Nov 7, 2006, Runtime: I tried to work it out, but I was editing Which Way Is Up? and Travolta had a hard out because he had to go back to his TV show [Welcome Back, Kotter]. The great Motown soundtrack had so much flutter it was just annoying! Thank you. and the In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn. One of legendary director Michael Schultzs early efforts is at times a bawdy coming-of-age hangout comedy with a healthy dash of social commentary and a dark heart by the end. He did. Tyrone. We follow their lives through to the dramatic end of high school. But nobody valued that music at the time. Cooley High showed a slice of urban life rarely seen in "blaxploitation" movies of the time. Mobilesite. A nave Kardashian prototype, Lynn understands that the presence of the camera is license to act out. I must admit, I felt oddly disconnected from a lot of what was happening on screen but Im absolutely in the minority with that feeling. It has it all. Cinemark Its no wonder he made all that money. The film goes from scenario to scenario as the two skip school, go to parties, drive around in a stolen car, and especially trying to get with girls. Life is nothing but high school, Kurt Vonnegut once told an interviewer. Kids also necked..and left "hicky's"..on their G-friends neck's.. Today ..Teen pregancy has soared since 1978 ..in many cities across America.. The hackers are such hip and brilliant young pirates that they can tamper with any computer system without breaking a sweat, the Times critic Janet Maslin wrote in 1995. Cooley High [Blu-ray] - amazon.com I had to keep working to get him the level of care that he needed. My theory was that if it was as culturally specific as possible, and as Black as possible, it would translate across the racial divide and people would fall in love with these kids and their humanity. So I met with Eric for seven or eight hours a day for four weeks. Schultz on the Carbon Copy set with George Segal and Denzel Washington. Crippled by a series of strokes, Monte went public in 2006 with the fact that he was living in a Salvation Army homeless shelter in Bell, California. Then life changes for two of the guys when they meet a pair of career criminals and get falsely arrested in connection with stealing a Cadillac. Richard and I were supposed to do another movie before Car Wash called Simmons From Chicago, a comedy about a pimp who becomes president. I thought he was a brilliant comic my friends and I all loved listening to his stuff but he hadnt really broken onto the scene in films yet. What was your bond with him? Thereafter Seventeen focuses on a long keg party at the Massie home, full of teenage intrigue and drunken chatter. COMMENTS: Gritty North Side Chicago locations highlight this effective nostalgia piece. The closing credits of the latter even mentioned that it was based on Monte's Cooley High, which always made me curious about this movie. It is more of a coming of age drama about a specific time and place. Schultz, left, with Douglas Turner Ward, working together at the Negro Ensemble Company. My sheltered up bringing didn't expose me to gangs,violence Or drugs ..like most northern blacks in larger cities. I made more money on that film than on most of my earlier films put together. The focuses on two high school seniors, Preach (Glynn Turman) and Cochise(Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) one crazy week in 1964. From left, Corin Rogers, Joseph Carter Wilson, Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in Cooley High (1975). And while Cooley High is funny, there are grim, very real ramifications and consequences to the protagonist's irresponsibility. How did you end up there? Monte lived there while attending the now defunct Cooley Vocational High School. The experiences are typical of any youth. Three of the DVDs four films are newly restored rediscoveries. Joseph Carter Wilson . He has directed more than a dozen films, including the classics Cooley High (1975), Car Wash (1976) and Krush Groove (1985); is responsible for the first feature-film appearances of Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Blair Underwood; and has worked consistently in television since the 1990s. The characters portrayed the students were spot on! Preach reluctantly returns with his belt only to find his mother slumped over in her chair fast asleep. Jimmy Lee. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Its no coincidence that the key and consequently most ignored class at Cooley High is history. Steve Krantz, Writer: I recently caught a little bit of this film on TCM. Critics savaged Sgt. Peter was a really sweet guy, but the Bee Gees hated him. Typety type on the Amazon app and voila! (Xlrator Media), HACKERS A not-yet 20-year-old Angelina Jolie is cast as the smartest, sexiest girl at New Yorks elite Stuyvesant High in Iain Softleys enjoyably dated drama of teenage computer geniuses, much of it shot on location in Stuyvesants TriBeCa neighborhood. Cooley High streaming: where to watch movie online? - JustWatch It was also the first of three movies you did with Richard Pryor [followed by Greased Lightning and Which Way Is Up?, both released in 1977]. And he was very handsome. Eric Monte interview by Katia Dunn at a pretty young age. His 1969 Broadway debut, Does Tiger Wear a Necktie, earned star Al Pacino a Tony award and Schultz a nomination. I like Cooley High not so much for it's story as for how it makes me think about the past. Its become famous for its soundtrack, as well, which is wall-to-wall Motown The Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson. Performances, photography, editorial, score, costumes. Did you participate in those debates? You made the transition to features in the same year Super Fly (1972) came out; right after Sweet Sweetbacks Baadasssss Song and Shaft (both in 1971). This film is a slam dunk unabashed success. Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in 1960s Chicago. Sherman Smith . Boasted by an amazing soundtrack comprised of some of the most catchy Motown hits and a cast of young actors such as Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, this coming of age in the same vein as films such as "American Graffiti" or "American Pie", might rank as a classic among many prominent filmmakers like Spike Lee and the late John Singleton. Cooley High (1975) - Turner Classic Movies The studio was ecstatic. Every kid I knew watched it almost daily, the same way we did The Brady Bunch or Laverne & Shirley.. This item cannot be shipped to your selected delivery location.
In fact, it's very episodic in that there's mini arcs within a bigger arc. How did it feel when you were shooting? Robert . Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Released in 1975, Cooley High (now available on Blu-ray from Olive) has numerous points of contact with Seventeen. Its Midwestern, working-class high school seniors also drink, cuss, cut school, have sex and get themselves killed, but because of its big-city milieu and well-wrought fictional narrative, it all seems somehow less jarring and more natural. Cooley High (1975) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb Its a dual universe: good and evil, black and white, up and down. Arriving in Hollywood in 1968, the high school dropout could do little better for himself than sell marijuana for rent money until a friend, actor Mike Evans, landed a semi-regular role on Norman Lear's hit sitcom All in the Family. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of serviceapply. As with Good Times, this project was another combative experience for Eric Monte, whose struggle to bring accurate depictions of African-American life to Hollywood derailed into litigation, industry blackballing and drug use. They were always ignoring him and trying to make his life as difficult as they could. What did you make of Blaxploitation? But the script wasnt really a script it was still mostly just stories. How do you get an assignment like that? At 83, the filmmaker behind Cooley High and Car Wash may be the longest-working Black director in history. That really happened to Eric. Please consider upgrading to a Pro accountfor less than a couple bucks a month, youll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages (example), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads! I didnt adore it, but I sure had a lovely time! GENRE: Comedy-drama When the guys were singing, they were fine. Inspired by the positive reception to Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), Schultz made the trip to Hollywood, where he got work directing on such cop shows as Toma, The Rockford Files and Baretta. I wanted to make sure that people can hear it, he said. Factory), HEY BABU RIBA Four teenagers come into their own in 1953 Belgrade, where rebellion is signified by a taste for Glenn Miller. . IMDb Pooter Maurice Leon Havis. Watchlist. [A representative for Gibb didnt respond to a request for comment.] We were friends, a long time ago. Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2006. Young gifted and black and foolish as it goes in the ghetto with youths getting into trouble of various types, this movie hits on the reality of growing up through it all. The DVD is available from bigsleepfilms.com. Im good at what I do and focus on whats best for the project. Cooley High [VHS] - amazon.com Coming Soon. Cooley High - Rotten Tomatoes As the end of the school year draws near, the friends obsess over the viability of their ambitions. When Michael Schultz began work on his first film, in 1971, there was no road map for a lengthy career as a Black director in Hollywood. Im glad I added this movie to my dvd library. This is one of those films that you don't really know what to expect going in, think the film is going one way, and then it takes you a completely different route. How did you get all of those songs? Youre always afraid that theyll end up on the street and the cops will get involved, or shoot them down. It had this perfect dramatic twist in the death of a friend that sends the main character off to pursue his dreams. To me, that's almost manipulative and too jarring for an audience. They couldnt even keep it together. A young man living in the ghetto has dreams goals and aspirations. We need to check your ID. This is one of Chicago best movies about black teenagers in a big city. While the movie presents a world that holds little interest for me, to my delight, it kept my attention and was fun to watch. Lynn is living large, and