Movies: Robert Townsend

A look at the development of film making and its contribution to the social and political times form the perspective of Black film makers....

15 year old Brendan Willy hates himself for being un-cool when he falls in love with the girl of his dreams. Enter Mr. Five, a no good tempter from hell, which in his last attempt to ensnare a soul before being fried for eternity, transforms Brendan ...

Ocean (Monica Calhoun), a 27-year-old highly-motivated mother has found her calling in managing a neighborhood apartment building along with the residents and the problems found within. As she struggles with a new job, a new home, her own children, a...

Louis Gossett, Jr, Robert Townsend and Andre Braugher come together to each direct a short story, all of which are interconnected through themes of love and family. Set in the same predominantly black neighbourhood in North Philadelphia, these threec...

A 29-year-old lawyer falls for a 43-year-old woman....

Rodney Dangerfield hosted this HBO special which includes fantastic performances by some of the best new talent of 1986. Comedians include Jeff Altman, Roseanne Barr, Sam Kinison, Bob Nelson, Jerry Seinfeld, Robert Townsend, and, of course, Rodney Da...

Actor/director Sidney Poitier discusses his life and career. He tells of his upbringing in Jamaica; the difficulties he encountered in New York City at the start of his career; his involvement in the US civil-rights movement; and efforts to end apart...

This documentary praises comedian Richard Pryor by showing fragments of various shows Pryor made and having famous comedians talk about the importance and greatness of Pryor. Different themes are reviewed this way. Among others, they are the use of t...

Rudy Ray Moore tells all as only he can in this all-new retrospective legendary career. From his humble beginnings to his crowning as "King of the Party Records," Rudy Ray guides us through his struggles and triumphs in the film and music industries....

A fictionalized drama about the first women to enter the U.S. Military Academy in 1976 and the reactions they faced....

TV Special with a variety of comedians...

Alan Chambers (Townsend) is a lawyer and sick of his job. He corrals his friends into forming a vigilante group. Everyone goes along with it at first, until it turns sour and innocent people start dying, and Alan is the only one left standing....

American stand-up comedian Robin Harris performs his legendary comedic jokes as part of HBO's classic comedy series One Night Stand....

Mercenary Captain "Hawk" is in Acion again to save a hostage. But he and his team are betrayed. Nothing is as it seems......

In the 70's, Langston Faizon Santisima, barely 18, left his native Cuba on an impossible quest- to direct a film starring Bruce Lee. Against all odds, and with no background in film making, the aspiring young director made it to Thailand where create...

In 1990, actor, comedian, writer and director, Robert Townsend, went against every obstacle in Hollywood, relying on his faith, street smarts, and tenacity to bring his passion project, 1991’s The Five Heartbeats, to big screens. The Motown-flavored...

Filmmaker Robert Townsend executive-produced the following fifty-six-minute program for Criterion’s Meet the Filmmakers series in 2018. In it, he and Charles Burnett reflect on Burnett’s groundbreaking career in cinema, returning to South Central Los...

Showtime's "In the 20th Century" is a millennium-related series of feature-length documentaries in which famous directors take on major subjects of their choosing. In the second of the six films, "From Behind Closed Doors," filmmaker Robert Townsend ...