This is a landmark film for many reasons, and although it is rough around the edges, I urge everyone to at least watch it once, and then watch the story of the making of this film, Baadasssss! (A.K.A. How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass), made by the directors son, Mario Van...( read more)
Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan, Melvin Van Peebles
Renegade pimp Sweetback hits the road after hacking up two corrupt police officers who were busying themselves with brutally beating up a young black man.
DVD Release Date: January 14, 2003
Stats: 217 reviews
Flixster Reviews (217)
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October 16, 2009
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January 3, 2008
On one hand, a vibrant but muddled fugitive-on-the-run story... on the other, a remarkable cultural milestone. Independent, amazingly low-budget and experimental, Van Peebles work influenced the way in which African-Americans would break the color-barrier in film by directly spaw...( read more)
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April 16, 2009
A truly independent vision and the cornerstone of blaxploitation cinema.
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November 19, 2009
While Sweetback (Melvin Van Peebles) is being taken to the police station for questioning, the cops pick up another black man and start beating on him. Sweetback comes to the rescue and kills the cop and spends the rest of the movie on the run.
This is considered the first blax...( read more) -
October 9, 2009
Wow, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I don't think it was this. A landmark of cinema, this film doesn't pull any punches, from the first memorable scene where young Sweetback gets his name, via a bunch of violence, sex and racism, through to the second half which mostly i...( read more)
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September 4, 2009
Truly a one of a kind movie that deserves to be seen more than once. In my own opinion to truly appreciate this film you have to go see Mario Van Peebles Badassssss. It'll explain the films need to be made in the first place plus it shows how hard making a film really is especial...( read more)
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August 2, 2009
The ultimate in grungy guerrilla filmmaking. It's very wild and very explicit, but very enjoyable as Blaxploitation.
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January 16, 2009
Love what it did for African-American cinema but, when push comes to shove, it really isn't a very good film. Not without its own idiosyncratic style, but it's basically 80 minutes of a man runnin' & f**kin'.
Critic Reviews
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View more Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song reviews at RottenTomatoes.comComments
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January 14, 2008This was the movie that opened a LOT OF DOORS for black Hollywood during the 1970's and this was one of them. Without Melvin Van Peebles,we would have never heard of other black films that exploded during the 70's.
One of the highest grossing independent films of 1971,and was also historical as well by being the first "X" rated movie to feature an all-African American cast. Worth seeing too.
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