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Mr. Soul!

Play trailer Poster for Mr. Soul! 2018 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The history of the PBS series, from its creation through its eventual loss of funding.
Mr. Soul!

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Critics Consensus

Mr. SOUL! aims an overdue spotlight on a groundbreaking chapter in the history of American public television -- and the host who helped make it all happen.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Vognar San Francisco Chronicle "Mr. Soul!" is like a wrinkle in time, a time capsule that needed to be opened. In uncovering rare gold, it's a film that reminds us just how much we don't know. Rated: 3/4 Jul 29, 2021 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Variety "Mr. Soul!" is an enthralling testament to a show that was so far ahead of its time it now looks like a bulletin. One that hasn't aged a day. Dec 16, 2020 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker An enthralling and illuminating documentary... Sep 7, 2020 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Director Melissa Haizlip brings a justified admiration to this portrayal of her uncle, who would now be in his 90s. Rated: 4/5 Aug 11, 2021 Full Review Douglas Davidson CLTure Mr. Soul! is an effulgent and joyous celebration of the life-changing public broadcasting program. ... Imagine for a moment what pop culture might be like without Questlove and you may have a small sense of what things would be like without SOUL!. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 2, 2021 Full Review Armond White National Review Stuck between race entertainment and race dissent, as if radicalism is a public service, Mr. Soul is merely the latest example showing how documentaries have become a radical underground industry. Feb 27, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Michael W This HBO documentary was alright. The entire crew did a pretty good job on making this documentary about Ellis Haizlip and the rise and fall of the talk show Soul. It was pretty interesting to learn about what made the show so popular and what it represented to the fans. If you haven't seen this documentary, you might enjoy it. It wasn't very good, but not too bad. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/09/23 Full Review Audience Member ‪”Mr. Soul” is a fantastic documentary about a Nixon-era TV show (“Soul!”) not enough people know existed. The film unfurls so gracefully it reads as fiction. It is an attitude check-inspiring revelation of buried Black American culture along the lines of “Summer Of Soul.” The film holds up a mirror to American society today. Without explicitly calling it out it shows how closely the passive hate & active systemic racism that Nixon promised (in code) to his “silent majority” 50 years ago parallels the white nationalism celebrated by the American Right today. The show itself was astounding for the talent assembled, the subjects confronted, the bold chances taken, the outfits, the backgrounds, & the visionary host of the show, Ellis Hailzlip. And the music. And the poetry. And the dance. The term “groundbreaking” does not do the show justice; mostly through archival footage the film conveys clearly that “Soul!” was far beyond anything seen on American television before or since. Brilliant. Recommended. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/22 Full Review greg r This thing is floating a 100% rating. What a joke. It's a couple of hours of zero entertainment. So much potential lost. None of the artists are given any time in the show. It's all just simply a movie trailer that lasts two hours. Dull. So so dull. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A good storie with enjoyable characters, good music, and a interesting perspective about life and How It goes Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review brent m This excellent, informative and entertaining documentary about the NET (now PBS) series "Soul!" (1968-73) tells the captivating story about the first Afrocentric television show featured on a national network. As a showcase for Black talent, this groundbreaking program introduced the public to an array of rising stars in music, literature, poetry, dance, acting and activism, as well as prominent African-American figures in the arts, sports and politics. It gave the Black community a much-needed voice and paved the way for future Black programming, especially the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Arsenio Hall (who was himself featured on the show as a teenager). But, in addition to paying homage to the show, "Mr. Soul!" presents a fitting tribute to its creator and host, Ellis Haizlip, an openly gay African-American man (a genuinely rare commodity 50 years ago). His vision for the show, both in terms of celebrating the Black community and raising the bar for television quality, was truly radical and innovative for its time -- or virtually any time in broadcast history for that matter. Those who have never heard of Haizlip or "Soul!" owe it to themselves to see this superb release, now available for online streaming. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Uplifting vibrant with some of the best musical footage I've ever seen. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mr. Soul!

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Movie Info

Synopsis The history of the PBS series, from its creation through its eventual loss of funding.
Director
Melissa Haizlip, Sam Pollard
Producer
Melissa Haizlip
Screenwriter
Melissa Haizlip
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2021
Runtime
1h 30m