Lil' Kim Movies
Born Kimberly Jones in 1975, rapper Lil' Kim (her stage name) grew up in the hellish and violent Bedford-Stuyvesant borough of Brooklyn, NY. Just after her ninth birthday, her parents divorced and she fell into the custody of her father, who threw her out of the house several years later. She thus spent her teenage years in a state of virtual homelessness, living with friends and on the streets, but her life turned a promising corner when she encountered maestro rap producer Biggie Smalls. Smalls immediately sensed her ability to rap, reinvented her as Lil' Kim, and signed her to a recording contract, first as a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., then as a solo artist. In the recording sphere, Kim distinguished herself with an unabashed sexually provocative image and some of the most explicit and graphic lyrics by any female performer in the rap genre. In terms of cinema, it was perhaps inevitable that Lil' Kim would make her strongest impression in urban material, not unlike rap contemporaries Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. Thus, even though she first bowed in the Freddie Prinze, Jr.-headlined teen comedy She's All That (1999), Kim fell into a niche with projects including Juwanna Mann (2002), the adult-oriented animated feature Lil' Pimp (2003), and the urban comedy Nora's Hair Salon (2004). In 2008, Kim joined Leslie Nielsen, Drake Bell, and others for the genre spoof Superhero Movie. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
After spoofing disaster films in Airplane!, police shows in The Naked Gun, and Hollywood horrors in Scary Movie 3 and 4, producer David Zucker sets his satirical sights on the superhero genre with this anarchic comedy lampooning everything from Spider-Man to X-Men and Superman Returns. Shortly after being bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, high-school outcast Rick Riker (Drake Bell) begins to experience a startling transformation. Now Rick's skin is as strong as steel, and he possesses the strength of ten men. Determined to use his newfound powers to fight crime, Rick creates a special costume and assumes the identity of The Dragonfly -- a fearless crime fighter dedicated to keeping the streets safe for law-abiding citizens. But every superhero needs a nemesis, and after Lou Landers (Christopher McDonald) is caught in the middle of an experiment gone horribly awry, he develops the power to leech the life force out of anyone he meets and becomes the villainous Hourglass. Intent on achieving immortality, the Hourglass attempts to gather as much life force as possible as the noble Dragonfly sets out to take down his archenemy and realize his destiny as a true hero. Craig Mazin writes and directs this high-flying spoof featuring Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson, Leslie Nielsen, Marion Ross, Jeffrey Tambor, and Regina Hall. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, (more)
In the world of hip-hop, honor and loyalty are paramount. Perhaps nowhere in the contemporary urban music scene are these sentiments more evident than in the story of the late Notorious B.I.G.. On March 9, 1997 - two weeks before his final album Life After Death shot to the top of the charts - Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed. In the wake of Notorious B.I.G.'s death, his manager D-Roc signed Lil' Kim and Junior Mafia. Later, when gunfire broke out at Hot 97 in New York City, Lil' Kim and D-Roc were sent to prison and their friend were labeled "snitches" by the hip hop community. Now, in a documentary detailing the "Golden Age" of New York hip hop, fans can witness interviews with Jay-Z, Diddy, The Lox, and more in addition to viewing actual footage of the Hot 97 shootout and hearing the recollections of D-Roc - who had previously refused to discuss the event. Jamie Hector of HBO's The Wire hosts a program that no hip hop fan will want to miss. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Take a compelling look at one of the biggest beefs in modern hip-hop with an informative documentary detailing the feud that erupted between Lil' Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. in the wake of their 2002 break-up. For three years the ongoing conflict continued to fester until a fateful firefight outside of New York City radio station "Hot 97" found Lil' Kim slapped with Federal Grand Jury charges in 2005. Subsequently found guilty of perjury after claiming that she didn't know the shooters, Lil' Kim faced twenty-five years in prison despite ultimately being sentenced to only one year and one day. Now the true story of that fateful conflict finally comes into focus as journalist, MTV personality, and radio DJ Sway sits down for an exclusive interview in which the diminutive hip-hop starlet dishes out all the details fans have been waiting to hear. Court transcripts and commentary featuring the words of Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, and more offer another perspective on the events that unfolded, and new music from both Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Notorious B.I.G., sets the tone for an exclusive look into a near-fatal hip-hop feud. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
