FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Corporate Communications 214/854-3190   "SOUL FOOD" STAR AND DALLAS NATIVE IRMA P. HALL TO VISIT DALLAS BLOCKBUSTER® FEB. 5 Blockbuster Encourages Members to Buy Blank Tapes in Honor of 'Seinfeld's' Last Episode DALLAS, Jan. 29, 1998 --Acclaimed actress and Dallas native Irma P. Hall, best known for her role as Mother Joe in the movie "Soul Food," will make an appearance at a Dallas Blockbuster VideoĈ store on Feb. 5. Hall was a teacher with the Dallas Independent School District for more than two decades before pursuing her second career in acting. She will greet her fans and sign copies of the "Soul Food" video from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Blockbuster Video store located at 3420 W. Camp Wisdom at Hwy. 67. In addition to her Dallas Blockbuster appearance, Hall will be honored as a "Pillar of the Community" at the annual Black History Chronicles program, of which Blockbuster is a sponsor. These nationally recognized community service awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the foundations and development of the African-American community. "We are proud to see Ms. Hall return to Dallas, where she helped make a positive difference in the lives of Dallas children and continues to leave her mark as a role model in 'Soul Food'," says Larcine Bland, Blockbuster manager of Intercultural Affairs. "Her performance as Mother Joe is a testament to the strength that can be found in real families." "Soul Food" features Ms. Hall as the matriarch of her family, offering wisdom and encouragement to her three grown daughters, their husbands, and her grandson who gather every Sunday for dinner. It was here, in Dallas, that Hall got her start as a professional actress entertaining audiences at Theatre Three, New Arts Theatre, Dallas Summer Musicals, Granny's Dinner Theatre and the Dallas Minority Rep. Theatre, which she helped found in 1974. Hall's theatrical and movie credits include such well-known works as "Mo' Money," "For Colored Girls," "Raisin in the Sun" and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Her portrayal of Aunt T in the film "A Family Thing" earned her a Chicago Film Critic Award. "I hope that my contributions may enlighten, inspire and entertain," says Hall. "And I hope to continue to be a positive influence for my own son and daughter and my four grandchildren." While his co-stars were spending the time on hiatus from the television program making movies, Jerry Seinfeld was busy in his role as producer, as well as performing stand-up comedy and writing his 1993 best-selling book "SeinLanguage." Blockbuster operates approximately 6,000 video and music neighborhood entertainment stores in the United States, its territories and 25 countries and may be accessed internationally at www.blockbuster.com. Blockbuster is a unit of Viacom Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and publishing companies and a leading force in nearly every segment of the international media marketplace. ### |  Current Releases   |  Archives   | BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster Entertainment Inc. © 1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.