THIS
IS IT - Michael Jackson
Thurs.
Oct. 7
When
he passed away in the summer of 2009, Michael
Jackson was in the midst of rehearsals for
his final tour, an ambitious 50-date engagement. In
editing 120 hours of rehearsal footage together,
Jackson
producer Kenny Ortega proves that it would've been
an event for the ages. Michael performs material
that spans his career, from a Motown medley to
multi-platinum hits from Off
the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
Though he hadn't toured in 10 years, it becomes
instantly apparent, despite rumors to the contrary,
that
Jackson
was still in full possession of that unmistakable
voice--high-pitched whoops and all--and that he
still had the gravity-defying moves of a man half
his age. - FREE
A
true Genius will never be forgotten
AFROCENTRICITY
- Lecture by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante
Thurs.
Oct. 14
Molefi
Kete
Asante
(born August 14, 1942) is a contemporary and
progressive American scholar in the field of African
studies and African
American Studies. He is currently Professor
in the Department of African American Studies at
Temple
University
, where he founded the first PhD program in African
American Studies.
Asante
is known for his philosophy of Afrocentricity and
transracial, intercultural, and international
communication. He is among the most published
contemporary scholars, having written over 70 books
and 400 articles. He is now being considered to
succeed Howard Dodson who is retiring as director of
the
Schomburg
Center
for Research in Black Culture in
Harlem
. - FREE
BLUES
DIVAS - Documentary
Thurs.
Oct. 21
Morgan Freeman hosts
Blues Divas featuring performances and interviews
with eight of the world’s most soulful female
performers. Freeman, co-owner of Ground
Zero Blues Club in
Clarksdale
,
Mississippi
introduces and interviews performers Irma Thomas,
Mavis
Staples, Odetta,
Deborah
Coleman, Ann
Peebles, Bettye
LaVette, Renee Austin and Denise
LaSalle. The program series was taped at the
Ground Zero Blues Club.
The
film captures a feeling of sitting in on a jam
session. The music is beautifully recorded and the
camera work conveys a feeling of being in a small
audience very close to the artists. For blues
enthusiasts this is a great documentary. Morgan
Freeman, in his insightful interviews,
demonstrates a knowledge and a love for the idiom. -
FREE
WHY
WE LAUGH -
Documentary
Thurs.
Oct. 28
Robert
Townsend and Quincy Newell's take no
prisoners documentary offers a critical overview and
insider's perspective on the cultural impact of Black
comedy. Icons of comedy Chris
Rock, Bill
Cosby, and Keenan Ivory Wayans, among others,
all weigh in on what it means to be a Black comic in
America, while cultural critics, noted scholars, and
prominent politicians trace the evolution of Black
comedy from the days of Stepin
Fetchit and blackface minstrels straight
through the small screen success of the
Jeffersons and Good Times and on to the
cinematic superstardom enjoyed by Eddie
Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg. Dave
Chapelle's controversial career serves as a rich
topic of debate, while the implication of corporate
attempts to capitalize on the remarkable success of Spike
Lee's Original
Kings of Comedy and Russell
Simmons' Def Comedy Jam highlight the
ways in which individuals can inspire change in a
cultural level. -
FREE