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The hip hop heavies all come out to play in this release that takes fans straight into the heart of the street scene and exposes all the snitches. From the freshest videos to the latest beefs, this is one video that has it all. In addition to up close and personal interviews with Dame Dash, 40 Cal, Sam Scar, and Butt Nakedfreak Hoes, fans also get insight into how Boy George made his first million by the age of eighteen, Lil Flip's beef with TI, and the new Styles album that arrives with an all new beef. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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What really happened on the fateful night of March 9, 1997 -- the night one of the rap world's most promising stars came plummeting down to earth in a hail of lead and gunsmoke? To this day, there remains many unanswered questions regarding what events unfolded in the hours that led up to the violent shooting, and what role the "Junior M.A.F.I.A." and the East Coast/West Coast rivalry played in both this tragic event and the much-publicized death of rap legend Tupac Shakur. Now viewers can find out exactly how the M.A.F.I.A. is carrying on the legacy of its fallen star through interviews with those who new Biggie Smalls best. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The teen dance boy bands B2K and IMx star in the teen dance musical You Got Served, directed by boy band manager Christopher B. Stokes. Best friends Elgin (Marques Houston of IMX) and David (Omarion of B2K) lead a crew of street dancers (including B2K members Raz-B, Lil Fizz, and J-Boog). They must come up with the best moves in order to defeat the challenging town in the local dance contest called the Big Bounce. Group dynamics are tested when David tries to date Elgin's sister Liyah (Jennifer Freeman). Meagan Good plays Liyah's friend Beautifull. Standup comedian Steve Harvey plays dance battle organizer Mr. Rad. Hip-hop star Lil' Kim appears in a cameo and contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marques Houston, Omarion Grandberry, (more)
Hot gossip and cool hairdos sit side-by-side in this independent comedy-drama. Nora (Jenifer Lewis) is the owner of her own hair salon in an African-American community in Los Angeles, and she watches over her "family" of employees, as well as an assortment of friends, relatives, and regular customers. Lilleana (Tatyana Ali) is a new employee at the salon who is trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband Bennie (Bobby Brown). Chloe (Tamala Jones) is a hair stylist who has aspirations of making it into show biz. Ming (Lucille Soong) does manicures and isn't very good at minding her temper or hiding her opinions. And Devin (Jean-Claude LaMarre) is a gay man who is feeling uncertain about his relationship with his boyfriend, Delicious (Donn Swaby). Hip-hop stars Lil' Kim and Pras also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tamala Jones, (more)
Join up-and-coming comic "Shawty Whatmynameis" as he and three gorgeous ladies travel from Atlanta to Miami in hopes of making it to The Source Awards in this hip-hop reality movie that captures all of the energy and hype of the music industry's most happening awards show. From the inner-workings of the Source headquarters in New York to red carpet, this release offers viewers a backstage pass to hip hip paradise. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
It's Young Guns meets Set It Off in this hip-hop take on the time-tested revenge Western. In the placid frontier town of Flatridge, sisters Sally (Licia Shearer) and Rachel (Monica Calhoun) live in relative peace -- until a roving gang of gold-diggers tear up the burgh, looking for buried riches. In their wake, one of them kills Sally, much to the consternation of Rachel, who happens to have once been a member of an infamous, all-femme gang known as The Roses. With her sister six feet under the ground and the town going to hell under the rule of the marauding outlaws, Rachel leaves Flatridge to round up her former compadres, Kim (Stacey Dash), Ming Li (Marie Matiko), Chastity (Lil' Kim), and Marie (LisaRaye). The fivesome return to the lawless town to oust the bad guys once and for all. Gang of Roses premiered in limited theatrical release at the Magic Johnson Theater in Los Angeles before making its way to home video. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Calhoun, Stacey Dash, (more)
