Wynton Marsalis Movies

Crazy Love director Dan Clores crafts this two-part, four-hour documentary following the progression of the Civil Rights movements as experienced by the black college basketball players and coaches who witnessed this unprecedented societal upheaval firsthand. Narrated in part by Samuel L. Jackson and Wynton Marsalis, Black Magic was co-produced by Earl "The Peal" Monroe, a Winston-Salem State University graduate and former professional basketball player known for his precision play-making and flamboyant dribbling. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: Congo Square ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Soundies: A Musical History collects a number of short musical films that played on a film jukebox called Panoram in the 1940s. Many consider these films to be the very first music videos, and this documentary includes appearances by some of the most beloved musical artists of all time including Louis Armstrong. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee (the guiding force behind the critically acclaimed documentary 4 Little Girls) turns to nonfiction filmmaking once again with the heart-wrenching marathon work When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, produced by Lee's Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks and originally screened on HBO. In four "acts" of approximately one hour each, Lee examines the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the late summer of 2005 and the incorrigible response to the catastrophe from U.S. government agencies. The filmmaker then evaluates the overwhelming measures that must be taken for the area to rebound and recover fully, demonstrating time and again that this seems an unlikely prospect in the immediate future. Act One covers the events that immediately preceded Katrina's onslaught of horror, with an in-depth exploration of the Bush administration and FEMA's joint failures to understand the potential calamity at hand. Lee picks up this subtopic again and makes it the central focus of Act Two, which expands into a dissection of the government agencies' failure to respond to the crisis with adequate measures; time and again, the director fills his frame, in this segment, with images and indications of naked human indifference. Act Three plunges headfirst into the toll taken by the hurricane on the lives of Louisiana residents, with protracted glimpses of the destruction wrought. And finally, the film wraps with Act Four, where Lee conducts more recent interviews with experts who question the soundness of the New Orleans levee system in the face of future catastrophes. A number of celebrities and public figures also appear on camera to provide commentary throughout the work, including New Orleans mayor Roy Nagin, actor, singer and social activist Harry Belafonte, and actor Sean Penn. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

When sleuthing archaeologist Velma travels to Egypt to attend a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of the newly restored Sphinx, the discovery of a hidden tomb threatens to unleash an ancient curse in this frightful feature-length mystery featuring everyone's favorite dog detective - Scooby-Doo. Upon discovering the ancient tomb of Eqyptian queen Cleopatra, Scooby and the gang find an ominous warning stating that all who enter will be turned to stone. As the mystery of the ancient tomb deepens, an army of the dead emerges to take revenge on those who would violate the eternal slumber of their revered ruler. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Experience legendary boxer Jack Johnson's remarkable struggle both in and out of the ring in documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' two-part look at the career of one of the sports world's most remarkable athletes. From his childhood in Galveston, TX, as the son of former slaves to his triumph as the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1908, Johnson's career was a defining moment in the realm of sports history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Romare Bearden is widely regarded as one of the most gifted and visionary American artists of his generation, and among the most important African-American visual artists of the 20th century. Best known for his work in collage, in which he captured both the sights and the energies of the various places he'd lived (including the Deep South, Harlem during the renaissance, and St. Martin in the Caribbean), Bearden also worked frequently in oils and watercolors. Regardless of medium, his art was bold and expressive, lending a truly American perspective to his subjects. The Art of Romare Bearden is a documentary that explores his life and work, featuring readings from Bearden's own writings (read by Danny Glover) and observations from his friends and colleagues. Morgan Freeman narrates. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The seventh part of Ken Burns' series covers the years 1940 to 1945 and finds jazz at the center of battles at home and abroad during World War II. Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw enlist in the armed forces and take their bands overseas to entertain the troops. Hitler bans jazz in Germany despite -- or rather, because of -- its underground popularity with "swing kids." Yet, as jazz serves as a symbol of American democracy in Europe, many black Americans still aren't allowed to hear freedom swing. The Savoy Ballroom is closed down to keep white servicemen from its integrated swing dances, and riots ensue. Despite the hypocrisy of the era, Duke Ellington sells war bonds and pairs with a brilliant young composer named Billy Strayhorn to write some of the most compelling work of his career. Meanwhile, a cadre of young musicians gathering nightly at a Harlem club discover a new way to play jazz: As the war comes to an end and the recording ban is lifted, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker record the song "Ko Ko" based on the chords to "Cherokee." Thus, "bebop" takes Americans by surprise and propels jazz in a whole new direction. ~ All Movie Guide

Episode eight -- 1945 to 1955 -- of Ken Burns' series finds jazz musicians reflecting the prosperity and tension of the postwar years in their music. Charlie "Bird" Parker garners legions of devoted followers who imitate not only his brilliant soloing, but also his heroin addiction -- a problem that will plague jazz through the 1950s. As the big bands fade, small-group jazz becomes de rigeur: dancing is out and experimentation is in. Dizzy Gillespie infuses bebop with Latin rhythms, employing congero Chano Pozo. And pianist Thelonious Monk creates angular and percussive jazz all his own. Despite this surge in creativity, most people prefer the new, simpler, dance-oriented rhythm & blues of artists like Louis Jordan. Meanwhile, in California, jazz musicians influence a mellow album featuring the arrangements of Gil Evans and the trumpet of Miles Davis, creating what is soon called "cool" jazz. Dave Brubeck helps lead the charge by recording his million-selling album "Time Out". But as the '50s wear on, Davis moves away from cool jazz and begins his own creative journey as the "pied piper" of jazz. ~ All Movie Guide

Episode nine of Ken Burns' series -- covering 1956 to 1960 -- deals with a period of immense popularity and transition for jazz music. The same year that Elvis Presley tops the pop charts, Duke Ellington records a live album at the Newport Jazz Festival that outsells all his others. Other aging artists' careers soon burn out as a result of drugs, as well as competition from young virtuosos such as Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers. Yet these progressive young musicians remain silent as Louis Armstrong -- whom they unfairly label an "Uncle Tom" -- condemns the government's failure to act against racism in Little Rock, AK. Still the leading visionary of jazz with his minimalist approach, Miles Davis continues to put together different groups throughout the late '50s. But as the '60s approach it is one of Davis' sidemen, saxophonist John Coltrane, who envisions the future of jazz with his provocative version of "My Favorite Things." ~ All Movie Guide