the movie amplifies her teenage bravado. Producer: Steve Krantz This quality of the storytelling transcends the narrow appeal of the subject matter and the film's shortcomings in a meaningful way. I always thought that was stupid. And I thought it could be a window into the lives of Black kids that had never been seen before. Watch Cooley High (1975) Online for Free | The Roku Channel | Roku The consequence's of who ..YOU should associate yourself with and NOT ..?? Be the first to write a customer review. Joseph Carter Wilson . It was like The worst musical in the history of modern Hollywood moviemaking.. Class officers, cheerleaders and all. To which, Joel DeMott and Jeff Kreines, the makers of the once-banned, now-classic made-for-TV documentary Seventeen (1982), out on DVD from Icarus Films, might add: substance abuse, racial tension, problematic romantic relationships and issues with authority. After Cooley High, you did Car Wash, which was a big hit for Universal. See Joseph Carter Wilson's Full Filmography. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. But to me, providing work for actors who couldnt get work was a very important thing to do. Youre never satisfied. 's Revenge (1976) and the CBS telefilm Minstrel Man (1977). Cooley High Cast and Crew - Cast Photos and Info | Fandango The Motown soundtrack is fn AMAZING. I won't mince words here. Anyone can read what you share. Basketball days and high nights, no tomorrows, unable to remember yesterday. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. Games Home >> New Releases; Coming Soon; Best. This disc exceeded my expectations. DIRECTED BY: Michael Schultz Trending. I relate to these kids because they were simply enjoying the last few years of High school ..then either college, a job or marriage was in their horizon's.. I also like the scene when they stick up the "hooker's" and flash a phony badge OMG ! Kids who lived in Northern cities had to ..grow up really ..FAST! English, Director: The New York-born actor and High School of Performing Arts graduate was by the mid-1970s on a creative roll, with featured parts in Cooley High, The River Niger (1976), J.D. I see some things I wish I could have done better. Because of its subject matter, episodic narrative, end-title epilogue and soundtrack, however, Cooley High has gone down in history as the African-American American Graffiti., The label is understandable, although in some regards Cooley High is the negation of American Graffiti not only because its characters are black and its setting is urban, rather than white and suburban, but also because it does not partake of an unthinking nostalgia. Michael Schultz, Producer: Report this film, "Why don't you hit him with your throbbing manhood?". "Townsend brings it back home: Filmmaker goes on location near his old West Side haunts" by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Chicago Sun-Times, April 5, 2007 Unless you have a counter, unless you can see other versions of who we are, its damaging. Joseph Carter Wilson - Los Angeles Sentinel Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis, Joseph Carter Wilson Theyre going to be watching at home, and all kinds of stuff is happening at home.. Every night, me and my wife [Gloria Schultz] would cut everything down until we had the completed script. The second half becomes a little uneven and the ending is very jarring, but it's definitely worth a watch for it's historical impact and it's comedic timing. Yeah, theyre putting white people on top of the pyramid [most Blaxploitation films, after the initial wave, were directed by white men], but theyre keeping Black people working. Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2023. (Hysteric's).. Matter of fact, I almost hired another kid. I did the DNA thing and theres significant European [ancestry], but its so far back that who knows? Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price. It was a big hit internationally. It took me about a year to recover. Cast: Glynn Turman Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs Garrett Morris Cynthia Davis Corin Rogers Maurice Leon Havis Joseph Carter Wilson Sherman Smith Norman Gibson Maurice Marshall Steven Williams Christine Jones. Many of the antics that our young men are involved in generate some good laughs, but some haven't aged so well, such as these two. Show All, 107mins +Chemistry between the guys The reaction to Lynns taboo-breaking relationship becomes apparent only after someone burns a cross on her parents lawn. Obviously being a white male, I'm not necessarily the target audience, but I think there's a lot of fun to be had with this group of kids from Cooley High. Laughin, rappin, chasin girls, obeying no laws, except the law of caring. It was more like an opera or an extended music video a different approach to music as a filmic experience. Cooley High - one of my favorites! This movie is a story straight out of the Black Ghetto in the 60s. I was against the tired imagery, especially given the power of the medium and the influence that it has on peoples minds. The dream of becoming a professional writer had lured Monte (born Kenneth Williams) out of Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing development in the early 1960s. Peter Frampton, as well. What has it been like for you to see that evolution? Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. are sometimes prepared for the real life moments that sneak into what could have been pitched as an urban sex comedy set in the 60, but its refreshing to see a film bold enough to take those swings. These are edited excerpts from our conversations. Not sure if the actors (or even the audience?) Movies. Actor: Cooley High. In any case,bruised feelings, as well as rough language and raw technique, are part of the package. From left, Corin Rogers, Joseph Carter Wilson, Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in "Cooley High." Olive Films MALCOLM X (1992), COOLEY HIGH (1975) and SOUNDER (1972) at 4:30. Menu. More importantly Cooley High is significant as a piece of filmmaking for being such an effective example of nostalgic storytelling. Cooley High (1975) Back to main. Little nitpicky things like that. Shortly after the story broke, Monte was offered a plane ticket from a Chicago politician and invited to return to his former hometown. But I really appreciate what this film did for not only the black community, as a part of the black exploitation film era, but also what it did for Chicago as a city. With Evans' support, Monte got a spec script to Lear that introduced white bigot Archie Bunker's black neighbors, George and Louise Jefferson. Directed by Michael Schultz. Glynn Turman, Corin Rogers, Joseph Carter Wilson, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, Michael Schultz, Steven Williams, Maurice Marshall, Sherman Smith, Cynthia Davis, Norman Gibson, Garrett Morris, Maurice Leon Havis. Steven Williams . Cynthia Davis. The argument was that the movies were degrading and setting us back. Michael Schultz's film is a terrific mosaic of African-American life. Willie Joseph Carter Wilson. A few of these deal with the pursuit of the unattainable girl, pulling pranks, getting high, getting laid, social posturing, dealing with neighborhood toughs, and white knuckle, seat -of -the- pants flirtations with minor disasters like a legal scrape over joyriding in a stolen car. Going through that emotional disappointment and taking that break kind of slowed down the trajectory of my career. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was a big pivot and had a big budget and a high profile. Cooley High gets good use out of a mostly amateur cast (particularly Cynthia Davis, . Cooley High is sometimes compared to American Grafitti in terms of tone and nostalgic emotional impact, The mood is more reminiscent of The Hollywood Knights. Ive never understood that kind of ego. I said, Its not a requirement. The experiences are typical of any youth. Set in 1964 Chicago, "Cooley High" is a slice-of-life tale of high school students coping with the challenges of everyday life and growing up in the shadows of the housing projects. Currently you are able to watch "Cooley High" streaming on The Roku Channel for free with ads or buy it as download on Vudu. Cooley High is deceptively titled because it isn't really a high school movie. What was the vision? My wife suggested I drop my rsum off with them before we went on the road to do a play that she was acting in and I was directing. Menu. Compare Similar Items. It still seems to be going strong after all of these years! While the picture was fair, the audio was atrocious! Cooley High [VHS] Glynn Turman (Actor), Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Actor), Michael Schultz (Director) Rated: PG Format: VHS Tape 620 ratings IMDb 7.1/10.0 $987 Prime Video Blu-ray $35.25 DVD $17.99 VHS Tape $9.87 Additional VHS Tape options Edition Discs Price New from Used from VHS Tape January 9, 2001 1 $9.87 $9.87 $4.99 VHS Tape June 10, 1994 Sam was a student at Morehouse. But actually, perhaps the most joy I've got out of this is reading some contemporary reviews from black reviewers talking about how much this movie meant to them at the time, and how amazing it was to see their experiences reflected in a movie for a change. The mother tells Preach to get his belt so she can whup his hide. <I>Cooley High</I> is writer Eric Monte's stock synopsis of the sorts of characters, folkways, mores, attitudes, and teenage dilemmas he remembers about growing up . Unfortunately, I'm not a person who tends to enjoy this type of film as much as many others, so I couldn't fully get into it. This movie is a story straight out of the Black Ghetto in the 60s. Robert. I dont think it would have happened, though, if there werent Black executives, as well. Richard "Cochise" Morris . 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cooley High [DVD] [1975] SKU: 27156382 Release Date: 04/21/2015 Rating: PG 4.8(6 Reviews) 1 Video $17.99 15-day free & easy returns If received today, the last day to return this item would be Oct 28. From left, Corin Rogers, Joseph Carter Wilson, Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in Cooley High.. Because around that same time, our family was going through some personal difficulties. An initial bid by ABC to turn Cooley High into a weekly series stalled with a poorly-received pilot but the characters were retooled for What's Happening! 