Cinema Tuesdays kicks off '09 with 'Notorious' screening
Nike Sportswear and Urb magazine are teaming up with Cinema Tuesdays, curated by Flux, at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre to screen "Notorious" this Tuesday, kicking off their year of (now monthly in 2009) free film screenings. The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls) biopic, which opens nationwide Jan. 16, is open to the public, but you'll need to RSVP here.
Admission is not guaranteed, so we recommend arriving early if you want to get inside (the film starts around 8:30 p.m.). The last few music-themed films that screened here (such as the Flaming Lips' "Christmas on Mars" and Justice's "Across the Universe") saw lines around the block last year.
I actually caught a screening of "Notorious" earlier this week, and was pleasantly surprised. The solid script, penned by Reggie Rock Bythewood and former L.A. Times writer Cheo Hodari Coker, kept the biopic moving along swiftly, and Angela Bassett nearly steals the film with her strong performance as Voletta Wallace. Coker manages to work in an incredible amount of detail in the movie, which should please true hip-hop heads.
The Times has at least two "Notorious"-related features coming in the days ahead (a story by Ann Powers and a review), so we won't say too much more here. But suffice it to say, "Notorious" does a decent job of capturing the slain rapper's ascension in New York (and eventually nationwide) during the 1990s, although the second half of the film doesn't fare nearly as well as the first half. And the soundtrack, of course, is a winner.
Nike staffers usually crank the volume at the historic Hollywood theater, so that you really feel the music during screenings. For fans of the late hip-hop icon, that's a serious plus.
The event kicks off at 7:15 (MC Lyte spins) and the actual screening begins at 8:30. A Q&A with the film's director, George Tillman Jr., follows around 10:30. If you don't know, now you know.
-- Charlie Amter
Photo of the Notorious B.I.G. at the Billboard Music Awards in 1995 by Mark Lennihan/Associated Press
The basketball and hip-hop culture fusion born in 1984 is known now as The "Dunkadelic-Era" In America, 1984-Present. The "Dunkadelic-Era" will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary during the year 2009 (1984-2009). The "Dunkadelic-Era" is the first and only sport-and-music defined time period in American history. The 5 following events in 1984 led to the birth of The "Dunkadelic-Era".
1. The NBA first introduced the Slam Dunk Contest to All-Star Weekend on January 28, 1984. Larry Nance defeated Dr. J to win the Slam Dunk Championship.
2. David Stern was announced as the 4th NBA Commisioner on February 1, 1984.
3. Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons formed Def Jam Records in March 1984. Def Jam remains the #1 hip-hop label in the industry. Kurtis Blow the hip-hop pioneer releases the hit rap song 'Basketball' from the Ego Trip album.
4. The Fresh Fest was the first major hip-hop concert tour featuring Kurtis Blow, RUN-DMC, Whodini, Newcleus, and the Fat Boys. The tour had 27 stops earning more than 3.5 million dollars.
5. Michael Jordan was selected by the Chicago Bulls with 3rd pick of the 1984 NBA Draft on June 19, 1984. Jordan would sign with Nike and produce the "Air Jordan" sneakers that would later become symbols of fashion within the hip-hop culture.
Bonus Events:
John Thompson the Hall-of-Fame coach would become the first African-American Division 1 college basketball coach to win an NCAA Championship. He led the Georgetown Hoyas with star center Patrick Ewing over the Houston Cougars 84-75 on April 2, 1984.
NBA current stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy, and Deron Williams were all born in 1984. Carmelo is the new-face of the Jordan Brand, and LeBron wears the #23 just as Jordan. Andre Iguodala the hi-flyin' forward of the Philadelphia 76ers was born the same day of the first NBA Slam Dunk Contest January 28, 1984.
Notorious B.I.G. was one of the 25 Most Influential to The "Dunkadelic-Era" and its 25th Anniversary.
Posted by: Dunkadelic TV | January 10, 2009 at 11:21 AM