Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!

This piece gives us an in-depth look into the philosophy and psyche of this modern-day thinker and performer, Mr. T. The film demands our attention and with repeat viewing the metaphors in his performance become clear. We see Mr.T's struggle for attention and respect mirrored in his struggle with the cello. We see a man of great vunerability trying to gain acceptance with his gold. We see a man searching for his lost child-hood. This is more than a movie. It is a moving experience and one not easily forgotten.

Just as everyone else has said, this is a classic!

It is a genuine tragedy that Mr T no longer works regularly. I guess there's more money in filthy mouthed, mother hating, thugs than a man who wants to help, educate and make the world a better place.

However the other comments are a bit in error, there's plenty of places to find this gem online, you just have to look around a fair bit.

I guess this tape is long since out of reproduction and if they ever figured out who owns the rights I doubt if they'd care if there was a market for a DVD release, but it is out there! So by fair means or fowl get out there and find it. It's worth it!

Be Somebody!

Next to Caddyshack, the Blues Brothers, Animal House, and most of the early stuff from John Hughes, this might be the most comedically entertaining films to date. Not only does it feature one of the greatest human beings ever to live, but, unlike most films released in modern Hollywood... this piece has a fairly legitimate moral(actually, several of them). The one thing that sets this cinematic masterpiece apart from the group mentioned above, is, that for the most part, "Be Somebody, Or Be Somebody's Fool" wasn't created to be intentionally funny... it just kind of turned out to be what it is through clever evolution... which gives the consumer a reaction that is violently side-slitting (that's a good thing). The scenes are perfect, the quotes are memorable, and the acting isn't that great, but that didn't really bother me, since I was laughing to hard to notice. As I close, I'm going stray from the normal tendency of others reviewers on this page, by not attempting to describe any of the scenes in this delightful little PSA from the early eighties. Instead, with genuine sincerity, I'm going to urge anyone who hasn't seen this gem to do so immediately.... Otherwise, you are never going to experience the supreme sensation of pure un-adult

I discovered this film in High School. My folks were out of town, and my friends were at the house. I'm sure we were up to no good. Then it happened. Randy showed up with this video and said that we had to watch it. Growing up in the eighties, we all had a pre-existing place in our heart for Mr. T, so we were game. The tape started to roll, and then we started to roll. Man, it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Being the creative bunch of musicians that we were, we decided to start a tribute band. What better name for the band than "Mr. T's Be Somebody Or Be Somebody's Fool"? So there it was, we learned all the songs from the movie, and went for it. We were pretty serious too. We would rehearse twice a week, and play shows regularly. We even had matching t-shirts made with the movie's poster on the front.

Those were some good times, inspired by a life changing film.

Thanks Mr. T! And remember: "Everyone's gotta wear clothes. If they don't, they could get arrested".

For those of you who choose to forget, Mr. T was an icon of the 1980s--a tough guy who could act sensitive when he needed to, or when a paycheck depended on it. If you ever watched the A-Team, you'd see his character repeatedly clobbered in the head with lead pipes and he wouldn't flinch; but he also tried to branch out into a strange kind of motivational programming for children, even inspiring a tasteless breakfast cereal. "Be Somebody, or be Somebody's Fool" is one of Mr. T's bizarre efforts to teach little kids how to be better people. Either this show is incredibly bad, or it's just too deep for me to comprehend. The 80s answer to Huggy Bear leads the viewer through a long string of unrelated pearls of wisdom, the values of which are reinforced by small children who can't act. The philosophy of this show really is encapsulated in its title--the watchcries never stray beyond this level of simplicity. This show really is insane--you have to wonder who thought it would be a good idea. Mr. T is no Mr. Rogers; he presents his lessons to children without seeming to care at all. If you can find this tape, it's worth watching just to see how bad children's programming can get. Plus, the hilariously bad rap songs may inspire you to donate something to the "Blacks Without Soul" fund.