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by Alex Keen Published: April 11, 2002
The word blaxploitation may be the most interesting word in the English language. Part slang, part film elitist psychobabble, the word draws attention whenever it is uttered or scribbled. For some it means the abuse of stereotypes to entertain the masses. For others it means speaking the truth about what life was like being black in the 1970s. Ultimately it was a genre that died by the mid-1980s, but saw a small resurgence with Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown.” Coming May 31st, Spike Lee’s cousin, Malcolm, takes his hand at a blaxploitation comedy starring the rising comedic talent Eddie Griffin and sex kitten Denise Richards. It is kind of ironic that Malcolm is testing these waters after cousin Spike maliciously attacked Tarantino’s attempts. Sure there is the issue of a black man making a film about black characters as opposed to a white man making a film about black characters… I leave that to Roger Ebert to discuss. The film spoofs the James Bond genre, while dropping in some soul power to spice it up. Throw in some black vs. white humor (“I call her black kryptonite”), and a “Saturday Night Live” star, and you have a modern low-ball style comedy. The two interesting factors that make “Undercover Brother” look more promising than other low-ballers, like “Corky Romano,” is the release date and the timing. After "About a Boy," “Brother” is the second comedy of the summer. However, it is the first general audience style comedy (think “The Animal,” “Down to Earth,” or “Scary Movie") With a May release date and solid studio backing, “Undercover Brother” should have no problem opening at least to $15 million.  
Eddie Griffin - Continuing in the ever-growing line of African American stand-up comedians, Eddie Griffin has made the transition from stage to screen. With “Undercover Brother,” Griffin has his first opportunity to carry a wide release completely on his own. Griffin’s comedic roots originate in high school where he was selected class clown three times. His comedy career started on a whim (aren’t they all), when he made a bet with a friend about his comedic skills. After a move to Los Angeles, Griffin got his break opening for Andrew “Dice” Clay’s 1991 tour. Following some comedy work with Robert Townsend, Griffin garnered a Cable Ace Award Nomination for his first HBO Comedy Special. Griffin continued stand-up while slowly building his acting credentials. He had roles that varied in size in “The Meteor Man,” “Jason’s Lyric,” and “The Walking Dead.” In 1996 Griffin got his biggest break to date, starring with Cosby alum Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie.” The show, which aired until 2000, was not a ratings phenomenon, but was enough to keep Griffin in the public eye. “Armageddon” was Griffin’s next film role. Although his performance was brief, it was the most memorable comedic aspect of this Bruckheimer actioner. While the indie release of “Foolish” was a surprise success (it opened to $2.1 million on just 300 screens), Griffin’s complete breakthrough was sealed with the comedy explosion “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.” The Rob Schneider comedy opened to a shocking $12 million, and shook it’s ass to a sum of $65 million. Success on video encouraged Hollywood to take notice of Griffin. Last year’s “Double Take,” with 7-Up ad sensation, Orlando Jones, was a break-even release for Buena Vista. Continued appearances in “John Q” and “The New Guy” are just padding for release of “Undercover Brother.” Following the release of “The New Guy,” Griffin has nothing concrete on the horizon. 
Denise Richards - Bond girls rarely thrive beyond that two hours of screen time. Lucky for Denise Richards, the beauty had a somewhat established career prior to her appearance in “The World is Not Enough.” Richards' acting career started in 1989, with a small guest appearance in the sitcom “Life Goes On.” She would continue working on television throughout her career, appearing on shows like “Saved By the Bell,” “Seinfeld,” “Melrose Place,” “Friends,” and of course “Spin City.” While Richards' film career began in 1993, her breakthrough role was in 1997’s “Starship Troopers.” Her follow-up role “Wild Things” established the cult of Denise, a pack of horny men hell bent on seeing her naked and involved in lesbian sex. Just kidding. In 1999 she starred with Kirsten Dunst in “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” which was not well received by critics or audiences. Richards' appearance in “The World is Not Enough” will allow her never to be forgotten, but her future roles do not look as promising. “Valentine,” will whither on video shelves for the next two years, while “Tail Lights Fade” has already left those same shelves. Currently Richards has gained a resurgence of publicity because of her marriage to playboy Charlie Sheen. However, if she cannot pick up some solid acting gigs, she may have to settle for Skinemax celebrity. 
Chris Kattan - This current star on “Saturday Night Live” has cut down his television appearances considerably since finding the big screen. Kattan started at SNL after being discovered performing with the improv comedy team The Groundlings. Kattan became an instant fan favorite play characters like Doug Butabi, Azrael, Mango, and Antonio Banderas. In 1998 he made his film debut with Wil Ferrel in “A Night at the Roxbury.” In “Roxbury” the duo were expanding their dancer skit from SNL into a full-length movie. While the trend SNL skit movies had been floundering, “Roxbury” successfully turned a profit, making $30 million domestic. Kattan also appeared in “The House on Haunted Hill,” “Lucky Numbers,” and “Monkeybone” before starring in his next wide release. In 2001 Kattan played the veterinarian son of mob kingpin Pops Romano (played by Peter Falk) in “Corky Romano.” The film performed well for the budget and expectations, but was in no way a break out success. Kattan’s next project after “Undercover” is an untitled pic about a figure skater that joins the NHL. Aunjanue Ellis - A relative unknown until 2000, Ellis got her major break in “Men of Honor.” She received an Image Award nomination for her performance in that film. Prior to “Honor,” Ellis’s film roles were limited to bit parts in indies and small budget majors (“Girls Town,” “Desert Blue,” and “In Too Deep”). She also had several guest appearances in mid-tier television dramas (“Third Watch,” “100 Centre Street,” and the successful “The Practice”). Ellis followed up “Honor” with the indies “The Caveman’s Valentine” and “Lovely & Amazing.” While “Valentine” failed to stir up any buzz, “Lovely” will have its opportunity to shine as a limited release in June. Ellis will follow up her role in “Brother” with “ I Am Ali” and “Brother to Brother.” Dave Chappelle - If you’ve never heard of the comedic genius of Dave Chappelle, count yourself outside of the proverbial loop. Chappelle, a hard working stand-up comedian, has been bouncing around film and television for quite some time. While his role in Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” may have been his first starring role, Chappelle made a miniscule blip on the cultural radar as David Edwards friend on “The Real World: Los Angeles.” If you blinked, you missed him. Chappelle’s next major role was in Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor.” That role, and other appearances in “Joe’s Apartment,” “Con Air,” and “The Real Blonde” were all a result of Chappelle’s growing cult following (built by his stand-up comedy work). And although these appearances were monumental achievements for Chappelle, his breakthrough was in 1998. A starring role in the modern pothead classic “Half Baked,” and a memorable turn as Tom Hanks’ best friend in “You’ve Got Mail” should keep Chappelle employed for years to come. Since those roles, Chappelle has continued to work in film (“200 Cigarettes,” “Blue Streak,” and “Screwed”) and perform stand-up. He is also a favorite guest of Howard Stern and shock jock’s audience. Malcolm Lee - Blood relationships have always gone a long way in Hollywood. Malcolm Lee, Spike’s cousin, got his start in the biz as a production assistant on “Malcolm X.” Malcolm Lee’s next job would be as his cousin’s personal assistant on “Clockers.” Four years later, in 1999 the younger Lee broke into Hollywood with the acclaimed hit “The Best Man.” Lee wrote and directed the hit that starred Taye Diggs. “Man’s” success opened the door for Lee, whose follow-up is a comedic departure from his debut. Coming Soon: Spirited Away | About a Boy | Heaven | Insomnia | Minority Report | Images from the "Undercover Brother" trailer are the property of Universal Pictures. The trailer can be seen here: Universal. |
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