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Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:54 pm
by TheCatt
Wikipedia

I'm not 100% sure how this ended up on my list of movies to watch. The opening scene is a 13(?) year old Mario Van Peebles being the towel boy of a whorehouse, then getting enticed to sleep with a 40(?) year old woman, full nude.

Melvin (Mario's dad) made the movie. Directed, Produced, Written, acted, wrote the score, did the advertising. The whole thing.

This movie is like a fever dream of jump cuts and montages. The camera work intense and really helps build the atmosphere (more than the acting, where Melvin often gives an almost dead pan look at the camera). The movie was made in 19 days on a small budget, so I give it some slack. It was definitely revolutionary for its time.

I feel like I have to go watch Baadassss! now, if I can find it.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 6:27 pm
by TheCatt
Melvin Van Peebles contracted gonorrhea from one of the actresses during filming of one of the sex scenes in the movie. He applied for compensation from the Directors Guild because he "got hurt on the job" and used the money to buy more film.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2022 10:20 am
by TheCatt
This is OG Damn the Man content.

Also, the dad from Good Times (John Amos) shows up to save Sweetback. I did not recognize any other actors.