Michael Colyar Movies
Though he straddled standup comedy and acting with equal emphasis, Michael Colyar (pronounced "Koll-yer") initially made his most dramatic strides behind the microphone. In that venue, Colyar broke from the mold set by many African-American comedians by delving into routines neither vulgar, nor profane, nor directed exclusively to a black audience. As performed during weekends on the Boardwalk of Venice Beach, CA (an event that occurred for over a decade, five times a day, every Saturday and Sunday -- which prompted many to tag Colyar "The King of Venice Beach"), Colyar's schtick transcended demographical barriers by appealing to those of all ages, ethnicities, and personal backgrounds. Significantly, Colyar (recalling, for example, Whoopi Goldberg's mid-'80s Broadway stage revue) interwove piercing insights and cultural lessons throughout his routines, thus balancing entertainment with an educational element seldom heard in the comedy arena.Colyar scored his on-camera breakthrough in 1990, when he won the standup competition on Star Search -- reeling in 100,000 dollars in the process. He also made headlines for altruistically taking half of the money he won on that program and donating it to Los Angeles-area charities. By the time this occurred, the performer had also diversified by moving into film roles, frequently though not always in a humorous vein. Early assignments included small supporting roles in the comedies Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Johnny Be Good (1988), and House Party 3 (1994), and the dramas What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993) and Poetic Justice (1993). In 1999, Colyar also signed on as the host and emcee of his own cable talk show, BET Live from L.A. From the outset of the following decade, Colyar placed a renewed emphasis on standup material, particularly in comedy videos and televised specials. He also continued his acting work on the side, with a lead in the low-budget, direct-to-video urban drama The Beat (2003), a small supporting role as Morris the Barber in the hit Eddie Murphy farce Norbit (2007), and another supporting turn in Fred Durst's sports comedy The Longshots, opposite Ice Cube and Keke Palmer. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Set in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, The Princess and the Frog concerns a poor African-American girl named Tiana who has a knack for cooking, and dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her best friend since childhood is a privileged white girl whose wealthy father employs Tiana's mother as a dressmaker. When the friend's family hosts a party for Prince Naveen of Maldonia, Dr. Facilier, an expert in black magic, turns the visiting royal into a frog. The now amphibious Naveen convinces Tiana that a kiss will reverse the spell, and if she obliges him he'll provide the money she needs to open her dream eatery. However, their smooch not only fails to turn him back into a human, but transforms Tiana into a frog as well. The duo then sets out to find a voodoo priestess who can set everything right. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, (more)
Former Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst directs Ice Cube and Keke Palmer in this battle-of-the-sexes sports comedy about a former high-school football star who coaches his niece to become the first-ever girl quarterback in the history of Pop Warner football. Based on a true story, The Longshots opens in the struggling American town of Minden, IL. The Minden Browns used to be one of the strongest teams in the Pop Warner league, but lately things have taken a turn for the worst. Recognizing that his old team needs some fresh blood in order to make a comeback, a former player (Cube) trains his 11-year-old niece, Jasmine (Palmer), to throw the ball like a true gridiron giant. While the powers that be scoff at the idea of a female quarterback, they soon begin to sing a different tune as Jasmine leads the Browns to the championships and an invigorating shot at redemption. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, (more)
A meek and lovable milquetoast married to an overbearing, overweight tyrant finds his life turned upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams in this romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Eddie Griffin. His entire life, Norbit (Murphy) has been picked on and put down, and after being bullied into marrying the most obnoxious woman in town (also Murphy) it appears as if that's the way things will remain until the day he dies. Upon meeting the one woman who seems to accept him for who he is, Norbit is instilled with a newfound sense of hope for the future. In order to find true happiness, however, Norbit will first have to gather the courage to stand up to his monstrous spouse once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy
The Big Black Comedy Show, Vol. 3 features stand-up comedy from African-American comics Lil Ref, Retha Jones, Wil Sylvince, and Ricky Harris. The program is hosted by comedian Michael Colyar. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
