Joseph C. Phillips Movies

Director Janks Morgan asks viewers to question everything they ever thought they know about black men in America with this documentary that aims to destroy the predominant myths, stereotypes, and misperceptions perpetuated in the media by examining how the government, the media, and special interest groups have formed a symbiotic relationship which permits them to marginalize black men in contemporary society. While the triumphs of the Civil Rights movement of the early-1960s led many African-Americans to hold out hope for a brighter, more informed future, the subsequent misinformation spread about black men in particular has prompted serious concern amongst such outspoken activists as Dr. Shelby Steele, Alvin Poussaint, and Dr. John MnWhorter - each of whom sit down to offer their unguarded opinions on the matter in a series of intimate and illuminating interviews. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

When Larry (Garry Shandling) gets the first draft of his memoir back from the publisher, it soon begins to dawn on the host what a bitter and cynical man he has become. When Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) catches wind of Larry's book, the paranoid sidekick soon begins to fret that the dreaded "incident" will make the cut and humiliate him beyond belief. Meanwhile, Artie (Rip Torn) finds inspiration in Larry's project and begins penning a memoir of his own, while Beverly (Penny Johnson) jumps to conclusions about a secret admirer. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this lively comedy, an African American yuppie rethinks life on the corporate fast-track after he falls in love with an ultra hip club promoter. Knowing that she finds him a total square, he seeks the advice of a swinging young mail boy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The sixth season of The Cosby Show marks the full-time return of actress Lisa Bonet in the role of Denise Huxtable, second of four daughters of obstetrician Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and his attorney wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad). Bonet had been on maternity leave throughout much of season five, so it was explained that Denise had gone to Africa to work as a photographer's assistant. Now she's back, with a new husband in tow, Navy lieutenant Martin Kendall (played by new series regular Joseph C. Phillips). But wait, there's more: Denise is now also the stepmother of Martin's three-year-old daughter, Olivia (played by another new regular, Raven-Symone). Though the Kendalls move to Rhode Island, the Brooklyn-dwelling Huxtable parents remain in very close contact -- as they do with their other married daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), now living with her husband, Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) and their twin children, Nelson and Winnie (played in one episode -- and only in one episode -- by Clayton Griggs and Domonique Reynolds). As for the other Huxtable kids, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) are still living at home, while college student Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) has moved into a tiny apartment. The Cosby Show remained firmly in the number-one ratings slot throughout season six -- though it was tied with another sitcom from the Carsey-Werner factory, Roseanne. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Whitley (Jasmine Guy) announces plans to attend her father's wedding in New York, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) offers to drive her there. Actually, Dwayne's primary misison is to visit his former classmate Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet, in her first series appearance after leaving A Different World in 1987), hoping to persuade her to return to Hillman College. Ultimately, a depressed Whitley and a disheartened Dwayne find themselves trapped in a blizzard--a crisis that forces them to draw closer together than ever before. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The series that literally rescued the moribund situation comedy genre from oblivion, NBC's The Cosby Show made its first appearance on September 20, 1984. By the time its first season was over, the series was the second-highest-rated program in the country, enabling NBC to build a brand-new sitcom empire with such popular offerings as Frasier, Seinfeld, and Friends. Bill Cosby was of course the creator of the series, in concert with the Carsey-Werner Company, whose later efforts included Roseanne, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and That '70s Show. Cosby played the leading character, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, a successful obstetrician who lived in a fashionable Brooklyn townhouse with his attorney wife, Clair (played by Phylicia Ayers-Allen, later billed as Phylicia Rashad). The couple's children included daughters Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner). Among the many other characters were Cliff's dad, Russell (Earle Hyman), and mom, Anna (Clarice Taylor); Sondra's boyfriend -- and later husband -- Elvin Tibedeaux (Geoffrey Owens); Theo's pal Cockroach (Carl Anthony Payne II); Rudy's friends Peter (Peter Costa) and Kenny (Deon Richmond); Vanessa's boyfriend Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.); Clair's second cousin, Bedford-Stuyvesant refugee Pam Turner (Erika Alexander); and Pam's friends Slida (Mushond Lee), Charmaine (Karen Malina White), and Lance (Allen Payne). Also, after briefly leaving the series to star in her own series, A Different World, Lisa Bonet returned in the role of Denise, then-married to Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips) and stepmother of Martin's daughter, Olivia (Raven-Symone). Increasing the number of family members were Sondra and Elvin's twin children, Winnie and Nelson, played during the series' final season by Jessica Vaughn and Gary Gray. Unlike many sitcoms with African-American casts, The Cosby Show did not overemphasize its racial aspects, nor did it traffic in stereotypical characters or dialogue. Put simply, the Huxtables could have been any upper-middle-class family of any color, and it was their normality and universality that made the series a hit with viewers from all ethnic groups. The winner of innumerable industry awards, and America's top-rated sitcom for a remarkable five years in a row, The Cosby Show finished its network run on September 17, 1992, and has been a welcome fixture in the syndicated-rerun field ever since. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi