The Classic that is My Brother and Me

Twenty-five Years ago Nickelodeon debuted My Brother and Me showcasing a middle class Black

family in Charlotte, NC and the hijinks of the two sons and daughter in the family. It's historic as it

was the first show on Nickelodeon to feature a predominately Black cast. It's definitely a product of it's

time straight 90's, from the attire to the lingo, it's funny yet looking back some aspects of it are very

very corny.

At the time of its release I simply watched the show because I enjoyed it. Looking back now I realize how important the show was to the Black community. The show is a milestone in my eyes because of course we had the Cosby's and Family Matters, but My Brother and Me was actually the first show featuring a Black family where the kids were around my age getting into shit. I could relate to some of their problems they had or even the sibling rivalry all siblings go through.

The series introduced the world to a young Amanda Seales, Kim Whitley as Ms. Pickney in one of her first roles. Vanessa Baden who is more famously known as Kyra from Kenan and Kel and Vanessa from Gullah Gullah Island made her debut on the show. Pro wrestler Kenny King made his TV debut on an episode as a cool kid from L.A.

                                              

The show was also unapologetically Black when that necessarily wasn't the norm. The dialogue,

the opening credits. The way the characters talked, little nods to Black culture on the sets

such as the Greek memorabilia in the Parker's living room. The father with the corny jokes or

long ass stories which we've all experienced and I'm worried I may grow into.

It contained so much authenticity for the culture, it's beyond a crime it didn't last longer.

Who can forget classic episodes such as Dee Dee getting bullied and the famous line "Hit Me",
basketball tryouts and the famous "Goo Punch" scene we all sung along to, wishing

we were shilling our own product Dee Dee being very impressionable in an attempt to be cool

getting a wild haircut.  Life lesson episodes such as stepping out of your

comfort zone in the Robin Hood episode.

If for some reason you have never seen it, do yourself a favor and check out the clips on YouTube or

buy the dvd of the show you'll thank yourself later,

My Brother and Me only lasted one season but has left a legacy for a lifetime.

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Halloween Horror Nights Experience

Last weekend I visited Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, in my 33 years of living this was the first haunted house I’ve attended and I had a blast. Being Universal Studios most of the themes and haunted houses were pop culture themed which I love. The themed haunted houses were Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Us, House of a 1000 Corpses, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Universal Monsters, Yeti, Depths of fear, graveyard games, and Nightingales Blood Pit

                                                          

I did the top six haunted houses wish I had more time and energy to do Universal Monsters but I was beat by 1:00 at night, can't hang like I use to. Here are a few things I noticed and appreciated about Halloween Horror Nights.

• The Atmosphere

In addition to the haunted houses there are several “Scare Zones” throughout the park with different themes Vikings, zombies, a undead runway, but my personal favorite was an arcade full of neon, darkness, edm music, women on stilts with nunchucks and of course folks walking around ready to scare you. When you walk into the scare zones it truly feels like you are walking into another era, world or straight out of a Hollywood movie. It adds to that “creepy” factor that is synonymous with Halloween.

• Attention To Detail

I am a movie geek and am a sucker for experiences that make me feel like I’m a part of the movies and shows I’ve watched on TV. The Haunted Houses do just that, walking through the haunted houses feels like you are on the set of these shows and movies, from the replicas of buildings, characters portrayed throughout the haunted house, scenes recreated that you don’t get to appreciate cause you just want to get the hell out of there. You either pretty much walk through a entire movie or a entire season all within a couple of minutes. It all does a great job of immersing a visitor into that world.

                                                        

• Pay Attention

               You should always be aware of your surroundings but at Halloween Horror Nights you need to keep your head on a swivel at ALL times. You never know when your gonna get spooked and get the shit scared out of you. Going through the haunted houses or scare zones, hell anywhere in the park be prepared and on alert.

 I had a great time and am glad I got to experience it. My favorite haunted house was the Ghostbusters simply because I am a big fan of that franchise. As far as what haunted houses scared me the most while I thought it was the Us haunted house, the award goes to House of a 1,000 Corpses I legit jumped quite a few times and moved quickly to get the hell out in that haunted house. 

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Horror Films For The Culture

It’s October..the leaves are falling..it’s a little chill in the air..and for some folks pumpkin spice is available. October of course brings with it Halloween, costumes, candy, spooky decorations, and movies! Lots of Horror marathons to get you through the month of October, we all know the staples like Jason, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Meyers. In this article I’m going to break down 5 Horror films for that culture that you should watch. Some are straight up horror films, others are more thrillers, and some are just campy.

5. Blacula

Released in 1972 during the Blaxploitation era. The film follows a vampire who has been dormant for centuries and awakens in 1970’s Los Angeles to wreak havoc. The film was one of the first Horror films to focus on Black characters and has its place in history because of it. It contains the common tropes of a 1970’s Blaxploitation film and has it’s fair share of gore in it as well. It spawned a sequel in 1973 “Scream Blacula Scream”

4. Bones

Turn on BET during the month of October and you’re bound to find this movie on. Starring Uncle Snoop, Pam Grier, Bianca Lawson, and Clifton Powell. This film was released in 2001 and directed by Ernest Dickerson (Juice, Never Die Alone, The Wire, Dexter, The Walking Dead, The Purge). Snoop Dogg stars as Jimmy Bones, a street hustler murdered by people he trusted the most. He returns from the dead years later to enact his revenge. The film is a homage to the Blaxploitation era, while the production values may scream B-movie but is actually a decent film with its fair share of gore.

