Dave Chappelle's Block Party



	Official Site ·· chappellesblockparty.com Release Dates ·· USA ·· 3 March UK ·· 30 June Germany ·· 13 July 2006 Box Office ·· $11,638,797 as of 30 Mar. 2006 (source) Trailer ·· apple.com ·· yahoo.com Cast Dave Chappelle, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Cody Chestnutt, Common, Mos Def, Freeway, Fred Hampton Jr., Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Tiffany Limos, Pras, Dead Prez, Kool G. Rap, the Roots, Jill Scott, Kanye West. Crew Producers ·· Mustafa Abuelhija, Julie Fong; Dave Chappelle & Bob Yari Cinematography ·· Ellen Kuras Editing ·· Jeff Buchanan, Sarah Flack Production Design ·· Lauri Faggioni more here Reviews ·· Rotten Tomatoes ·· Metacritic News 9 January 2007 BROKEN ANGEL TURMOIL Trouble has arisen at Broken Angel, the unique art house in Brooklyn which was featured heavily in Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Last October it caught fire, and soon after its owners Arthur and Cynthia Wood - both interviewed in Block Party - were forced to leave the property. Brooklyn's Department of Buildings wants to see it renovated to the tune of $35,000 by the end of this month, apparently. The Woods' son, Christopher, is trying to put together a benefit concert at the nearby Pratt Institute, and Michel is apparently interested. His rep told New York mag's Intelligencer that "Michel would be willing to be of any assistance for the Broken Angel's home, if he is able. He is open to holding a screening and/or a benefit concert with the Roots and Dave Chappelle to help raise money." Apparently no word yet from the Chappelle camp. More at Gothamist, NY1. See also Christopher Woods' excellent Flickr set. 25 June 2006 BLOCK PARTY IN THE UK Dave Chappelle's Block Party is released Friday, 30 June 2006, in UK theatres. Here's an article with Gondry interview in the Times. It will be released in Germany on 13 July. 20 June 2006 BLOCK PARTY DELUXE DVD? Dissatisfied with the meager portions allotted to the Block Party DVD? You're not alone. Personally, I haven't bought it yet either, because it was devoid of all the luscious extras - and extra footage - that were apparently in the works. Thankfully, ?uestlove - he's that guy with the afro in the film, drummer of The Roots - has posted on Okayplayer.com that there will be a deluxe edition DVD released in September. "hopefully they will LISTEN to me now." Indeed. UPDATE: In a new interview, Michel talks about this, among a few other things. "I hope they are going to release a long version in September, an extended DVD. It's going to be every song, maybe 40 minutes more. On Science of Sleep I'm going to do a B version of the movie on the DVD that's made up entirely of the deleted scenes, it will be 45 minutes long." 12 June 2006 BLOCK PARTY DVD OUT TOMORROW + SEQUEL? Hey, America! The rated and unrated DVD versions of Dave Chappelle's Block Party arrive in stores tomorrow. This release comes with 20 minutes of additional footage, plus 45 minutes of bonus stuff. First is September in Brooklyn: The Making of Block Party, which features Michel; second is Ohio Players, which documents what Dave did in Yellow Springs, OH, and the bus ride with the marching band. Screenshots of the DVD menus are here. Meanwhile, Universal Studios is having a Block Party Contest. Simply create a :30 - 2min. video convincing Dave Chappelle to come to your block party. Then, get this: "Entrants then compete to get the most number of viewers by marketing their video on social networking sites, blogs, e-mail or any other creative avenue. The top five videos (as determined by number of viewers) will receive a ³Dave Chappelle¹s Block Party² DVD, and the Grand Prize winner will win a 4-day, 3-night expense-paid trip to New York City." Yes, the contest is for you to be the best online marketer. I don't say that cynically; I think that's a fascinating concept. It's like The Sims, I guess: it rewards you for what on paper looks like blasé work. UPDATE: In this new IGN interview, Dave Chappelle remarks that he has "entertained the idea of doing a sequel, and like all sequels, we would just try to do it bigger and better. I have an idea but I'm scared to publicly pitch it. But I'll tell you this: it has been discussed, and I think it would be spectacular." 9 May 2006 BLOCK PARTY DVD CDUniverse lists the release date for Dave Chappelle's Block Party DVD as June 13, though no official announcement has been made yet. It will be released in two versions: rated and unrated. Cover art is out, though, thanks to DVD Active. 