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IMDbPro

Killer of Sheep

  • 1978
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
8.1K
YOUR RATING
Killer of Sheep (1978)
Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.
Play trailer2:08
2 Videos
45 Photos
Drama

Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the f... Read allSet in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.

  • Director
    • Charles Burnett
  • Writer
    • Charles Burnett
  • Stars
    • Henry G. Sanders
    • Kaycee Moore
    • Charles Bracy
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    8.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Charles Burnett
    • Writer
      • Charles Burnett
    • Stars
      • Henry G. Sanders
      • Kaycee Moore
      • Charles Bracy
    • 46User reviews
    • 64Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos2

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:08
    Trailer
    Killer of Sheep - official US 4K re-release trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Killer of Sheep - official US 4K re-release trailer
    Killer of Sheep - official US 4K re-release trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Killer of Sheep - official US 4K re-release trailer

    Photos45

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    Top cast69

    Edit
    Henry G. Sanders
    Henry G. Sanders
    • Stan
    • (as Henry Gayle Sanders)
    Kaycee Moore
    Kaycee Moore
    • Stan's Wife
    Charles Bracy
    • Bracy
    Angela Burnett
    Angela Burnett
    • Stan's Daughter
    Eugene Cherry
    • Eugene
    Jack Drummond
    Jack Drummond
    • Stan Jr.
    Slim
    Delores Farley
    • Delores
    Dorothy Stengel
    Tobar Mayo
    Chris Terrill
    Lawrence Pierott
    Russell Miles
    Homer Jai
    Johnny Smoke
    Paul Reed
    Steven Lee
    Charles Davis
    • Director
      • Charles Burnett
    • Writer
      • Charles Burnett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews46

    7.28K
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    Featured reviews

    7BlackNarcissus

    Stangely Compelling Film

    For the life of me I wonder what prompted the people at the London Film Festival to screen this film at the NFT.

    Filmed sometime in the 70s in Black & White it's the story of a family told over maybe two days and is strangely compelling.

    There's no typically Afro-American Urban film scenes just a story about a family and what do. Children play games, dad goes to work and mum looks after the home, an everyday story of life. But don't let that put you off because the film really draws you in somehow. It features a great soundtrack of tunes taken from the 30/40s and some strange (to my mind) editing.

    Do try and see this film if it's at a Festival near you because you too will be drawn into it as I was.

    Weirdly Wonderful Film.

    Black Narcissus

    http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=14198203
    7Margie24

    Well worth a look

    Before writing this review, I read the four comments that were already posted- by tvspace, zumlinz, seabiscuit, and bartman. Their ratings ranged from two stars to ten stars, and one reviewer here (in addition to Manhola Dargis of the NY Times) hailed it as a masterpiece.

    After viewing the film this afternoon at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village, I have to say that all four reviewers have valid points about the film.

    It certainly has an "amateur" feel to it, including the acting of some of the smaller roles, as one of the previous reviewers pointed out. But I found much that was beautiful about it, and saw a sort of perfection in its lack of polish- polish and formula that is so commonplace today in not only big studio pictures, but many independent films as well.

    While certainly not about "nothing," it does lack a conventional narrative, as was pointed out previously as well. But it is this absence of an obvious agenda (other than to portray typical, everyday life in Watts from the point of view of one family) that allows the film to work so well as a loosely structured, poetic slice of life. It is an amazing mood piece, and it made me feel quite sad. Yet there was humor, warmth, and hope scattered throughout the generally melancholy film.

    I think this is the kind of film that will effect people differently, as is already evident from the first four reviews. If you don't catch this film in the theater this time around, it will be available on DVD in the fall and is well worth watching. Nowadays it seems to be in vogue with hotshot filmmakers to recreate the specific,unique look of older films, using all sorts of advanced technology to turn back the clock. Here's a chance to see the real deal-something raw and authentic from a talented filmmaker as he emerged.
    8central_tex

    memory lane

    I couldn't wait to see this movie when it came to town. I only read about it in magazines. I've never knowingly seen a movie before that has been declared a national treasury by the national film registry.

