Coming To America (1988)

James Earl Jones. The loins tremble just speaking the name. If Arnold Schwarzeneggers muscles could talk, they would sound like James Earl Jones' voice. To anyone unfamiliar with Mr. Earl Jones' work (because they've been in a coma and woke up to find the world had changed -hint: next blog post possibly?), perhaps an example or two will tickle your pickle. Mr. Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (aka the greatest film saga in history) and also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King. He also reprised his role as Darth Vader in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. When such a talented actor played the father of Eddie Murphy (Delirious, Raw, Beverly Hills Cop, Norbit, Coming To America), Coming To America became an instant comedy classic.

In Coming To America, Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, the son of the King to the land of Zamunda. Having lived a pampered life for twenty one years and being told to marry a woman who would obey his every command but have no opinion of her own, Akeem sets out to discover a woman who will "arouse my intellect as well as my loins". Having decided that the most fitting place to find a woman fit for a king would be Queens, New York, Akeem meets a myriad of Americans with his best friend Semi, all of whom, surprise surprise, are played by Akeem and Semi themselves!

 Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall underwent hours and hours of make up to portray multiple characters throughout various scenes in the movie. In one scene, Akeem and Semi walk into a barber shop where they are greeted by three barbers, two of which are played by Eddie and Arsenio, as well as another character in the barber shop also played by Eddie.

 Perhaps Eddie's greatest character in the movie, he plays an old, white Jewish man in the barber shop, alongside one of the barbers.

When asked to play the role of the old, white man, Eddie merely pointed to his face. This is where Rick Baker was brought in. Master make up artist Rick Baker, who has won numerous awards for his make up talents, did the make up for the movie with "close to no money". The barber shop scene had to be shot from certain angles and done with voice overs to hide the fact that Eddie and Arsenio were playing pretty much all the characters. Shit's crazy.

Eddie(right) and Arsenio(left) with their barber makeup on

Arsenio seducing Arsenio

 - Tony (Ranga) Stark