17 March 2006 from GONDRY STORIES & TIDBITS - THIS IS A DIRECTOR FILE EXCLUUUSSIIIVVEE Block Party ·· The DVD is currently being structured. Did you know the concert was nine hours long? You thought I was joking when I said there was a ton of footage and music cut. As you can imagine they're still figuring out what will ultimately make it onto the 10-DVD release. (joke! it's a joke, people!) Also, the Dayton premiere was more fun that you can shake a stick at. The Central State University Marching Band (aka the Marching Marauders) was there to usher in Dave Chappelle to the event in his luxurious car, then he got out and had some fun with them. CSU posted some pics, so you can see what I'm talking about. The screening itself was raucous and abuzz, as people were recognizing people they knew in the film. Finally, this is crazy: the producers had to hire a private detective to find some of the people in the film & band to invite them to the premiere. Apparently some had graduated and couldn't be found otherwise. Also, after a week and a half in theaters, Block Party has a $10.2 million intake. Success!! 11 March 2006 CHAPPELLE'S SOUNDTRACK ARRIVING TUESDAY The long-unannounced tracklisting to the Block Party Soundtrack is finally out, just in time for the 14 March release date. The soundtrack, released on Geffen, will feature comical interludes of Dave Chappelle conversing with various people. Check this audioditions sampling. You may notice that some of these songs didn't even appear in the film, and that there's neither Kanye West nor the Fugees? (Apparently the Fugees weren't on because of "red tape," and that Jay-Z lied about Kanye, according to ?uestlove, who exec. produced it.) The rundown: 1. Hip Hop - Dead Prez 2. Definition - Black Star 3. Golden - Jill Scott 4. Universal Magnetic - Mos Def 5. The Blast - Talib Kweli feat. Erykah Badu 6. The Light - Common featuring Erykah Badu & Bilal 7. Boom! - The Roots featuring Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap 8. Back In The Day - Erykah Badu 9. The Way - Jill Scott 10. Umi Says - Mos Def 11. You Got Me - The Roots feat. Erykah Badu & Jill Scott 12. Born & Raised In Brooklyn - Black Star 7 March 2006 BLOCK PARTY OPENING WEEKEND Block Party opened at about $6.2 million in a meager 1,200 theaters this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. They and Box Office Prophets had clocked it to make between $12 and 15 million. The film cost a reported $3 million to make, though that's before marketing. We'll find out next weekend if it gets a wider release. Meanwhile, another interview popped up at chud.com. Nothing terribly new this time either. Finally, Okayplayer posted some photos from the party. 5 March 2006 DIRECTOR FILE REVIEW OF DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY (SPOILERS AHEAD) If you love hip hop and Michel: you must see this movie. If you love hip hop: you must see this movie. If you love Michel's humanism: hit me! If you love Michel: hit me again! Okay, okay, calm down. What crossed my mind as I watched Dave Chappelle's Block Party was that, about halfway through, I totally forgot about Michel. And I think that's exactly what any documentarian would aim for: to have their voice disappear, and to have you interact with the subject. This may not come across as well for those who don't love hip hop. For you, I think you will enjoy a well-made concert film. But for those who do, it is a celebration of the culture, with many magical moments along the way. Granted, the film has to work you down. Like myself, I think most of Dave's audience will come in expecting jokes and music. While I think a few jokes could have been added early on to lighten the punch, it becomes clear later that there is much more to this documentary than just 'Dave + music = fun'. Yes, Dave is hilarious, and the music is rawkus, but Block Party is also about getting to know Dave Chappelle the human being, and meeting all of the people he loves, whate'er their quirks may be. Is it any wonder Dave chose Michel? As with Dave, Michel is like a jazz musician who tries to find the right rhythm inside his inspiration. As he proved while filming Eternal Sunshine, and he proves again with Block Party, Michel can create a work environment - and work - that is incredibly well thought out, but leaves plenty of wiggle room for, say, an entire marching band. One of the main complaints I've read is that Block Party edits out portions of the songs. While this is a little off-putting, and oh Lord, it's so painful during the Fugees' set, the transitions work well with the storyline. And I'm guessing the DVD will include the full performances. I think everyone put a lot of hard work, and a ton of footage, into a very enjoyable journey. Indeed there's no Gondrian wizardry to be found. Hopefully you left that at the door, otherwise you may be disappointed. Instead, Block Party makes you feel like you're one of Dave's friends, which is a welcome return following his recent sabbatical. But really, the film, like its poster, is bursting with joy and willing to bring you along with it. 3 March 2006 DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY OPENS TODAY Dave and Michel at the NYC premiere (Getty Images) \| Dave at the Dayton premiere (Ron Alvey, Dayton Daily News) With favorable reviews on its side, Block Party is in your theatre today, Americans! See it now!! The movie made two premieres this week. The NYC premiere happened on Tuesday at Loews on 34th St. We've found images and more images & video. Meanwhile, Michel and Dave attended the