Baadasssss ( ****) 2004 Directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles.
Seldom does a son get to pay hommage to his father is such an honest way...warts and all... and still come out admiring the man. Mario's father Melvin Van Peebles was an African American film maker with a vision in 1970. A vision to create a cops and robbers film by black people for black people. Ironically it had never been done. Even topical films like In The Heat of The Night had been produced by whites portraying 'good' blacks. Hollywood would not touch Melvin's idea so he was forced to go to the porn community to get the non union cameramen and help. He also went to Bill Cosby who quitely helped the project along. The film he produced in 1970 was Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song. It was received an X rating as many attempts were made to squash it. A full two years before Shaft supposedly broke the mold this fim opened the door. It also introduced a sountrack from an experimental unknown funk band by the name of Earth Wind and Fire. Baadassss is Mario's bio pic of his dad's journey...one which participated in at the tender age of 13. ... His portrayal of Hollywood in 1970 and the racial barriers of the day are compelling.... I found Baadassss in the cut out bins for $5..... and was dumbstruck lucky one month later to find the film to which it pays hommage ..the original Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassss Song for $4.....I strongly reccomend that you view Baadassss (2004) first..... it makes it alot easier to understand what it took to make the original. This film ushered in Blacksploitation.. and it ushered in equality of expression...
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