Keith David Movies
Actor, singer, and voice actor Keith David has spent much of his career on the stage, but also frequently works in feature films and on television. A native of New York City, David first performed as a child, singing in the All Borough Chorus and later attended the prestigious High School of Performing Arts. Shortly after graduating from Juilliard, where he studied voice and theater, David landed a role in a production of Coriolanus at Joseph Papp's Public Theater. He starred opposite Christopher Walken. David made his Broadway debut in Albee's The Lady From Dubuque (1980) and, two years later, had his first film role in John Carpenter's The Thing. He would not appear in another feature film until he played King in Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986). In between, David alternated between stage and television work. He appeared in five films in 1988, including Clint Eastwood's Bird, where he gave a memorable performance as jazz sax player Buster Franklin. In 1992, David showed his considerable skill as a singer and dancer and won a Tony nomination for starring in the musical Jelly's Last Jam, opposite Gregory Hines. David's film career really picked up in the mid-'90s, with roles ranging from a gunslinger in Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead to a New York cop in Spike Lee's Clockers to an amputee who owns a pool parlor in Dead Presidents (all 1995). In 1998, David had a brief but memorable role as Cameron Diaz's boisterous stepfather in the Farrelly brother's zany Something About Mary. In one of the film's funniest scenes, David tries to help Diaz's prom date, Ben Stiller, extricate himself from an embarrassingly sticky situation. He is also well known to animation fans for his voice work in, among other projects, Disney's Gargoyles, HBO's Spawn, and the English-dubbed version of the Japanese-animated film Princess Mononoke. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2007
Ken Burns continues his exploration of massive, sweeping subjects with his 15-hour documentary The War; in this case, the conflict in question is World War II. Yet within the scope of that gargantuan subject, Burns and co-director Lynn Novick narrow their scale of emphasis, honing in on four "average" American towns and charting the experiences of individual young men who enlisted to go overseas and fight against the encroaching shadow of fascism. The film covers each major "region" of the U.S. by transporting audiences to the west coast (Sacramento, California); the south (Mobile, Alabama); the east coast (Waterbury, Connecticut) and the Midwest (the farming community of Luverne, Minnesota). Within that geographic framework, Burns uncovers a series of astonishing tales about bravery in the midst of adversity - from the story of a young man who transported 12 American soldiers from the Normandy beach on D-Day, to the accounts of innumerable young men who falsified their ages and enlisted early. Burns and Novick thus repeatedly emphasize the human side of war - an aspect all too often glossed over when documentarians treat WWII on a broader scale. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Frazier, Sam Hynes, (more)
A woman gets a belated introduction to the joy of sex in this comedy. Priscilla (Parker Posey) is a thirtysomething public-relations agent with the unenviable job of trying to lure new businesses to Cleveland, OH. Priscilla is married to Jack (Paul Rudd), a high-school teacher who is reaching the end of his patience with his career. Things aren't going especially well at home for Priscilla and Jack -- she seems unable to have an orgasm, and while Priscilla insists she's perfectly happy with their sex life, Jack is driven to distraction by his inability to arouse his wife. When Kristen (Mischa Barton), one of Jack's students, begins displaying an extra-curricular interest in him, he throws caution to the wind and begins an affair with her, and has soon moved out of the house. Left on her own, Priscilla finally begins feeling sexual frustration, and turns to Alyssa (Liza Minnelli), an outspoken sex therapist who advises her to learn how to pleasure herself. Alyssa's advice proved to be right on the money, and soon Priscilla is a changed women who is looking for a new man in her life. She soon finds one in Wayne (Danny DeVito), a swimming-pool salesman whose sloppy appearance belies his talent in the bedroom. The Oh in Ohio was the first feature film from director Billy Kent, who previously established himself making television commercials. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, (more)
- 2006
Robert S. Levi writes and directs this Emmy Award-winning documentary focusing on the life of pioneering gay composer and jazz musician Billy Strayhorn, whose compositions for Duke Ellington included such timeless classics as "Satin Doll" and "Take the A Train". The driving creative force behind the Duke Ellington Orchestra from the 1940s through the 1980s, Strayhorn produced a staggering body of work that included everything from jazz greats to orchestral suites and even film soundtracks. Though historians and scholars alike are quick to single out Strayhorn as one of the most woefully overlooked American composers in history - he was a virtual unknown when he succumbed to throat cancer in 1967 - his influence lives on even at the dawn of the 21st Century. With this film, Levi offers a comprehensive view of who Strayhorn really was as both a person and a musician, while simultaneously exploring why he remains a relative unknown even to ardent jazz enthusiasts. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