- 2003
- R
Based on an Internet cartoon, Lil' Pimp is the first feature-length film made with Macromedia Flash animation. Co-creators Mark Brooks and Peter Gilstrap are also the directors, screenwriters, and voices for the main cast. The story involves a little white boy with freckles named Lil' Pimp (voice of Brooks) who lives in the suburbs with his pet gerbil Weathers (voice of Ludacris). After he meets Sweet Chiffon (voice of Lil' Kim), he gets introduced to the world of pimping from Fruit Juice (voice of Bernie Mac). Just as Lil' Pimp is on the way up in his new career, Mayor Tony Gold (voice of William Shatner) decides to level the neighborhood to make way for a new land development. Lil' Pimp also features the voices of Carmen Electra and Jennifer Tilly. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Brooks
It's Big Momma's House on the three-point line in this broad farce, which marks the leading man/woman debut of longtime character actor Miguel A. Nunez. Nunez stars as Jamal Jefferies, a hotheaded pro basketball player whose on-court antics and quick temper get him booted from the league altogether. Faster than you can say Dennis Rodman, Jamal has transformed himself into the busty Juwanna Mann in order to be a forward for a high-intensity team in the WUBA league, the Charlotte Banshees. Behind the doors of the womens' lockerroom, Jamal unexpectedly falls for Michelle Langford (Vivica A. Fox), the team's no-nonsense captain. But prosthetic breasts and false eyelashes aren't the only thing preventing Jamal from finding true love with Michelle: there's also the problem of her aggressive, two-timing boyfriend, Romeo (Ginuwine), not to mention the unwanted advances Juwanna gets from a skanky rapper named Puff Smokey Smoke (Tom Davidson). ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miguel A. Nuñez, Vivica A. Fox, (more)
- 2000
Gangstresses, a documentary by Harry Davis, tells the story of violence, poverty, and survival in the streets from a female perspective. Over a two-year period, Davis interviews female hustlers, drug dealers, rappers, porn stars, prostitutes, mothers, and daughters. Among them are Champagne, a well-known African American porn star who has a small child; Mama Mayhem, a street hustler; Uneek, a rapper from the Bronx; and Vanessa Del Rio, a famous porn actress. Musicians Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige, Ice T, and Tupac Shakur also share personal stories of survival. The documentary conducts follow-up research on the women's complicated lives, offering glimpses of both tragic reality and hopeful recovery. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
If Hollywood can shoehorn William Shakespeare into the teen-movie treatment with Romeo and Juliet, and Jane Austen with Clueless (from her novel, Emma), why not George Bernard Shaw? While his Pygmalion has been staged and filmed endless times, most famously as the musical My Fair Lady, here Shaw goes to high school. This time around, a Los Angeles' school's most popular guy Zack (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) loses his girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) to television star Brock Hudson (Scream's Matthew Lillard). Zack then vows to his friends that he can take any girl in school and turn her into the prom queen. With five weeks until the prom, his friends pick weird, art nerd Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook). Zack predictably gets more than he bargained for as he falls in love with his "creation." Eldon Hudson and Kieran Culkin, stars of The Mighty, play Laney's best friend and little brother, respectively. Robert Iscove, director of television's Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, makes his big-screen debut. ~ Chris Gore, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Prinze, Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, (more)
A fearless female cop faces off against a legion of super-powered villains in this animated tale of sci-fi-action from Undercover Brother creator John Ridley. A normal cop may not last long against invulnerable, telekinetic enemies enhanced with super-speed, remarkable strength, and flame throwers, but Soledad O' Roark is no normal cop. In a future overrun by technologically advanced super-villains who can single-handedly take on an army of foes, only tough-as-nails cop O' Roark has what it takes to restore safety to the city and bring down the bad guys once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
