Friday, May 23, 2008

Old School: School Daze

Probably one of the best Spike Lee movies of all time, School Daze is based in part on Spike Lee's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College. It is a story about fraternity and sorority members clashing with other students at a historically black college during homecoming weekend.

Throughout the film, light-skinned African American women of the Gamma Rays (a women's auxiliary to the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity) battle it out with their Afro-headed fellow co-eds. The students at Mission College also battle with the local unemployed and uneducated people living around the campus, who resent the Mission students for taking all of the good jobs.

Best of all, it's kind of like a musical and even if you have yet to see it, you can watch Alicia Keys' new video "Teenage Love Affair" which is inspired by the movie! Musical performances are throughout, including the production "Good or Bad Hair", a fantasy dis-fest between the Wannabes and Jigaboos, and "Be Alone Tonight" performed by Campbell (as Jane Toussaint and her Royal Court) at a talent competition. The go-go anthem "Da Butt" is performed by the group E.U. during the after-party for the Gammites.

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