GAL APPROVED! Get Ready to House Party! Plus: Godfather of Harlem Returns. Super Happy Healthy Kids Gala Jan. 18!

By The DivaGals | January 13, 2023 | Gal Approved

Movies, TV shows and events for the weekend and upcoming week!

Back to Party in House Party 2023

Our newest DivaGal contributor Meena Anderson reviews the reboot.

What a great way to kick off the new year. A refreshing remake of the 1990 cult classic, House Party contains a lot in under two hours: engaging physical comedy, a great soundtrack, clever pop culture references and a plethora of black celebrity cameos, from Tinashe to Tristan Thompson. The jokes did not come at the expense of Black women, or any women of color for that matter, and the whole audience engaged in a way that only made the film more fun to watch. Producer LeBron James used his actual L.A. mansion as the setting, and it is clear that he—alongside everyone else who helped create this movie–had a lot of fun doing their jobs. The lighting was particularly striking, which is rare for films featuring a lot of Black people, and that obvious attention to detail made House Party visually appealing, as well as its charismatic cast led by Tosin Cole (Damon) and Jacob Latimore (Kevin) making for a hilarious and (mostly) lighthearted watch. We give it 8 out of 10 basketballs.

House Party, now playing nationwide.

Godfather of Harlem Returns for Season 3

Godfather of Harlem Season 3 Episode 301: The Negro In White America

Godfather of Harlem returns this weekend, and the ladies of the series couldn’t be happier. The DivaGals broke bread with Ilfenesh Hadera (pictured with Forest Whitaker) and Antoinette Crowe-Legacy at Harlem-based Blvd Bistro. They star as Mayme Johnson and Elease, the wife and daughter of real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson. The show revolves around his infamous life and is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. The season will find Bumpy Johnson continuing to battle for control of Harlem, with other aspirants to the throne, namely the Cuban Mafia from neighboring Spanish Harlem. Taking on the Cuban mob will put Bumpy, his loved ones, and his community in the crosshairs of his rival Italians, Latin assassins and ultimately, the CIA. “We deserve this third season,” Hadera declared adding how the show features more locations due to relaxed pandemic restrictions AND a slate of amazing directors. Crowe-Legacy shared how Elease’s life has changed for season 3. “She was on the streets for a very long time, and then falling in with Malcolm X, she got clean and joined the Nation of Islam,” she revealed. “Now she’s able to find her place and thrive.”

Watch the Season Three premiere of Godfather of Harlem, Sunday, Jan. 15 on EPIX.

Super Happy Healthy Kids Host A Super Happy Healthy Fundraiser Jan. 18!

Join our pal Esther Yang, director of Super Happy Healthy Kids, for the organization’s annual black-tie gala at Tavern on the Greene Wednesday, Jan. 18. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit. Get tickets at SHHKlBackTieGala.