time to prepare a new campaign, the Republican candidate, Vice President Brian Lewis (Nick Searcy), seems all but guaranteed to win. With practically nothing to loose, party head Martin Geller (Dylan Baker) approaches Gilliam and asks him to stand as the Democrat's presidential candidate. While Gilliam is dubious at first, before long his streetwise style and willingness to face the issues head-on earns him surprising figures in the polls, especially after he persuades his short-fused older brother, Mitch Gilliam (Bernie Mac), to join the ticket as vice presidential candidate -- a big jump for a bail bondsman. Gilliam's love life also becomes more complicated as his ex-girlfriend Kim (Robin Givens) decides she wants him back now that he has a shot at the White House, even though Gilliam only has eyes for Lisa (Tamala Jones). Head of State marked the directorial debut for comic and actor Chris Rock, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Love really is a battlefield in this war of the sexes comedy that marks the directorial debut of Def Jam's How to Be a Player (1997) screenwriter Mark Brown. Vivica A. Fox stars as Shante, a knowledgeable veteran of the dating game who thinks she's found the perfect mate in the handsome Keith (Morris Chestnut). When Keith is spotted stepping out with Shante's arch-rival Conny (Gabrielle Union), the spurned lover institutes what she labels the "ten-day plan," an all-out assault on Keith designed to make him come crawling back to her. Shante's scheme includes sexy lingerie, home cooking, aloofness, and other tactics intended to make Keith regret his errant ways, but Keith is receiving contradictory advice from his allegedly worldly wise buddy Tony (Anthony Anderson). Two Can Play That Game is produced by Doug McHenry, director of Jason's Lyric (1994) and Kingdom Come (2001). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Based on the play Dearly Departed by David Dean Bottrell and Jessie Jones (who also penned this screenplay), this new comedy from the director of Jason's Lyric looks at a family gathering after one of their clan dies of a stroke. In the midst of a sweltering summer, the Slocumb family convenes. They include Charisse (Jada Pinkett Smith), the long-suffering, frustrated wife of philandering Junior (Anthony Anderson); there's also the Bible-spouting Marguerite (Loretta Devine), who prays to save her hard-living son Royce (Darius McCrary) from a life on welfare. Lucille (Vivica A. Fox) is the devoted family peacekeeper who is struggling with a money-grubbing funeral director, and her husband Ray Bud (L.L. Cool J) has major contempt for his family and wishes he were burying them instead. Kingdom Come also features Cedric the Entertainer as an intestinally challenged reverend and Whoopi Goldberg as the family matriarch. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Yet another recurring character from Saturday Night Live makes the jump to the big screen in this comedy. Leon Phelps (Tim Meadows) is the host of a radio call-in show in which he dispenses advice on the fine art of seduction, for which he seems to have quite a talent -- rather surprising, seeing that he's usually broke, nearly everything he says sounds crass and obvious, and he possesses a fashion sense that would have been gauche in the mid-1970s but seems just plain freakish today. After finally going too far during a broadcast, Leon is fired, but he receives a note from one of his former flames who wants him to come back to her -- and is willing to support him in high style. This sounds just fine with Leon, except she hasn't signed her name, and now Leon has to backtrack through his numerous conquests of the past and figure out who wants him to work his love magic. Meanwhile, a group of husbands who've been cuckolded by Leon, led by Barney (Lee Evans) and Lance (Will Ferrell), are hot on his trail, eager to get revenge. The Ladies' Man also stars Tiffani Thiessen and Karyn Parsons as two of the ladies in Leon's life and Billy Dee Williams as the ultra-smooth proprietor of Lester's Straight-Up Lounge. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Robert Townsend directs this biopic on the life of one of the great early rock & roll entertainers -- Little Richard (played by Leon). The film charts Richard's rise from his humble origins in Macon, Georgia, to his chart-topping success to his much-reported return to the Church. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A man who's uncertain about the biggest step forward of his life steps back to take a look at his younger days in this comedy/drama. Roland (Taye Diggs) is a few hours away from getting married, and he is starting to have second thoughts; as much as he loves his fiancée, he can't stop thinking about Tanya (Tamala Jones), his first serious girlfriend in high school. Roland is hanging out with his two best friends, whom he also first met in school, Mike (Omar Epps), a solid regular guy, and Slim (Richard T. Jones), a flashy personality who plays pro basketball in Europe. They talk about the old days and flash back on growing up in Inglewood, California (nicknamed "The Wood") in the 1980's, when Run DMC and Eric B & Rakim were the happening sounds, and guys used to argue over who was hotter, Vanity or Apollonia. At the last minute, Roland takes off, wanting to pay Tanya a visit, and Mike and Slim are determined to track him down and make sure that he gets to the altar on time. The Wood was the debut feature film for writer/director Rick Famuyiwa, whose first short subject, Blacktop Lingo, won an enthusiastic response at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This suburban sitcom centers on three couples minus children, aka DINKs (double income, no kids). Onscreen labels are superimposed to define just where each couple is in its relationship: "The Veterans" are Sheri (Dedee Pfeiffer), who does facials, and architect Dean (D.W. Moffett), married for five years, in upscale Oak Park, Illinois. "The Newlyweds" are attorney Mel (James Lesure) and psychiatrist Malena (Holly Robinson Peete), who thinks she might be pregnant one month after marriage. The unmarried "Commitment-Phobics" are divorced teacher Bobbie (Tamala Jones) and restaurateur Reggie (Edafe Blackmon), Mel's brother, who doesn't want to give Bobbi the keys to his lakefront pad. It's mostly lovey-dovey, sweetness and light, as they all interact, interrelate, and confront life's little crises with an endless onslaught of half-hearted one-liners. Premiered March 17,1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi