Marlon Wayans Movies
The youngest member of what may arguably be the funniest family in show business, Marlon Wayans may also be working his way up to becoming funniest member of the funniest family in show business. Regarding the formidable task of living up to the humorous standards set by his siblings, Marlon takes a healthy and positive attitude, considering his family an important exemplary support system rather than an ominous shadow casting impossible expectations.Born in 1972 in New York City, Marlon graduated from the School of Performing Arts in New York before moving on to study film and arts at Howard University. Following the lead of eldest clan member and brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon was inspired to pursue a career in show business. After taking a small role in brother Keenen's blaxploitation spoof I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! (1988), Marlon joined the cast of Keenen's groundbreaking and trend-setting hip-hop variety show, In Living Color. A natural knack for comedy found Marlon quickly gaining momentum among the cast and refining the skills that would eventually lead him to bigger roles in both film and television. With his role in brother Damon's con-artist comedy Mo' Money, Marlon continued to display his talents for comedy with more substantial roles. Teaming with brother Shawn for television's The Wayans Bros. (1995), Marlon began to expand his responsibilities. Taking on numerous roles -- from writer to director and, of course, star -- Marlon learned the virtues of multi-tasking that would lead him to become a key creative force behind such spoofs as Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996) and Scary Movie (2000).
Wayans gained the majority of positive press earned by the otherwise run-of-the-mill comedy Senseless, and a few even compared him to the likes of Jerry Lewis, thanks to his talent for rubber-limbed humor. Yet Marlon began to seek out more serious roles. "I would do straight dramatic stuff. I'm trained as a dramatic actor," he said. "A lot of people just think I'm funny and crazy all the time, but I went to a performing arts high school, so I'm trained in the dramatic arts. I just happen to be funny." Though Marlon got deadly serious for his role as Jared Leto's drug-addicted friend on a collision course with disaster in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream, he continued to display his exceptional gift for comedy by hosting the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards with brother Shawn, and developing the follow-up to his runaway hit Scary Movie.
The early 2000s were less benevolent to Wayans. Critics singled out and excoriated him for his foolhardy appearance as Snails in the 2000 bomb Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie. Cited as one of the most wretched films of its year - or any year, by almost everybody, Dungeons barely made half of its thirty-five million dollar budget. USA Today wrote, "Marlon Wayans' performance as a cowardly thief would have seemed in bad taste a half-century ago." As Gawain McSam in the lackluster Coen brothers remake The Ladykillers, Wayans similarly did little more than reinforce an ignorant, filthy-mouthed, jive-talking ghetto stereotype; moviegoers responded slightly more favorably than critics.
Perhaps sensing the need to return to his roots for a fresh success, Marlon spent 2004 and 2006 in two family vehicles: the raunchy comedies White Chicks and Little Man, respectively In the former, he and brother Shawn play African American federal agents who go undercover as blonde Caucasian sorority girls to bust a kidnapping scheme. This film climbed the charts to become a top weekend and summer grosser. Little Man, directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and released in July 2006, uses trick photography and sight gags to turn Marlon into the dwarfish thief Calvin Simms, who attempts to retrieve a fenced jewel by posing as an infant and hiding out in the home of aspiring parents. Once there, he relentlessly torments his would-be adoptive father (Shawn Wayans). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A privileged white girl from the suburbs moves to the inner city and attempts to perfect her notoriously clumsy dance moves in this parody of popular dance movies. Damon Wayans Jr. and Craig Wayans star in a comedy co-written by Shawn, Keenen Ivory, Marlon, Craig, and Damien Wayans, who also directs. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Damon Wayans Jr., Craig Wayans, (more)
