Directed by:
Mario Van PeeblesCinematography:
Robert PrimesComposer:
Tyler BatesCast:
Mario Van Peebles, Joy Bryant, T.K. Carter, Terry Crews, David Alan Grier, Paul Rodriguez, Khalil Kain, Nathan Wetherington, Ossie Davis, Saul Rubinek (more)Plots(1)
In the spirit of his legendary father Melvin, Mario Van Peebles directs BAADASSSSS!, a docudrama about the making of the notorious SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG. In 1971, when he was on the verge of becoming one of the first major black Hollywood directors, Melvin opted to take a risk, go against audience expectations, and shoot a controversial film instead. He wound up making one of the first truly "independent" motion pictures. Mario's faux documentary revisits this time and place, charting the tumultuous journey of that film's production. Stepping into the tight jeans, boots, and moustache of his father, Mario is joined by Ossie Davis, Saul Rubinek, Paul Rodriguez, Rainn Wilson, and Khleo Thomas--who plays the adolescent Mario. After an incredibly taxing production in which members of the crew were arrested and a desperate Melvin had to borrow money from Bill Cosby (T.K. Carter), he was forced to distribute the film on his own, opening it on one screen in Detroit. A lackluster matinee had him worried, but by that night, the line outside the theater was around the block and a sensation had begun. Mario's reverence both for his father, and for the material, shines through in every moment of BAADASSSSS!, resulting in a film that is as much a celebration of family as it is an ode to the craft of cinema itself. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Mario Van Peebles
Mexico
Best movies:
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Ali (2001)
The Cotton Club (1984)
Joy Bryant
USA
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Bobby (2006)
The Skeleton Key (2005)
T.K. Carter
USA
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The Corner (2000) (series)
The Thing (1982)
Runaway Train (1985)
Terry Crews
USA
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David Alan Grier
USA
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Jumanji (1995)
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Paul Rodriguez
Mexico
Best movies:
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Ali (2001)
Born in East L.A. (1987)
Khalil Kain
USA
Best movies:
Juice (1992)
Free of Eden (1998) (TV movie)
Renaissance Man (1994)
Nathan Wetherington
USA
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How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass (2003)
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Ossie Davis
USA
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Saul Rubinek
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True Romance (1993)
Adam West
USA
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Partizani (1974)
Nia Long
USA
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If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) (TV movie)
The Banker (2020)
Vincent Schiavelli
USA
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One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Amadeus (1984)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Rainn Wilson
USA
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Almost Famous (2000)
Juno (2007)
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
Jazsmin Lewis
USA
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Barbershop (2002)
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Khleo Thomas
USA
Best movies:
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Holes (2003)
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Sally Struthers
USA
Best movies:
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Tyrone M. Mitchell
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Len Lesser
USA
Best movies:
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Lust for Life (1956)
Joseph Culp
USA
Best movies:
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Full Eclipse (1993) (TV movie)
Panther (1995)