Block Party (2005)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Dave Chappelle (writer)

Release Date:

3 March 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy | Music

Tagline:

You're invited to the party of the decade!

Plot:

A mix of Dave Chappelle's sketch comedy and musical interludes, inspired in part by the 1973 documentary Wattstax.

Plot Keywords:

Marching Band | Block Party | Neighborhood | Kitchen Scene | Bedford Stuyvesant

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Dave Chappelle	...	Himself / Host
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erykah Badu	...	Herself
Isaac ben Ayala	...	Isaac ben Ayala
Bilal	...	Himself (as Bilal Oliver)
Lil' Cease	...	Himself - Bed-Stuy
Cody ChesnuTT	...	Himself
Keyshia Cole	...	Herself
Common	...	Himself
Mos Def	...	Himself
Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis	...	Himself - The Fugees (as Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis)
The Fugees	...	Themselves
Alice Goguen	...	Herself - Ohio
James 'Kamal' Gray	...	Himself - The Roots
Fred Hampton Jr.	...	Himself (as Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.)
Lauryn Hill	...	Herself - The Fugees
Leonard 'Hub' Hubbard	...	Himself - The Roots
Darren Hymes	...	Himself - 'Mr. T.'
Wyclef Jean	...	Himself - The Fugees
Big Daddy Kane	...	Himself
Talib Kweli	...	Himself
John Legend	...	Himself
Martin Luther	...	Himself
Pharoahe Monch	...	Himself
Pras	...	Himself - The Fugees (as Prakazrel 'Pras' Michel)
Dead Prez	...	Themselves
Kool G. Rap	...	Himself
The Roots	...	Themselves
Jill Scott	...	Herself
Ahmir-Khalib Thompson	...	Himself (as Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson)
Tariq Trotter	...	Himself - The Roots (as Tariq 'Black Thought' Trotter)
Kanye West	...	Himself
Arthur Wood	...	Himself
Cynthia Wood	...	Herself
Michel Gondry	...	Himself (voice) (uncredited)
Tiffany Limos	...	Herself (uncredited)

Directed by
Michel Gondry

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dave Chappelle		writer

Produced by
Mustafa Abuelhija	....	producer
Skot Bright	....	executive producer
Dave Chappelle	....	producer
Julie Fong	....	producer
Marcienne Friesland	....	segment producer: second unit, Ohio
Callum Greene	....	co-producer
Robert Katz	....	co-producer
Doug Levine	....	executive producer
Greg Manocherian	....	executive producer
Bob Yari	....	producer

Original Music by
Cory Smith

Cinematography by
Ellen Kuras

Film Editing by
Jeff Buchanan
Sarah Flack
Jamie Kirkpatrick

Production Design by
Lauri Faggioni

Art Direction by
Peter Zumba

Costume Design by
Whitney Kyles

Makeup Department
Qodi Armstrong	....	hair stylist (as Willie 'Cody' Armstrong)
Randy 'Bush' Brody	....	hair production assistant
Randy 'Bush' Brody	....	makeup production assistant
Francesca Buccellato	....	makeup artist (as Francesca Buccellatto)
Mary Cooke	....	key hair stylist (as Mary Cook)
Anita Gibson	....	key makeup artist
Steve Hammond	....	barber: Mr. Chappelle
Donyale McRae	....	makeup artist: Mr. Chappelle

Production Management
Callum Greene	....	production manager
Robert Katz	....	executive in charge of production
Samara Levenstein	....	post-production supervisor
Janice Williams	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aaron D. Forste	....	additional second assistant director
Sarah Rae Garrett	....	second second assistant director
Amy Lynn	....	second assistant director
Doug Torres	....	first assistant director
Adam T. Weisinger	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Zach Baylin	....	art production assistant
Maus Drechsler	....	property master
Adam Goodnoff-Cernese	....	leadman
Jeremy O'Keefe	....	art production assistant

