Baadasssss!
Film Making 101!
July 1st 2004 04:10am | Posted by: Editor-in-Chief
Baadasssss!
Review by Robert Waldman
Strange things can happen when trying to make a movie. From time immemorial the only way to get a movie made was to go to Hollywood. Prior to the invention of the digital camera another route aspiring Fellini’s tried taking was the independent feature. Back in 1971 a young artist did his best to turn out a movie when America was in the grips of a revolution of sorts. A new genre called black exploitation took hold and the man credited for pulling it off was Melvin Van Peebles. From out of nowhere this entrepreneur gave life to a project called Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Let the story be told again for all to see with Mongrel Media’s release of Baadasssss! Edgy fun exploring this new film genre can be experienced first hand at Vancouver’s Tinseltown (on Pender, free parking) and select Famous Players cites.
Melvin Van Peebles’ real life son Mario (New Jack City) takes us on a breathtaking ride through his father’s eventful life. Just like Boogie Nights explored the world of porn Baadassss explores the trials and tribulations of making a movie outside the studio system and it’s spot on. Real life business meets new age moxy as a new kid on the block locks horns with studio types, managers and the like before deciding it’s best to mount a non-union crew and go for broke.
Production unfolds with problems aplenty as Melvin mounts the ideal crew. Without money you have nothing so much of Mel’s time is spent trying to find financing. Enter a hippy named Bill Harris and a porn producer called Clyde Houston who try to show this upstart the ropes about making movies. Over time the group coalesces and this most unconventional gang of talents gets railroaded into making a movie which essentially showcases a disadvantaged black man trying to buck the system that’s decidedly against him.
Mario Van Peebles here recreates all the anxiety and tension of the era, meshes it with the difficulty of having a man with no experience produce a movie, and pulls it off flawlessly. Behind the set turmoil lurks everywhere and the cameras here smartly weave a tangled web of flesh and finance with the film taking on an almost documentary style to it.
Standout acting from everyone makes Baadasssss a pleasure to watch. Film fans get a primer on how to make movies after seeing this treat which boasts the talents of David Alan Grier (A Soldier’s Story) as Clyde Houston, purveyor of porn and Rainn Wilson (Almost Famous) as Bill Harris, friend and confidante. Surprises aplenty jump out at you in this frantic look at a man building his dream and pulling it off. In-fighting on the set and family conflicts further reflect the growing pains of achieving your goals in the film business – or any other worthwhile endeavour for that matter. Nia Long (Big Momma’s House) tries to sooth Melvin’s head as soft squeeze Sandra with Joy Bryant (Antwone Fisher) cast as Priscilla, the ultimate secretary. Director/Producer/star Mario van Peebles does a great job including vintage imagery of what things were like for Afro Americans during the seventies and juxtaposes these seamlessly with the making of this trendsetting classic to be.
Picture perfect music from the era will pull viewers in to this delightful romp about social injustice and the smart visionary it took to create a new film genre people today can still relate to.
Source: HNR
In: Movie Reviews
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