3. The People Under The Stairs

Directed by Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street) and starring Brandon Adams, Ving Rhames, Bill Cobbs, and Kelly Jo Minter. The film was released in 1991 and while classified as a horror and depicting killings it isn’t gory but more disturbing. Disturbing along the lines of “Black People don’t do that shit”. Brandon Adam stars as a kid who finds himself trapped inside the home of a very strange family and finds out just how strange the family is and how their behavior has affected other people. The film touches on subjects that are still relevant today such as gentrification, child abduction and abuse, and class warfare. 

2. Tales From The Hood

You should know this anthology film or at least seen clips of it. Released in 1995 and directed by Rusty Cundieff with Spike Lee executive producing. The film stars Clarence Williams, David Alan Grier, Paula Jai Parker, Joe Torry and several others. Among the different topics covered throughout the film are domestic and child abuse, police brutality, slavery and racism, inner city gang violence and more. All with a horror twist that’s truly entertaining and provides social commentary. A sequel followed years later in 2018 that was rather lackluster, skip this sequel and watch this classic over and over again. 

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1. Candyman

Released in 1992 and starring a guy who is frightening just by standing Tony Todd. The film follows the urban legend of The Candyman  a ghost who was brutally killed in the 19^th century. Say his name five times in a mirror and he’ll kill those who speak of his name. The film is very gory and Candyman as I mentioned is frightening, add the setting of the notorious Cabrini-Green projects in Chicago. This film was a horror film made just for the culture and it delivers on all cylinders. It spawned two sequels “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” and “Candyman: Day of the Dead” with a remake scheduled for release in 2020 co-written and produced by Jordan Peele. Candyman the character is a legend in the Horror genre along with the Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger’s , etc. If you enjoy horror movies and have never seen this film do yourself a favor and check it out.

These are just the top five Halloween films for the culture, but there are several more out there, What are some other great Halloween movies for the culture?

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G.I. Joe The Rise Of Cobra Deserves A Second Look

Today marks 10 years since G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra was released in theaters. Highly anticipated when it was released due to being a live action interpretation of the beloved G.I. Joe brand and the flashy trailers highlighting plenty of action. The film was trashed by critics, while receiving mixed reviews from fans upon it's debut. Looking back at it ten years later the film definitely has it's flaws but it actually deserves a second chance, here are three reasons why.

Action Scenes

The beginning of the film starts off very brisk substituting providing much of a plot to get to the point of action. The first action scene in the film is a very exciting scene, and sets the tone for what I believe the film was going for. A modern day "roller coaster" adventure film containing just enough story to move the plot forward and head to the next action beat. The martial arts scenes between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow did not disappoint at all, and Ray Park was born to play Snake Eyes. The chase through the streets of Paris no matter how cartoonish, outlandish and all over the place it  was, is alot of fun and a highlight of the film. 

Live Action Cartoon

While many adaptions and reboots today take a darker more serious tone (i.e. Power Rangers released in 2017). G.I. Joe tried to maintain the feel of a live action cartoon. This included some very corny dialogue and callbacks to traditional G.I. Joe slogans. The film tried it's best to pay homage and include G.I. Joe code names, and locations/headquarters. Some of the sets including the G.I. Joe headquarters and the submarine of Destro along with some of the science in the film had cartoon elements to it. The film isn't really grounded in reality but I believe that was part of the point.

Technology

Released a year after Iron Man spearheaded the MCU and a year before it's sequel, the technology in the Rise of Cobra rivals that of a world inhabited by Tony Stark. With the combination of technology and weaponry used in the recently released "Hobbs & Shaw", this film may have been ahead of the curve in the marriage of weapons and technology. G.I. Joe features nanotechnology called "nanomites" that can be programmed to attack and "eat" through any material. Or it can be used as a mind control device once implanted into a subject. In addition holographic communication, laser guns, devices that can read and display the memories of a dying villain. Fighter jets that rely on voice activation and commands to fly and shoot sonic missiles. Mechanical accelerator suits that provided superhuman abilities to the wearers.  Underwater headquarters, secret bases with state of the art technology. A technology geeks wet dream is displayed in this film.

Overview

Surely the filmmakers made a huge mistake with their handling and backstory of Cobra Commander. Making him a doctor gone "crazy" as opposed to a maniac who just wants to take over the world. Altering his mask for the worse was not a smart decision at all. This iteration of Cobra Commander was a far cry from the Cobra Commander everyone loved to hate. Making Duke and Baroness lost lovers also was a unnecessary subplot. A few years later a sequel G.I. Joe Retaliation  was released that attempted to rectify some of the issues. While that movie was more grounded in reality and generally more well received it still had it's share of problems and the planned franchise was halted. Hasbro and Paramount are developing another G.I. Joe film and planned spinoff, hopefully they can find the right components of The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation to make a truly great G.I. Joe film that satisfies all fans.