An intimate gathering staged to bring the host and his girlfriend closer together explodes into an all out house party due to the jealousy of his best friend in director Ceon Forte's snowballing comedy if misunderstandings. Derrick is desperate to have an intimate moment with his new girlfriend Reashon, and a candle lit, couples-only gathering seems like it would provide the perfect opportunity to romance to blossom. The only problem is that Derrick's best friend Jay can't find a date for the party. Bitter at being snubbed by his best friend for a girl, Jay invites everyone in the hood to Derreck's party and it's not too long before the house is overflowing with eager party seekers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director and writer Brandon Sonnier's The Beat is an urban drama that uses the same storytelling technique as the Gwyneth Paltrow romantic comedy Sliding Doors. Flip (Rahman Jamaal) must decide if he will join the police force or if he will attempt to live his dream of becoming a rap star. The film intercuts both of Flip's possible futures. The Beat was screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rahman Jamaal, Michael Colyar, (more)
JT, the lead character in Delvin Molden's Out on Parole, finds out on the final day of his parole that his mother is about to be evicted. He risks going back to jail in order to win a local lo-rider competition and pay off his mother's debt. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2002
- Add Platinum Comedy Series: Michael Colyar - The Michael Colyar Project to Queue Add Platinum Comedy Series: Michael Colyar - The Michael Colyar Project to top of Queue
This edition of the Platinum Comedy Series: Michael Colyar - The Michael Colyar Project captures a stand-up comedy performance from Michael Colyar, best known to many viewers through his job as host of BET Live. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
An innocent family reunion descends into all-out chaos when simmering resentment and unspoken animosities rise to the surface in director Red Grant's affectionate and reflective comedy. Every year the Best and the Black families gather to fire up the grill, dust off the horseshoes, and spend the day catching up on all the latest familial happenings -- but this year things seems to get particularly ugly. Though Uncle Ringworm and Aunt Gertrude do their best to keep the peace amidst arguments dealing with everything from pimping to bad breath, nothing seems to be able to slow the downward spiral of the usually jovial annual family gathering. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Longtime television director Tony Singletary (Married... With Children, Moesha) makes his feature debut with this urban comedy set in a radio station. John Witherspoon stars as Wes, a station director who has his hands more than full with disc jockeys Jordan (Marcus Chong) and Venom (A.J. Johnson). The DJs have their hearts in the right place, but soon their antics get out of control. Ajai Sanders also stars. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deon Richmond, Marcus Chong, (more)
Hip Hop duo Kid & Play return in the second follow-up to their 1990 screen debut House Party. Kid (Christopher "Kid" Reid) is taking the plunge and marrying his girlfriend Veda (Angela Means), while his friend Play (Christopher Martin) is dipping his toes into the music business, managing a roughneck female rap act called Sex as a Weapon. Play books the ladies for a concert with heavy-hitting promoter Showboat (Michael Colyar), but when they decide to fire Play and hire a new manager, he has to figure out how to deliver them to the show or face the wrath of Showboat's female security force. Play is also in charge of arranging Kid's bachelor party, but while he's setting up a bash to end all bashes, he discovers that his three younger cousins have just arrived in town, and Kid's former flame Sydney (Tisha Campbell) has shown up hoping to put a halt to the upcoming nuptials. Multi-platinum rap act TLC appear as Sex as a Weapon, while Play's cousins are played by the members of the R&B group Immature. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, (more)
R&B star Janet Jackson made an impressive film debut in Poetic Justice as Justice, a hairdresser at a small salon in South Central Los Angeles. Justice uses her poetry to deal with her grief after her boyfriend is killed in a shooting incident at a drive-in. Hired to work at a hair stylists' event in Oakland, Justice is stranded when her car breaks down, until she remembers that her friend Ieasha (Regina King) was going to hop a ride down to Oakland with her boyfriend Chicago (Joe Torry), a postal worker who is heading there with a truck full of mail. Justice tags along to discover that Chicago's driving partner is Lucky (Tupac Shakur), the postman who delivers mail to her shop and keeps asking her out. Ieasha and Chicago have to deal with their own rocky relationship while Justice has to decide if she's ready for a new love -- and if Lucky is the man she's waiting for. Along with strong work from Jackson, Poetic Justice features a surprising turn from Shakur, whose nuanced performance as Lucky is in strong contrast to his "Thug Life" public persona. Justice's poems were written by Maya Angelou, who also appears in a small role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, (more)
