Friday (1995)

Rapper Ice Cube co-wrote this slice of life about a day in an inner-city neighborhood of Los Angeles. Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and pal Smokey (Chris Tucker) are two young men who appear to do nothing about hang around the 'hood all day. Craig has just been fired from his latest dead-end job. Craig's dad (John Witherspoon), is always on him to do something with his life. Dana (Regina King), Craig's sister goes to school and is overly concerned with her hair.

The movie consists of the antics of Craig and Smokey's family and friends throughout the day. Some of it is funny, but a lot of it misses the mark. There is a long scene where Craig and Smokey are sitting on the front porch smoking, drinking, and making comments about the people who are passing by. It totally stops the movie in its tracks, and does not move the story along.

Ice Cube was a member of a notorious rap group known as NWA, known for such hits as "Gangsta, Gangsta" and "Fuck The Police". He has gone on to appear in such films as Barbershop. Chris Tucker paired with martial artist Jackie Chan for two installments of the movie Rush Hour. John Witherspoon was a regular on TV's "The Wayans Brothers". Anna Marie Horsford, who plays Ice Cube's mom in the film, was a regular on "Amen". Regina King was a regular on "227" and was in the movies, Jerry McGuire and Ray.

"Amen" (1986-1991)

Sherman Hemsley ("The Jeffersons") scored another hit with this sitcom about the members of a Philadelphia church produced by Johnny Carson's production company. Hemsley was Ernest Frye, a lawyer who was also a deacon of his church. Frye was also a widower who had single-handedly raised his prim and proper daughter Thelma (Anna Marie Horsford). Frye's dad had founded the church, so Frye felt he had a right to control it. His attitude clashed with Reuben Gregory (Clifton Davis), who was the pastor. Chatty sisters Casietta and Arnelia (Barbara Montgomery and Roz Ryan) were members of the church board, and Rolly (Jester Hairston) was another member who didn't hesitate to speak his mind.

Frye's pushiness kept him in trouble with everybody, but he appeared to seldom learn lessons from his antics. His attitude was evident in the opening credits, which saw a sign above Frye's parking space that read, "Don't even think of parking here!" Romance challenged Thelma and Rev. Gregory slowly fell in love, and eventually married.

Clifton Davis is a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor is real life. He also wrote the song "Never Can Say Goodbye" which was a big hit for the Jackson Five back in 1971. Jester Hairston was no slouch in the music department himself, having wrote many sacred hymns.