Space Is the Place (1974)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

John Coney

Writers:

Sun Ra (writer)
Joshua Smith (writer)

Release Date:

November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Music

Plot:

Sun Ra--space-age prophet, Pharaonic jester, shaman-philosopher and avant-jazz keyboardist/bandleader--land his spaceship in Oakland...

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Bizarre | Jazz | Spy | San Francisco California

Cast

Barbara Deloney	...	Candy
Sun Ra	...	Himself
Raymond Johnson	...	The Overseer (as Ray Johnson)
Erika Leder	...	Tania
Christopher Brooks	...	Jimmy Fey
La Shaa Stallings	...	Bertha
Sinthia Ayala	...	Chili Pepper
Clarence Brewer	...	Bernard
June Tyson	...	Arkestra member
Morgan Upton	...	Agent #2
Walter Burns	...	Agent #1
Tiny Parker	...	Tiny
Sam Bankhead	...	Sam
John Gilmore	...	Arkestra member
Marshall Allen	...	Arkestra member

Also Known As:

Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Arkestra: Space Is the Place

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Company:

North American Star System

Trivia:

Sun Ra wrote all of his own lines for the film.

Movie Connections:

References Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)

Crazy movie from a serious genius

I'll tell you what, Sun Ra was a gift we didn't love enough. He gave us fifty years of his time to "get it," but no one bothered. He's sitting on his home planet right now, entertaining his minions on Saturn. Sun Ra made one movie, that's all he needed to preach his philosophy. It is a brilliant statement on race relations in the early 1970's. An interesting story, engaging characters, and some out there music. One fault: this was not his best period in music. His records from the 50's and 60's were astounding, good enough to make this film even more of a classic. Space Is The Place is essential viewing for those who care about jazz or Africana cinema.