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Monday, March 16, 2009

Uncategorized The Last Dragon screening, Taimak meet-and-greet is truly Cool Cinema

Posted by T. Chante LaGon on Mon, Mar 16, 2009 at 9:12 PM

Is "Bruce" Leroy Green still the Master? Sho'nuff!

Just ask the crowd at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema on Friday, March 13.

Cool Cinema (a collaboration between Art Beats + Lyrics, Come Up Kids, Fadia Kader and Whynatte) managed to lure MJQ regulars, twentysomething B-boys, overextended but fabulous fashion heads and die-hard The Last Dragon fans with the promise of a true-school classic on the big screen, stiff drinks and the chance to meet Bruce Leroy himself, Taimak Guarriello.

Taimak must have slipped in like a ninja, because by the time the long ticket line started to unfurl from the wheelchair-accessible ramp, a small mob had formed in front of the table where his three-person crew had set up DVDs, photos and T-shirts.

Last Dragon geek that I am, I brought my own DVD - and luckily, too, because the $20 cost for one was worth it, but more than I was prepared to spend.

Taimak gracefully posed for photos - even with a few "This is going straight to Facebook!" guys - shook hands and autographed photos of him shirtless.

Yes, ladies, his body, smile and charm is every bit as heart-melting as you remember.

The theater was like a scene out of Forrest Gump: This seat's taken. Taken! Not a single seat in the 160-capacity theater was empty. I ended up in the second row, which at Landmark isn't such a neck-breaker, thank goodness - and I had the benefit of being that much closer to Taimak when he stood up front to introduce the movie.

Met with an onslaught of cheers, Taimak took a bow, hands pressed together in that kung-fu master kind of way, and thanked everyone for coming out. "It's been a long journey," he said. "It's had its ups and downs, but I never sold out." (I wasn't exactly sure where that was coming from - was there some Berry Gordy drama surrounding this film, much like in his Motown heyday?)

I can hardly believe it's been 24 years. Taimak mentioned a foundation he's started, and that it's "about what's going on in the world right now," he said, "about bringing everybody together." My guess is that it teaches youth about health and fitness; there's nothing about the foundation online that I could find.

Before long, the crowd was watching nervously as a magnified "Loading" icon repeatedly popped up on the big screen. Then, the music kicked in - quietly and without a picture. No jeers yet, but it wouldn't take long should the technical difficulties continue.

A few minutes later, that magic white horse that signified the beginning of the movie your parents rented for you again galloped across the blue sky.

Everyone was into it, grooving in their seats, cheering, oohing and booing at the appropriate times. The crowd sang along to every song, a couple of guys started breakin' at the front of the screen during the movie theater scene, and we all knew what to say when the late Julius Carry asked, "Who's the master?"

Unfortunately, before Leroy got a chance to say his signature line, "Can you teach me some moves?" the house lights came on. "Oh no!" the crowd shouted, but didn't miss a beat, mimicking the line right on time. Credits rolling, lucky girl Fadia came out with Taimak - a surprise to me as I assumed he would have snuck out 15 minutes into the movie - and let everyone know next month's Cool Cinema event will feature either the Eddie Murphy-Arsenio Hall classic Coming to America, or Kid 'N Play's first feature, House Party. Based on the crowd's reaction, it should be the former.

Taimak wrapped things up with an even hardier round of cheers and applause from everyone in the crowd, and expressed serious gratitude for them. "It's about you ... it's about you ... it's about you," he repeated. "I don't get off unless you get off." Oh, why did he go and say that. Not one woman in the joint could stop herself from going there. Amid the tempered shrieks - hey, people were on dates, here - Taimak knowingly shrugged it off, and said with a laugh, "Nah, see, you all have been drinking!"

Intoxicated, yes. Who wouldn't be seeing the Master Bruce Leroy Green standing right there, thanking us for coming out to see him? And he had it right, thanking Fadia and Jabari Graham (of AB+L) for making it happen. I'll take one of my all-time favorite movies, and the man of many 1980s tween girls' dreams over weak drinks and mediocre music any day.

Tags: movies & tv, review, The Last Dragon, Taimak, Art Beats and Lyrics, Fadia Kader, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, Uncategorized