Cheryl Dunye Movies
The truth doesn't come easy, and when the truth involves the mob, the police, and the vengeful survivor of a gangland massacre, it comes screaming in a hail of bullets in this tough-as-nails crime drama from King's Ransom director Jeff Byrd. Left for dead by the mob and then used by police to draw out the same men who nearly sent her to an early grave, Rayne Johnson (Regina King) is caught up in the middle of a battle that's about to blow up. As tension mounts and loyalties shift, the line between good and evil is blurred and Rayne soon learns that the only person she can trust to get her though this mess alive is herself. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Three lazy pals find they're facing fatherhood simultaneously in this light-hearted comedy co-written by star Eddie Griffin. Lonnie (Griffin), G. (Anthony Anderson), and Dominick (Michael Imperioli) live stress-free lives with Lonnie's trash-talking Uncle Virgil (John Amos). But when all three young men's girlfriends get knocked up at the same time, they're forced to take a long, hard look at their lifestyles. For G., who works at the family grocery store of his girlfriend Xi Xi (Bai Ling), that means saying no to criminal temptation and staying on the straight and narrow; for Dominick, it means taking time out from his busy career as a record producer and coming to terms with surprise revelations from his baby's momma; and for Lonnie, it means recognizing ghetto-fabulous girlfriend Rolonda (Paula Jai Parker) as the gold-digger she is and finding a new lady love without sacrificing his individuality. Directed by Cheryl Dunye, whose previous features were low-budget indies, My Baby's Daddy also stars rapper Method Man as imposing ex-con No Good. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Griffin, Anthony Anderson, (more)
In this gritty drama, a woman discovers that her long-lost mother is now her partner in a cutthroat prison gang. Treasure (Yolonda Ross) is a young African-American woman who grew up without a mother and has been in trouble with the law most of her life after falling in with a rough-and-tumble street gang. Treasure has long been told that her mother, a hard-as-nails female criminal nicknamed "Brownie," died years ago, but one of Treasure's best friends and gang-sisters tells her about meeting a hard-core "lifer" named Brownie in an adult lockup, and Treasure wonders if she might be her mother. About to turn 21, Treasure goes out of her way to break enough rules to be sent to the State Facility for Women, where Brownie (Davenia McFadden) is also held. Treasure soon meets Brownie and discovers she is indeed her mother, but finds that the longtime prisoner would prefer to regard her as a gang ally than as a daughter. Treasure also learns that not everyone welcomes her presence in Brownie's gang, especially Kit (Rain Phoenix), a drug dealer who runs with Brownie and feels that her daughter is forcing her to divide her loyalties. Stranger Inside was directed and co-written by Cheryl Dunye, who previously made the controversial independent feminist satire The Watermelon Woman; the film was premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival prior to its telecast on the premium cable network HBO, which financed the project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yolonda Ross, Davenia McFadden, (more)
The women of a suburban town are suddenly forced to live without men in a feminist comedy that parodies the mood and look of '50s sci-fi thrillers. Lisa LaStrada (Mary Woronov) is a seemingly happy housewife in the quiet desert community of Lacuna. But looks can be deceiving, and not all is well in the LaStrada household; Lisa's husband, Jay (Michael White), the local sheriff, is having an affair with her friend Virginia (Roma Maffia). Lisa's sister, Janet (Jaime Tolbert), has problems of her own, running her grocery delivery business and propping up her marriage to Steve (Matt North). One day, a bizarre lightning storm hits Lacuna, and the next morning, while the women wake up, all the men in the community appear to be in a comatose state. Soon it appears that every man in America has fallen into a deep sleep, and no one can wake them, and the women of Lacuna discover they have wildly different reactions to this crisis -- some are lost without their husbands, some are perfectly happy getting to know one another better, while a few ponder the future of the human race without men, who may never wake up again. The New Women also stars Sandra Kinder, Jane Ray, Amy Hill, Jenny Shimizu, and Cheryl Dunye. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Woronov, Jaime Tolbert, (more)
The first film by and about an African-American lesbian, writer-director Cheryl Dunye's fantasy is a "mockumentary," focusing on recapturing the life and times of a fictionalized 1930s Hollywood actress. Dunye plays herself as a video store employee who yearns to be a director. She decides to make a documentary about Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson), a forgotten African-American actress from the 1930s. Dunye discovers the woman, who often played degrading roles as a "mammy" in Hollywood films, was the secret lover of a white director, Martha Paige. Dunye interviews feminist historian Camille Paglia (playing herself), who explains Richards' career and its importance. While researching the project, Dunye falls in love with Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white customer. But her unceasing work on the film project interferes with her relationships with Diana and also with her friend and fellow video store employee Tamara (Valarie Walker). ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, (more)
