Themes: Filmmaking, Fighting the System, Fathers and Sons
Main Cast: Joy Bryant, T.K. Carter, Ossie Davis, David Alan Grier, Nia Long, Paul Rodriguez, Khleo Thomas, Rainn Wilson, Mario Van Peebles
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In 1971, filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles released his third film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which he wrote, directed, and scored. Despite boasting an all-black cast, an X rating, a low budget, and a decidedly non-Hollywood approach to moviemaking, the ground-breaking independent film went on to gross over ten million dollars while inspiring countless other films of the genre that would come to be called blaxploitation. Mario Van Peebles, the director's son, was 13 at the time and got his first taste of show business with a small role in the film. Over three decades later, the younger Van Peebles directed and co-wrote this film, in which he stars as his father. BAADASSSSS! chronicles the director's struggles to get the film made by highlighting the social roadblocks and production pitfalls Van Peebles faced, as well as the personal sacrifices he was forced to make. Also starring T.K. Carter, Ossie Davis, and Nia Long, BAADASSSSS! premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Review
Honoring his father even by using the same number of superfluous letters in his title, Mario Van Peebles has assembled one of the most bracing films about guerilla filmmaking ever committed to celluloid. Not only that, but as a witness to and subsequent reenactor of the events in the film, Van Peebles brings a gritty authenticity to BAADASSSSS! that makes it a 1970s time capsule on par with a film like Boogie Nights. Van Peebles is unflinching in his portrayal of father Melvin's struggles to bring the granddaddy of blaxploitation films to the big screen, which manifested themselves in such a dramatic physical way that the elder Van Peebles almost lost his eyesight. The fact that Mario plays Melvin heightens the intensity, as the role requires him to relive childhood traumas from the perspective of the man doing the traumatizing. In fact, the film gives the phrases "labor of love" and "project close to my heart" entirely new meanings. It's as much an achievement in mature filmmaking for Mario Van Peebles as Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song was for Melvin, since Mario had not directed a film in five years, and had never directed a film with any acclaim, possibly excepting New Jack City. The scenes of the patchwork crew scrambling through locations without permits and scaling all heights to finish on schedule are priceless bits of urban filmmaking lore. It's also interesting to see an early incarnation of Earth, Wind & Fire agreeing to record the soundtrack for shockingly low pay. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
T.K. Carter - Bill Cosby; Joseph Culp - Attorney; Keith Diamond - Large Brother; Don Dowe - Officer; Pamela Gordon - Ethel; David Alan Grier - Clyde Houston; Khalil Kain - Maurice; Len Lesser - Mort Goldberg; Nia Long - Sandra; Christopher Michael - Journalist; Lester Miller - Nora; Glenn Plummer - Angry Brother; Paul Rodriguez - Jose Garcia; Saul Rubinek - Howie; Sally Struthers - Roz; Adam West - Bert; Ossie Davis - Granddad; Robert Primes - Union Thug; Vincent Schiavelli - Jerry; John Singleton - Detroit J; Penny Bae Bridges - Megan; E.J. Callahan - Bartender; Terry Crews - Big T; Rainn Wilson - Bill Harris; Nathan Wetherington - Jimmy; Craig Jones - Trick or Treater; Maya Van Peebles - Trick or Treater; Robert Peters - Bob Maxwell; Jazsmin Lewis - Working Girl; Robin McLiam Wilson - Excited Lady; Joy Bryant - Priscilla; Ralph P. Martin - Tommy David; Wesley Jonathan - Panther; Khleo Thomas - Mario; David Alan Smith - Brewster; Joan Blair - Brenda; Karimah Westbrook - Ginney; Anthony Rodriguez - Fernando; Kate Krystowiak - Moonbeam; Mandela Van Peebles - Angel Muse; Brent Schaffer - Panther; Brian "Skinny B" Lewis - Panther; Mickey Mello - David; Tyrone M. Mitchell - Man; Alan James Morgan - Josh; Paul Roach - Pimpy Paul; Marley Van Peebles - Trick or Treater; Bridget Avildsen - Trick or Treater; Thomas Longo - Camera Assistant; Robert Yosses - Script Supervisor; Danny Hebert - Crew Member; Michele Hill - Biker Girl; Buzzxsassy - Union Thug; Rey Diogo - Union Thug
Credit
