With all of the excitement building — combined with the media hype and the film company publicity blitz — it seemed only right to go back to where it all began.
The original “Sparkle,” a Warner Bros. film directed by Sam O’Steen, was released in 1976 and became a favorite, particularly in the African-American community where it has maintained a consistent level of popularity. And not only did En Vogue do a remake of “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” in 1992, they also re-created the movie performance in their video.
Remakes of movies can be tricky, but in this case it was a logical venture, and certainly one that meant a lot to the late Whitney Houston.
“Sparkle” was also important in that it moved several young Black actors and actresses to the next level of their careers, including Detroit’s own Lonette McKee, Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara and Dorian Harewood.
Thomas co-starred with Don Johnson on the immensely popular and trendsetting “Miami Vice” from 1984 to 1989.
Cara appeared in several films and had huge hits with her recordings of “Flashdance…What a Feeling” and “Fame.”
McKee was a favorite in movies such as “The Cottton Club,” “Jungle Fever” and “Malcolm X.”
Read more at the Michigan Chronicle