    The first thing that stood out for me is the way the kids were playing. I pictured myself playing those games and wearing those clothes. The editing of the film is nothing like what happens in todays movies. Our attention span is much too short. There is a scene where two men are carrying an engine down a flight of stairs and into the back of a truck. The camera holds while the men struggle to carry it, pausing in mid-flight for a rest and then continuing on. This film is very real in the sense of how the neighborhoods looked back then and the struggles with money and staying on your feet. Even though I am not from the area, this film reminded me in some ways of how I grew up. I wasn't born yet when this film was in production.

    My expectations were set very high for this film because of its previous awards. I started to wonder why it was selected for the national film registry. Possibly because it showed what the area looked like in the post-watts riot era, or was it a film that was created in the blaxploitation era but set itself apart from other films, or did it have to do with watching how kids grow up or how African-Americans were living at the time. I could be unfairly trying to compare this film with the movies that are block busters in our current time. Make sure you see this film.
    8Seamus2829

    A Rediscovered Student Film

    This film was written,directed,produced,etc. by a UCLA film student in 1973, but only given a brief run in theaters four years later, after which was plunked back in the can to sit on a shelf for nearly 30 years. I just had the opportunity to see this grainy, kitchen sink black & white film at one of my local art cinemas. I admired the visual look of this film (very do it yourself), and admired the concept of an ensemble piece ('tho without the use of Altmanesque over lapping). I admit, I found some of the dialouge unintelligible (due to the poor recording of the soundtrack---I'm guessing who ever operated the microphone picking up dialouge didn't have much experience in this field). The use of music in this film was well implemented (which ranges from classical to soul to blues and beyond). 'Killer Of Sheep' is a flawed, but none the less, watchable film that should be viewed by any & all serious film fanatics (and should also be screened during Black History Month, as a timeline of creative black cinema).
    10zumlinz

    Remarkable independent portrayal of Black urban life...

    Somewhat reactionary to the black exploitation films that usually define the Black cinema experience in the 70's, Killer of Sheep presents a realistic portrait of a Black urban L.A. community. Burnett's method of telling a story, using the camera in the most unobtrusive manner, enlivens the film and draws the viewer into a world not frequently seen on film. Stan, the depressed insomniac lower middle-class worker struggles to provide for his family, love his wife and maintain responsibility to his community while haunted by the historical futility and impotence of the African American male. In Killer of Sheep, Burnett aptly demonstrates his knowledge of the cinema aesthetic and his proficiency with the camera while telling a most compelling story about the Black experience in America.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Library of Congress has declared "Killer of Sheep" as a national treasure and one of the first fifty on the National Film Registry. The National Society of Film Critics selected it as one of the "100 Essential Films" of all time. However, since the film was made without the proper legal permits and rights acquisition (due to the expense of the music rights) the film was never shown theatrically or made available on video. It had only been seen on poor quality 16mm prints at a scant few museums and film festivals. Thirty years after its premiere the new 35mm print of Killer of Sheep was brilliantly restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive. In addition, all rights were secured for the music, allowing the film to be shown on the film festival circuit, theaters, and nationally broadcast by Turner Classic Movies. The film is also available on DVD.
    • Goofs
      After Stan and his friend load the engine block on the truck, they drive away and it falls out, and a car is then seen parked along the curb. The car was not there when they carried the engine out.
    • Quotes

      Stan: [holding a cup of tea] Stu, what does it remind you of when you hold it next to your cheek?

      Stu: [taking the cup and placing it to his cheek] Not a damn thing but hot air.

      Stan: Didn't it remind you of when you're making love and a woman 'fore it gets sometimes? Just like this?

      Stu: Maybe so. I don't go for women who got malaria.

    • Connections
      Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      This Bitter Earth
      Written by Clyde Otis (uncredited)

      Performed by Dinah Washington

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    FAQ

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1, 1979 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Schafe töten
    • Filming locations
      • E. 99th St. & Towne Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA(scene with stolen TV set)
    • Production company
      • Milestone Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $100,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $487,904
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $26,154
      • Apr 1, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $551,856
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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