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The struggle to retain control over Jerusalem raged between Muslims and Christians, coming to a head in 1096 as an epic battle played out. This program uses state-of-the-art computer animation to bring the battle to life, creating a historically fascinating look at an epic tussle. ~ Carly Wray, All Movie Guide
- 2005
It's the annual Dead Baby Bike Day, in which the bicycle messengers of Seattle participate in a city-wide race. Unfortunately, there's been a spectacular accident, and the ER is filled to overflowing with injured cyclists and pedestrians. Among the casualties is a biker named Viper (Callum Blue), who has spokes protruding from his abdomen--not that this prevents him from hitting on Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), who has enough trouble on her hands fending off Derek (Patrick Dempsey). On a more somber note, anothere of the victims is an unidentified, brain-dead woman, whose organs may end up being harvested for a gay cancer patient (Keith David. It is up to Izzie (Katherine Heigl) to decide whether or not to remove the comatose woman's liver...and, more problematically, to determine how long to wait before doing so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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This documentary takes a look at a number of 2000 year old artifacts found in a cave near the Dead Sea and the story they might tell. Could these ancient coins have been left behind by Bar-Kokhba, the Jewish upriser whled a rebellion against the Romans so many years ago? ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer directed this follow-up to his film Beef. Just like the first movie, Beef II studies the many feuds that both fuel and plague the world of hip-hop music. Featuring narration by actor Keith David (Platoon, Clockers), the film features interview with such rap stars as Cypress Hill, 50 Cent, Nelly, Ice Cube, Sticky Fingaz, and many others. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury picks up where the original Pitch Black left off as Riddick is pitted against a ruthless bounty hunter in this animated prequel to the big-event summer movie The Chronicles of Riddick. Vin Diesel returns as the voice of the mysterious hero, with Keith David and Rhiana Griffith also reprising their roles from the first film. Directed by acclaimed animator Peter Chung (Aeon Flux, The Animatrix: Matriculated), this 30-minute direct-to-DVD feature promises highly stylized action and dynamic visuals that are sure to amaze and delight. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vin Diesel
- 2004
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Experience legendary boxer Jack Johnson's remarkable struggle both in and out of the ring in documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' two-part look at the career of one of the sports world's most remarkable athletes. From his childhood in Galveston, TX, as the son of former slaves to his triumph as the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1908, Johnson's career was a defining moment in the realm of sports history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Originally intended as a four-part miniseries, Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites made its U.S. debut as a two-part PBS special on May 14 and 21, 2003. Narrated by Keith David, with character voices provided by an impressive lineup of prominent actors, the program is dedicated to the thesis that the Israelites and the Jewish faith changed human history "as much as any empire that ever existed." Persecuted and slaughtered for practicing monotheism at a time when the prevailing belief was in multiple gods, the Kingdom of David kept itself united and solvent by passing along the history and traditions of its elders in written form (the "religion of the book"). Among the subjects explored are the formation of the laws of the Jews, the origins of their customs, and their strongly held and strictly enforced moral values. Individual episode titles include "By the Rivers of Babylon," "The Book and the Sword," "The End of Days," and "The Gifts of the Jews." As often as possible, Kingdom of David was filmed on the exact locations where the historical events described herein occurred. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith David, Jeremy Irons, (more)
- 2003