Director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) adapts the beloved Hasbro G.I. Joe toy line with this Paramount Pictures production that pits the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity against the evil forces of the organization known as Cobra. Dennis Quaid and Channing Tatum star as General Hawk and Duke Hauser, respectively, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marlon Wayans leading the rest of the cast, including Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Saïd Taghmaoui, and Asian film star Lee Byung-hun. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, (more)
- 2008
A former cop-turned-neighborhood hero previously framed for a crime he didn't commit emerges from prison to track down the culprit who set him up in a retro-themed blaxploitation spoof from Shawn, Marlon, and Keenen Ivory Wayans. Shaft, Dolemite, and Black Belt Jones have got nothing on Super Bad James Dynomite, and when the hero of the people returns to the streets he grew up on to find just how much things have changed since he was sent to prison, he makes it his mission to take back the streets and bring down the criminal who now occupies the city's top office. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans
A meek and lovable milquetoast married to an overbearing, overweight tyrant finds his life turned upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams in this romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Eddie Griffin. His entire life, Norbit (Murphy) has been picked on and put down, and after being bullied into marrying the most obnoxious woman in town (also Murphy) it appears as if that's the way things will remain until the day he dies. Upon meeting the one woman who seems to accept him for who he is, Norbit is instilled with a newfound sense of hope for the future. In order to find true happiness, however, Norbit will first have to gather the courage to stand up to his monstrous spouse once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy
- 2007
When a handsome lifestyle mogul awakens one morning to discover that he has turned repulsively ugly as he slept, he soon discovers that the only way to break his curse of homeliness, save his empire, and win the heart of the woman he loves is to embrace his inner beauty in a Dreamworks comedy from writer, producer, and star Marlon Wayans. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Fate brings a childless couple a bundle of joy -- who happens to have a criminal record -- in this comedy directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. Calvin Simms (Marlon Wayans) is a master criminal who with the help of his friend and sidekick, Percy (Tracy Morgan), plans a daring robbery of a museum where one of the world's largest diamonds is on display. One of reasons Calvin is able to get inside secure areas is his size -- Calvin is dwarf who stands less than two feet tall, and can slip in unnoticed where more conventionally sized people would not. While Calvin is able to get the diamond, he's nearly caught by the police while making his getaway, and stashes the jewel in a bag carried by a passerby. Eager to recover the diamond from the unwitting accomplice, Calvin and Percy figure out a way to get into his house -- they dress Calvin up as a baby, and leave him on the doorstep of the passerby's home. As it happens, the couple who live there (Shawn Wayans and Kerry Washington) have been wanting to have a baby, and they eagerly take the new arrival under their wing, embracing the joys of parenthood while ignoring some of the toddler's unusual behavior. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, (more)
- 2005
- Add Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to QueueAdd Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to top of Queue
Hubert Selby Jr. was a powerful and influential literary figure whose best-known novels, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream, dealt with the dark underside of life in a way that was bleak and often shocking, but also laced with compassion and understanding for the tortured lives of his characters. Selby only completed the eighth grade when he became a merchant marine and contracted a severe case of tuberculosis from infected cattle. While Selby survived thanks to bootleg antibiotics, he lost a lung and had to give up his physically punishing work at sea. Selby took up writing and developed a unique style that helped make his first novel, 1964's Last Exit to Brooklyn, a critical success and a controversial best-seller. However, Selby developed a massive appetite for alcohol and drugs which derailed his career, and by the time he published his second book, 1971's The Room, Selby was all but forgotten. However, Selby's work developed a passionate following in Europe, and was rediscovered in the United States after a successful film adaptation of Last Exit to Brooklyn was released. Hubert Selby Jr.: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow is a documentary which explores the life and work of this unlikely literary icon, and features extensive interviews with Selby as well as his friends and admirers. Interview subjects include Lou Reed, Henry Rollins, Richard Price, Nick Tosches, Ellen Burstyn, Darren Aronofsky, Uli Edel, Amiri Baraka, and Jerry Stahl. Robert Downey Jr. serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Downey, Jr., Hubert Selby, Jr., (more)
