Tamra Davis (born January 22, 1962) is an American film , television and music video director .
36-518: Davis was born the second out of four children in Studio City, California . She was exposed to the media industry at an early age by her grandfather, a comedy writer, and her grandmother, who was an actress at Fox. Davis and her family constantly watched films and she aspired to become an actress. In the 11th grade, Davis dropped out of high school and met Egyptian film producer Ibrahim Moussa. Ibrahim took Davis to Italy for six months to work. Returning to
72-485: A four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for both the city and the county. The percentage of those residents with a master's degree was also high for the county. Schools within the Studio City boundaries are: CB4 CB4 is a 1993 American satirical mockumentary black comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Chris Rock . The film follows a fictional rap group named "CB4", named after
108-531: A comedy director. According to an article in The New York Times , Tamra Davis had trouble finding a good location for the Western film she was originally supposed to direct, Bad Girls (1994). Many sources state that the studio disagreed with the feminist approach Davis was taking for the film Bad Girls (1994). According to multiple sources, many producers were in disagreement with what Davis wanted within
144-566: A cookbook titled Make Me Something Good to Eat . Davis married Mike D of the Beastie Boys in 1993. They are now legally separated. They have two children, Skyler and Davis. Ref.: Documentary film Studio City, Los Angeles Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles , California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley , just west of the Cahuenga Pass . It
180-595: A film using a super 8 mm camera during her time at Los Angeles City College . As soon as she got out of school, Davis sent out a package of videos that she had done and was hired to do a video for the band Hüsker Dü . Davis states that music videos "played a huge role in developing my sensibility as a director. There's much less sexism in the video world and they're open to women. But more important, with video you're always being pushed to experiment and come up with something new." During her career, Davis ended up directing over 155 music videos. While working at MTV , Davis
216-416: A mixed reception from critics. Los Angeles Times wrote that despite CB4 having been "one of the more adventurous of the recent African-American comedies, it still gets bogged down in those movie-movie formulas, those phony recipes for success." The New York Times ' Janet Maslin wrote that the film "promises sharper satire than it actually delivers. Pandering a shade too avidly to the real rap audience,
252-410: A series of short films. In this program, Tamra Davis directed a short film called No Alternative Girls which discussed gender inequality. Tamra Davis also directed Guncrazy (1992), a film which starred actor Drew Barrymore . This film was a remake of the 50s film Gun Crazy . Many books and articles have stated that her film had similar elements to Bonnie and Clyde . Christina Lane acknowledged
288-471: A spot on the bill at his club. During their meeting, by complete coincidence, the police rush in and throw Gusto in jail. Gusto believes that the trio set him up, swearing revenge when he is released from prison. Taking advantage of the situation, Albert steals his criminal background and identity, renaming himself "MC Gusto" while Euripides and Otis take the names "Dead Mike" and "Stab Master Arson", respectively. Pretending to be newly released convicts, they form
324-614: A syndicate led by Harry Chandler , business manager of the Los Angeles Times , with Hobart Johnstone Whitley , Isaac Van Nuys , and James Boon Lankershim acquired the remaining 47,500 acres (192 km ) of the southern half of the former Mission lands—everything west of the Lankershim town limits and south of present-day Roscoe Boulevard excepting the Rancho Encino . Whitley platted the area of present-day Studio City from portions of
360-908: Is a linear park that abuts the Los Angeles River. The northeast part of Studio City is in City Council District 2 , represented by Paul Krekorian , and the southwest section is in District 4 , represented by Nithya Raman . The community is represented within the city of Los Angeles by the Studio City Neighborhood Council . The area is represented by Los Angeles County District 3 Supervisor Sheila Kuehl , State Senator Robert Hertzberg , California Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian and U.S. Representative Brad Sherman . Almost half of Studio City residents aged 25 and older (49.4%) had earned
396-505: Is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, now known as Radford Studio Center . Originally known as Laurelwood, the area that Studio City occupies was formerly part of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando . Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was a 116,858-acre (472.91 km ) Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, granted in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Eulogio F. de Celis. This land changed hands several times during
SECTION 10
#1733084633978432-671: Is on Fryman Road at Laurel Canyon Boulevard . It has a large parking lot, restrooms and a picnic area. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority. Fryman Canyon Park is a 122-acre nature park accessed via the Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook on Mulholland Drive with the upper trailhead of the Betty B Dearing hiking trail. The park
468-414: Is part of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority. Coldwater Canyon Park is a nature park adjacent to Wilacre Park and Fryman Canyon Park. It contains an amphitheater and the headquarters for the conservation group TreePeople . It can be accessed via a parking lot near the corner of Mulholland Drive and Coldwater Canyon Avenue and via
504-566: The Betty B Dearing Trail . The park is managed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (LA Parks). This park is not to be confused with an unrelated park with the name Coldwater Canyon Park, three miles to the south on North Beverly Drive in the city of Beverly Hills. In addition, Studio City has the Studio City Mini-Park, an unstaffed pocket park. North Valleyheart Riverwalk
540-594: The Los Angeles Times reported, "Over the past seven years, Tamra Davis has made a name for herself directing cutting-edge videos for some of the thorniest acts in popular music. As director of choice for performers such as N.W.A , Sonic Youth , and Black Flag ." Davis participated in The Polygram Video's program called No Alternative: A benefit for AIDS, education and relie f which had a section in their program where multiple independent film directors created
576-703: The late 19th century , and eventually passed into the ownership of James Boon Lankershim (1850–1931) and eight other developers, who organized the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company. In 1899, however, the area lost most water rights to Los Angeles, so subdivision and sale of land for farming became untenable. Construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct began in 1908, and water reached the San Fernando Valley in November 1913. Real estate boomed, and
612-404: The 6.31-square-mile (16.3 km ) Studio City neighborhood—5,395 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities for the city but about average for the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the resident population had increased to 37,201. In 2000, the median age for residents, 38, was considered old for city and county neighborhoods; the percent of residents age 19 and older
648-468: The U.S., Davis worked at an art gallery but soon quit to work at American Zoetrope in an apprentice position. The studio was struggling to complete Francis Ford Coppola 's Waterloo, One from the Heart ; the hectic schedule allowed Davis to study Coppola's directing and the business. Coppola suggested to Davis that she go to school, at which point she then attended Los Angeles City College . Davis first shot
684-430: The city. The Studio City Recreation Center (commonly known as Beeman Park) is in a residential neighborhood on Rye Street at Beeman Avenue. It has an auditorium, barbecue pits, a lighted baseball diamond, an outdoor running and walking track, lighted outdoor basketball courts, a children's play area, picnic tables, unlighted tennis courts, and many programs and classes including the second-largest youth baseball program in
720-704: The existing town of Lankershim, as well as the eastern part of the new acquisition. In 1927, Mack Sennett began building a new studio on 20 acres (81,000 m ) donated by the land developer. The area around the studio was named Studio City. In 1955, Studio City's Station 78 became the first racially integrated station in the Los Angeles City Fire Department . The Los Angeles River and Tujunga Wash flow through Studio City. The two concrete-lined channels merge just west of Colfax Avenue and north of Ventura Boulevard adjacent to Radford Studio Center. The 2000 U.S. census counted 34,034 residents in
756-444: The film Crossroads , starring Britney Spears . For the film CB4 , Rupert Wainwright was originally asked to direct the film. Davis was their second choice after Wainwright turned the project down. According to Gwendolyn Audrey Foster, the comedy made fun of the seriousness and sexism of rap music videos while also taking a look at how Hollywood has misused African-American culture in the industry. Foster also examined that Davis
SECTION 20
#1733084633978792-405: The film sometimes tries to use the same sexist, mean-spirited ethos it makes fun of." The movie currently holds a rating of 52% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes , based on 27 reviews. The film ranked No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend, with sales totaling $ 6,116,000 across 1,205 theaters. At the end of its domestic run it had grossed a total of $ 17,953,778. Chris Rock stated that
828-428: The film. Lane revealed that the budget given was not enough to provide Davis with the equipment she needed. In the end, Davis was replaced with director Jonathan Kaplan . With the new director, the script was rewritten and the earlier footage was abandoned. Currently, Davis has a cooking show showcasing vegetarian fare called Tamra Davis Cooking Show accessible on her website www.tamradaviscookingshow.com. She also wrote
864-421: The gangsta rappers he sees on TV, decides to start a rap group with his friends, Euripides and Otis. Unfortunately, even though all three of them are talented, they have no connections and no image with which they can market themselves. In order to get their name heard and build up a reputation, they appeal to local crime kingpin and nightclub owner Gusto, along with his sidekick and henchman 40 Dog, to ask for
