Block Party

This movie is One of a kind, it created a magic that most films will never achieve. It is filled with some incredible performances and the first appearance of the Fugees in almost ten years. If Lauren Hill's performance doesn't move you then you must be a robot because that women is a goddess. I think Block Party will be looked back upon and be remembered as one of the greatest moments for music in the new millennium. This will go down in the books as one of the greatest Music documentary's of all time right alongside Woodstock. It is also fun to watch Dave continue his racial commentary on today's society. I loved Block Party and will recommend this movie to everyone I know.

Seeing this picture after a Hard night of partying, I had few expectations. But the laughs I had at the beginning of the movie set the tone for the rest of the picture. I just recently became a Chappelle fan, having only heard his comedy on Satellite radio. But I thought this movie was a nice blend of street and situational comedy, and I couldn't take my eyes off the circa. 1972 afro that Quest was sporting. It was poetry in motion.

I was not very knowledgeable about a few of the groups in the movie but I thought the concert scenes were great, and was in awe of the sheer musical ability of the featured groups; so much so, that I stopped and picked up a Jill Scott CD for my ride home.

You will laugh at the comedy scenes but this movie is not really about making you laugh. It seems to be a cross-cultural primer using comedy, music and just general conversation, to give all of us a small look into each other's world.

Saw "Block Party" at the Toronto Film Festival as a work-in-progress. You will laugh until your stomach hurts watching this film. Chappell's comedy provides the balance this film needs to serve as an entertaining reflection of the segregation and urban neglect the exists in America today. This message exists as the subtext, and sometimes bluntly, in the humour, interviews, and the music.

Michel Gondry did an amazing job capturing some rather beautiful images. In one shot, it lasted for only a few seconds, a beautiful young woman rocks out to Mos Def while perched on her boyfriend's shoulders.

Whether or not you're a fan of the music, it's hard not to be totally engrossed by this film. Plus Dave Chappell's in it!

Block Party

reviewed by Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com

rating: 3.5 out of 4

For a comeback, Dave Chappelle's got it right with Block Party. It isn't a concert film, but features a hefty amount of highlight performances. It also isn't a stand-up comedy, but Chappelle certainly spouts some smile-turning kickers. And Block Party isn't a documentary, but we're left with a sense of culture from the footage of interviews throughout. In truth, Block Party really isn't much of anything, but it's enough to mount dizzying entertainment with the flick of Michel Gondry's hand-held DV camera.

It surrounds the conception, pre-production, production, and post-production of Dave Chappelle's 2005 Brooklyn Block Party. The word "production" is used loosely here, not to connote images of agents frantically finding the rights to singers and their songs and the construction of the set and all the hoo-hah that goes into a major concert. No. By Pre-Production, I mean Dave Chappelle traveling back to hometown Dayton, Ohio to hand out the golden tickets to his fellow citizens. By Production, I mean watching some excellent musical performances on the corner of Downing and Quincy, in front of the Broken Angel warehouse, to the sound of 5,000 screaming fans. And by Post-Production, I mean watching Chappelle and his fellow performers speculate about the show afterwards.

But for all the linearity described here, Block Party doesn't have mind for structure. The film doesn't roll chronologically; instead, Block Party jumps around itself, sometimes going to Ohio, then back to rehearsal, jumping forward to a highlight performance, and then back to Brooklyn at a children's day care where the kids bounce frantically around Chappelle. Gondry worries less about documenting the actual party, opting instead to find an accessible method for the audience's entertainment. If the film was said to be trying hard at any one thing, it would be that Block Party really tries to keep from bogging itself down.

Chappelle himself does well to not hog the screen. In fact, if there was any one complaint, it would be that we don't see Chappelle enough. This is not "Chappelle's Show", after all. There are no skits, and only a few planned scenes of comedy. Mostly, we follow Chappelle around with a couple DV cameras and a boom mic as he explores Dayton and Brooklyn, speaking to their inhabitants and hearing their stories. But this isn't to say that Chappelle avoids humor. We all know Dave Chappelle's a funny man when he's not even trying. Believe me, there are many laughs to be had. The style digs down to why we loved Dave Chappelle in the first place. Seeing him walk around his hometown in a state of relative normalcy—without spotlights or producers and writers—offers Block Party a homegrown attitude. The music reflects this, showcasing artists that inhabit the quality of music, instead of the financial returns that go along with it.

And the music's great, too. Gondry does well not to overdose on it, aware that that the beats may grow tiresome for the anti-rap audience. He only showcases one or two songs at a time, jumping back to another Chappelle experience in between. But whether or not you're a regular fan of rap (I'm not), Block Party's music is sure to rouse some sort of reaction. The attitude and community behind the music is what makes it great. The fans and the artists and Chappelle forged a culture at this party, and this culture is infectious. At the theatre, much of the audience started dancing and moving to the music in their seats, some even raising their arms at the musicians' demand. And at it's heart, it's just about everyone—the fans, the artists, the theatre audience, and Chappelle—just having a good time.

-www.samseescinema.com

because this was the sh*t! This is not a stand up routine, it is a CONCERT FILM sprinkled with Dave's personal moments interacting with folks, his love of the music and the artists. If people were expecting "The Chapelle Show--The Movie!", either they are stupid, or did not watch the trailer carefully. It's bigger than HIP HOP! This was also my dream concert! It would've been perfect if D'Angelo and Me'shell Ndegeocello were playing too. Then I'd be in heaven. It made me fall in love with Hip Hop and good soul music all over again. Can't wait to buy it on DVD. I just hope the DVD plays the full concert performances.

Just hearing Erykah Badu and Jill Scott rocking the chorus of "You got me" TOGETHER is worth the admission price. An instant classic. Thank God for Dave Chappelle!