One of the best-loved films from the idiosyncratic British film studio Ealing Pictures gets an update from the equally idiosyncratic filmmaking team of Joel and Ethan Coen in this offbeat comedy. Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall) is a spry, elderly woman who attends church regularly, doesn't care for loud noises or harsh language, and is looking for a tenant for the spare room in her house. Enter Goldthwait Higginson Dorr (Tom Hanks), a silver-tongued college professor who moves in and gains Munson's permission to use the basement for rehearsals with his "medieval music ensemble." What Munson doesn't know is that Dorr's latest project is not academic, but criminal. Dorr is masterminding the robbery of a riverboat casino, and the fellow musicians in his ensemble are actually the crew he's assembled to pull off the job: foul-mouthed "inside man" Gawain (Marlon Wayans), clumsy demolitions expert Pancake (J.K. Simmons), quiet strong-arm man Lump (Ryan Hurst), and logistical expert The General (Tzi Ma). Despite the best efforts of Dorr and his cohorts (which aren't very impressive), Munson finds out about their scheme, and when she refuses to accept a share of the take in exchange for her silence, Dorr decides the best solution is to silence her permanently. The gospel tunes which grace the soundtrack to The Ladykillers were coordinated by T-Bone Burnett, who also helped assemble the acclaimed song score for the Coen brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou?. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Marlon Wayans, (more)
When brothers and fellow FBI agents Marcus (Marlon Wayans) and Kevin Copeland (Shawn Wayans) accidentally ruin an otherwise painstakingly executed drug bust, getting back into the good graces of their boss becomes a high-priority assignment in itself. With this in mind, Marcus and Kevin take on a case far beneath their usual standards when they agree to escort socialite sisters Brittany (Maitland Ward) and Tiffany Wilton (Anne Dudek) from a private terminal at JFK Airport to their hotel room in the Hamptons. Once there, two considerably higher-ranking agents will take over the girls' protection. The extra security is no mere perk of wealth, however, as it appears that Brittany and Tiffany have been targeted by a serial kidnapper. The FBI hopes to apprehend the perpetrator by using the girls as bait, unbeknownst to them. The plan may have worked if it weren't for Kevin and Marcus, who manage to let the sisters in on the secret. Understandably, neither of them want any part in the process, so they force the brothers to come up with a radical solution: With the help of an FBI lab scientist, the very much African-American Kevin and Marcus will be transformed into two white women who could pass for Brittany and Tiffany. The agents must keep the charade up long enough to lure the kidnapper, but fooling everyone involved will be the job of their lives. Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, White Chicks also features James King and Lochlyn Munro. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
This sequel to a box-office sleeper hit that spoofed teen slasher flicks takes its cues from haunted house and possession films, particularly The Haunting (1999) and The Exorcist (1973). Although many of the first film's main characters were homicide victims, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Anna Faris return anyway to "re-possess" their roles for this follow-up in which four students are invited by their professor (Tim Curry) to his haunted mansion, Hell House, for a weekend sleep-deprivation study. Providing the sleep deprivation, however, is a series of murderous, supernatural goings-on. Scary Movie 2 co-stars Tori Spelling, Andy Richter, Christopher Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, James Woods, Chris Elliott, and Natasha Lyonne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
