{"id":146407,"date":"2026-01-23T15:13:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T15:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/146407\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T15:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T15:13:08","slug":"waiting-to-exhale-to-set-it-off-at-these-black-film-screenings-the-soundtrack-reigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/146407\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Waiting to Exhale’ to ‘Set It Off’: At these Black film screenings, the soundtrack reigns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some films linger in our minds because of their sharp plots, quotable one-liners and unforgettable characters. Others stay with us because of the music. <\/p>\n

That distinction was unmistakable at a recent screening of Forest Whitaker\u2019s 1995 romantic dramedy \u201cWaiting to Exhale\u201d as part of a Cult Classics Cinema event at Inglewood\u2019s Miracle Theater. As the film played, roughly 80 attendees swayed their bodies and sang along to songs from the Grammy-winning soundtrack,<\/a> including \u201cSittin\u2019 Up in my Room<\/a>\u201d by Brandy, Mary J. Blige\u2019s \u201cNot Gon\u2019 Cry<\/a>,\u201d and Toni Braxton\u2019s \u201cLet It Flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Share via Close extra sharing options <\/p>\n

When Whitney Houston\u2019s title track, \u201cExhale (Shoop Shoop),\u201d<\/a> played during a scene in which her character, Savannah, reconnects with a man with whom she\u2019s been having an on-and-off again affair, the audience crooned the lyrics in unison like a choir: \u201cEveryone falls in love sometime \/ Sometimes it\u2019s wrong, and sometimes it\u2019s right.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really a time capsule of \u201890s R&B,\u201d 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. \u201cIt also has our greats on there, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin. … It\u2019s iconic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

Each month Cult Classics Cinema screens a movie event, hosted by Diamora Hunt, then theatergoers can attend a casual listening party, where the film soundtrack is played from start to finish. <\/p>\n

Part movie screening, part listening party, Cult Classics Cinema is an event series that celebrates beloved Black films and the music that helps bring them to life. Each month, founder Diamora Hunt, who also goes by DJ Rosegawd<\/a>, screens a movie \u2014 titles have included \u201cThe Wiz,\u201d \u201cThe Wood,\u201d \u201cSet It Off\u201d and \u201cLove Jones\u201d \u2014 and then invites attendees to stick around for a more casual listening party, where the soundtrack is played from start to finish. The recent screening of \u201cWaiting to Exhale,\u201d the film adaptation of Terry McMillian\u2019s 1992 novel starring Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine, celebrated the film\u2019s 30th anniversary.<\/p>\n

In Los Angeles, where screenings happen just about every night of the week at venues like Quentin Tarantino\u2019s Vista Theater and the New Beverly, and the TCL Chinese Theatre as well as at special events like Rooftop Cinema and Cinespia, Cult Classics Cinema stands out because of its communal atmosphere that gives people the space to not only geek out on films and their soundtracks, but also commemorate Black stories. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want it to feel like when I\u2019m in the living room with my friends,\u201d says Hunt, 36, adding that its become a ritual for her to watch music videos from the soundtrack after finishing a movie. \u201cI feel like they go hand in hand in world building.\u201d <\/p>\n

For Hunt, who\u2019s been DJing for nearly a decade, everything always comes back to the music. <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

As a lover of film soundtracks, Cult Classics Cinema founder Diamora Hunt (a.k.a. DJ Rosegawd) wanted to create an experience where people could enjoy the film and the music. <\/p>\n

During the COVID lockdown, she spent her only day off from her insurance and call center jobs doing hourslong live DJ sets on Twitch from her bedroom. Each Saturday, she would pick a different artist, primarily female performers, and run through their entire discography and share interesting facts about them. Among the artists she spotlighted were Missy Elliott, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Beyonc\u00e9, Mariah Carey and Drake. <\/p>\n

In 2022, Hunt began hosting Club Renaissance<\/a>, a dance party where she\u2019d play Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s seminal \u201cRenaissance\u201d album in order from top to bottom at various venues in L.A. The function<\/a> immediately took off, and she had to upgrade to a larger venue to accommodate a 1,200-person crowd. At one party, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii performed \u201cHeated\u201d with her DJ Miss Milan. Also, Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s mother, Tina Knowles, posted about the event on Instagram<\/a>, saying that Jay Z sent her a recap video. <\/p>\n

After hosting the event for several months in L.A. and taking it to New York, Hunt wondered whether she could do the same thing with other beloved albums. To test out that theory, she debuted the Cult Classics party under her event company Ladera Hearts<\/a> in February 2023. The first album she highlighted was Brandy\u2019s third studio album, \u201cFull Moon,\u201d on the night of a full moon at the Blind Barber in Highland Park. <\/p>\n

