Original Kings of Comedy, The

Spike Lee’s first documentary, 4 Little Girls, chronicled the infamous 1963 Birmingham church bombing. Here he captures the live Charlotte Coliseum performances and backstage gatherings of four African-American comedians who have toured together since 1977. The very funny, romantic Steve Harvey doubles as host as he shares the stage with D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac. The material veers from the nostalgic (a homage to “old school” music) to the profane (bug-eyed Mac does a Pryor-esque spin on the use of the word “motherfucker”), to poking fun at the differences between “black and white folk.” Some segments are marred by poor sound quality. Others produce monster laughs.