After parodying the blaxploitation films of the 1970s in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Keenen Ivory Wayans takes aim at slasher films of the 1980s and 1990s in this raunchy satire, which was produced under the clumsy but inarguably appropriate title Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween. As you might expect, a group of teenagers -- not-terribly-bright Buffy (Shannon Elizabeth), her best friend Brenda (Regina Hall), stoner Shorty (Marlon Wayans), fey football player Ray (Shawn Wayans), loudmouthed Greg (Lochlyn Munro), sexually overexcited Bobby (Jon Abrahams), and his prim girlfriend Cindy (Anna Faris) -- are on the run from a maniacal killer who is looking for revenge after the kids accidentally kill a man following an auto accident. They also find themselves having to contend with intrusive reporter Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri) and eccentric high school principal Squiggly (David L. Lander). Incidentally, the title Scary Movie is something of an inside joke: it was the working title for Scream, the movie that kick-started the mid-'90s slasher film revival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
The imaginary world of the world's most popular fantasy role-playing game comes to life in this special-effects laden adventure. In the Empire of Izmer, magic is the key to power in both the supernatural and political realms. The Mages are a sect who know the secrets of magic and use it to hold sway over the masses. The youthful Empress Savina (Thora Birch) wants to use her powers to bring justice and prosperity to all, but Profion (Jeremy Irons) is an evil Mage who wants to use his knowledge of magic to overthrow Savina and establish his own despotic rule. Through deceitful means, Profion wins away the special scepter that allows him to control the nation's Golden Dragons; Savina's only hope to recover the scepter and the rule of Izmer is to obtain the Rod of Savrille, a talisman that will give her powers over the Red Dragons, even more powerful than their golden counterparts. As Savina sets out to gain control of the Red Dragons, she gains a number of unlikely allies, including a pair of thieves, Snails (Marlon Wayans) and Ridely (Justin Whalin); a powerful dwarf, Elwood (Lee Arenberg); and Norda (Kristen Wilson), an elf with a gift for finding lost objects. Dungeons & Dragons also features Zoe McLellan, Bruce Payne, and Richard O'Brien, the latter of whom is best known as the writer and co-star of the perennial cult item The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Whalin, Marlon Wayans, (more)
Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (Jared Leto), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film Pi. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, (more)
Penelope Spheeris directed this Marlon Wayans comedy, scripted by the Rocket Man team of Greg Erb and Craig Mazin. Saddled with several on and off-campus jobs, hard-working college student Darryl Witherspoon (Marlon Wayans) is aiming for a position with the Smythe-Bates brokerage firm, but twit Scott Thorpe has the right resumé and connections. A frat failure, Darryl also doesn't score at ice hockey. For extra cash, Darryl becomes a test subject for an experimental drug that heightens the senses by five times. The initial effect is a rectal irritation, but then Darryl finds his enhanced hearing enables him to pick up distant conversations, and his upgraded coordination improves his hockey game. However, an overdose literally leaves Darryl senseless, as he discovers only four of his five senses operative at any given time. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans, David Spade, (more)
- 1998
Season four of The Wayans Bros. ended with aspiring actor Marlon Williams (Marlon Wayans) landing a regular role on the network sitcom "Everybody Loves Everybody," and Shawn Williams (Shawn Wayans) finding himself without a means of support when his newsstand burns to the ground. Thus, season five finds the brothers' "roles" hilariously reversed: Marlon is now the responsible breadwinner, and Shawn is the wheeler-dealer -- serving as Marlon's agent, and taking a 50 percent cut of his brother's earnings! Most of the season's episodes are built around the brothers' misadventures in show business. In one episode, Marlon is aghast to learn that his TV role may require him to kiss another guy; in another, Shawn attempts to rescue Marlon from the influence of a drug-abusing fellow actor; and in still another, Marlon becomes so popular that he is kidnapped by a female fan -- and when Shawn tries to save him, he gets snatched himself! Elsewhere, the brothers' restauranteur dad, Pops (John Witherspoon), runs for city council, and the stars' real-life sister Kim Wayans makes a return appearance as Marlon and Shawn's country cousin Sheila. Other guest stars appearing in the fifth and final season of The Wayans Bros. include Missy Elliott and Paula Abdul. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
