THE FILM AND STREAM CLUB: DAVEY AND GOLIATH EASTER SHOW

Where do the years go.
I remember being 7 or 8 and waking up early one Easter morning.
Even though I am Seventh Day Adventist my mother gave my brother and I new suits and great toys and candy for Easter.

I was playing with a red Corvette car I got and turned on my favorite early morning religious show
Davey and Goliath on WOR TV Channel 9...I remember the sun was not yet up.

The Davey and Goliath episode was everything this first time I was watching.
I never knew my mom's mother and my dad's mom was not really active.

I was watching thinking how great it would be to have family come and support my baseball or whatever projects.

Just as sure as I was delighted...it broke my heart.

However, I learned that...death plays a role or can at any age.

Likewise so does God's love and he shows up when you need him the most.

So glad that I could find this for anyone that wants..streaming on youtube.

Also love the people you love...
love on them hard
as long and as hard as you want
Many times I have friends that do not understand my affection for them and how they have made my life so much better.
I love them and on them anyway.
Because I understand...even when they don't....

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The Film and Stream Club: GODSPELL

On the last Easter Sunday, that WNEW Channel 5 from New York City was broadcast in my home town of Atlantic City, NJ, I finally saw the film GODSPELL.

I went to Christian Schools the first 7 years of life (shout out to my people from Modern Miracle and Cape May Court House SDA School.) This was the point in my life I actively sought out stuff to be offended by...so I felt that without ever watching a frame, GODSPELL was blasphemy.

At least I out grew that.

Watching GODSPELL in the bedroom I shared with my brother was a humbling experience.

I knew the story of Christ and had seen it acted out in so many Bible Drama's....but it was earth shaking to see the life of Christ....

See it acted out by someone at the time not even 10 years older than myself.

To see the life of Christ and his parables told all across The New York City I loved to visit.

To hear catching pop tunes with the message of ...Love God...Love Man...

And little did I know that this would be my last time....

Godspell came on WNEW every Easter for years and I blew it off...but in actual tears I said to myself...I will make sure I catch this next year...

By next year the cable company had removed WNEW and WPIX from our program options (and I still don't forgive you.)

I miss WNEW....and I learned the hard way to appreciate many different ways of telling a great story and to celebrate tradition.

In fact that's why there are at least four Gospel's in the Bible...

Now I'm going to see if I can find the whole thing streaming somewhere.....

Happy Easter

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:THE ARTS AND MEDIA THINK TANKS' Film and Stream Club

SCHOOL DAZE

VS.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

FIRST OF ALL

I remember sitting in the theater and realizing that School Daze was more the college crew I knew while the students on A Different World at that time seemed more like
"After School Special" College.

However, I have always disliked comparing things just cause "they both black."

Soooooo I had said I was never going to write about School Daze Vs. A Different World.

Fast Forward to the virus panic and Spike Lee claiming Bill Cosby ripped off his idea for A Different World and here we are!

Which Came First Mission or Hillman?

This may be a long confusing story , especially if you do not follow the inside stories of entertainment.

I will make this as easy as I know how.

Both Mission College and Hillman are fictional colleges to a degree....however...
Mission College was first.
Spike attended but did not graduate from Morehouse College in Atlanta , Ga. School Daze is based on a home coming weekend at "Mission College."

While Cosby gets credit for putting HBCU's on National TV.
He did not attend a Black College.

WHY WAS A DIFFERENT WORLD ON TV in 1987 
and SCHOOL DAZE was not in theaters until 1988?

Entertainment production does not release content in real time.

Basic production of a film can be from 2 to 4 years from the time the project is green lit till it comes to a theater.

So Spike had most likely been in pre-production around 1986.

A Different World reached the masses because in 1987 when you are Bill Cosby and your show is number one in all America...your network will want another show and hopefully another show to get after yours.

Cosby was so hot in 1987 if NBC ran The Roller Derby after The Cosby Show Thursdays at 8:30pm .......The Derby would have been in the top 5 every week.

So TV is quicker to produce and even quicker with all the wind in the sails of Cosby.

A Different World was no SCHOOL DAZE

Season One of A Different World was cute and many of us watched because it remains a positive presentation of Black people and more importantly...

A. Young Black People
B. Older Black People as mentors.

However, I remember being shocked seeing ADW stars Jazmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison and Darryl Bell in School Daze. Then as the film progressed I recall thinking "This is going to force Cosby to change A Different World."

