Coonskin (1975)

Director:

Ralph Bakshi

Writer:

Ralph Bakshi (writer)

Release Date:

20 August 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

BARRY WHITE and his men are bustin' out to win! They'll stop the man from calling them "Coonskin"

Plot:

A multi-layered satire of race relations in America. Live-action sequences of a prison break bracket the animated story of Brother Rabbit...

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Satire | Race Relations | Fox | Preacher

Cast

Barry White	...	Sampson / Brother Bear
Charles Gordone	...	Preacherman / Preacher Fox
Scatman Crothers	...	Pappy / Old Man Bone (as Scat Man Crothers)
Philip Michael Thomas	...	Randy / Brother Rabbit (as Philip Thomas)
Danny Rees	...	Clown
Buddy Douglas	...	Referee
Jim Moore	...	Mime

Also Known As:

Bustin' Out (USA) (reissue title)
Coonskin No More... (USA) (working title)
Harlem Nights (USA) (working title)
Street Fight (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

100 min | UK:83 min (video version) (25 fps)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Norway:18 (1976) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Company:

Bakshi Productions

Trivia:

In researching this film, director Ralph Bakshi went into Harlem with a tape recorder and asked various people "What's it like being black in America?"

Quotes:

Pappy: [narration] It was a tar rabbit, baby!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Godfather (1972)

Soundtrack:

Ça plane pour moi

An alright film but I preferred Fritz The Cat

MPAA:Rated R for Violence,Language,Nudity and Brief Drug Use. Quebec Rating:13+ Canadian Home Video Rating:18A

I saw Coonskin today.This film is also known as Bustin Out and Street Fight.After watching Fritz The Cat,I wanted to see more of Bashki's films.I saw Cool World and thought it was mediocre and I saw this.When it was first released, the film was very controversial.It was considered racist and Al Sharpton wanted the film banned, he even led protests outside the theatre where the film was playing.The film was only released on VHS under the title "Street Fight".It is now considered a cult-classic film and African-American celebrities such as comedian Richard Pryor,director Spike Lee and the rap group The Wu-Tang Clan are said to have enjoyed this film.I personally thought Fritz The Cat was a much better film but this is very enjoyable as well.Worth watching for Bashki or Blaxploitation film fans.The film mixes live action and animation sort of like the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.I would have preferred it in full animation but whatever.The film starts off with a reverend and another man racing to rescue two of their friends from prison.While the prisoners wait,the older one tells a story of three men he knew.The film then switches into animation format, we see three black men who sold their house to this man.They decide to make names for themselves in Harlem.So the leader, a black rabbit, kills a big player in Harlem and he basically becomes a big shot.The film moves on as the Italian mafia want him out.The mafia involves the godfather,his three sons who are homosexual and an Italian clown.Coonskin is an entertaining animated film that's worth checking out, if you can find it.