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Baadasssss!

Play trailer Poster for Baadasssss! R 2003 1h 48m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 107 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Director Mario Van Peebles chronicles the complicated production of his father Melvin's classic 1971 film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Playing his father in the film, Van Peebles offers an unapologetic account of Melvin's brash and sometimes deceptive conduct on the set of the film, including questionable antics like writing bad checks, tricking a local fire department and allowing his son, Mario, to shoot racy sex scenes at the age of 11.
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Baadasssss!

Baadasssss!

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Critics Consensus

An entertaining and intriguing tribute to a father from his son.

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Critics Reviews

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David Denby The New Yorker 08/01/2004
It's an exhausting, and exhaustingly pleasurable, entertainment. Go to Full Review
Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle 07/03/2004
4/5
Seethes with well-targeted humor that mixes comfortably with its simmering energy and anger. Go to Full Review
Geoff Pevere Toronto Star 06/25/2004
3/5
Effectively raw and stylish. Go to Full Review
Kaleem Aftab The List 04/24/2019
3/5
[An] enjoyable docu-romp... Sadly, there's neither enough first-hand evidence from Van Peebles Sr. himself nor sufficient social historical perspective for Baadasssss to make the leap from being a good documentary to a great one. Go to Full Review
Deborah Hornblow Hartford Courant 01/02/2018
3/5
Audiences unfamiliar with "Sweetback'' can enjoy and understand the story chronicled in "Baadasssss!,'' but the experience is infinitely richer if you have seen the film that inspired it. Go to Full Review
Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed 09/22/2013
This is excellent and well worth the watch for any artist. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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09/29/2021 An homage of reverence, an almost mythic biography, and yet a terrific (in many ways superior) creation, an essential companion piece yet standing on its own—the son becoming father to the man, and a brother getting the Man's foot out of his ass. See more 06/15/2020 Seriously watch this! See more 02/25/2016 Entretenida película de esas que cuentan una historia de la vida real, con personajes muy humanos a los que se pueden amar y odiar al mismo tiempo. See more brandon w 12/12/2014 Baad*bleep* is a great film that respects what the director's father has done. It has a great story, and really does make you wonder if it was going to be in theaters even though you already know what was the result of it. The acting is great, it's got funny moments although not much, and it really shows the hard work about what his father has been through for making an important film. I didn't really care much for the beginning, but it started to win me over with the middle and end. It kept me interested, and when I thought they got through it, there's another turn that they have to fix which makes it unpredictable. Baad*bleep* had left me entertained, and it's disappointing that it didn't made a lot of money. See more 08/10/2014 Very good movie about the struggles of making an all black cast movie with a mixed race film crew backed partially by Bill Cosby. This film led to blaxploitation movies that were prevelant in the 70's. Not quite a documentary, but still was supposed to show some of the behind the scenes of what occurred. See more 01/28/2014 A wonderful biopic about a very intriguing story. It was very interesting to learn about this movie and the movie it was portraying the making of. See more Read all reviews
Baadasssss!

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Movie Info

Synopsis Director Mario Van Peebles chronicles the complicated production of his father Melvin's classic 1971 film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Playing his father in the film, Van Peebles offers an unapologetic account of Melvin's brash and sometimes deceptive conduct on the set of the film, including questionable antics like writing bad checks, tricking a local fire department and allowing his son, Mario, to shoot racy sex scenes at the age of 11.
Director
Mario Van Peebles
Producer
Bruce Wayne Gillies, Mario Van Peebles
Screenwriter
Mario Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Bad Aaas Cinemas, Showtime Networks Inc.
Rating
R (Some Strong Sexuality|Pervasive Language|Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 7, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 10, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$365.2K
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Surround
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