Block Party (2005)

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:

Neighborhood | Block Party | Marching Band | Live Concert | Cooking

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
Katherine Gordon Miller	....	music assistant
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
Sally Steele	....	publicist
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:

The actual concert was shot on Downing Street in Brooklyn, NY on September 18, 2004. The scenes in Ohio leading up to the concert were shot three days in advance.

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: That was "'Round Midnight" I was playing. That's the Thelonious Monk song. One of my favorite musicians, 'cause his timing was so ill. Every comedian is a stickler for timing, and Thelonious Monk was off time, yet perfectly on time. You should study it. If you're an aspiring comedian, or an aspiring musician, you should study it. Which brings me to my next point. Comedians and musicians were like this:
[interlocks fingers]
Dave Chappelle: . Every comic wants to be a musician. Every musician thinks they're funny. It's a very strange relationship that we have. Some musicians are funny. Some comedians can play. I'll give you an example: Mos Def - funny guy; Jamie Foxx - good singer and piano player. So you never know, you never know what kind of talent a person has. I ain't mediocre at both, but I've managed to talk my way into a fortune. Life, is a funny and unpredictable thing!

Movie Connections:

References "General Hospital" (1963)

Soundtrack:

President

Woodstock? no. When We Were Kings.

Some have said that Michel Gondry directed this documentary (this is not a movie) like their grandfather would have done with a mini-DV camera. Well, man, I'd like to meet your grandfather.

For those of you who don't know "When We Were Kings", it's time to watch it. Because both this documentaries are about the same thing. Of course I wouldn't say Block Party is as good, nor as powerful as when we were kings. But the purpose is the same: try to unite black people on one event, try to make them realise that even when you're black and coming from a poor neighbourhood, you can do something of your life without only blaming the white man for your condition.

Of course, at the time When We Were Kings was shot, Mobutu was Zaire's Dictator, and the movie was financed by Liberian producers, who mostly owned their money from selling diamonds coming from Sierra Leone, exchanged against AK-47's and other weapons. Therefore the omnipotent contradiction hidden behind the Black condition, and even mankind in general, but it has hurt black people much more: people trying to do good, and others getting money out of it with no rules or respect for anything or anyone.

So, for once, here in Block Party, it's something done for fun, not for money, but also for ideas, with representatives of this movement we don't see enough: Not only people AGAINST something or someone, but FOR a change, using the power that is present in this population. And Michel Gondry, who is a GREAT director, filmed this in the same way When We Were Kings was shot. Camera in hand, close-ups, rough cuts, interviews over the music, same kind of music, same kind of people. Showing the poverty, and showing there's hope. It's not a masterpiece to me, but a good documentary. And of course, if you don't like hip-hop it's hard to like it. I'm a huge fan of ALL the artist on this movie, I would have made exactly the same programmation if I had been in control!