Jorge Gonzalez Borrelli - Art Director, Derrick Cloud - Boom Operator, Amy McIntyre-Britt - Casting, Anya Colloff - Casting, Ipostini - Casting, José Garcia - Consultant/advisor, G. Marq Roswell - Co-producer, Dennis Haggerty - Co-producer, Tal Vigderson - Co-producer, Kara Saun - Costume Designer, Bruce Gillies - First Assistant Director, Mario Van Peebles - Director, Bruce Gillies - Second Unit Director, Anthony Miller - Editor, Nneka Goforth - Editor, Tobie Haggerty - Executive Producer, Michael Mann - Executive Producer, Jerry Offsay - Executive Producer, Kokeeta Douglas - Hair Styles, William Coit - Location Manager, Bruce Gillies - Line Producer, Tyler Bates - Composer (Music Score), G. Marq Roswell - Musical Direction/Supervision, Garth Trinidad - Musical Direction/Supervision, Adam Swart - Musical Direction/Supervision, Chris Parker - Musical Direction/Supervision, Kokeeta Douglas - Makeup, Ian Dodd - Camera Operator, Alan Muraoka - Production Designer, Robert Primes - Cinematographer, Michael O'Connor - Cinematographer, Mario Van Peebles - Producer, Tobie Haggerty - Producer, Bruce Gillies - Producer, Jena English - Research, Galit Reuben - Set Designer, David Parker - Sound Mixer, David Parker - Sound/Sound Designer, Brian Slack - Sound/Sound Designer, Kim Kocski - Stunts Coordinator, Mario Van Peebles - Screenwriter, Dennis Haggerty - Screenwriter, Rex Dominguez - Production Assistant, Kevin Dreher - Production Assistant, Meica Kelly - Production Assistant, Kanchan Kurichh - Production Assistant, Jaime Mejia - Production Assistant, Jeff Millcheck - Production Assistant, Gregory Pacificar - Production Assistant, Anjoli Rountree - Production Assistant, Frederick Howard - Sound Effects Editor, Craig Jurkiewicz - Sound Effects Editor, Anne Slack - Sound Effects Editor, Greg & Meica - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Jennifer Hill - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Bobbie Nanfito - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Raul Sanchez - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Steven Mann - First Assistant Camera, Gary Ushino - First Assistant Camera, Paul Cuffe - Gaffer, Michael Valenzuela - Grip, Marty Boger - Grip, Charly Winzer - Grip, Johnny Martin - Key Grip, Patricia Clark - Post Production Coordinator, Mimi Gillies - Production Coordinator, Dana Macduff - Properties Master, Brian Slack - Re-Recording Mixer, Jason Schmid - Re-Recording Mixer, Dale Franz - Script Supervisor, Rachel Dickson - Second Assistant Director, Dan Kneece - Steadicam Operator, Benjamin Cook - Supervising Sound Editor, Alan Freedman - ADR Mixer, Alessandro Gianni - Assistant Hair, Pat Harris - Assistant Hair, Denise Ruiz - Assistant Hair, Mark Starr - Assistant Hair, Robert Lewis - Assistant Location Manager, Alessandro Gianni - Assistant Makeup, Pat Harris - Assistant Makeup, Denise Ruiz - Assistant Makeup, Mark Starr - Assistant Makeup, Keana McGee - Assistant Production Coordinator, Bob Hummel - Assistant Properties, Dave Kustin - Assistant Sound Editor, Crickett Peters - Best Boy Electric, Roni Spitzer - Buyer, Laura Cataldo - Casting Assistant, Erick Anderson - Costumes Assistant, Tanya Sanchez - Costumes Supervisor, Robert Getty - Dialogue Editor, Freeman Hardin - Electrician, Kaiser Ki-Pyo Kim - Electrician, Ann Rosencrans - Electrician, Omari Thomas - Electrician, Jason Wood - Electrician, Christopher Gray Casting - Extra Casting, Nathan Novero - First Assistant Editor, Michael Stahlberg - First Assistant Editor, Michael Keeping - Foley Artist, Jake Blecha - Leadman, Lester Miller - Personal Assistant, Amy B. Melendez - Post Production Assistant, Paul Gibilisco - Second Assistant Camera, Skip Mobley - Second Assistant Camera, Tamu Blackwell - Second Second Assistant Director, Tobie Haggerty - Co-Executive Producer, Melvin Van Peebles - Book Author, Hennie Britton - Foley Recordist, Kevin Hummel - Swing Gang, Ryan Kriss - Swing Gang
The film focuses on the social barriers and production problems which Melvin Van Peebles had to overcome, as well as the personal sacrifices he had to make. The film features such events as Melvin's film being rejected by every studio in Hollywood, and his subsequent attempts to raise funding by pretending that he was making a black pornography movie. Melvin's battles with his creditors and unionists are also shown, as is the farcical scene of him having to bail his crew out after a white police officer arrests them when he comes to the conclusion that a group of hippies and black men could not have come by their equipment legally. Van Peebles overcomes these obstacles, and finishes the film through sheer commitment and ruthlessness.
