1992: It was an Iconic Year for Film
Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard
It was a great year. The year of our Lord, 1992. The Redskin’s (my home team) won the Super Bowl, Jodeci’s “Come and Talk to Me” was Billboard’s Song of the Year, and yours truly was born on June 15. There’s also a forgotten fact that Nickelodeon buried a time capsule in 1992 with items like a Game Boy, Reebok Pump shoes, Twinkies, Home Alone on VHS, and Gak, which will is set to open in 2042.
My favorite number is 27; So as I approach 27 in 2019, I thought it be appropriate to highlight some of the films by black artists that changed the course of culture, in no particular order.
The Bodyguard
Director: Mick Jackson
Cast: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston
Pop diva Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) has a stalker whose obsession has risen to the level of disturbing threats. At the urging of her manager (Gary Kemp), Rachel hires former secret service agent Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) as her bodyguard. Initially resented and treated with disdain for his hard-nosed security procedures, Farmer soon becomes an integral part of Rachel's inner circle. As they spend more time together, client and protector become closer.
Malcom X
Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Spike Lee
A tribute to Malcolm X, the activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
Sister Act
Director: Emile Ardolino
Cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Nunn
When lively lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) sees her mobster beau, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, Deloris proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to keep her out of trouble, they assign Deloris to the convent's choir, an ensemble that she soon turns into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention. (This isn’t the one with Lauryn Hill)
White Men Cant Jump
Director: Ron Shelton
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez
Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a white basketball hustler who banks on black players underestimating his skills on the court. When he pulls one over on Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), his victim sees a lucrative opportunity, and they become partners in the con game, plying their trade across the courts of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy has to keep one step ahead of mobsters, to whom he owes money, while staying on the good side of his "Jeopardy!"-obsessed, motormouth wife (Rosie Perez).
Boomerang
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Allen Grier, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, Tisha Campbell- Martin, John Witherspoon
A cocky ad executive, Marcus (Eddie Murphy) has a reputation as a ladies' man. However, Marcus gets a taste of his own medicine when a merger finds him working under the beautiful Jacqueline (Robin Givens), who has a similarly cavalier attitude about romance. Marcus and Jacqueline become involved, but he is put off by her noncommittal approach to their relationship. Meanwhile, Marcus also begins to develop feelings for the pretty Angela (Halle Berry), who is more thoughtful than Jacqueline.
Juice
Director: Ernest Dickerson
Cast: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L Jackson, Queen Latifah
Four Harlem friends -- Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Q (Omar Epps), Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) and Raheem (Khalil Kain) -- dabble in petty crime, but they decide to go big by knocking off a convenience store. Bishop, the magnetic leader of the group, has the gun. But Q has different aspirations. He wants to be a DJ and happens to have a gig the night of the robbery. Unfortunately for him, Bishop isn't willing to take no for answer in a game where everything's for keeps.
Bebe’s Kids
Director: Bruce Smith
Cast: Faizon Love, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Marques Houston, John Witherspoon, George Wallace
In this animated depiction of a calamitous first date, Robin Harris (Faizon Love) hits it off with the gorgeous Jamika (Vanessa Bell Calloway), whom he meets at her boss' funeral. On the ride back, Harris is introduced to her well-behaved son (Wayne Collins), and asked if he wants to go with them to the amusement park the next day. Harris accepts, and arrives to find three more children joining them. Jamika is watching her friend Bebe's kids -- which is the beginning of Harris' problems.