Which it did.

The depth of the issues discussed in School Daze from sex, to skin tone , to apartheid in South Africa...School Daze was "All In The Family" season one of ADW was "Andy Griffith."

So even if ADW had been first.
ADW owed the great show it become to Spike.

At it's release and for years after.
School Daze was the hands down winner.

As the years and time has rolled on.

A Different World is truly in it's own lane.
Especially for the millions of fans that have enjoyed A Different World but have never seen School Daze or were born in 1988.

A Different World started off very sugary but by Season 4
the show had discussed not only Homecoming at an HBCU but deeper topics such as
the "new" HIV AIDS disease. 

It can said that almost every topic discussed in School Daze had been dealt with in ADW and more.

As a teacher. I could never use School Daze to teach with my students, but I have used several episodes of ADW to open discussions on
What Are HBCU's and why are they important?
Date Rape
Dating Abuse
and more.

School Daze is streaming on Netflix.
I watched it just before writing this.
School Daze is a jewel that gets more remarkable every time I see it. Which maybe why I paid to see it 3 or 4 times in 1988.
You truly do not get to the show
A Different World which still inspires students to pick Black Colleges with out School Daze.

A Different World every season
is now on Amazon Prime.

If the government ever lets us back out...I plan on watching with my niece.

Both are great works of art that make me proud.
Do yourself a favor and enjoy them both...with out thinking as hard as I did about the dates and comparisons.

Join me on Facebook Live at 4pm as we discuss School Daze Vs. A Different World!

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FILM and STREAM

5 Favorite Black and White TV Shows!

1. The Twilight Zone

If you don't know why?
Ask one of your friends with good taste.
But be prepared for a long gasp...then be prepared for a long list of
"this one time....but I don't wanna give too much a way."

Favorite memory...Watching Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up with my brother one snow day on Channel 11.
It's still much more fun to watch with him.

2.  (Jackie Gleason Presents)
The Honeymooners 
(with Art Carney, Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolf)

As with The Twilight...I owe my love for The Honeymooners to the 1980's programmers of NYC's Channel 11.

All through my highschool years The Honeymooners was the last thing I watched before going to bed.

Favorite Moment: So many but I have to go with 

"The Chef Of The Future" close second is when Ralph is on the game show.

I laughed so hard when I first saw these.

3. I LOVE LUCY

I Love Lucy may be better than The Honeymooners.
There is no show that has both inspired so many changes in TV and still inspires comedy writers, actors and staff.

Not only funny...but Ricky and Fred reading a paper of a Sunday Morning are still dressed better than some corporate executives I know. I have literally seen some of their gear and went and tried to get suits that looked just as nice.

Favorite Memory: Honestly...studying how I Love Lucy changed TV with tape delay and how Desi Lu became the first BIIIIIG DEAL in TV.

Funny Memory: Lucy's Commercial...

4. Wagon TrainAfter years of arguing with my dad about how hokey westerns were. I came across Wagon Train only to realize....

one of my favorite TV shows STAR TREK

is just Wagon Train set in space.
A great anthology series that always brought out amazing guest stars.

Favorite Memory: The Tobias Jones Story starring
Lou Costello in a rare dramatic role.

5. The Addams Family

From the great strips of Charles Addams. This may be the greatest/truest comic strip to TV show ever.
As a kid I loved The Munsters better...but as a think too much man?

The Addams Family is easily my favorite of the 2.

Favorite Memory: Gomez ringing his ridiculous bell from anywhere in the house or the yard or sub basement and Lurch is right there! 

SO WHAT ARE YOU FAVORITES?

WHAT IS YOUR LIST?

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30 Poems In 30 Days Poem 4

About Dawn...

If I tell Dawn..."I'm building a time machine and going back to the 60's"
She would replay..."You are probably going to need some anti-matter...I think I know a guy.
Also  Ray...I'm not saying your head is nappy...Buuuuut don't for get to take some Afro Ceen."
I have never told Dawn about any of my dreams not to have her push me farther down that road. She is not the one to say "that won't work out" or she won't explain "time is a mostly human construct that is only physical in our minds to help process our existence. So you could no more go back in time than you could visit yourself , telling me about this time machine a few minutes ago."

So when Dawn hipped me to Nikki Giovanni's
YOU CAME TOO
I held on to a simple3 words from the poem
I Found You....