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Definition of Successful

Successful is defined by Webster dictionary as a adjective and means "resulting or terminating in success" or "gaining or having gained success."

Everyone wakes up everyday with the goal of being successful. Every working person is hardworking and makes a goal of being successful in life and what they do. Some people just want to be successful point blank period. However there are different definitions and interpretations of successful. To some people a high paying, demanding job, where they make a ton of money is successful. Other people view success as having a good job, a job they love, or a job they can tolerate that pays the bills and provides them comfort. Leaving them with time to have a life.                    

There lies the balance, the work life balance. While everyone will not be rich or wealthy, how much is one willing to sacrifice to obtain the other? Though this is not the case in all situations a lot of ultra successful people sacrifice their personal lives. They miss out on family events, don’t take vacations, or work while on vacation. Take no days off, work on their off day. Whatever they feel needs to happen for the job to get done. A lot of ultra successful people often end up miserable because they lack relationships due to putting work first.                                                     

On the other hand there are folks who want to do their 40 hours a week and call it a day. Some people even prefer to work 32 hours a week to spend more time with their family. They may not be rich and are just “making it”, but they are living their life the way they want, are right there for every precious family moment. They Love it and in the end they are happy.                                                                                

Then there are the small minority who have somehow made it all work. Highly successful in their profession and a good family life. While working demanding long hours, around the clock, they value the importance of personal time. So there lies a ? is there a surefire way to have a good work/life balance, are there any individuals wrong because they prefer one over the other. Is it as simple as what the person in that position values in life? How do we truly define being successful?

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Maintaining Relationships

In life relationships with people are often your backbone. You'll come across people in your life whether family or friends, that you have certain relationships or bonds with. Sometimes throughout life we often forget to maintain those relationships and keep in touch.

About a month ago I lost my stepfather, just a little backstory him and my mother were no longer together but we maintained a relationship and kept in touch over the years. A couple days before he passed I randomly thought to myself I hadn't talked to him in a while and needed to hit him up. After I thought about it I went on and did something else and kept saying "I'm going to call him." Well I didn't and never got the chance to before he unexpectedly passed. 

Since then it really has been bothering me that I did not call him. Why didn't I call him? The day to day nuances of living life and kicking it down the road. 

Everyday we as people get up go to work, take care of any responsibilities we may have, take care of our families and do it all over again. Often times that interferes with checking on people.

I'm here to suggest stop doing that. If you have friends you grew up with but life as adults have caused you to not keep in touch as much hit them up. Have a buddy that has a common hobby with you, hit them up when something occurs that reminds of you them. Come across a old picture of you and your friends looking crazy when y'all thought y'all looked cool. Hit them up with "look what I found". Realized you haven't talked to so and so in a while? Call them or send them a text saying "Thought about you hope all is well" or something to that effect. 

Adulting is a busy lifestyle and keeping in touch with everyone you have or have maintained a relationship with in life can be difficult. I believe we as a society especially in this social media age sees a person make a post and assume they're doing fine or know their in a good place in their life. Other times we know so and so talks to them more often so I'll just ask them how they're doing. We have to stop doing that.  Especially with the different lines of communication phone calls, text, instant messages, emails, facetime etc.

In life some people just naturally gravitate from one another sometimes for a reason, other times just the way life goes. That's OK situations like that it is what it is, but take it from me when you think of someone send them a text right then and there, can't do it at that exact time? Make a note in your phone to do it within the next half hour to a hour, just make a conscious effort to keep in touch as much as you can as soon as you can.

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Love Letter to Do The Right Thing

Today June 30, 2019 marks the 30^th anniversary of Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing”. In my personal opinion is Spike’s best movie out of his acclaimed filmography. Starring Spike Lee and talent who were already legends or on their to being stars in later roles, the film follows an eclectic group of characters during the hottest day of the summer in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. Over the course of this sweltering day tension rises throughout the neighborhood among the many races who live or work in the area.

I could go on and on with the plot of the film but that's not important right now, what's important is about how the film was a product of its time but on the same token ahead of its time. The themes of the film dealt with racism, particularly learning to understand other cultures and their nuances, tolerating others who don’t look like you and moving past your own prejudice. Police brutality which has sadly dominated this decade, gentrification and “them people” moving in causing things to change. Standing up when you've had enough and fighting the power for a real change as indicted by the films classic theme Public Enemy's "Fight The Power".

Many issues that plagued the neighborhood in “Do The Right Thing” still plague the country today. While things really have not changed much since the films release, there is always hope that things will improve. One theme highlighted in the film by Radio Raheem played by the late Bill Nunn, is the conflict between Love vs. Hate. It’s a constant struggle but in the end love should prevail. “Do The Right Thing” is not just a film for the culture as in the Black culture, but it is a film for the culture of the United States. It’s a reason it was added to the National Film Registry for Preservation in 1999 because it’s "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant". If you’ve never seen the movie do the right thing  and check it out.

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