Sound Department
Antonio L. Arroyo	....	sound mixer
Jeremy Balko	....	adr recordist
Paul Bang	....	sound mixer
Shaun Cunningham	....	sound effects editor
Brent Findley	....	assistant sound editor
Nick Hammond	....	boom operator
Scott Hinkley	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Chad J. Hughes	....	sound effects editor
Chris Kellet	....	sound mixer
Cody King	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Kitting	....	foley editor
Jeff Livesey	....	sound mixer
Brian Miksis	....	sound mixer: A1
Andrew Morgado	....	foley mixer
Bryan Pennington	....	consultant: Dolby film sound
Vic Radulich	....	sound editor
Mark Roy	....	sound mixer
Gary Silver	....	sound mixer
William Tzouris	....	sound mixer
William Tzouris	....	supervising sound mixer
David F. Van Slyke	....	supervising sound editor
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer
Karl Wasserman	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Chris Gelles	....	visual effects exective producer: & Company
David Isyomin	....	visual effects supervisor: & Company

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Agliata	....	camera operator
Matt Balzarini	....	second assistant camera
Lance Bangs	....	camera operator
Lance Bangs	....	director of photography: second unit
David E. Baron	....	first assistant camera
Braden Belmonte	....	first assistant camera
Ethan Borsuk	....	assistant camera
Carmen Cardenas	....	camera production assistant
Lamont Crawford	....	key grip
Gregg de Domenico	....	film loader
Jon Delgado	....	additional gaffer
Robert DiGiacomo	....	assistant camera
Chris Drechsler	....	electrician
T.G. Firestone	....	assistant camera
Morris Flam	....	gaffer
Clay Liversidge	....	lighting board operator
Clay Liversidge	....	rigging gaffer
Adam Miller	....	film loader
Chris Norr	....	camera operator
Christopher Raymond	....	assistant camera
Chris Reynolds	....	first assistant camera
Chris Saddler	....	camera production assistant
Debbie Stampfle	....	assistant camera
Stephanie Zimmer	....	camera production assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Whitney Kyles	....	stylist: Mr. Chappelle

Editorial Department
Angela Beresford	....	post-production coordinator
Jamie Kirkpatrick	....	second editor
Scot Olive	....	colorist
John Portnoy	....	post-production executive
Charlie Wiel	....	post-production coordinator
Lawrence Howard Williams	....	post digital media operator
Alex Yalakidis	....	assistant editor
Mike Trinker	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Christine Bergren	....	additional music clearance
James Flatto	....	music editor
Corey Smyth	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Raffi Adlan	....	assistant: Mr. Gondry
Abby Bailey	....	first assistant accountant
Daniela Barbosa	....	production assistant
Elizabeth A. Bell	....	vice president of business and legal affairs
Jonathan Bernier	....	production assistant
Ben Biscotti	....	audience producer
Scott Bowers	....	production assistant
George Bunce	....	2K conform
Kenneth Chu	....	production assistant
Li-Wei Chu	....	assistant: Ms. Fong
Rob Crawford	....	audience producer
Kat Donahue	....	assistant location manager
Andrew Fiero	....	production assistant
Melissa Gelernter	....	travel coordinator
Kelli Gillam	....	post-production accountant
Flax Glor	....	publicist
Alice Goguen	....	production assistant
Rick Gold	....	assistant: Mr. Sacker (as Richard Gold)
Andrea Hanson	....	assistant: Mr. Yari
Richard Kathlean	....	assistant: Ellen Kuras
Camilla Lawlor	....	assistant: Mr. Glasser
Matthew Mason	....	set production assistant
Jason Messeri	....	production assistant
Tony Muro	....	publicist
Midori Nishijima	....	assistant: Mr. Smyth
Nichole Patxot	....	production assistant
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
Jarin Rossiter	....	assistant: Ms. Bell
Shelly Strong	....	production executive
Daniel Stutz	....	senior vice president of business and legal affairs (as Dan Stutz)
Amy R. Trachtman	....	assistant production coordinator
Gayle Vangrofsky	....	location manager
Ian Watermeier	....	production executive
Deborah Wettstein	....	finance executive
Whitney J. Willard	....	production accountant
Todd Williams	....	production executive
Catherine Zappa	....	assistant: Mr. Stutz

Thanks
Neal Brennan	....	thanks (as Neal)
James 'Jay Dee' Yancey	....	dedicatee (as J Dilla aka Jay Dee)

Production Companies

• Bob Yari Productions
• Focus Features
• Partizan
• Pilot Boy Productions

Distributors

• Rogue Pictures (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Focus Features (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (USA) (video)
• Blue Sky Film Distribution (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Blue Sky Media (2006) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tiglon (2006) (Turkey) (all media)

Special Effects

• & Company

Other Companies

• Geffen Records  soundtrack
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate
• Sonic Magic  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Dave Chappelle's Block Party (Canada: English title) (festival title) (International: English title) (USA) (complete title)
Untitled Dave Chappelle/Michel Gondry Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

103 min | Canada:100 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Germany:o.Al. | USA:R (certificate #42383) | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Bob Yari Productions

Trivia:

Concertgoers had to register on-line, then were told to meet at a secret location in the Chinatown section of Manhattan. From there, they were bussed to the concert location, which was also kept secret. The majority of the acts that would be appearing were also kept secret from the concertgoers. Admission to the concert was free.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Dave Chappelle's main reason for holding the block party in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn was because, he says, that hip-hop originated there. However, hip-hop really originated in the South Bronx and spread to the other sections of New York soon afterward.

Quotes:

Dave Chappelle: Did you hear the one about the industrious prostitute?
Mos Def: No, Dave.
Dave Chappelle: She had a vagina implanted on her hip.
Mos Def: Why, Dave?
Dave Chappelle: So she could make some money on the side!
Dave Chappelle: BAM!

Movie Connections:

References "Chappelle's Show" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Definition

This movie ROCKS!

I just saw the premiere screening of "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was introduced by director Michel Gondry as a work in progress.

The concept is simple: In the summer of 2004, Dave Chappelle, on the heels of the success of his unfortunately now-ill-fated TV show, decided to throw himself a big party. So he recruited his favorite artists (Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Kanye West, Common, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Cody Chesnutt, John Legend, The Roots, and a reunited Fugees - not to mention guest shots by Big Daddy Kane and Kool Herc) to play an old-school style block party in Brooklyn. The film chronicles this party, intercutting riveting performance footage with backstage antics and a documentary that chronicles Dave's efforts in organizing the event, during which he not only tries to lure Brooklynites to the top-secret show, but also, by issuing a series of Willy Wonka-style golden tickets, a variety of people from all races and walks of life in the rural Ohio town where he lives. It's a trip to watch the older white folks from Ohio, who've never listened to a hip-hop record in their lives, having a blast at a Block Party in the heart of Bed Stuy.

Long story short, the result is not only hands-down the best hip-hop concert film ever made, but also a genuinely moving piece of film-making that somehow nearly brought me to tears in parts. Fundamentally, this is a heart-warming tribute to the power of hip-hop, just as 'A Great Day In Harlem' was for jazz and 'Woodstock' and 'The Last Waltz' were for rock n' roll. Though there was certainly some roughness in the sound mix and image quality at this particular screening, the vitality of the film was evident in spades. Not to sound too corny, but this is a piece of work that celebrates the human spirit - a bright light in the midst an arguably cynical cultural landscape.

The concert itself is amazing - a hip-hop show filled with the kind of moments of spontaneity usually only seen in rock concerts. You can see how the artists here are all friends, and they keep it loose and ego-free, often jumping onstage with one another during the course of the show, to marvellous effect. Some notable highlights: a spine-tingling version of Kanye West's 'Jesus Walks', performed with a full marching band that Dave invites from an Ohio college; the reunion of Black Star for an almost trip-hoppy rendition of 'Definition' that I desperately now want a recording of; Dead Prez's blistering version of 'Hip-Hop'; Erykah Badu ripping off her afro weave mid-set when the wind becomes a bit too unforgiving; Mos Def's late-night improv version of 'Umi Says' (and when he joins Dave on drums for an impromptu comedy set); Big Daddy Kane jumping onstage with The Roots and positively electrifying the dumbfounded crowd; and, of course, the headlining act, The Reunited Fugees - particularly Lauryn Hill's stirring vocals on 'Killing Me Softly'.

Anyway, enough praise. Long story short, at this screening the audience exploded with thunderous applause as soon as the incomplete end credits came up, and a few people were even stirred out of their seats for a standing O - something I've never really seen at the screening of a rough cut.

Check this out when it comes to DVD. It'll make you feel good.