900-572: The group arise over one member's gold-digging groupie girlfriend, Sissy, and the strain of the charade takes its toll on Albert's family life and relationship with his wholesome girlfriend, Daliha. To compound this, the real Gusto escapes from prison and exacts his revenge by making Albert take part in a record store robbery, exposing his face to the CCTV cameras, and then taking the tape as a tool for blackmail so he can profit from Albert's success. CB4 breaks up, with Dead Mike becoming an Afrocentric rapper. At
936-424: The hardcore gangsta rap group CB4 (Cell Block 4) and successfully sign with Trustus Jones, a local music mogul. CB4 quickly becomes the hottest band on the charts with controversial hits like "Sweat from My Balls" and "Straight Outta LoCash," and their rise to fame is documented by an aspiring director and his cameraman. However, an ambitious politician seeks to shut them down for obscenity charges, tensions between
972-552: The mixed reviews for Davis' film. Lane wrote that some thought the film was too violent and others said the violence was necessary for the story she was telling. When asked about the violence of the film Davis said she did it because she wanted a strong emotional reaction from the audience. In the book, Davis expressed that she was not cautious when it came to her audiences’ emotions. Davis stated, "I wanted to say something about how our society abuses people and yet gives them violent possibilities to turn that abuse back onto society." Before
1008-548: The police can arrest him and send him to prison for life. Albert accepts that he is not a gangsta and makes a comeback under his own name. He persuades Mike and Stab Master Arson to reform the group, and they embark on a highly successful reunion tour. A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on March 2, 1993, by MCA Records . It peaked at #41 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums . The movie had
1044-445: The prison block in which the group was allegedly formed (Cell Block 4). The movie primarily parodies gangsta rap and the rap group N.W.A , as well as taking inspiration from This Is Spinal Tap . It contains short segments featuring celebrities and musicians such as Halle Berry , Eazy-E , Butthole Surfers , Ice-T , Ice Cube , Flavor Flav , and Shaquille O'Neal . Albert Brown, an aspiring rapper and suburban kid who idolizes
1080-420: The production of the film, Davis researched reactions teenagers had to sexual abuse. Davis said that she also looked at how a teenage girl's everyday life changed after the abuse. Davis is also known for directing films such as Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child , CB4 , Billy Madison , and Half Baked and television shows such as My Name Is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris . She also directed
1116-413: The public parks. Moorpark Park, an unstaffed pocket park at the corner of Moorpark Street and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, has a children's play area and picnic tables. Woodbridge Park, on Elmer Avenue at Moorpark Street, on the eastern border of Studio City has a children and toddler's play area. Wilacre Park, a 128-acre natural mountain park with the lower trailhead for the Betty B Dearing hiking trail,
Tamra Davis - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-483: The same time, Stab Master Arson establishes himself as a successful DJ, leaving Albert to wallow in self-pity and his growing addiction to drugs. One day, he gets a call from Mike that Trustus is dead, having choked to death in terror while eating when Gusto pointed a gun at him in a restaurant. Fed up with Gusto taking everything he has, Albert decides to set up a sting operation to nab the gangster by having Sissy seduce him and then trading places with her to entrap Gusto so
1188-508: Was among the county's highest. The ethnic breakdown was Whites , 78%; Latinos , 8.7%; Asians , 5.4%; Blacks , 3.7%; and others, 4.1%. Iran (7%) and the United Kingdom (6.7%) were the most common places of birth for the 21.1% of the residents who were born abroad—a low percentage for Los Angeles. The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $ 75,657, considered high for the city. The percent of households earning $ 125,000 and up
1224-472: Was encouraged to engage in her empathy towards multicultural and feminist issues. Christina Lane stated in her book Feminist Hollywood: From Born in Flames to Point Break that as a person who was knowledgeable towards feminist politics, Tamra Davis wanted to empower young women to feel good about their sexuality. Lane also mentioned that Davis used her platform to voice feminist ideas and empower girls. A writer at
1260-412: Was high for Los Angeles County . The average household size of 1.9 people was low when compared to the rest of the city and the county. Renters occupied 55.9% of the housing stock and house- or apartment-owners held 44.1%. In 2000, there were 837 families headed by single parents, the rate of 11.2% being low for the city of Los Angeles. There were 2,591 veterans, 8.8% of the population, a high figure for
1296-629: Was not part of the writing of this film. However, it was noted that she did add her own knowledge of music videos, rap, and politics into the film. Feminist Hollywood: From Born in Flames to Point Break discussed difficulties Davis had with the production of the film. These difficulties included a limited time to film, the filming conditions due to the heat was difficult, and the script was changed often. The book also mentioned that Tamra Davis speaks highly of her time working on CB4 . Foster wrote in her book, Women Film Directors: An International Bio-Critical Dictionary , that this film proved Davis’ skills as
#977022