It's the first American film written, directed, and produced by a black person.
And as for this one, we can probably go back even further, but for a genuine maverick and influential artist, there is Oscar Micheaux, who was producing/writing/directing films as early as 1919. He did all three on Body & Soul in 1924.
And his films
It's the first American film to make made a majority of it's their revenue from black patrons.
It's the first American film that attempted to portray black folks independent of their relationship to white people.
I'm not going to lie...I've never heard of that guy. I wonder how many people have? How well known are he and his films to people outside of scholars in that area? How widely circulated were/are his films? Is he in a position to claim influence or just precedent?
I'm not going to lie...I've never heard of that guy. I wonder how many people have? How well known are he and his films to people outside of scholars in that area? How widely circulated were/are his films? Is he in a position to claim influence or just precedent?
I'm not going to lie...I've never heard of that guy. I wonder how many people have? How well known are he and his films to people outside of scholars in that area? How widely circulated were/are his films? Is he in a position to claim influence or just precedent?
Do you know who Paul Robeson is
As for Micheaux, his films and documentaries on him run frequently on large cable channels. I'm sorry you aren't familiar with him, but that doesn't somehow discount his name or work.
Sorry, I read it as "I haven't heard of it so can't be that important" but sometimes I read sacasm where there isn't any, a casualty of internet experience. I mentioned Robeson because his name attatched to the film can assure it's being known outside of academia. Micheaux is not a household name but his work is in print and he is well-known to many.
You can be 99% confident I'm never trying to argue with anyone on here (or in real life either). Which is why I stepped aside when I saw it coming. I was just asking you some questions.
this post is so late that is almost off topic now....
but i can't believe that people feel watermelon man over sweetback. for the record, sweetback is a melvin van peebles production. he wrote, directed, edited, made some music, paid for the shit (with a little chini from cosby) it is truly his movie....dare i say film.
watermelon man is a job van peebles took to make some money. this is barely a van peebles movie and basically has nothing to do with the man. the only thing he did for that was direct, which in hollywood for a novice director at that time probably wasn't the easiest thing to do creatively. the best thing van peebles contributed to that movie was getting godfrey cambridge to do the part of the watermelon man in WHITEFACE. the original script had called for a white man to do the part in BLACKFACE
for real, i like both movies, but i only consider one of them to be a true representation of dudes work. that said, anybody got a copy of "story of a three day pass"??? a black and white film he shot in paris?? there is a dope funky ep from the flick that i neeed.
this is barely a van peebles movie and basically has nothing to do with the man. the only thing he did for that was direct, which in hollywood for a novice director at that time probably wasn't the easiest thing to do creatively. the best thing van peebles contributed to that movie was getting godfrey cambridge to do the part of the watermelon man in WHITEFACE. the original script had called for a white man to do the part in BLACKFACE .
he did contribute the best thing on the soundtrack, that strange "this ain't america" rap-sing-song
Have you seen Sweetback and want to see more or have you never seen anything by him?
I first saw Sweet Sweetback's Baaadass Song three years ago. I haven't seen Watermelon Man yet but I always wanted to.
Sweetback is decent movie to watch when I'm in the mood for it. It's something that I don't watch all the time. Co-sign on what Guzzo and the Non said about it being disorienting at times. I showed it to a friend of mines and he thought Van Peebles took heroin before making the movie.
I started this thread because I was curious about shit like Don't Play Us Cheap, The Story of A Three Day Pass and any other obscure shit that y'all might be up on. Thanks for the feed back though.
Has Don't play us cheap been released on DVD yet?
I remember seeing it in a class once.
I fell asleep
Dude, that's the same question that I had asked myself a couple of days ago. If you doze off watching that movie, then maybe I shouldn't fucks with it.
just cuz you may nod off in the midst of a movie doesn't mean its not worthwhile (see: french renaissance cinema) same could even apply to sweetback. sorry but 45 minutes of cumulative running scenes didn't exactly keep me on the edge of my seat
Comments
no shame
they don't teach this stuff in school
a few facts about dude
Do you know who Paul Robeson is
As for Micheaux, his films and documentaries on him run frequently on large
cable channels. I'm sorry you aren't familiar with him, but
that doesn't somehow discount his name or work.
Where did I indicate I didn't?
I wasn't at all implying that since I hadn't heard of him it discounted his body of work. I was seriously asking.
Sorry, I read it as "I haven't heard of it so can't be that important"
but sometimes I read sacasm where there isn't any, a casualty of internet
experience. I mentioned Robeson because his name attatched to the film can
assure it's being known outside of academia. Micheaux is not a household
name but his work is in print and he is well-known to many.
You can be 99% confident I'm never trying to argue with anyone on here (or in real life either). Which is why I stepped aside when I saw it coming. I was just asking you some questions.
but i can't believe that people feel watermelon man over sweetback. for the record, sweetback is a melvin van peebles production. he wrote, directed, edited, made some music, paid for the shit (with a little chini from cosby) it is truly his movie....dare i say film.
watermelon man is a job van peebles took to make some money. this is barely a van peebles movie and basically has nothing to do with the man. the only thing he did for that was direct, which in hollywood for a novice director at that time probably wasn't the easiest thing to do creatively. the best thing van peebles contributed to that movie was getting godfrey cambridge
for real, i like both movies, but i only consider one of them to be a true representation of dudes work. that said, anybody got a copy of "story of a three day pass"??? a black and white film he shot in paris?? there is a dope funky ep from the flick that i neeed.
he did contribute the best thing on the soundtrack, that strange "this ain't america" rap-sing-song
same could even apply to sweetback. sorry but 45 minutes of cumulative running scenes didn't exactly keep me on the edge of my seat
Do you see him out in France? Which strutter said they haid a copy of "A Three Day Pass"?