Bamboozled (2000)

A frustrated African American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin it becomes a hit.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee

Stars:

Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Damon Wayans	...	Pierre Delacroix
Savion Glover	...	Manray / Mantan
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Sloan Hopkins (as Jada Pinkett-Smith)
Tommy Davidson	...	Womack / Sleep'n Eat
Michael Rapaport	...	Thomas Dunwitty
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Honeycutt
Paul Mooney	...	Junebug
Sarah Jones	...	Dot
Gillian Iliana Waters	...	Verna
Susan Batson	...	Orchid Dothan
Mos Def	...	Mau Mau: Big Blak Afrika (Julius Hopkins)
M.C. Serch	...	Mau Mau: 1 / 16th Blak (as MC Serch)
Gano Grills	...	Mau Mau: Double Blak
Canibus	...	Mau Mau: Mo Blak
DJ Scratch	...	Mau Mau: Jo Blak

Storyline

Dark, biting satire of the television industry, focusing on an Ivy-League educated black writer at a major network. Frustrated that his ideas for a "Cosby Show"-esque take on the black family has been rejected by network brass, he devises an outlandish scheme: reviving the minstrel show. The hook: instead of white actors in black face, the show stars black actors in even blacker face. The show becomes an instant smash, but with the success also comes repercussions for all involved.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | minstrel show | actor | television | protest | 

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Taglines:

Starring the great negroe actors

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

It's Showtime

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$190,720 (USA) (6 October 2000)

Gross:

ESP 5,010,100 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of this film was shot only on digital (Mini DV) camcorders, the kind you can buy at any electronics store. While this sacrificed quality, it allowed them to shoot with 15 cameras at a time, and it also allowed Spike Lee to get all the footage he needed shot within the film's modest budget. The only scenes shot on film were the "Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show" sequences, which were shot on 16mm film.

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Quotes

Dunwitty: Sorry I'm late. I had trouble catching a cab.
Pierre Delacroix: Perhaps they thought you were Danny Glover.

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Crazy Credits

The producers wish to thank ... New York Production Locals ...

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Connections

Referenced in The Critic: Episode #1.3

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Soundtracks

"Blak Iz Blak"
Written by Ron Lawrence, Mos Def (as Dante Smith), Canibus (as Germaine Williams),
M.C. Serch (as Michael Berrin), Craig muMs Grant (as Craig Grant), Charli Baltimore (as Tiffany Lane),
, Gano Grills and DJ Scratch (as George Spivey)
Performed by Mau Maus
Featuring Mos Def, Canibus, Charli Baltimore, M.C. Serch (as MC Serch),
DJ Scratch, Craig muMs Grant (as Mums) and Gano Grills
Mos Def appears Courtesy of MCA Records
MC Serch appears Courtesy of Serchlight/Warlock Records
Canibus appears Courtesy of Crazy World/Universal Records

User Reviews

Scary

Being white, and european, I'm not really sure about the point of this movie seen in an american perspective. But as a european it really opened my eyes to a strange fact: if your only knowledge about black America comes from television, you WOULD really think, that all afro-americans were gangsters, rappers or Urkel-like comedians, that is: stereotypes. You very rarely see an american show, or movie, where a black american is portrayed as a complex human being. And that really IS scary.