Baadasssss! (2004)

That was an excellent one.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This is a dramatization by Mario Van Peebles, based on real events. It's about the making of the revolutionary film "Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song" (again with lots of a's and s's).That film is the only one that I ever heard Huey P. Newton recommend. Do you know it? ("Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song", I mean.) I haven't seen it, because I haven't found it in any video stores, but I would like to.Anyway, "Badass!" is also autobiographical, because Melvin Van Peebles, Mario's father, is the one who made "Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song", and Mario was also involved in making that film, as a child.

Mario Van Peebles take a bow, not only is this a brutally honest recount of what your father went through trying to make an independent movie. But you also made this movie so damn enjoyable. I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy a movie where a son admires his father, but this was more than that, this was a warts (forcing his son to have a sex scene at 13) and all movie, that is a damning account of the film industry and director who has had enough of the racism in his job and in his country.Melvin Van Peebles was a demanding, arrogant man who let nothing get in the way of his vision, which makes him not much of a person, but a hell of an inspiration and artist. His movie which I haven't seen, is shown as a fore runner to the Blaxploitation era of Hollywood, but to me Melvin Van Peebles was an inspiration to all Independent film makers who value there movie more than making money.Within hours of seeing this movie I ordered Sweetback on DVD from America, because none of the great black film makers have there movies released in Australia. I was really inspired by Melvin's I don't give a stuff attitude. There is just something special about an independent film maker, taking risks and making a movie that makes people think, shame Hollywood doesn't try and do the same.

I had been putting off seeing this, and then was pleasantly surprised.I didn't know much about Mario Van Peebles, nor of his father ("Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song" came out 2 years before I was born) but after seeing this homage to Mr. Van Peebles and seeing how much he risked - everything from finances to his family and his own health, for his dream of "the world" to really see life from the African American point of view, the way it really is, is well impressive to say the least. The unimaginable struggle, the pressure and the sheer will that Mario portrays in his father is a touching tribute. Mario reveals his father's motives for making "Sweetback" in a moving and heartfelt way, documenting how Hollywood portrayed races other than white - if you are not white, then you are the white man's servant - how at that time - no one and no other film had film portrayed a Black Man as a hero or the struggles that he or any other race faces. It is a tale that is bigger than him and despite the risk and struggle, he fights to tell it. This is a fitting homage to a pioneer of a Genre and a Father. "Baadasssss!" It also depicts the rugged world of guerrilla film-making and the rabid fight involved in making an indie film from inception to distribution. After seeing this I take a much greater heed of the Van Peebles Name, "Baadasssss!" is worthy film as a Drama in its own right, an Homage to a Pioneer and Father and as a Documenty Tribute to a Piece of Film History.

Badasss really shows the struggles independent filmmakers go through to get their visions up on the screen... Mario does an inspired job of portraying his father, Melvin van Peebles, as he goes through complete and utter hell to get his grand cinematic vision "Sweet Sweetback's Badasss Song" made. It turns out the behind the scenes story is a million times better than the original film! To top it off, a great supporting cast puts in some of their best and most memorable performances: Adam West, David Alan Grier, Vincent Schiavelli, Sally Struthers, Saul Rubinek... Lots of great characters pop up in this film!If you are a fan of independent film-making, or enjoy '70s black action cinema, you will LOVE Badasss! This film has a lot of truth in it about both subjects. I gladly give it a "10" and would watch it again. Kudos to everyone involved, and especially to Mario, who finally gets it right both as an actor and director! This film is so damn good it's a CRIME that more people won't see it. Rent or buy it NOW!!!