December 2016 The Mid-South Tribune Holiday Edition Page 5

The biggest col- Germantown Community lection of the baddest African- Theatre promotes Justin American movies of all- Asher to artistic director time have a new subscription- Asher was promoted in July of video-on- 2016 to the title of Associate demand stream- Producer and has assisted in the ing home with productions of the titles in the launch of GCT’s 45th season. Actors and directors alike find working with Brown Sugar. Mr. Asher to be something of Brown Sugar is excellence. It is for this reason now available that GCT’s Executive Director, for mobile Dr. Michael D. Miles, petitioned phones and the Board of Directors for the tablets in the promotion. Google Play Dr. Miles stated, “Justin exem- Store and iTunes plifies the caliber of employee App Store and and caliber of work that we are for computers at proud to produce at GCT. I am www. excited for him to have this BrownSugar. opportunity to take on the pro- Justin Asher ductions whole-heartedly and com. know that he will help us contin- GERMANTOWN, TN (Photo/Courtesy of ue to impress our audiences.” Germantown Community Bounce) The 2016-2017 season of Theatre is proud to announce the Germantown Community promotion of Justin Asher to the Theatre is sponsored by Conway title of Artistic Director. Asher Services, An ARS/Rescue joined GCT in January of 2015 Rooter Company, the City of Brown Sugar, a new streaming service as the then Technical Director. Germantown, Tennessee Arts His work- both as a set designer Commission, ArtsMemphis, and and director- has earned numer- Members of the GCT Trust. for African Americans featuring the ous accolades for GCT. biggest collection of the baddest movies Hallmark Channel

ATLANTA, /PRNewswire/ -- cult classics: Fred "The Caesar,Three The Hard Way, Git You Sucka, Car Wash, The biggest collection of the Hammer" Williamson, Pam Hammer, Hell Up in , continues to ‘count’ baddest African-American Grier, Jim Brown, Richard Bucktown and many others. •Black Horror - Blacula, Sugar movies of all-time have a new Roundtree, Jim Kelly, Godfrey "Brown Sugar is the coolest Hill, Blackenstein down to Christmas subscription-video-on-demand Cambridge, Max Julien, Richard streaming movie service on the •They Got Game - The Bingo streaming home as Brown Sugar Pryor, Rudy Ray Moore, Billy planet." Long Traveling All-Stars & “A Nutcracker launches today. Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Rick Ross commented, "You can Motor Kings, Greased Christmas” is Isaac Hayes, Tamara Dobson, Brown Sugar is now available see the influence of these Lightning, Joe Bullet just one of new for mobile phones and tablets in , Keenan Ivory movies in every aspect of rap In the early 1970's, movies Hallmark the Google Play Store and Wayans, , Leon and hip-hop; in the music, the began to be made starring iTunes App Store and for com- Isaac Kennedy, Thalmus lyrics, the fashion and overall African Americans in lead roles. movies in the puters at Rasulala and many others are all style - the genre Many of these films were countdown to www.BrownSugar.com. There streaming now on Brown Sugar. is where it all began." action-fueled crime dramas, Christmas Williamson and Grier, the King is a initial trial period for Brown Sugar curates its films along with some comedies and marathon. subscribers with a retail price of and Queen of the genre, are offi- for fans, including themes like: even some camp, all infused $3.99/month thereafter. cial ambassadors for Brown •War in Harlem - Cotton Comes with funk and . (Photo/courtesy Brown Sugar features an exten- Sugar, as is contemporary rap to Harlem, The Black Godfather, Audience appeal of the genre Hallmark) sive library of iconic black artist and producer Rick Ross, a Across eventually broadened across movies, all un-edited and com- huge fan of the movies. •Foxy Mamas - Foxy racial and ethnic lines as stars You have to smile and admit Hallmark has been dubbed “TV mercial-free as they were origi- "Brown Sugar is just like Brown,,, like Pam Grier and Fred that you are among the millions with a Heart”—its tag mark for nally seen in theaters. The Mack, , only blacker," said the Friday Foster, Sheba Baby Williamson became household who now have made it a holiday feel good TV. Among the many Foxy Brown, Shaft, Super Fly, iconic Grier, who can be seen in •Righteous Revenge - Dolemite, names and songs from the tradition to mark calendar days original and new productions Dolemite, Cotton Comes to Foxy Brown, Coffy, Black Black Caesar, Hell Up in movies such as the "Theme from off when the Hallmark Channel this year are: “A Nutcracker Harlem, Uptown Saturday Mama/White Mama, Original Harlem, Hammer Shaft" and "Super Fly" cracked begins its Countdown to Christmas,” “Journey Back to Night, Cooley High, Three The Gangstas, Drum and more. •Stickin' it to The Man - The America's Top 40. The movies Christmas. This year Hallmark Christmas” and “A December Hard Way, Coffy, Black Caesar, "These movies are entertaining Mack, Black Gunn, Three The not only had an enormous influ- started the countdown in late Bride.” Check your cable - Five on the Black Hand Side, and fun, but they were also Hard Way ence on filmmaking, which con- October and will continue its work for times, dates, and chan- Cleopatra Jones, empowering to the black com- •Good Cop, Black Cop - Action tinues to this day, but on all marathon of Christmas and holi- nel designation, then gather your Mandingo,, munity as theydepicted African Jackson, They Call Me Mr. other art forms - especially hip- day movies through December favorite people around to Which Way is Up?, Car Wash, Americans as strong leading Tibbs hop - as well as American cul- 25th. This big countdown of Christmas countdown binge The Original Gangstas– Brown characters and heroes for the •#BlackLove - Bad, Black & ture overall. movies with themes of love, watch over eggnog, candy Sugar has them all. Brown first time." Beautiful, Brothers, Black romance, and family is why canes, cookies, and other treats. Sugar's one-of-a-kind library "You wonder why we call it Sister's Revenge Brown Sugar is owned by consists of titles licensed from Brown Sugar? Because it's bad •Shake Down, Take Down - Bounce TV, the fastest-growing To advertise in The Mid-South Tribune’s all the top Hollywood studios. ass – like me," commented Blue Collar, Amazing Grace, African-American network on Brown Sugar is a black explo- Williamson, whose Brown Cool Breeze television. 2017 Black History Special Edition, email to sion of chicks, cool cats and Sugar movies include Black •Jive Ass Turkeys - I'm Gonna [email protected] RLJ Entertainment and AMC Networks cut deal for SVOD Streaming Channels and other entities

SILVER SPRING, Md. and recognized brands and shows in company's long track-record of provide revised covenants that films from RLJ Entertainment becoming a leading destination NEW YORK, /PRNewswire/ -- entertainment, including AMC, successfully developing high- will allow for increased opera- across multiple platforms, for African American and urban RLJ Entertainment (: BBC AMERICA, WE tv (a lead- quality content for targeted audi- tional flexibility. In addition, including its direct-to-consumer viewers, with a rapidly growing RLJE), the entertainment con- ing network for African ences and capitalizing on new AMC Networks has received streaming video-on-demand fan base seeking diversity of tent distribution company which American audiences), technology and changing view- warrants which, if exercised, channels: Acorn TV is the pre- creative voices. owns and operates Acorn TV, SundanceTV, AMC Networks ing habits to make that content would provide AMC Networks mier SVOD destination for By aligning Acorn TV and the premier streaming service International, IFC, and IFC available to consumers. with at least 50.1% of the out- world-class British television, UMC with AMC Networks and for British mystery and drama, Films. The announcement was As part of the agreement, AMC standing RLJ Entertainment with more than 370,000 paying its channels and film business – and UMC (Urban Movie made by RLJ Entertainment Networks has invested $65 mil- common stock on a fully diluted monthly subscribers (which has most notably BBC AMERICA, Channel), the first urban- Chairman Bob Johnson, the lion in the form of loans to RLJ basis. grown by 92 percent since WE tv and IFC Films, which focused subscription streaming founder of Black Entertainment Entertainment to refinance the December 31, 2015) and a deep serve similar audiences -- Acorn service, has formed a strategic Television (BET), and AMC company's existing senior credit AMC Networks' support and library that includes thousands TV and UMC will have the partnership with AMC Networks Networks President and CEO facility, add working capital, investment will accelerate the of hours of programming, potential to cross-promote, (NASDAQ: AMCX), the com- . reduce the cost of capital distribution and development of including exclusive, award-win- develop and distribute content pany behind several of the most The partnership builds on each through lower interest rates, and diverse content and independent ning content. UMC is quickly ultimately reaching even more viewers of high-quality British television dramas, urban con- To advertise in The Mid-South Tribune’s 2017 Black History Month edition, email to [email protected] tent, and .

Commenting on the new part- nership and investment by AMC Networks, Johnson stated, "I am both delighted and excited that RLJ Entertainment is joining with the AMC Networks family to help capitalize on the oppor- tunities that exist to provide con- sumers with more diverse con- tent across multiple platforms. RLJ Entertainment has a leading position, through Acorn TV with British television programming, and through UMC with quality urban-focused content, and independent films that we will be able to further develop and grow with the capital and sup- port of AMC Networks."