Curtis Mayfield

"Manny and Dave are two Chicago crooks skilled at rippiing off rip-off-artists who exploit the poor. They don't intend to give to the poor until a sly detective anonymously pulls a con of his own: they must donate time to the Community Center ... or do time in the federal pen"--Back container cover.

Sparkle: Set in Harlem in 1958, this musical tells the story of three sisters struggling to find stardom as a singing group. It's a rags-to-riches tale of glitz, glamour and the high price of fame. Dreamgirls: Based on the Broadway musical, this film tells the story of an up-and-coming 1960s girl singing group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune.

Claudine is a strong-willed single mother, raising six kids in Harlem, whose budding relationship with a gregarious garbage collector is stressed by the difficulty of getting by in an oppressive system. This romantic comedy with a social conscience deftly balances warm humor with a serious look at the myriad issues, from cycles of poverty to the indignities of the welfare system, that shape its characters' realities. The result is a bittersweet, bighearted...