Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: Black Awareness Week / Sexual Chocolate / Randy Watson performance.
• Van: the barbershop scenes – endlessly quotable, Joe Louis age bit.
• Wesley: the resolution scene where all characters come together at the end.
• Also discussed: the opening Zamunda presentation, the first nightclub scene (Arsenio in drag), Akeem's first date with Lisa, and the King arrives / John Amos vs. James Earl Jones dad-off.

• The Mortimer and Randolph 'Trading Places' crossover cameo.
• The barbershop scenes – short, endlessly quotable.
• Darryl and Soul Glow essentially killing the Jheri curl.
• 'The Royal Penis is clean, your highness.'
• The McDowell's vs. McDonald's explanation.
• Louie Anderson's cameo – got a second life via Kanye's Gold Digger.
• The Jewish barber character – Landis's idea, incredible Rick Baker makeup.
• Every Black woman in the movie having aged fantastically (Vanessa Bell Calloway, Garcelle Beauvais, Shari Headley).

• 117-minute runtime – should be ~105 min, especially the first 20 minutes before they get to New York.
• John Amos's cultural significance being harder to explain 33 years later.
• Arsenio Hall's character being named 'Semmi.'
• Eriq La Salle being typecast as the Soul Glow guy for years.
• John Landis's post-movie career collapse.
• The 'Coming to America' theme song by The System – missed opportunity for a better soundtrack.
• Some dated 1988 treatment of women and gender dynamics.

• Vanessa Williams originally considered for Lisa McDowell.
• Sidney Poitier was approached for King Jaffe Joffer – turned it down, did Shoot to Kill instead.
• Paul Gleason was asked to reprise Clarence Beaks from 'Trading Places' in the Duke Brothers scene but was filming 'Die Hard'.

• Winner: Allison Dean as Patrice McDowell (the sister).
• Madge Sinclair as the Queen.
• Paul Bates as Oha, the ceremonial herald – also appeared in 'True Romance'.

• Frankie Faison as the slumlord.
• Eddie Murphy exempt – his multiple characters are the movie's engine.

• Winner: Allison Dean as Patrice McDowell – 'just a great Dion Waiters performance.'
• Also: Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson (one scene).
• Special spinoff – best character played by Eddie/Arsenio: Eddie in the barbershop wins.

• Could we have done better than Shari Headley? Robin Givens floated (rejected – would ruin her 'Boomerang' performance) and Angela Bassett (would have been 28 but would a white casting agent in 1987 have found her?).
• Consensus: Shari Headley works well because of her sweetness.

• McDowell's was a Wendy's on Queens Boulevard about to be closed.
• Murphy's salary and weekly expenditure details.
• The Murphy-Landis feud quotes.
• The Art Buchwald lawsuit.
• The Armond White review and Murphy's paid newspaper response.
• The CBS sitcom pilot with Tommy Davidson.
• Zamunda from Richard Pryor. St. John's beat Marist 66-59 in the game shown.

• Eddie Murphy – no (this isn't his apex).
• Arsenio Hall – yes (this movie plus about to get the talk show).
• James Earl Jones – debated extensively (Darth Vader? Sandlot? Fences on stage? 'Field of Dreams'? Possibly 'Apexless' – always present, never peaking).
• Shari Headley – yes. Allison Dean – yes. Clint Smith – yes.
• Hot tubs – discussed ('Coming to America' hot tub is compelling but SNL Eddie as James Brown in the hot tub may edge it).
• Jheri curls – this is 'the nadir of the apex.'
• Barbershop conversations – debated (the Barbershop movie franchise gets the nod over this).

• Would the king really send his son to NYC without bodyguards?
• Where did Semmi keep getting cash (repeated money clips)?
• McDonald's would have sued McDowell's out of business immediately.

• Why didn't Arsenio Hall do more movies?
• Did Hakeem Olajuwon add the 'H' to his name because of this movie?
• Did Wakanda rip off Zamunda or vice versa?
• Why didn't Akeem stay at the Waldorf AND get a second apartment?

• Bill: the McDowell's cheeseburger phone.
• Van: the gold hair dryer.
• Wesley: Akeem's necklace with red threads between blocks.

Eddie Murphy. Unanimous, no debate. Best supporting: Arsenio Hall.