Chuck D Movies

This comedy-drama stars Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Tamera Mowry (Something to Sing About) as Darren and Lourdes, a newly-married couple struggling to sustain a small business. All hell breaks loose when their eccentric family members turn up and create a host of issues - which puts undue strain on the business and the marriage. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Celebrated newsman Tom Brokaw headlines this feature-length, eponymous documentary portrait of the life of revered civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.. A program originally produced for cable's History Channel to commemorate the 40th anniversary of King's death, it affords equal attention to King himself, the myths and legacies that have gestated in the wake of his assassination, and the enduring messages from King that will live on permanently, passed down to successive generations. A who's who of interviewees also turns up for rare insights and revelations, including President Bill Clinton, Bono, Condoleezza Rice, Harry Belafonte, and King's son, Martin Luther King III. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

In 1987 Public Enemy emerged as one of the most formidable forces in rap music with the release of their landmark sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back; nearly 20 years later, Chuck D and the crew still have what it takes to get their powerful message across while whipping the crowd into an absolute frenzy. On the heels of Public Enemy's 2007 release How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul, a wide variety of musical artists including Henry Rollins, Jonathan Davis, Tom Morello, Talib Kweli, and the Beastie Boys come together in order to reflect on the power of a group whose influence continues to be felt even as they move forward to blaze new trails. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Public Enemy front-man Chuck D hosts a thrilling look back at a dozen of Muhammad Ali's most memorable bouts in this release featuring fights that were hand picked by the legendary pugilist himself. Additional interviews with Ali's opponents and the fight fans who were there to witness history in the making provide a vivid portrait of one of the most exciting eras in sports history. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The United States Congress named 2003 the "Year of the Blues" as part of an initiative by several musical education groups to make more Americans aware of the history and heritage of blues music, one of America's most important homegrown art forms. To kick off this celebration of the blues, a special concert was held at New York City's historic Radio City Music Hall, and Lightning in a Bottle documents a memorable evening of music from a star-studded roster of artists. Offering a glimpse at the rehearsals and preparations that went into putting the show together as well as the evening's best performances, Lightning in a Bottle includes appearances by B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Macy Gray, Buddy Guy, Chuck D., Solomon Burke, David Johansen, Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Alison Krauss, and many more. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Marking the directorial debut of Adam McKay, former head writer for Saturday Night Live and founder of the Upright Citizen's Brigade, Anchorman is set during the 1970s and stars Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, San Diego's top-rated news anchorman. While Burgundy is outwardly willing to adjust to the idea of females in the workplace -- even outside of secretarial positions -- he certainly doesn't want his own job challenged. Keeping that in mind, it's no wonder that the arrival of Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), an aspiring newswoman, is, in Ron's eyes, not the studio's most welcome addition. After Veronica pays her dues covering so-called female-oriented fluff pieces (think cat fashion shows and cooking segments), the ambitious Veronica sets her eyes on the news desk; more specifically, on Ron's seat behind it. Not unpredictably, Ron doesn't take the threat lightly, and it isn't long before the rival newscasters are engaged in a very personal battle of the sexes. Anchorman was co-written by Ferrell, and features supporting performances from David Koechner, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, Tara Subkoff, and Maya Rudolph. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Part of The Blues documentary film series on PBS, Godfathers and Sons is directed by Marc Levin. This installment explores the Chicago blues, the influence of Chess Records, and the connection between blues and hip-hop. Revolutionary rap group Public Enemy notes the 1968 Muddy Waters album Electric Mud as a major influence on the development of their sound. Working closely with Chess Records heir Marshall Chess, along with Public Enemy's Chuck D, Levin travels to Chicago to make a record with contemporary hip-hop artists and veteran blues musicians. Modern electric blues rockers Sam Lay, Magic Slim, and Koko Taylor provide performances and interviews. Includes archival footage of Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Godfathers and Sons was originally broadcast by PBS on October 2, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Public Enemy front-man Chuck D. joins forces with hip hop powerhouse Rapstation to offer an informed look at the people, music, and videos that define the current rap scene in a video magazine that seeks to be as formative as it is entertaining. In addition to revealing conversations with some of today's most popular hip-hop artists, the premiere issue of Chuck D.'s Hip Hop Hall of Fame also offers bonus concert performance by KRS-1, home movies featuring Fab 5 Freddy and Futura Run DMC, and Davey D. offering an essay on "The Birth of Contemporary Rap Music" in addition to doing interviews on the streets of New York City. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Seven short films from up-and-coming African-American filmmakers are collected on this video release. Breakdown stars Vanessa Williams as a traumatized witness to a shooting at a bus station. A Gut Feeling follows two police offers out on an unexpectedly eventful call; Spike Lee served as executive producer for this short. A prominent lawyer is haunted by his past in the film Kings. Breakfast at Ben's tells the story of a man who worked his way out of poverty, and now wants to do something for the community he left behind. The Gift concerns an artist who has lost his sight, but is faced a new set of anxieties when he's told surgery might be able to restore his vision. Hip Hop: The New World Order takes a look at the global impact of rap and hip-hop music, and includes interviews with Chuck D. from Public Enemy and members of the Roots. And True is a comedic short subject that inspired the Budweiser "Whassup?" commercials. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

First, a little background: in 1955, the Director's Guild of America created the pseudonym Alan Smithee, which film directors are allowed to use if they feel their work has been tampered with to such a degree that they no longer want the credit. (For example, if you look at the credits of the expanded and heavily narrated TV version of Dune, you'll notice the director is not listed as David Lynch, but as Alan Smithee.) An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn is a comedy about a film editor (played by Eric Idle) who finally gets his big break -- he's given the opportunity to direct a big-budget action film starring Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jackie Chan. But filming does not go well (the budget eventually balloons to 200 million dollars) and the producer, James Edmunds (Ryan O'Neal), tampers with the final cut of the film. As a result, the hapless neophyte director doesn't want his name to appear on the credits. But his real name is Alan Smithee, so what's he supposed to do? In a stunning example of art imitating life, director Arthur Hiller was supposedly unhappy with the interference of screenwriter and producer Joe Eszterhas on this project and chose to remove his name from the credits -- so An Alan Smithee Film carries the directorial credit of none other than Alan Smithee. Rappers Coolio and Chuck D appear as the filmmaking Brothers Brothers; Chuck D also contributed to the film's score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi