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The legacy of The Cosby Show was stained after Bill Cosby was sentenced to prison in 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. But actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner is “still proud of the legacy” the famed show created.

Warner played the role of Theo Huxtable, one of Claire and Heathcliff Huxtable’s five children, on the show that ran from 1984 to 1992. A lot has changed in the 30 years since the show went off the air, including Cosby’s three-to-10-year prison sentence that came to an end in June 2021 after the Philadelphia Supreme Court overturned the conviction and freed the disgraced comedian.

However, despite the Cosby scandal and how it tarnished all he had his name tied to, Malcolm Jamal-Warner is still standing behind the beloved sitcom and what it did for the Black community.

“What made it so groundbreaking was its universality,” Warner told People. “NBC initially saw it as a show about an upper-middle-class Black family.”

“Mr. [Bill] Cosby diligently impressed upon them that the show was about an upper-middle-class family that happened to be Black,” he continued.

The Accused star went on to explain how The Cosby Show set new milestones in the realm of Black sitcoms and Black representation on mainstream television.

“Prior to The Cosby Show, Black sitcom humor was predicated on being Black, the specificity of the ‘Black’ experience,” Warner explained. “Though the Huxtables were clearly Black — reflected quite obviously by their dress, the Black art on the walls, the music — the family issues all were universal.”

“And though Cliff [Cosby] was a doctor and Claire [Phylicia Rashad] was an attorney, the family dynamic was one that practically every family — no matter the ethnicity, socio-economic status or even family makeup — could find something to relate to,” he added.

Warner also subtly referenced how Cosby’s overturned sexual assault conviction might’ve changed how people view The Cosby Show today.

“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now,” Warner said.

“I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture.”

Stephen King’s IT has haunted us since 1986. But most recently, IT and IT: Chapter Two directed by Andy Muschietti really captivated popular imagination. The devious Pennywise and his red balloon caused a stir among die-hard horror fans and casual viewers. And now, we’re heading back to Derry for more of that specific world. HBO has officially greenlit and ordered Welcome To Derry, an IT prequel series from Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs.

According to TV Line, Andy Muschietti will also direct several episodes of the series, including its first. The publication reports the HBO IT series will be set in the ’60s and delve into the origins of Derry’s curse and, presumably, Pennywise the Clown. The show will eventually lead to the first IT film.

It’s not clear whether we’d see Pennywise become the main character of the Welcome to Derry prequel show. But we wouldn’t mind seeing Bill Skarsgård step into the role once more.

The post HBO Orders IT Prequel Series WELCOME TO DERRY appeared first on Nerdist.

The man who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle has been sentenced to serve the next 60 years in prison.

According to The Associated Press, Eric R. Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life for killing Ermias Asghedom, better known as Nipsey Hussle. Last summer, he was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles rapper in 2019.

The 32-year-old killed Hussle outside The Marathon clothing store the rapper owned in south Los Angeles.

Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II sentenced Holder to 60 years to life in prison after hearing testimony about the considerable cost of killing the local rap star who remained in his neighborhood after national success. He also considered the rapper’s one-time associate’s lifetime of mental illness, abuse, and struggle.

“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’s mental health,” Jacke stated. “I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two.”

Holder was convicted of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the gunfire that hit two other men at the scene who survived.

The judge sentenced Hussle’s killer to 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement, and 10 years for assault with a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently.

Hussle and Holder had known each other for years when the two were members of the Rollin’ 60s in South LA.

During last year’s trial, prosecutors revealed that Hussle was slain after a conversation with his killer, where he allegedly accused him of snitching, which led Holder to come back and kill the popular rapper.

The 33-year-old Hussle was killed in front of his Marathon Clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

A petition was started to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard near Hussle’s store, Marathon Clothing, to “Nipsey Hussle Square.” On the day of his funeral, the City Council announced it was set to be renamed Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom Square to honor him and his contributions to the neighborhood. He is survived by his 3-year-old son Kross Ermias with his longtime girlfriend, Lauren London, and his 11-year-old daughter Emani from a previous relationship.

Theater Camp recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning the Jury prize for best ensemble. Read the official synopsis below, followed by our review of the film.

As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York that’s a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos (Ben Platt), Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon), and their band of eccentric teachers to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.

Brought to life by first time feature directorial duo Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman. Written by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Liberman and Ben Platt, who together wrote the short film Theater Camp on which this feature is based.

This movie is written by four friends, three of whom star in it. Theater Camp feels very much like an in joke that maybe got stretched too far. I am not a theater camp person so I’m not their target audience, I still get the humour and why it’s meant to be funny but it didn’t quite land for me. I’m sure if you’ve been to theater camp, you’ll get more out of it than I did.

I see why Theater Camp won the Sundance Jury prize for best ensemble. The cast is very strong with plenty of familiar faces. Molly Gordon’s (Booksmart, You People) Rebecca-Diane and Ben Platt’s (Pitch Perfect, Dear Evan Hansen) Amos lead the titular theater camp. They’re both annoying, highly strung people who may put too much stock into the camp. They both bring about some laughs and their extreme personalities are intentionally too much.

Noah Galvin’s (The Good Doctor, Booksmart) Glenn is a much more reserved character. He is in the background but has the makings of a star. Jimmy Tatro (Home Economics, American Vandal) plays his usual character, seems dumb but isn’t completely useless. The kids in the film are funny and very natural, finding good child actors is tough but they did a good job.

Theater Camp uses text too often on screen to let the audience know what’s happening. Even in a mockumentary style film like this, with no talking heads or narration, I would expect more of the story to be shown through actions rather than told via text on screen. It wasn’t the best idea to further the plot in my opinion.

The end of the film is the best part, it builds to a nice conclusion. Lifelong friends going through changes leading to tension is not an original concept but it is entertaining enough. Some of the songs in the musical are good, which is essential for a film of this nature. Ultimately, the cast is having more fun than the audience but it’s good enough to pass a few hours watching on a streaming service.

Searchlight bought the rights to Theater Camp for around $8 million, so expect to see it in theaters or on Hulu later this year or early 2024.

The post Sundance: ‘Theater Camp’ Is Not As Funny As It Thinks It Is appeared first on The Nerd Element.