LisaRaye Movies
Possessing a charmingly seductive smile and a distinctively vibrant but laid-back personality, voluptuous actress/model LisaRaye first caught the eye of television viewers with an appearance on the popular television series In the House. Born in Chicago in September 1967, LisaRaye never really took the idea of a career in acting seriously until persuaded by an insistent roommate to attend a local audition in her hometown. Making her screen debut in the low-budget action movie Reasons, LisaRaye received numerous critical kudos despite the fact that the film went largely unseen. Though the movie never did find a distributor, director Monty Ross convinced the budding young actress to move out to L.A. during pilot season, and LisaRaye soon landed minor roles on such shows as Martin and In the House. Subsequently appearing in rapper Tupac Shakur's final music video, her memorable appearance caught the eye of rapper/actor Ice Cube, who was at the time planning his directorial debut, The Players Club. LisaRaye was quickly cast in the film, and her memorable performance as a troubled stripper left a solid impression on audiences. Though her appearances thus far had shown an impressive talent developing, it was following her appearance in The Wood (1999), that LisaRaye's career truly began to ignite. In 2000 LisaRaye found her widest audience yet as the host of Source: All Access, a popular series dedicated to exploring hip-hop culture. She quickly gained a loyal following with her winning smile and extensive knowledge of all things hip-hop. As film roles continued to role in, the millennial turnover found LisaRaye approaching her biggest role to date in the 2002 film Civil Brand. A harrowing look into life in women's prison, the film took home top awards at both the American Black Film Festival and The Urbanworld Film Festival. Soon following little sister Da Brat into a career in music, LisaRaye next began collaborating with Benzino to record a song to be featured in the film Redemption. 2003 proved an equally lucrative year for LisaRaye as she prepared for the release of the Barry Levinson comedy Envy, the female-driven Western Guns and Roses, and her new sitcom All of Us. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2004
- PG13
- Add Envy to Queue Add Envy to top of Queue
Barry Levinson directed this comedy in which success has a rather surprising effect on two old buddies. Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black) and Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) are best friends and next-door neighbors who work together at a sandpaper factory. Nick and Tim often find themselves wishing for something more from life, and Nick has a habit of dreaming up harebrained get-rich-quick schemes that usually end in disaster. Tim is particularly appalled by Nick's latest idea, "Vapoorizer," a cleaning product which will make pet feces magically disappear, but to their shock, it turns out to be an incredible success, and before long Nick is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. Tim, however, is still the same guy getting by in suburbia he's always been, and soon Tim finds himself bitterly resentful of his old friend. As Nick gets richer, Tim gets angrier, and he develops a drinking problem. One night, in a bar, Tim meets an eccentric drifter (Christopher Walken) who offers him some not-so-friendly advice on getting even with his old friend. Envy also stars Rachel Weisz and Amy Poehler as Tim and Nick's much-put-upon spouses. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Jack Black, (more)
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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monica Calhoun, Stacey Dash, (more)
- 2003
This UPN sitcom starred Duane Martin as Robert James, a TV entertainment reporter devoted to his five-year-old son, Robert Jr. (Khamani Griffin). On the verge of divorcing his wife Neesee (LisaRaye), Robert hoped that he could forge a friendship -- or at least a truce -- between Neesee and his current sweetheart, Tia (Elise Neal), for the sake of his son. But Neesee wasn't known as "Baby Mama Drama" for nothing, nor was Tia exactly a shrinking violet, and soon Robert found himself the central figure in a hilarious romantic tug of war. All of Us debuted September 16, 2003, and was inspired by the real-life experiences of executive producers Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Duane Martin, LisaRaye, (more)
The romantic comedy All About You features Renee Elise Goldsberry as Nicole Taylor, a woman who decides to alter her life plans in order to stay with her boyfriend, Robbie (Adam Lazarre-White). After things fall through with Mr. Wonderful, Nicole ends up staying with her best friend, Lisa (LisaRaye). She ends up being forced to share living space with Brian (Terron Brooks), who she begins to fall in love with even though he is Robbie's brother. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Renee Elise Goldsberry, Terron Brooks, (more)
Jean Claude La Marre directs the urban comedy Go for Broke. Two guys win the New York lottery, then get held up by a robber at a cafe. The woman robbing the place gets caught, taking their winning lottery ticket with her to prison. In order to get the stolen ticket back, the two guys dress in drag to infiltrate a women's prison. Starring Pras, Michael A. Goorjian, and Marjorie Jean. Go for Broke was shown at the Urbanworld Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pras, Michael A. Goorjian, (more)
Television director Neema Barnette directs the forceful drama Civil Brand, based on a story by Preston A. Whitmore II. Shot with a micro-budget of 500,000 dollars, the film stars confrontational rap and hip-hop artists Mos Def, MC Lyte, and Da Brat. The story concerns a women's prison that exploits its largely African-American inmate population as cheap labor to manufacture products for a corporation. Mostly incarcerated due to domestic violence situations, the inmates also face sexual abuse as the hands of the prison staff, headed by Captain Deese (Clifton Powell) and Warden Nelson (Reed McCants). Accused of murder, Frances Shepard (Lisa Rae) joins forces with inmates Little Momma (Lark Voorhies), Wet (Monica Calhoun), and Nikki Barnes (N'Bushe Wright), as well as law student Michael (Mos Def), in order to start an uprising. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
A new kingpin in the world of rhythm and blues finds dealing with both success and relationships cause more than a few problems in this drama. Dollar Bill (Wood Harris) is a record producer who after years of struggle has finally reached the top in his field, and Bill and his girlfriend Lenore (Gina Ravera) are enjoying the well-earned perks of the Hollywood high life. But despite the fact Bill and Lenore are happy together, many of their friends believe Bill is losing touch with the sounds of the street which helped make him a success in the first place. As Bill is caught between living his new life and keeping it real, his former lover (LisaRaye) comes back into the picture, and while her smooth singing style could help Bill earn his next hit record, her renewed interest in her ex could put a stake through the heart of his relationship with Lenore. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wood Harris, Gina Ravera, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Omar Epps, Sean Nelson, (more)
Rapper/ actor Ice Cube directed this urban comedy-drama about African-American single mother Diana (Lisa Raye), who aims for a career as a broadcast journalist. To finance her education, she works as a stripper at the raucous Players Club, run by hustler Dollar Bill (Bernie Mac). When naive Ebony (Monica Calhoun), Diana's young cousin, also signs on at the club, Ronnie (Chrystale Wilson) attempts to lead Ebony into prostitution, creating conflicts, while club deejay Blue (Jamie Foxx) begins dating Diana. This film is Ice Cube's feature directorial debut; he also scripted and appears in a supporting role. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- LisaRaye, Bernie Mac, (more)
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