95 percent of the film is comedic and then all of a sudden the end of the film hits you like a shot in the dark. An ur-example of the sort of "seeking a way out" films that would proliferate in the 90s, this film has a warmer tone, fueled in no small part by the soul soundtrack and period setting. When I was starting out, everybody in film looked down their nose on television. Maurice Marshall . teenager, school, friendship, funny or nerds, school, teacher, student, classroom or kids, surfing, teenager, friendship, adolescents or kids, dancing, choreography, songs, tune or musical. Hes Not Done Yet. When you notice the brawls ..these kids fought with their fists Today flash forward..they use firearm's..now.! What an exciting time for me. Genre: Brenda Corin Rogers. What was your secret? (Shout! I don't believe any of the actors became famous, but they worked really well together on screen. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. Cast 13. Please choose a different delivery location. They cut school, they joy ride, they romance woman to middling degrees. A classic film of the first order. Previous Films More Films. The law comes looking for them for their indiscretions. Stone: Norman Gibson . Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry. Cooley High [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] [1975] - Bestbuy In these little-incidents-strung-together-into-a-whole kind of films, a lot of the impact depends on how much you care about the lead characters so I was hamstrung by finding Preach cocky and mostly charmless but hey, that's teenagers for you, the scamps. I thought what Melvin [Van Peebles, the director of Sweet Sweetback] was doing was very inspirational. Cooley High has been one of the films I've been looking forward to watching most since I started this project, and I'm pleased to report it didn't disappoint. There was a huge backlash at the time within the Black community in editorials in Ebony; from the Coalition Against Blaxploitation, which included the N.A.A.C.P. That little swish he does is pretty hokey. This movie is beyond legendary ..in some circles.. First of all I can relate to the movie for the "Hi'-jink's" that kids engaged in when we were brats.. First of all I'm a Southerner .. and not from the big cities so I have no understanding of "urban survival".. What draws me to this movie since I haven't seen it in about 15 years.. are the crazy character's..As a girl ..who didn't have a group of "female" friends in school because I was a loner and most of my friends were boys.. [Pauses]. Eric Monte, Release Date (Theaters): 1h 47m, Distributor: The film has a terrific Motown score that acts as a Greek chorus to what's on screen as opposed to incidental background noise. Not so fast, my friend. The film goes from scenario to scenario as the two skip school, go to parties, drive around in a stolen car, and especially trying to get with girls. radically retooled some of the film's elements into an inoffensive kid-friendly comedy with catchphrases, set in 1970s Watts rather than 1960s inner-city Chicago. The kids of Cooley High are facing a far more drastic upheaval than the loss of teenage innocence; the movie knows it even if they dont. Cooley High is a classic 1970s movie focusing upon two friends Preach (Glynn Turman) and Cochise (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) during their senior year in high school in Chicago. An accomplished rodeo rider, Turman and his wife founded Camp Gid D Up, a western-style summer camp for disadvantaged and at risk children. Then life changes for two of the guys when they meet a pair of career criminals and get falsely arrested in connection with stealing a convertible. What did you see in Erics stories? Having a pretty low budget, I'm sure they were constrained from filming in every location, but I do believe they could have used the Chicago landscape even more than they did. I had moved to New York after studying theater at Marquette in Milwaukee, where I grew up. This is the guy. He read and he was great. Ms. DeMott and Mr. Kreines, former students of the cinma vrit pioneer Richard Leacock, were assigned to document working-class youth. When you started working in Hollywood, did people ever think that you were white, because of your name? ' Morris), Garrett Morris (Mr. Mason), Cynthia Davis (Brenda), Corin Rogers (Pooter), Maurice Leon Havis (Willie), Joseph Carter Wilson (Tyrone) C-107m. He had met the writer, Eric Monte, and they had a script based on all of these incredible stories Eric had from growing up in the Cabrini Green [housing project] of Chicago. I avoided Cooley High for a time because I mistakenly thought it would be maudlin and relatively dull like Lean On Me. All the time. What do you like about the medium? These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. When you look at Cooley High today, what do you see? But when it devolved into all this stereotypical stuff, Hell Up in Harlem, Sheba, Baby, all the pimps and fur coats, I said, Wait till I get my break, because Im gonna do it a lot better than this.. When Denzel came in for Carbon Copy, [a race comedy, also starring George Segal, about a white businessman who finds out he has a long-lost Black son], I knew immediately that he was the guy.
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