Best movie of this year hands down!

Better Late Then Never

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

"Dave Chappelle's Block Party" watches as stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle attempts to put together a secret, low-budget block party in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn, New York. The film was inspired by Mel Stuart's "Wattstax". Though directed by Michel Gondry, Chappelle was the creative force behind the picture.Chappelle grew up in a middle class, Washington DC household. His sketch show, "The Chappelle Show", became popular in the early 2000s. After three seasons Chappelle would cancel the show, disgusted with the commodification of both his image and message. His "Block Party", in many ways, plays like a summation of this period of his career. A work of social critique, the film finds Chappelle attempting to put on an entirely self-funded block party which exists outside of the sway of big corporations. Bypassing the need for corporate sponsors and relying heavily on the charity of artists, the film attempts to put on a carnival reminiscent of the more spontaneous ghetto parties of yesteryear."I could no longer be sure of the authenticity of the show," Chappelle says of his TV work. "Block Party" is itself obsessed with "authenticity". In this regard, Chappelle attempts to put on a show which resists artificiality, commodification, flies under the radars of the media circus, is free from restrictions and corporate obligations and exists entirely outside of capitalist logic. He then assembles a number of social critics and singers, some of whom don't receive mainstream media exposure due to their challenging perspectives. So we have the pseudo-Marxian hip-hop group Dead Prez ("capitalism is born from the backs of blacks"), the socially conscious Mos Def ("War is a global, economic phenomenon"), the didactic Talib Kweli and artists like Erykah Badu and Wycleff Jean. This, Chappelle tells is, is "the show he always wanted to attend". One which not only educates and entertains, but which serves as a means of creatively transforming oppressive environments and which ushers people toward social emancipation.Unlike most music festivals, Chappelle's rave is set deep within a bustling, impoverished neighbourhood. His audience is chiefly comprised of African and Latin-Americans, some of whom are provided with free transport to the venue. Elsewhere the film contains brief interviews: we meet a white couple who build a home on their own, various school teachers, artists and urbanites. Complaints about the "bad language" present in R and B are juxtaposed with the slang of black New Yorkers, to whom the N word is either blasé or a term of endearment. Chappelle, foul mouthed, is himself a devout Muslim. This is unsurprising. Today, most of the moral challenges hurled at capitalism come from select minorities or those on the system's fringes (the Catholic church is tentatively trying to build a new identity doing the same). As time goes on, they all become absorbed by existing power structures.Of course you can bring a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. Though Chappelle means well, his little resistance meets unforeseen obstacles. Gondry's cut of the film is shapeless, omits key songs and keeps deviating from the party line (influnced by Chappelle, Gondry would direct documentaries on Noam Chomsky several years later). Singers like Kanye West also offer little, whilst other songs veer toward misogyny, a trend common in rap and hip hop, a genre which subconsciously tends to revolve around castration and expressions of powerlessness. Ironically, all the "strong", "empowered", "successful" African-American female singers (Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Lauren Hill) present in the film sing love songs in which they fawn over men. The result is a mixed bag, a result which is perhaps inevitable. As Herbet Marcuse once wrote: "As the music of the soul is now the music of salesmanship, all alien/black rationality is centred on the rationality of the status quo." Or as philosopher Theodor Adorno once said: "what slips through the net is always filtered through the net."7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.

Block Party is a documentary movie by Michel Gondry. But of course the name on top is Dave Chappelle. I watched the movie, even before I had watched one episode of the Chappelle Show, so I wasn't influenced by any of that. But you don't have to be. Right from the start you'll understand, that Dave is a comedian. A comedian with a taste for good music ...Although that depends, on what you see as good. And I don't think, it would make much sense to watch this, if you don't like soul, funk and R&B music at all. There is nothing much to spoiler here story-wise though. Dave Chappelle is out to organize a Block Party (whaddaya think, will he make it? ;o) The only thing that can be a surprise for you, are the performers. So you know that Mos Def, will be there, but if you wanna be surprised, by the other names that will appear, don't look at the "cast" list here at IMDb, go watch this funny movie instead! :o)

but skip it if the main reason you wanted to see it was for Chappelle. I quite like Dave Chappelle. I have since long before he got really famous with his Comedy Central sketch show. That is perhaps why I wasn't especially impressed with his film. He's not the focus. He's engaging when he is on screen, but most of the movie is dedicated to the musicians who play at his block party, among whom are Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Mos Def and the Fugees. While I liked all the music that was showcased, I'm not a particularly big fan of any of it. If you are a fan of any of these musicians, then I imagine the film would appeal to you much more than it did to me.

I rented this movie thinking... "Great... Dave Chappelle... he's funny..." Then I watch it... nothing but rap! WTF... Worst movie ever madeThere were a FEW funny parts in the movie, but for the most part it was just a big rap concert.... all of the rappers sounded the same, same basic messages about smoke some weed yadda yaddaNo wonder blockbuster only had 2 copies of this movie...Amazing how this movie is getting 7.5/10 stars on IMDb, and from what I recall it was getting great reviews at the movie theaters... but I sure am glad I didn't waste 10 bux to see this... as it is I'm a bit upset I wasted 4 bux to rent it...Unless you want to listen to a movie that's 95% rap, with 5% of lame comedy mixed in... stay far far away