BAADASSSSS!
BAADASSSSS!, also known as
How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass, is a
2004 biopic directed by
Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of
Melvin Van Peebles, played by his son Mario, whilst he directed and attempted to distribute
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, the film widely credited with founding the
Blaxploitation genre. Mario's first film role, as a 13 year old, was in his father's movie. The film also stars
Nia Long,
Ossie Davis,
Khleo Thomas,
Rainn Wilson,
David Alan Grier,
Joy Bryant,
Paul Rodriguez,
Sally Struthers, and
T.K. Carter, it premiered at the 2003
Toronto International Film Festival. The soundtrack features many artists, most notably
Immortal Technique.
The film focuses on the social barriers and production problems which Melvin Van Peebles had to overcome, as well as the personal sacrifices he had to make. The film features such events as Melvin's film being rejected by every studio in
Hollywood, and his subsequent attempts to raise funding by pretending that he was making a black
pornography movie. Melvin's battles with his creditors and unionists are also shown, as is the farcical scene of him having to
bail his crew out after a white
police officer arrests them when he comes to the conclusion that a group of
hippies and black men could not have come by their equipment legally. However, despite these difficulties we see Melvin overcome and finish his film through sheer commitment and ruthlessness.
