Sparkle captured all these themes as it spans musical genres. They were doing a tribute to Burt Bacharach. With a plot inspired by the history of The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In the mid 1990s, Whitney Houston’s production company BrownHouse Productions secured the rights to the remake with Aaaliyah originally being pursued for the lead role as Sparkle. The film received generally negative reviews at the time of release and was a box office disappointment, making only $4 million against a $1 million budget. I’ve been blessin’ y’all with these “What Ever Happened to…” features for years now.And if you’ve been following the series from the beginning, at this point you know the road to stardom tends to follow a predictable path: Church-honed vocals catch the ear of an industry insider, hit singles follow, sudden tragedy strikes and then cold, lonely obscurity. According to the Senior Vice President of Programming for IFC and Bravo, Frances Berwick, "Blaxploitation films were some of the most experimental and daring films to come out of both the independent film scene and the studio system, [and] is one of the most ignored and under-appreciated. We take a look the original cast to see what they have done since then. Compared to Coffy and Cleo, these women are much more conservative in their looks and the way they convey themselves. Finally, the middle to late 1970s consisted of disco which was essentially peppy dance music. Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Three sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever. She even has an entire album called "Sparkle." Thomas would be famous as Ricardo Tubbs on the TV show Miami Vice. Sister is in an abusive relationship and is hung up on drugs while Delores leaves the city in pursuit of racial equality. It is great to know that the original cast of the 1976 Movie Sparkle have been keeping busy since then. Some influential artists during this time were James Brown, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. [8] One very disturbing scene in the film was when Sister and her boyfriend Satin are lying together on a bed. Stand out artists include Gloria Gaynor, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, and Donna Summer.

Drugs, the Mafia, self-determination, and the ghetto are all apparent themes in Sparkle. An example of this is the relationship between Sister and her boyfriend. They encourage her to leave him but she just brushes off the violence as it is no big deal; she believes she can just cover up the bruises with makeup and it will be better.

Soul music encourages everyone to be happy. At one point, Jones even addresses black male sexuality and how they assume the role of a white man to achieve power over women. Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. While analyzing gender and sexuality, the Black female protagonists in this film can easily be compared to the women in Cleopatra Jones and Coffy.

NEWSLETTER. And yet, women in these organizations actually managed to make greater progress in some ways than they had in more traditional civil rights groups” (298). Directed by Salim Akil, the film is set for release August 17. Hughley Schools Fox News Anchor Megyn Kelly, Tamar Braxton Offers Intimate Tour Inside Her Gorgeous…, ‘The Preachers’ Talk Open Marriage With Comedienne Monique, Newlyweds Ciara And Russell Wilson Are All Smiles…, BET Throws Purple Shade At Billboard’s Prince Tribute, The Original 1976 ‘Sparkle’ Cast: Where Are They…. [17] It was viewed as a rather atypical Blaxploitation film for the day, illustrating "that based on the nature, dignity, interests and ideals of man even blacks from the ghetto are capable of self-fulfillment and ehtical conduct without recourse to supernaturalism; in this case the super-stud, super-chick theory that is so common in the movies made primarily for the black movie goers today."[18]. The crowd of 1300 is said to have applauded, screamed and displayed loud attestation to their feelings that it was a good movie. [3] Stix gives up on his music career and leaves the city and thus breaking Sparkle's heart. But if you're going to buy anything it should be the soundtrack album." Sparkle went on to become a cult classic among African-American audiences, and was remade in 2012 as a TriStar Pictures release starring Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston. [9] The reading also addresses 1976 as a time when things started to change in regards to sexual harassment being a crime. For example, the evil Satin, played by Epps, was turned into a comedian instead of a gangster. In other words, it is their only weapon. It is great to know that the original cast of the 1976 Movie Sparkle have been keeping busy since then. "Blaxploitation films are notable for the ways they frequently situate "normative" black male identity amongst a variety of ideological "others" (women, homosexuals, other ethnicities) whose presence cannot simply be seen to solidify black manhood."[10]. Sparkle was previewed by an appreciative audience in Baltimore in March. The songs were a huge hit. With Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each member faces. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, currently holding a 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Salim and Mara Brock Akil and produced by Stage 6 Films, the film, despite once again receiving mixed to negative reviews, was considered by some to be an improvement over the original. I was also impressed to find out that Whitney Houston’s production company bought the production rights of the remake and attempted to film in 2001 with the late Aaliyah. This film was Sam O'Steen's debut film as a film director and given the limited budget, he did his best to use what was available to him. [5] None of the actors cast were well known at the time and many were newcomers. During this time, Title IX was instated and provided scholarships for female college athletes. I was also impressed to find out that Whitney Houston’s production company bought the production rights of the remake and attempted to film in 2001 with the late Aaliyah. Lonette McKee actually made her feature film debut in this film. Unlike these films, Sparkle’s protagonists do not come out on top in the same way as Cleo and Coffy do. Curtis Mayfield served as the composer and producer of Sparkle's songs and score.[2]. Over 2,000 women auditioned for the role of Sparkle; in the end Irene Cara was cast, at age 17. When Whitney came on to the scene, every time I saw her I saw a little bit of her mother in her. She said, "I remember seeing her mother, Cissy, when I was little, [...] I remember seeing her sing in New York. Saturday Night Live Gospel Black History Song of…, Saturday Night Live Gospel black History Song of…, Serena Williams Shares Adorable Video Of Pregnancy Journey, #NaptownNewsie: Hollywood’s Biggest Night Is Sunday–It’s The Oscars, Fantasia Apologizes For Using ‘All Lives Matter’ To…, Olympian Simone Biles Covers ‘TIME’ Magazine, MARY J. BLIGE FILES FOR DIVORCE AFTER 12…, Kelly Price Dragged Over ‘As We Lay’ Performance…, Tamar Braxton Shuts Down Divorce Rumors With Cute…, Roland Martin Visits “The Wendy Williams Show” To…, D.L.

[1], The film stars Irene Cara, Philip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Mary Alice, Dorian Harewood, and Tony King. Within these genres, there are themes of self-determination, racial pride, and having fun. The other songs in the film were written by Curtis Mayfield. It begins in Harlem, New York, in 1958, and follows the girl group, Sister and the Sisters, which is made up of three sisters: Sister, Sparkle, and Delores. He is the source for all of Sisters' struggles as he pushes her into doing drugs and making her feel helpless as he beats her time and time again. He was the famous editor of Carnal Knowledge, Rosemary's Baby, and Chinatown. She became the film's breakout star and went on to act in films such as Fame. [11] Going off of this, whites in this film are on the periphery and the focus is on the inner struggle between blacks. This film not only "recreates the magic of a special period in American history, but it explores the impact of Harlem's musical and social culture on the rest of the world", as well as the linkages to black power. Copyright © 2020 Interactive One, LLC. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each member faces.

Bruce Surtees was the cinematographer. Regarding female empowerment, their physical appearance is the only attribute they have and they use it as a tool. Stix, Sparkle's love interest and the group's manager, is able to help bring the group from "amateur nights to brief stardom before tragedy (dope, melancholia, the wrong man)" ensues and the group splits. Going off of this, the sisters are much weaker when looking at female empowerment, especially when there is Coffy and Cleo in the picture. The early 1960s consisted of freedom music, a direct descendant of gospel music. Sam Cooke and Freedom Singers are an example of these artists. Makes you say hmmmmmmmm……, SIGN UP FOR THE AM 1310: THE LIGHT! Black Power in Sparkle is interesting in that there are no positive black male figures in the film. This genre was aimed at building strong relationships during difficult times by connecting people.