Don't Play Us Cheap

Wow what an odd film. This is one of those films that only a mother could love. And then 30 years later a whole new audience sees it. What may have looked too strange then can now be seen with new eyes. This movie is thick. The colors and aesthetic,the textures and flow are so different from other movies that if you watch it like you would another movie you might miss it. Watch this movie without any of your existing experience filters and let it present itself to you and then you might see the genius of it. That's all I have to say.

After months of this being listed as "long wait" on Netflix, I finally got the disc of this movie from them just today. It was the fact this was Melvin Van Peebles' follow-up to his hit Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song that got me wanting to watch this as well as the fact it was originally a stage musical he wrote. What a thrill to see future TV stars like Esther "Good Times" Rolle and Mabel "What's Happening?!" King here though my favorite of the singing cast was Joshie Armstead when she warbled "You Cut Up the Clothes in the Closet of My Dreams". All those songs and some of the loud dialogue can be exhausting but this was never boring, let me tell you! I was also thrilled to find out the musical director was Harold Wheeler who I know as the conductor of the band and singers on "Dancing with the Stars", at least he was until last season. So on that note, I recommend Don't Play Us Cheap.

Some people will complain about the acting, as if it had hollywood budget for retakes and such, but that would be an idiotic thing to assume or even want in a play about two little devils wanting to crash and end a Saturday night party. The singing is top notch, the wtf moments are wonderful, and some of the shotty filming is most likely due to post production. I had fun watching it, and it does have replay value. Ester Rolle acting was good as you would expect, Jay Van Leer's voice will leave you in awe, Mabel king embracing her body shape, and George McCurn's Quitting time left me with chills. So impressed, I have spent the last 20-30 minutes deep diving online to find out more about this guy. I don't know how to explain it, but he makes me feel like he's someone we all know. I'm a grown man who hasn't cried more than twice in 25 years hold back tears(unsuccessfully) even though the song Quitting Time doesn't feel like a sad song. I rate it 10 because I felt like a 10 after watching it.

On the positive side, the movie is very creatively done. However there is a big elephant in the room. And I don't mean Mabel King.

The sound track sucks. There is so much screaming, inappropriate laughing and loud talking that you can barely make sense of the dialog.

Further, the backing musical track is also often louder than the speaking parts and hence, you can't understand what anyone is saying.

For a "musical" they sure didnt get actors who could sing. People are off key and just simply horrible.

The costuming too is just horrible. It's as if the entire production was stitched together by someone on crack.

This film was a great commentary on the contrast of human values, especially the characters and their personal aspirations. It reminds us not to take everything about our lives so seriously and that all too often, some of the best things can come in the smallest of packages.It was nice to see Florida and Evilene act out different roles other than their showcased parts. The best part of the film was the crazy music. You can tell that the cast members had a really fun time. It's no Broadway legend, but it's cheesiness and its simplicity are sure to catch your eye. I caught it on BET Starz and I never forgot it. It makes me wish that people still had such house parties! Enjoy!