- 1997
The Wayans Bros. launches its fourth season with most of its familiar regulars back on the job: Shawn Wayans as hardworking newspaper-stand owner Shawn Williams, Marlon Wayans as Shawn's footloose brother, Marlon, John Witherspoon as the boys' restauranteur father, John "Pops" Williams, and Anna Maria Horsford as security guard Dee Baxter. The season begins as Marlon returns from a three-month tour with musician Keith Sweat, more determined than ever to find success in show business. Meanwhile, level-headed Shawn must work overtime to keep Marlon's head from either swelling to astronomical proportions or leaving his body entirely! Season highlights include a classic "fantasy" episode in which the regulars assume the leading roles in the old sitcom Good Times, with Shawn Wayans as J.J. ("Dy-no-MIIIITE!") Among the year's guest stars are Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Gloria Gaynor, En Vogue, Busta Rhymes, and even Jerry Springer. Season four ends as Shawn's newsstand is destroyed by an electrical fire, thereby setting up a curious role reversal, with Shawn unemployed and Marlon bringing in a weekly paycheck. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
This sports comedy from Class Act (1992) and Houseguest (1995) director Randall Miller stars Kadeem Hardison and Marlon Wayans as basketball-playing brothers. The Tylers have been dreaming of stardom on the court since childhood. Now that they are the top players for the Washington Huskies, Antoine (Haridson) has become the more flamboyant and attention-getting of the pair. While Kenny (Wayans) is also a talented athlete, he lacks the self-confidence to become a star like his brother. When Antoine suffers a fatal heart attack during play, Kenny is grief-stricken, and the team's chances of making it through the Pac-10 to the NCAA finals become seriously diminished. Luckily, Antoine's ghost returns to give the Huskies a helping hand by blocking shots, tipping the ball through the hoop, tripping opposing team members, and even giving players a supernatural lift on their way to the basket. Only Kenny can see his brother's spirit, but a beautiful school newspaper reporter, R.C. (Michael Michele) suspects the truth. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans, Kadeem Hardison, (more)
- 1996
- R
- Add Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood to QueueAdd Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood to top of Queue
Much as Keenen Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka parodied the basic elements of 70's blaxploitation pictures, this film written by and starring his younger brothers Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans pokes fun at the gritty "reality check" films of the 1990's, such as Boyz N The Hood, Menace II Society and New Jack City. When Ashtray (Shawn Wayans) moves to South Central L.A. to live with his father (who appears to be the same age he is) and grandmother (who likes to talk tough and smoke reefer), he falls in with his gang-banging cousin Loc Dog (Marlon Wayans), who along with the requisite pistols and Uzi carries a thermo-nuclear warhead for self-defense. Will Ashtray keep living the straight life or will he join up with Loc Dog's gangsta homeboys? And is his romance with self-styled poet Dashiki (Tracey Cherelle Jones) going to go anywhere? Big brother Keenen has a small role as a mailman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
- 1996
Season three of The Wayans Bros. is distinguished by the presence of Ja'net DuBois in the recurring role of Grandma Ellington, who presumptively moves in with her nonplussed grandsons Shawn and Marlon Williams (Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans). Alas, the toothsome Paula Jai Parker has left the series, leaving Shawn and Marlon without a "regular" leading lady their own age. In the season's crop of episodes, Shawn goes "yuppie" and spurns his old homies, forcing Marlon to bring him back to earth -- and in a reversal of the same basic situation, Marlon lands a job in a malt-liquor commercial, only to be accused by friends and family of perpetuating negative racial stereotypes. Elsewhere, the brothers' restauranteur dad, Pops (John Witherspoon), rejoins his old singing group; and "Life Without Marlon" is the series' obligatory It's a Wonderful Life spoof, with Shawn briefly assuming the Clarence character. Guest stars on season three of The Wayans Bros. include Pam Grier, cast as an older woman who captures Shawn's heart; and as themselves, actor Adam West, pro ballplayer Kenny Lofton, and musician Keith Sweat, the latter appearing in order to set up the season-ending "cliffhanger." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
