- published: 26 Feb 2014
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Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist. Considered a cultural icon, Ali was both idolized and vilified.
Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975, and more recently practicing Sufism.[clarification needed] In 1967, three years after Ali had won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali stated, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... No Viet Cong ever called me nigger" – one of the more telling remarks of the era.
Widespread protests against the Vietnam War had not yet begun, but with that one phrase, Ali articulated the reason to oppose the war for a generation of young Americans, and his words served as a touchstone for the racial and antiwar upheavals that would rock the 1960s. Ali's example inspired Martin Luther King Jr. – who had been reluctant to alienate the Johnson Administration and its support of the civil rights agenda – to voice his own opposition to the war for the first time.
Actors: Keith David (actor), Alex Safi (actor), David Banner (actor), Leland L. Jones (actor), Lucius Baston (actor), Deena Dill (actress), RonReaco Lee (actor), Tim Campione (actor), Siena Goines (actress), Stevie 'Black' Lockett (producer), Bradford Haynes (actor), Tony Grant (actor), Maurice Johnson (actor), Porsha Ferguson (actress), Chris Whitley (actor),
Plot: The Last Punch tells the true story of James Cornelius, an Atlanta hustler turned boxing promoter who used his street smarts to navigate the shark-infested waters of the 1980s fight game. James must race against the clock, evade the F.B.I., and somehow find a way to make Muhammad Ali's last fight, The Drama In Bahamas, a reality. The Drama in Bahamas was Muhammad Ali's final and most infamous fight. But the battle that raged outside the ring was even more compelling. At the center of that drama was the fight's promoter, James Cornelius, a street-wise man from Atlanta who had to navigate the shark-infested waters of the fight game, and stay one step ahead of the authorities while doing so. Based on true events.
Genres: Drama,Actors: Eddie Goines (actor), Eddie Goines (writer), Steven Foley (director), Leroi Fellini (editor), Joe Alvarez (producer),
Genres: Short,Actors: David Proval (actor), Philip Williams (actor), Robert Townsend (director), Ving Rhames (actor), Nicholas Turturro (actor), Ving Rhames (producer), Byron A. Martin (producer), Phillip Jarrett (actor), Joanna Syrokomla (costume designer), Rick Roberts (actor), Stephen James Taylor (composer), Stacey Dash (actress), Marek Posival (producer), Michael Doherty (editor), James Binkley (actor),
Plot: The story of World heavyweight champion boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston, who was knocked down 2 minutes into a championship fight by a seemingly harmless right hook from Muhammad Ali. It would forever be known as the "Phantom Punch". Liston later died under mysterious circumstances.
Keywords: 1950s, 1960s, black-american, boxer, boxing, heavyweight-champion, interracial-sex, rape, thrown-fightActors: Ted Levine (actor), Joe Morton (actor), John Hawkes (actor), Fab 5 Freddy (actor), Cuba Gooding Jr. (actor), Steve McAuliff (actor), Idris Elba (actor), Josh Brolin (actor), Chiwetel Ejiofor (actor), Russell Crowe (actor), Armand Assante (actor), Common (actor), Kevin Corrigan (actor), Jon Polito (actor), Richard Nixon (actor),
Plot: Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by buying heroin directly from the source in South East Asia and he comes up with a unique way of importing the drugs into the United States. As a result, his product is superior to what is currently available on the street and his prices are lower. His alliance with the New York Mafia ensures his position. It is also the story of a dedicated and honest policeman, Richie Roberts, who heads up a joint narcotics task force with the Federal government. Based on a true story.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, addiction, african-american, african-american-protagonist, ali-frazier-fight, ambulance, anger, anti-semitic-slurActors: Bruce McGill (actor), Gailard Sartain (actor), Giancarlo Esposito (actor), Ted Levine (actor), Steven Randazzo (actor), Paul Rodriguez (actor), Michael Dorn (actor), LeVar Burton (actor), Jamie Foxx (actor), Barry Shabaka Henley (actor), Vincent De Paul (actor), Joe Morton (actor), Leon (actor), Will Smith (actor), Ron Silver (actor),
Plot: In 1964, a brash new pro boxer, fresh from his olympic gold medal victory, explodes on to the scene, Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self confidence with his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. To his credit, he sets out to prove that with his highly agile and forceful style soon making him a formidable boxer who soon claims the heavyweight championship. His personal life is no less noteworthy with his allegiance to the Nation of Islam, his friendship with the controversial Malcolm X and his abandonment of his slave name in favour of Muhammad Ali stirring up controversy. Yet, at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional lives face the ultimate test with the military draft rules are changed, making him eligible for military induction during the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that he could easily agree to a sweetheart deal that would have meant an easy tour of duty for himself, Ali refuses to submit on principle to cooperate in an unjust war for a racist nation that treated his people so poorly. The cost of that stand is high as he finds himself unable to legally box in his own country while his case is contested in court. What follows is a battle for a man who would sacrifice so much for what he believes in and a comeback that would cement his legend as one of the great sports figures of all time.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, adultery, africa, african-american, african-american-protagonist, african-americans, airplane, american-broadcasting-company, american-flagActors: Joe Morton (actor), Ray Baker (actor), Vondie Curtis-Hall (actor), Clarence Williams III (actor), Harald Kloser (composer), Earl Boen (actor), Kristi Frankenheimer (miscellaneous crew), Antonio Fargas (actor), Thomas Carter (producer), David Doty (actor), Beverly Todd (actress), Barbara Thaxton (miscellaneous crew), Don Pugsley (actor), Leon Ichaso (director), Shea E. Butler (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport,Actors: Jeremy Piven (actor), Ving Rhames (actor), Bob Minor (actor), Kevin Grevioux (actor), Brad Garrett (actor), Lou Rawls (actor), Ken Lerner (actor), Vondie Curtis-Hall (actor), James Black (actor), Keith David (actor), Bernie Mac (actor), James Keane (actor), Michael Bowen (actor), Gwen McGee (actress), Loretta Devine (actress),
Plot: Biography of fight promoter Don King follows his rise from a street goon convicted of strong arm tactics to a minor music promoter to pulling off his first major fight with Muhammed Ali for a charity. Ving Rhames' characterization gives a fully three dimensional person with warts and all, but still makes it understandable how he became the affluent promoter he has become.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, africa, african-american, based-on-book, based-on-novel, boxer, boxing, boxing-promoter