:
Dave Chappelle,
Kayne West,
Mos Def,
more...
:
Michel Gondry
see all cast/crew...
: MCA Home Video
: Comedies, Stand-up Comedy/Performance
: 102 min.
see additional details...
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In September 2004, comedian Dave Chappelle took a break from his immensely successful Comedy Central show to stage a free, unpublicized, all-star hip-hop concert in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Inviting fans over the Internet, on the street, and even in his family's hometown of Yellow Springs, OH, Chappelle asked filmmaker Michel Gondry to document the event from its inception on through to the performances themselves. The result is Dave Chappelle's Block Party, a concert film that provides not only a sampling of the music on display that September, but also an intimate look at the comedian himself. Gondry's cameras tag along with Chappelle as he visits Ohio, recruits a university marching band to play at the show, and surveys the opinions of Clinton Hill on the show that's about to take place. Along the way, we're introduced to some the comedian's favorite acts, in rehearsals and on-stage: Dead Prez, Jill Scott, Mos Def, the Roots, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, and the surprise reuniting of the Fugees. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
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| A Celebrity-Spiked Block Party
by talltale
June 16, 2006 - 12:36 PM PDT
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1 out of 5 members found this review helpful
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As someone who feels nothing positive about rap music, I found the actual block party in DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY the least interesting part of the proceedings. More fun was just about everything else: the preparations, the interviews, and Chappelle himself, who comes across as a quirky, likable guy--although he doesn't seem all that funny as a comedian.
My biggest pleasure was seeing Mos Def, whom I admire immensely as one of America's finest actors. Here, in person, he seems to possess a kind of quietude coupled with a hefty intelligence. And as usual, he's damn good. Interestingly, the musical acts are broken up with interviews and other moments spliced into them. But because most of the songs don't build toward anything (this is true of rap in general--but then, how could it, with that insistent, unvarying beat?), the interruptions aren't much of a bother. By the end the whole affair seems like a nice opportunity for good spirits and buoyancy across the boards. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.42)
65 Votes
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