She kept it up, throwing dedication nights in honor of Usher\u2019s \u201cConfessions,\u201d Janet Jackson\u2019s \u201cThe Velvet Rope,\u201d 50 Cent\u2019s \u201cGet Rich or Die Tryin,\u2019 \u201d \u201cOne in a Million\u201d by Aaliyah and Mariah Carey\u2019s \u201cThe Emancipation of Mimi.\u201d After seeing a lively fan recap video from the party, Carey commented \u201cinvite me next time<\/a>\u201d with two kissy face emojis. <\/p>\n

Hunt says she thinks people were receptive to the party, even if they weren\u2019t familiar with the album, because you are \u201csurrounded by people who love it and they\u2019re going to tell you why they love it.\u201d She adds, \u201cIt helps people connect with [the music] in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wondered whether she could create that same feeling with her favorite movies and their soundtracks. <\/p>\n

Hunt hosted the first Cult Classics Cinema event in November 2024 and screened the 1992 film \u201cBoomerang\u201d starring Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Chris Rock and Robin Givens at a local bar. During the function, she shared trivia about the soundtrack such as the fact that Toni Braxton\u2019s song \u201cLove Shoulda Brought You Home\u201d was her introduction into the music industry. <\/p>\n

\"Three <\/p>\n

Singer Tyger Lily and producer Knoqlist debuted a trailer for their \u201cWaiting to Exhale\u201d-inspired music video at the Miracle Theater. <\/p>\n

Since January 2025, she\u2019s been hosting her movie nights at the Miracle Theater in Inglewood. Just days before Thanksgiving, Hunt showed \u201cSoul Food\u201d and invited stars Vivica A. Fox, Brandon Hammond and Morgan M\u00e9chelle to participate in a panel discussion hosted by Randy C. Bonds<\/a>. Afterward, attendees were welcomed to attend a family-style dinner with the cast members.<\/p>\n

At the recent \u201cWaiting to Exhale\u201d screening, patrons walked down a red carpet to get to the theater entrance. After picking a customized button that depicted popular scenes from the movie, many guests grabbed a themed cocktail (named after the four main characters) and a snack (popcorn, empanadas or box candy) at the bar. As people waited to order, they could read fun facts about the film and soundtrack. <\/p>\n

During the film, attendees laughed out loud, shouted at the characters on the screen as if they could hear them (\u201cDon\u2019t do it!\u201d) and recited their lines back to them (\u201cGet yo s\u2014 and get out!\u201d). <\/p>\n

As someone who attends movie screenings regularly, Tillman says it\u2019s hard to find ones dedicated Black storytellers, which is why she appreciates Cult Classics Cinema. <\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we have a lot of Black cinephiles in L.A., but we don\u2019t have a lot of access to watch our classics,\u201d says Tillman, adding that many of these films aren\u2019t available on streaming platforms \u2014 \u201cwhich is really frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Felisha Fowlkes, 34, has attended multiple Cult Classics Cinema events solo. \u201cWhen you hear these songs, you\u2019re thinking about the scenes in the movie,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking about what happened emotionally and I feel like [the music] allows you to really sit in that place.\u201d <\/p>\n

When the two-hour movie ended, one attendee won the big raffle prize, which included \u201cWaiting to Exhale\u201d on DVD \u2014 and a DVD player to play it.<\/p>\n

\""Waiting <\/p>\n

\u201cWaiting to Exhale\u201d attendees react during a screening. \u201cI want it to feel like when I\u2019m in the living room with my friends,\u201d says Cult Classics Cinema founder and host Diamora Hunt.<\/p>\n

As the music video for Houston\u2019s \u201cExhale (Shoop Shoop)\u201d played on the big screen with the song lyrics running along the bottom, Hunt moved the mic to the center of the stage in case anyone felt called to sing. <\/p>\n

No one took her up on the offer. Who would want to compete with a powerful songstress like Houston? Still, the energy in the room remained high as the crowd sang, bobbed their heads and grooved to the music from the comfort of their plush seats. <\/p>\n

It felt, just as Hunt envisioned, like being in a living room with all your friends. <\/p>\n

Cult Classics Cinema will screen \u201cBoomerang\u201d on Saturday, \u201cA Thin Line Between Love and Hate\u201d on Feb. 15 and \u201cB.A.P.S.\u201d on March 14 at the Miracle Theater in Inglewood. Tickets<\/a> start at $15 (not including taxes and fees). <\/p>\n