The Bottom Line
Pros
- Entertaining mix of humor and music
- Dave Chappelle is at his most charming
- Spontaneity of event and high quality of filmmaking makes viewing an exhilarating experience
Cons
- Some may find racial language offensive
- Vulgarity of language will offend some
- Some will not enjoy the musical performances
Description
- DVD containing music documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005)
- Concert has performances by Kanye West, Mos Def, Erykah Badu and the Fugees
- Film directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
- DVD provides a 28-minute making-of documentary for feature film
- DVD contains extended versions of some musical acts
- DVD supplies 18-minute featurette about the Ohio-related part of the movie
- MPAA rating: Unrated
- Feature run time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- DVD release date: June 13, 2006
Guide Review - Dave Chappelle's Block Party DVD
I thoroughly enjoyed this exuberant, entertaining and engaging cross between a documentary and a concert film. But I realize this may not be enough of a concert movie for some, even with the extended musical performances on the DVD. Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), this film centers around an outdoor concert held September 18, 2004, that was hosted by comic Dave Chappelle. The concert was in Brooklyn, and performers include Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, the Roots and the reunited Fugees (Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel). The movie also has lots of footage of Chappelle being spontaneously amusing.
I thought Chappelle was charming and funny in both the documentary and concert sequences of the movie. The film starts out near Chappelle's home in Ohio, where he passes out tickets to people in stores and on the street. He even arranges for an entire college marching band to travel from Ohio to Brooklyn for the concert. In Brooklyn, he talks to an eccentric hippie couple who own a home right next to where the concert was staged. I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary portions of the movie, and I also found the concert footage entertaining.
The DVD has bonus materials, including two featurettes totaling 46 minutes. The most interesting extra is an option to show an icon that occasionally appears, allowing access to extended versions of the performances.