Movie references, sight gags, silly puns, and double entendres abound in Hot Shots! Part Deux, Jim Abrahams' sequel to Hot Shots -- only now the object of the skewering is the Stallone Rambo movies instead of Top Gun. Charlie Sheen returns as the lunk-headed Topper Harley, who has retreated to a Buddhist monastery after being dumped by Ramada Rodham Hayman (Valerie Golino). In this far-off retreat, the monks have "taken a vow of celibacy, just like their fathers and their fathers before them." But Topper bulks up and goes back into action when his superior officer, Colonel Denton Walters (Richard Crenna) is captured by a Saddam Hussein look-alike, missing somewhere between "Iraq and a Hard Place." Topper charges into Iraq (after barreling through a Beverly Hills barbecue) along with sexy CIA operative Michelle Rodham Huddleston (Brenda Bakke) in tow, his guns ablazing. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges, (more)
- 1993
- R
- Add What's Love Got to Do with It? to Queue Add What's Love Got to Do with It? to top of Queue
What's Love Got to Do With It? is the filmed biography of R&B/pop singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett), documenting her efforts to break away from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne). After a few scenes detailing Tina's life as a young singer in Nutbush, TN, she's discovered by Ike Turner, an already established songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Ike takes Tina under his wing and makes her a star, but her fame makes him jealous and abusive, and she has to struggle to break free of his domination. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
- 1990
- R
Businessman Chester Grant (Danny Aiello) will do anything it takes to get the sale, but finds himself getting older and must choose a successor. Instead of the logical man for the position (James Karen), Grant decides that he will invite two rival salesmen to dinner and then make a decision. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Michael Paré, (more)
The sequel to Zapped!, this comedy follows the wacky events that occur when a mysterious formula endows a geeky high school boy with telekinetic abilities. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Todd Eric Andrews, Marie McCann, (more)
When suburban police officer Alex Kearney (Anthony Edwards) angers a wealthy, influential citizen by stopping him for a traffic violation, he finds himself transferred to the city's worst precinct. Struggling to adapt to his new inner-city surroundings, Kearney must deal with his gruff new partner, Dennis Curren (Forest Whitaker), as the two attempt to break up a crime ring. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, (more)
Johnny Walker (Anthony Michael Hall) is a hot-shot high-school quarterback who receives intoxicating offers from spirited college recruiters in this adolescent teen comedy. Bathroom humor and sight gags are strung together in a story involving booze, broads, and other benefits for the coveted quarterback. Robert Downey Jr., Uma Thurman, and Paul Gleason co-star. Even cameos from Jim McMahon and Howard Cosell can't save this feature from itself, though it isn't the fault of the cast. Originally rated PG-13, it was reedited to R (with scenes added) for a home video release. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
This satirical look at the ambivalent relationship between Hollywood power brokers and African-American performers marked the writing, producing, and directing debut of Robert Townsend. The filmmaker also stars as Bobby Taylor, a struggling actor looking for his big break despite his family's and co-workers' reservations about his chosen career path. While working a day job flipping burgers, Bobby heads out to insulting cattle calls where white casting agents pass judgement on whether he seems "black enough." Meanwhile, he imagines himself playing Sam Spade, Rambo, and other movie heroes rather than the stereotypical roles actually available to him. When Bobby actually does win one such pimp-daddy part, however, he is forced to choose between accepting work that opens doors, but ultimately demeans him and returning to obscurity with his principles intact. Hollywood Shuffle's enormous supporting cast includes a wealth of black actors, from then-unknowns such as Damon Wayans to veterans such as 227 star Helen Martin. Self-financed and filmed on scraps of hand-me-down celluloid, the film helped establish actor Townsend as a director of note and also kick-started the career of co-screenwriter and co-star Keenen Ivory Wayans, who would cast Townsend in his own directorial debut the following year. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Townsend, Anne-Marie Johnson, (more)
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