Badaassss! - The Memorable TV DVD Review

Distributor: Imagine Entertainment
Certificate: MA15+
Director: Mario Van Peebles

Available to rent

Extras: Yes

ANYONE IN IT WE KNOW?

Mario Van Peebles, Joy Bryant, T.K. Carter

WHAT’S IT ABOUT THEN?

The making of the 1971 film "Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song" which was the first in a genre that became known as Blaxploitation films. The story starts in 1970. Melvin Van Peebles was a black film director with a hit film comedy just released ("Watermelon Man") and the studio wanted more of the same. But Melvin's vision was to make an all-black movie with a black-hero hitting out at white prejudices to counter Melvin's disappointment of the portrayal of black characters in movies. But no major studio would touch it and Melvin was forced to make it independently and arrange the financing himself.

The odds seemed stacked against him all the way:- He wanted to hire 50% third-world crew but the unions forbade this and so to get around their rules he made out he was shooting a porno because the unions didn't bother with those - he shot all the sex scenes first and let them see the rushes and they left him alone after that satisfied it was not a "proper" movie. Unable to find a suitable actor for the lead role he cast himself as Sweetback and his son Mario as the hero as a boy. The film shows how the production was always struggling for cash, even for the basics like more film for the camera, and then in post-production while editing the movie how Melvin began experiencing problems with his eyesight.

It seems a miracle the film got finished but obviously it did - but then to make any money he had to have it distributed and struggled to get it into any cinemas until one gave him a one-time chance to prove there was an audience for it. And the rest is history as it became the top grossing independent film of 1971.

This is a well told and interesting story. Since it's a true story most viewers are going to be know it turns out good for him in the end even if they've never seen the original 1971 film but it still seems amazing how it all came together as you live through all the difficulties he is shown facing in the film.

Mario Van Peebles, who plays his own father Melvin, was actually in the original film as a young boy and puts in a convincing performance in this - with another actor playing "him" as Melvin's young son. It's not a documentary but a story-film you can watch "as-fiction" if you want to. Although at the end during the closing credits are interview pieces with some of the actual people being portrayed in the movie.

ANY SPECIAL FEATURES?

Extras unpreviewed.