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This Ken Burns documentary is a vivid celebration of pioneering "automobilist" Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson. In 1903, Jackson accepted a 50-dollar bet to drive from San Francisco to New York City in his 20-horsepower Winton touring car, the Vermont. With only 150 miles of paved roads in the entire country, virtually no worthwhile terrain maps and absolutely no filling stations, Nelson and his co-driver, Sewall K. Crocker, literally had their work cut out for them. Accompanied by their pet bulldog, Bud (fitted out in goggles and duster like his human companions), Nelson and Crocker embarked upon America's first transcontinental motor trip at a rate of 20 miles per hour -- and before their 63 1/2 day odyssey was over, they found themselves in the middle of a "race to the finish," thanks to the last-minute maneuverings of two competing automobile firms, Packard and Oldsmobile. Producers Burns and Dayton Duncan recreated Jackson's historical journey under many of the same condition, with a special camera mounted on their own car to simulate Jackson's point-of-view; and in typical Burns fashion, the two-hour documentary is rounded out with vintage still photos and recitations of Jackson's personal letters (with Tom Hanks providing the good doctor's voice). Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip was originally telecast by (who else?) PBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Keith David, (more)
- 2003
Things get personal for the CSI's Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) when he heads to his old neighborhood to investigate a particularly tragic drive-by shooting. The victim, who was sleeping in her own bedroom, was the nine-year-old daughter of Warrick's old friend and mentor, Matt Phelps (Keith David). When the grieving Warrick presses a little too hard in putting the heat on the primary suspect, Grissom (William L. Petersen) is forced to take him off the case. Elsewhere, Nick (George Eads) investigates the murder of the much-despised CEO of a dot com, whose skull was crushed at his job site. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the conclusion of a two-part story, League member John Stewart, aka The Green Lantern, continues in his efforts to save his fellow "Lanterns" -- and by extension, all mankind -- from the mass-brainwashing scheme fomented by the evil Despero. Happily, it turns out that Stewart's former sweetheart Katma Tui has not joined the enemy camp but has gone undercover to destroy Despero's operation from within. Unhappily, Stewart, Katma, and Hawkgirl are captured by Despero's alien minions, leaving J'onn J'onnz and The Flash to mount a desperate rescue effort. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Haysbert, Keith David, (more)
- 2003
In the first episode of a two-part story, John Stewart, aka The Green Lantern, must come to the rescue of his fellow "Lanterns," several of whom have pitted their lives against the alien minions of the evil Despero. John is alerted to this peril by another "Lantern" named Kilowog, who has escaped the villain's clutches and made his way to the headquarters of the Justice League. Complicating matters is the presence of Stewart's mentor and former sweetheart Kama Tui, who has apparently sold out to Despero. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Haysbert, Keith David, (more)
- 2003
This ambitious cable TV documentary miniseries used the Bible and other written historical sources as a starting-off point for a brand-new exploration of the life and times of Jesus Christ. A team of archaeologists sought out verification of the words of the Scripture by excavating the area in and around the Holy Land, while a group of historians pored through ancient manuscripts and cross-referenced the results. Though some more pious observers feared that the series was a debunking exercise, at no time did anyone involved in the series deny the existence of Jesus or his influence on modern civilization. However, certain fascinating theories, backed up by the expert's findings, were promoted, among them the notion that the Bethlehem in which Christ was born may have been a smaller town with the same name as the more famous Bethlehem, one closer to the home turf of Mary and Joseph. Other speculations: The Last Supper might have been an invention of the early church, tied in with an existing Easter ceremony, and the Crucifixion could well have taken place some distance from the Rock of Calvary. Also seen were new and occasionally contradictory theories concerning the "lost" years between Jesus' childhood and his emergence as the spiritual head of a new religious movement. Individual episode titles in the four-part series included "The Lost Youth of Jesus," "From Galilee to Jerusalem," "The Way of the Cross," and "The Mysteries of Golgotha." In the Footsteps of Jesus was telecast by the History Channel from April 15 to 18, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Inside Islam traces the roots of this often misunderstood faith back to its origins within the Hebrew Bible, as well as providing information concerning how the religion's central tenets helped spread Islam throughout the world. This video provides information on what the Qu'Ran says about topics ranging from violence to suicide, and how many aspects of Islam have been distorted by extremists. Experts such as Khaled Abou el Fadl, author of Speaking in God's Name, offer their insights on the challenges facing the controversial religion today, among them being a crisis in authority and deep divisions among many sects. Islam is the second largest of the world's predominant religions, as well as the fastest growing. Inside Islam originally aired on the History Channel. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
