Thrilled to announce a second LA area hit. Beyond thrilled to be reunited with our dear friends at Zebulon LA.
Many a sweet memory was made at the dearly missed outpost in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
To make it extra special, our performance will be preceded by a screening of “Sweet Sweetback’s Badassss Song”.
Written, edited, directed and starring our friend and mentor, Melvin Van Peebles.
“Melvin Van Peebles, made “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” a landmark in the birth of African-American cinema.”
— Roger Ebert
“After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from “the man” with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.”
–JoJoMac
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent action thriller film written, produced, scored, edited, directed by and starring Melvin Van Peebles. His son Mario Van Peebles also appears in a small role, playing the title character as a young boy. It tells the picaresque story of a poor black man on his flight from the white authority.
Huey P. Newton celebrated and welcomed the film’s revolutionary implications, and Sweetback became required viewing for members of the Black Panther Party. According to Variety, it demonstrated to Hollywood that films which portrayed “militant” blacks could be highly profitable, leading to the creation of the blaxploitation genre.”
Special thanks to Xenon Pictures
Melvin Van Peebles’ long time distribution partners Xenon Pictures are currently restoring “Sweet Sweetback’s Badasssss Song” from original film elements (in partnership with Vinegar Syndrome) for release in 2018!