LaRita Shelby Movies

Two best friends fall for the same guy, entering into a comical duel of good deeds in order to win the man of their dreams. Brainy Simone and boisterous Angela couldn't be more different on the surface, though over the years they've grown as close as sisters. When Calvin wanders into their lives, the rifts in Simone and Angela's friendship start to show. As the race to reel in this handsome bachelor begins, Simone and Angela find their longtime friendship erupting into all-out war. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Actor Craig Sheffer makes his feature directorial debut with this ensemble comedy featuring Ron Livingston, Rob Schneider, Jennifer Esposito, and Michael Clarke Duncan, and following a harried group of characters through twenty-four hours in a typical Los Angeles day. Quite a bit can happen over the course of a single day in L.A., and when smooth-talking scam artist Johnny (Livingston) decides to throw a bachelor party for his best friend Bill (Schneider) the events of the day take a decidedly bizarre turn. As the festivities get underway, the appearance of a transvestite prostitute, a trigger-happy ex-con, and a notorious porn king signal that this isn't going to be your typical night on the town. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Although the popular science fiction series Babylon 5 had officially run its course, one final two-hour episode was deemed necessary to segue into the spinoff series Crusade. Thus, on January 3, 1999, the TNT Network offered the world premiere of Babylon 5: A Call to Arms. The year is 2266: After several years' development, the first destroyer prototypes based on the White Stars (proposed by B5 crew member Delenn in the fifth-season episode "Movements of Fire and Shadow") have been completed. While inspecting the results, Alliance President Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) experences disturbing visions of a future Apocalypse -- and of a doomsaying stranger named Galen. Sheridan's visions seem poised to become reality when the Drakh, the dreaded allies of the defeated Shadows, mount a counteroffensive against humanity. It is up to a new team of space warriors, manning the twin battlecruisers "Excalibur" and "Victory," to prevent Galen's predictions from coming true. Babylon 5: A Call to Arms was written by J. Michael Straczynski, and later novelized by Robert Sheckley. As for Crusade, that oft-postponed series finally debuted on June 9, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With G'Kar having returned to civilian life, he is replaced on B5 by Na'Far (Stephen Macht), a Narn representative of the ruling Centauri. While contending with an association of cargo pilots, Sheridan and Ivanova make contact with an alien probe, which offers B5 a daunting choice: All the combined knowledge of the universe --- or total destruction. And Londo's strained relationship with Vir bodes ill for everyone concerned. First telecast during the week of November 20, 1995, "A Day in the Strife" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Glenn Plummer delivers a powerful performance in this angry film based on Crips, a novel written by South Central Los Angeles high school teacher Donald Baker, and directed by Steve Anderson, who served time in prison. Plummer plays Bobby, a young black man trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of hatred, incarceration, and bloodshed. On his first day out of prison, he comes back to the streets of South Central LA and the only family he knows --the gang. He finds that his best friend Ray-Ray (Byron Keith Minns) is now the leader of the Deuces. Ray-Ray, with plenty of sweet talk, easily talks Bobby into committing a murder, killing a rival gang leader. But before the killing Bobby finds that his girlfriend Carole (LaRita Shelby) has given birth to his son. He also sees that she is becoming too dependent on her drug supply. After the killing, Bobby is hauled back into jail for a ten-year stretch. In jail, Bobby undergoes a transformation. Introduced to the Muslim community and mentored by an older convict named Ali (Carl Lumbly), Bobby begins to read W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King. He learns about self-respect and how gangs use people like him. When he is once again released from prison, Bobby is a new man. But South Central has gone from bad to worse. Carole, now completely addicted to cocaine, works as a hooker to support her habit. He also discovers that Ray-Ray has recruited his 10-year-old son Jimmie (Christian Coleman) as a junior gang member, stealing car stereos. Jimmie looks upon Ray-Ray as a role model and Bobbie must find a way to save his child from the violent and doomed future of a gang member. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Hunter (Fred Dryer) goes after an insane killer who, disguised as a police officer, preys upon teenage prostitutes. It isn't exactly "business as usual" for Hunter; the detective has a personal stake in the case. One of the hookers whom the killer plans to knock off is 18-year-old Debbie Small (Bryan Horrocks), who had befriended Hunter in the earlier episode "City Under Siege". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Much to his own surprise, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is attracted to Whitley (Jasmine Guy) at a midterm dance--far too attracted, as it turns out when he makes a crude pass at her. Though Whitley is outraged by Dwayne's behavior, she begins to have erotic dreams about him, providing a rich source of amusement for the taunting Kim (Charnele Brown). Meanwhile, Dwayne is receiving mysterious gifts which he assumes are from Whitley, but are actually being sent by his new "secret admirer"...Freddie (Cree Summer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitley (Jasmine Guy) tries to be tolerant of her roommate Kim's all-consuming romance with new boyfriend Robert (Brian Wesley Thomas), but her patience comes to an abrupt end when Kim (Charnele Brown) locks her out of her own room. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) turns into a merciless tyrant when assigned to edit the campus poetry magazine. The episode's highlight finds several of the male regulars doing takeoffs of series producer Bill Cosby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide