Bolivion

#2 Cooley High

This movie movie along with The Wiz represent my first recollection of movies as a youngin. I saw it on TV when there used to be a 3 o'clock movie before the news instead of talk shows, and I don't think Oprah was in Chicago yet, so we are talking about a LONG time ago. This is also referred to as the '8th grade graduation movie' in some places, as 8th graders from various grammar schools sat through it sometime during their last year before high school. I kinda missed out on this experience because I went to one of those 7-12 magnet programs, where graduating from 8th grade was a 'yawn' at best.

This is another one of those movies that, if you have not seen at least some of it, you are not black. Please leave your Ghetto Pass at the door on your way out.

The story here follows a group of young black men through their senior year at Cooley High, led by Preacher (Glyn Turman) and Cochise (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs). There's also Pooter (Corin Rogers) and to a lesser extent, Tyrone (Joseph Carter Wilson). These niggas get in trouble on the daily, from skipping Mr Mason's class (Garrett Morris) to go to the zoo (and if u been to Lincoln Park Zoo, you know the gorilla house is no joke, except now, they have glass instead of the bars, so your chances of getting hit with a gorilla turd like Pooter are slim to none). They cause trouble at a party, indirectly, of course (scene stolen by the Alicia Keys 'You Don't Know My Name' video). And, Preach and Cochise get caught up with Stone and Robert in a stolen car. Add to this Cochise getting a gang of pussy (including Preach's girl, the brown-skinned woman, not yella-ass Brenda). conning prostitutes and fights at the movies (scene stolen by the fugees for the Killing Me Softly video).

Oh yeah, lest I forget, Robert Townsend made a small appearance in the gym.

The climax of this movie had a lot of people fucked up. When Stone & Robert catch up with Cochise after they thought he ratted on them to get out of going to jail, they kick his ass somethin awful. Damon, who got beat up by Cochise at the party, gets in the last licks. He knocks Cochise into one of those 'L' girders, breaking his neck. Alot of people I know cried at this scene, and right after it when "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" came on, the original version by G.C. Cameron.

This is probably where the whole 'pour out a lil liquor' thing got popular from, as Cochise does it 'for the brothers who ain't here,' and, ironically or not, Preach does it for him at his burial. So, no, it was NOT Tupac...

As strong as this movie is (some say it was the basis for the TV show 'What's Happening!', the whole, skinny black kid wants to be a writer thing I guess...), the soundtrack to this film is stronger. If you love 60's Motown music, there's plenty of it, from the opening 'Fingertips' by Stevie Wonder to 'Reach Out (I'll Be There)' by the Four Tops. One song stands out for me though: 'Ooo Baby Baby' by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. This shit here is the ultimate 'your ass is in trouble' song. Think:

In this movie, Cochise is dancing and getting cozy with Damon's girl when its on. And this starts the fight and the breaking of that big-ass china cabinet.

In the Temptations movie (mini-series), Otis is getting off the bus all cozy with Florence Ballard and Josephine catches them.

In The Five Heartbeats (to be reviewed later), J.T. and Duck are doing that 'shy brother' rap to a girl that has a man, and that shit backfires.

But yea, this movie has high replay value, mainly due to that timeless music. However, the trouble they get into would now probably date to junior high kids more than high schoolers. I wonder, though, if that is just a reflection of lost innocence, or some kind of nostalgic view of the way things were perceived to be.

Tomorrow: The Emperor Jones

Posted by maximillian at February 2, 2005 06:00 PM