- 1995
Premiering January 11, 1995, the WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. actually stars only two members of that large and apparently ever-expanding family of African-American entertainers. Fresh from their In Living Color success, siblings Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans (who also co-created this series) star as Shawn and Marlon Williams, polar-opposite brothers sharing the same New York brownstone. Shawn was the "serious" brother, who during the first season held down a solid job with an overnight delivery service and was diligently saving up enough money to marry Lisa Saunders (Lela Rochon), daughter of a prominent doctor. In contrast, Marlon lived to have fun, only occasionally showing up for his job as kitchen help at Pops' Place, a restaurant owned by the brothers' dad, John "Pops" Williams (John Witherspoon), a former boxer and R&B singer. Also working at Pops' during season one were counter girl Lupe (Joanna Sanchez) and cook Benny (Benny Quan). Losing his job and his girlfriend at the outset of season two, Shawn set up a newsstand in the lobby of the Niedermayer Building, which also housed his dad's restaurant. The building's main security guard had been diminutive Lou Malino (Jill Tasker) during the first season; she was replaced by Anna Maria Horsford as the corpulent Dee Baxter. Also added to the cast in season two was Paula Jai Parker as Monique Lattimore, a wealthy young lady who took a job in a nearby card shop when she lost her fortune -- and who during her single season on the series provided a verbal combatant for Shawn and an "unattainable dream" for the moonstruck Marlon. In season three, Ja'net DuBois joined the cast as the Williams boys' feisty Grandmother Ellington, who briefly moved in with the brothers. Weaving in and out the proceedings were a pair of shady street characters, White Mike (Mitch Mullany) and T.C. (Phill Lewis). In season four, Marlon launched an acting career and Shawn lost his newsstand to a fire. Come the next season, the brothers' "roles" had reversed: Marlon was now the responsible breadwinner, holding down steady employment as a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Loves Everybody," while Shawn was the wheeler-dealer, serving as Shawn's agent -- and skimming 50 percent off the top of each paycheck! The Wayans Bros. proved to be one of the fledgling WB's most popular early offerings, and went on to even greater success in off-net reruns after its September 9, 1999, cancellation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
- 1995
Season two of The Wayans Bros. is shy several regulars from season one, notably Lela Rochon as Lisa, Benny Quan as Benny, and Joanna Sanchez as Lupe. However, series stars Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans are still very much in attendance as polar-opposite siblings Shawn and Marlon Williams, as is John Witherspoon as the brothers' restauranteur dad, John "Pops" Williams. New to the series are Paula Jai Parker as Monique Lattimore, a formerly rich girl reduced to working in a card shop, and Anna Maria Horsford as Dee Baxter, the hefty replacement for tiny Lou Malino (Jill Tasker), security guard in the building housing Pops' diner. Having lost both his delivery job and his girlfriend Lisa, Shawn goes into business for himself, purchasing the newspaper stand in the lobby of the same building in which his dad's diner takes up space. This gives Shawn ample opportunity to verbally spar with the saucy Monique, while moonstruck Marlon (still occasionally employed by his dad) tries to figure out ways to make Monique pay him some attention. Meanwhile, two disreputable hangers-on, White Mike (Mitch Mullany) and T.C. (Phill Lewis), make the first of several recurring appearances. Among this year's highlights is an episode in which Marlon and Shawn suspect one another of being the father of the baby left on their doorstep, a run-in with a restless ghost which culminates in a zany exorcism, and the season closer, wherein Marlon takes Shawn to court over a silly but painful misunderstanding. Guest stars this season include future Jamie Foxx Show regular Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as Shawn's temporary girlfriend in a wild spoof of the movie Fatal Attraction; Adrienne Barbeau and Pat Harrington Jr. as the brothers' landlords; and the stars' real-life sibling Kim Wayans as their gawky country cousin Sheila. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
