Some movies linger in our minds due to their sharp plots, quotable one-liners and unforgettable characters. Others stick with us due to the music.
That distinction was unmistakable at a current screening of Forest Whitaker’s 1995 romantic dramedy “Waiting to Exhale” as a part of a Cult Classics Cinema occasion at Inglewood’s Miracle Theater. Because the movie performed, roughly 80 attendees swayed their our bodies and sang alongside to songs from the Grammy-winning soundtrack, together with “Sittin’ Up in my Room” by Brandy, Mary J. Blige’s “Not Gon’ Cry,” and Toni Braxton’s “Let It Flow.”
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When Whitney Houston’s title monitor, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” performed throughout a scene wherein her character, Savannah, reconnects with a person with whom she’s been having an on-and-off once more affair, the viewers crooned the lyrics in unison like a choir: “Everyone falls in love sometime / Sometimes it’s wrong, and sometimes it’s right.”
“It’s actually a time capsule of ‘90s R&B,” says attendee Deonna Tillman, 33, of Miracle Mile, who listened to the Babyface-produced album during her drive to the event as a way to prepare herself for the screening. “It also has our greats on there, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin. … It’s iconic.”
Every month Cult Classics Cinema screens a film occasion, hosted by Diamora Hunt, then theatergoers can attend an informal listening social gathering, the place the movie soundtrack is performed from begin to end.
Half film screening, half listening social gathering, Cult Classics Cinema is an occasion collection that celebrates beloved Black movies and the music that helps convey them to life. Every month, founder Diamora Hunt, who additionally goes by DJ Rosegawd, screens a film — titles have included “The Wiz,” “The Wood,” “Set It Off” and “Love Jones” — after which invitations attendees to stay round for a extra informal listening social gathering, the place the soundtrack is performed from begin to end. The current screening of “Waiting to Exhale,” the movie adaptation of Terry McMillian’s 1992 novel starring Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine, celebrated the movie’s thirtieth anniversary.
In Los Angeles, the place screenings occur nearly each evening of the week at venues like Quentin Tarantino’s Vista Theater and the New Beverly, and the TCL Chinese language Theatre in addition to at particular occasions like Rooftop Cinema and Cinespia, Cult Classics Cinema stands out due to its communal environment that offers folks the area to not solely geek out on movies and their soundtracks, but additionally commemorate Black tales.
“I want it to feel like when I’m in the living room with my friends,” says Hunt, 36, including that its turn into a ritual for her to look at music movies from the soundtrack after ending a film. “I feel like they go hand in hand in world building.”
For Hunt, who’s been DJing for almost a decade, all the things all the time comes again to the music.
As a lover of movie soundtracks, Cult Classics Cinema founder Diamora Hunt (a.okay.a. DJ Rosegawd) wished to create an expertise the place folks may benefit from the movie and the music.
Through the COVID lockdown, she spent her solely break day from her insurance coverage and name heart jobs doing hourslong dwell DJ units on Twitch from her bed room. Every Saturday, she would choose a unique artist, primarily feminine performers, and run by means of their complete discography and share attention-grabbing details about them. Among the many artists she spotlighted had been Missy Elliott, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Drake.
In 2022, Hunt started internet hosting Membership Renaissance, a dance social gathering the place she’d play Beyoncé’s seminal “Renaissance” album so as from prime to backside at numerous venues in L.A. The operate instantly took off, and she or he needed to improve to a bigger venue to accommodate a 1,200-person crowd. At one social gathering, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii carried out “Heated” along with her DJ Miss Milan. Additionally, Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, posted concerning the occasion on Instagram, saying that Jay Z despatched her a recap video.
After internet hosting the occasion for a number of months in L.A. and taking it to New York, Hunt questioned whether or not she may do the identical factor with different beloved albums. To check out that idea, she debuted the Cult Classics social gathering below her occasion firm Ladera Hearts in February 2023. The primary album she highlighted was Brandy’s third studio album, “Full Moon,” on the evening of a full moon on the Blind Barber in Highland Park.
She stored it up, throwing dedication nights in honor of Usher’s “Confessions,” Janet Jackson’s “The Velvet Rope,” 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin,’ ” “One in a Million” by Aaliyah and Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi.” After seeing a full of life fan recap video from the social gathering, Carey commented “invite me next time” with two kissy face emojis.
Hunt says she thinks folks had been receptive to the social gathering, even when they weren’t conversant in the album, since you are “surrounded by people who love it and they’re going to tell you why they love it.” She provides, “It helps people connect with [the music] in a different way.”
She questioned whether or not she may create that very same feeling along with her favourite motion pictures and their soundtracks.
Hunt hosted the primary Cult Classics Cinema occasion in November 2024 and screened the 1992 movie “Boomerang” starring Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Chris Rock and Robin Givens at an area bar. Through the operate, she shared trivia concerning the soundtrack corresponding to the truth that Toni Braxton’s music “Love Shoulda Brought You Home” was her introduction into the music business.
Singer Tyger Lily and producer Knoqlist debuted a trailer for his or her “Waiting to Exhale”-inspired music video on the Miracle Theater.
Since January 2025, she’s been internet hosting her film nights on the Miracle Theater in Inglewood. Simply days earlier than Thanksgiving, Hunt confirmed “Soul Food” and invited stars Vivica A. Fox, Brandon Hammond and Morgan Méchelle to take part in a panel dialogue hosted by Randy C. Bonds. Afterward, attendees had been welcomed to attend a family-style dinner with the solid members.
On the current “Waiting to Exhale” screening, patrons walked down a purple carpet to get to the theater entrance. After choosing a personalized button that depicted standard scenes from the film, many company grabbed a themed cocktail (named after the 4 essential characters) and a snack (popcorn, empanadas or field sweet) on the bar. As folks waited to order, they might learn enjoyable details concerning the movie and soundtrack.
Through the movie, attendees laughed out loud, shouted on the characters on the display screen as if they might hear them (“Don’t do it!”) and recited their strains again to them (“Get yo s— and get out!”).
As somebody who attends film screenings recurrently, Tillman says it’s arduous to search out ones devoted Black storytellers, which is why she appreciates Cult Classics Cinema.
“I feel like we have a lot of Black cinephiles in L.A., but we don’t have a lot of access to watch our classics,” says Tillman, including that many of those movies aren’t accessible on streaming platforms — “which is really frustrating.”
Felisha Fowlkes, 34, has attended a number of Cult Classics Cinema occasions solo. “When you hear these songs, you’re thinking about the scenes in the movie,” she says. “You’re thinking about what happened emotionally and I feel like [the music] allows you to really sit in that place.”
When the two-hour film ended, one attendee gained the large raffle prize, which included “Waiting to Exhale” on DVD — and a DVD participant to play it.
“Waiting to Exhale” attendees react throughout a screening. “I want it to feel like when I’m in the living room with my friends,” says Cult Classics Cinema founder and host Diamora Hunt.
Because the music video for Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” performed on the large display screen with the music lyrics working alongside the underside, Hunt moved the mic to the middle of the stage in case anybody felt known as to sing.
Nobody took her up on the supply. Who would need to compete with a strong songstress like Houston? Nonetheless, the vitality within the room remained excessive as the gang sang, bobbed their heads and grooved to the music from the consolation of their plush seats.
It felt, simply as Hunt envisioned, like being in a front room with all your pals.
Cult Classics Cinema will display screen “Boomerang” on Saturday, “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” on Feb. 15 and “B.A.P.S.” on March 14 on the Miracle Theater in Inglewood. Tickets begin at $15 (not together with taxes and charges).