In tribute to my friend
Dawn this is my poem

I FOUND YOU

I guestimate there must be
half a trillion stars, galaxies, planets
that God manages behind the moon while we sleep at night.
I believe there are maybe half a billion alternate realities
some how we both found ourselves on earth

On earth
There are approximately
57,308,738 square miles of land
And Whatever You Would Call Texas
Some how we both wound up in
America

in the 21st century there are 5 categorized races
these races speak roughly 6,500 languages
and what ever they speak in Texas
some how
we both found ourselves
Black and Speaking English

PEARLS
are the only gem stones that come
from living creatures
and I was looking for something
that would be valued by 5 races speaking over 6000 languages
and what you were seeking
I don't know
But I bet of the 7.5 Billion people in the world
you were looking for a couple
shaped more like
Idras Elba

The average person will
DREAM136,875 dreams
during their life
and we could both multiply that number by 4
each
because we're above average dreamers

But out of all the numbers
God threw in his hat
called the universe and time
I found you

And I would not trade all

the pearls
in all
the galaxies

or alternate realities
nor any of the 7.5 billion people shaped like
Thelma from Good Times

for  you 

a friend
that pushes me out into the world with my dreams and says
"you go be great"

Out of 365 Days of The Year
We Found Each Other on The Same Day
in the same space
and I have treasured our friendship
every day since

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30 Poems In 30 Days: Poem Number 3

So many people have walked into my life over the years and taken what they wanted and left and never looked back. It happens and that is not a complaint because what I give I give freely eyes wide open.

Then there are a few like Michelle.
She stays and chats and cheers.
She teaches.
She learns.
She takes what I have to give and promises....
We gone make this culture better.
I'm gone put my every thing..in every thing you gave me
and we gone see what this love make it look like.

Michelle Moseley is obviously as beautiful a creation as God ever gifted the planet...
but if you her heart because of her smile...
YOU playing yourself ….

So ladies and gentlemen please enjoy this poem in tribute to
Michelle Moseley

__________

STAR 20 (20)

Stars

are not born

God plants their light in the sky

like passion fruit

then

God plucks them when ripe
send STARS
to
replant them self on earth
cause
NATURAL LIGHT
comes in mysterious ways
MICHELLE
is a gift of song and sunrise
I move out her way
cause
Her words so hot
she's given flames
3rd degree burns
I give her space because I've seen her spit words so cold
ice shivered and had goose bumps
MICHELLE
is
CLEOPATRA
with a pen

and when I am under her words I sometimes feel like

just another Egyptian citizen

But that's just the surface

Just the view from the front row

STARS

are not born

MICHELLE

was not ripped from the runway

RIPPING THE RUN WAY

MICHELLE

was not

sent to give

GOOD MIC

for a minute 

MICHELLE

is bigger

than

twitter, Instagram, facebook or snap chat

and outshines all the little poets

that were hot for a minute on

black planet
a.o.l

and

myspace

MICHELLE

is not a

poetry star

rap star

rock star

she is a

REAL STAR

She is not looking for the spot light

she brings the light to everyone in every spot she's ever been in

and she didn't even need this poem

to say so

it's just that when

God

himself

blesses US

I think the most beautiful thing I can do is

 be thankful...

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30 Poems In 30 Days Poem Number 2

#30PoemsIn30Days

#NationalPoetryMonth
#gabrieltheangel

Gabriel's Poem Number One
Flyin 

This image is of the late actor Oscar Polk who portrayed Gabriel in the classic film
GREEN PASTURES


GRAVITY...
it was the closest thing
to a "lock" I ever known...
FLYIN'
is
so freein'
the word "cage"
may as well be
translated
"by Ella Fitzgerald" in between the chorus and the bridge of
"Mack Da Knife"
every chain
every lock
every cage
is all just "Greek" to me
But here's one thing I never told nobody
The only things better than
Flyin
is Learnin' to Fly and The Fallin'
They should tell you
that's the story
God Should make a heaven just for those that just like
the learnin' part
The part where you fall into the dirt and bleed and spit out dirt
and you and God be laughin
and he reattaches your wing's and says
"one more time...you got this Gabe"
The Flyin and stunts
The cartwheels around the moon...
seein' how close you can get to the sun before you smell smoke
impresses the other angels
and the people with out wings
But I tell you
the fallin'
was Wonderful
you'll never forget the fallin
no matter how high you get to get

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