The first season of The Wayans Bros. finds siblings Shawn and Marlon Williams (Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans) sharing the same NYC brownstone, with serious Shawn bringing in most of the money while merry-making Marlon is either goofing off or promoting some wild get-rich-quick scheme. Shawn hopes to earn enough money at his delivery job to wed Lisa Saunders (Lela Rochon), daughter of a high-profile doctor. Marlon meanwhile holds a temporary job as kitchen help at Pops' Place, the restaurant owned by the brothers' dad, John "Pops" Williams (John Witherspoon). The restaurant is housed in the huge Neidermayer Building, where pint-sized Lou Malino (Jill Tasker) is security guard. Marlon's co-workers are short-order cook Benny (Benny Quan) and counter girl Lupe (Joanna Sanchez). This season's episodes find Shawn getting sucked into Marlon's various "can't miss" business ventures, such as promoting a grooming product called Goop-Hair-It-Is (which unfortunately sets fire to the scalp!), a cab service catering to black people called Afro Pick-You-Up, and a children's-entertainment service which nearly gets Marlon and Shawn killed by a fearsome "Barney" knockoff named Brazilla. In other adventures, Marlon tries to become a male model, Pops gets locked out of the house when he stands up to his formidable wife, the brothers end up in the slammer for nonpayment of several parking tickets, and future series regular Paula Jai Parker shows up in a different role than Monique Lattimore -- specifically, the girlfriend of a particularly fiendish gangster. Among the iconic African-American guest stars appearing in The Wayans Bros.' inaugural season are Garrett Morris, Sherman Hemsley, Richard Roundtree, and Gary Coleman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
A young aspiring professional basketball player must make some tough decisions in this sports melodrama. Kyle Lee is a talented basketball player in high school. While he waits to find out if he will receive a scholarship to Georgetown he finds himself in a difficult dilemma over a playground basketball tournament. He must decide whether to follow his good-hearted coach or Birdie, the local gangster. Kyle is also feeling resentment for the security guard his mother is falling for. The coach also wants the guard to play, but due to the tragic death of a friend, the guard cannot bear the thought of playing again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Duane Martin, Leon, (more)
Worried that Fox's overexposure of existing In Living Color episodes would weaken the series' appeal in rerun syndication, creator Keenen Ivory Wayans exited the show halfway through Season Four, followed in rapid succession by his brothers Damon, Shawn and Kim Wayans. Though sibling Marlon Wayans would continue to appear during season five, by mid-season none of the Wayans were left -- leaving Jim Carrey as the top-billed star of the property, and Jamie Foxx (whose main recurring character by this time was oversexed and spectacularly ugly Wanda Wayne) as the principal supporting comic. Amidst all this turnover, season five ushered in several talented new regulars, among them Chris Rock, Anne-Marie Johnson, Jay Leggett, Carol Rosenthal, Marc Wilmore, and Reggie McFadden. Among the best individual sketches seen during In Living Color's fifth and final season are "Russell Simmons Def Strawberry Jam," "Ike Turner and Hootch," "Anorexic Sumo Wrestler," "Circus of the Stars," "Sam Kinison: Live From Hell," "Wile E. Coyote on Trial," "Mary Tyler Mo," "East Hollywood Squares," "66th Annual Infomercial Awards," and "Prison Cable Network." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Wayans, Jim Carrey, (more)
In this first sequel to 1989's Batman, the Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) is up against the Penguin (Danny DeVito), the hideously deformed scion of a wealthy Gotham City family. The Penguin plots with evil businessman Max Schreck (Christopher Walken) to become mayor and then turn Gotham into a cathedral of crime. Upon overhearing these plans, Schreck's mousy secretary Selena Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) is tossed from a high-rise window by her boss. Rescued by a covey of kittens, Selena transforms into the leather-clad Catwoman. In this guise, she teams with the Penguin and Schreck to divvy up their ill-gotten gains and help discredit Batman-but she also has her own scores to settle. Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, Vincent Schiavelli and Jan Hooks play significant bits, while Pat Hingle and Michael Gough make returns as, respectively, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred the Butler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, (more)