Dayton, Ohio (2 hours from Director File!) premiere on Wednesday, keeping their promise. (Unfortunately I was driving back from Toronto, so I couldn't make it.) Speaking of Canada, dose.ca has a quick interview, as does the Washington Post. The fine folks at Okayplayer have also been working this all week long. 2 March 2006 BLOCK PARTY PREMIERES TOMORROW! You heard it here first! Dave Chappelle's Block Party opens tomorrow in American theatres. Go and see it! I'll cover the box office and whatever other info pops up. This week Michel's super-busy promoting the film. More interviews have popped up online, and in treeware publications. They're starting to blur together, really. A short one at hour.ca. A longer one at comingsoon.net, where Michel talks about Dave, community, and using nine cameras. A more interesting interview is at blackfilm.com, where Michel talks a little about jazz music and community. The most insightful new interview (okay, it's older, but I just found it) is at Filmmaker Magazine. Michel talks about how the film and concert were planned, shot, and edited. There are also nice tidbits about how Michel takes pride in the film, audience reaction at the Toronto premiere, and the concept of a white French guy filming Block Party, something I'm sure Dave would find comical. Finally, Michel in Entertainment Weekly: "I cannot speak for Dave," he says carefully, "but the last time I saw him, I think he felt the way I felt one day when I had a meeting with a producer for a project I had decided I wanted nothing to do with. I was in a taxi speeding to this production company, and I opened the door while the taxi was moving, ready to jump out - that's how much I wanted to escape.... Maybe Dave feels that his fame is like a taxi going very fast to a place he's decided he doesn't want, and he's willing to jump out, no matter if it hurts." 25 February 2006 GONDRY INTERVIEW #362 + BLOCK PARTY REVIEWS Another Block Party interview has popped up at filmjerk.com. Nothing terribly new, just details. Meanwhile, I'm not going to cover every Block Party review, just so ya know. If you want such detail, go to Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic. 25 February 2006 Michel's friend and cohort Jean-Louis Bompoint posted some pictures from a recent Block Party event - probably soundtrack recording. 24 February 2006 MICHEL REVEALS MORE IN SUICIDEGIRLS.COM INTERVIEW + BLOCK PARTY.COM UPDATE Daniel Robert Epstein interviewed Michel recently for suicidegirls.com. In it, Michel talks about filming Block Party. He talks about writing Science of Sleep. Ohio - director-file.com's home state - even gets a mention. He says it's "mellow," which is true if you're a NYC resident. There's certainly no "Ohioist" website, right? Mellow can also mean "not as much to do," but also "nice place to come home to." Not bad. He also mentions that he wants to do videos for Block Party alums Cody ChestnuTT ("He is so wonderful and we want to try and do something with animation. Maybe I would do an animated doodle.") and the Roots ("... of [drummer] Questlove's hair. I want to have all of the rest of it down in his hair like in the cartoon where the fleas on the dog are in an orchestra."). Another tidbit? The Block Party DVD will come loaded with extras, since they had a ton of footage. Speaking of the Party, it's opening up March 3rd in America. Quite soon, dude! Catch it. The official website just got updated with the typical info about the film. Most importantly though to Gondry fans, there is a biography of Michel's producer Julie Fong! She's worked with Michel since 1994, so it's nice to finally know what else she's done. 9 February 2006 GONDRY AT MTV Another MTV interview with Michel, this time to promote Block Party. Lite news: Gondry and Dave Chappelle have talked about doing a narrative film together. "I have some ideas that I'd like to grab him and convince him to do," says Michel. Fun fact: Apparently while Dave exiled to Africa, Michel talked to him every weekend. 8 February 2006 THE BLOCK PARTY POSTER Courtesy thehollywoodnews.com. 28 January 2006 From D-F.C REPORTS ON ALL SORTS OF GONDRILIA Another breaking event! The trailer for Block Party is online! Catch it here! now! Then catch the movie when it hits American theatres 3 March - er, March 3rd. (Thanks, Vincent!) Check this poster Michel made, retrieved from the treeware version of a new article in Télérama. (Thanks, Tony Papin!) 11 January 2006 BERLIN BLOCK PARTY Turns out Dave Chappelle's Block Party will screen at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, which runs from 9 to 19 February 2006. It's one of many films up for the Panorama Audience Award. 10 January 2006 Dave Chappelle's Block Party has a specific date on IMDB of 3 March 2006. 14 November 2005 Dave Chappelle's Block Party will be completely finished by the end of the year, according to our source, pending any nefarious scenarios. It's also slated currently for a March theatrical opening. Busy month for the Gondryman. Michel at the Toronto International Film Festival from fantastic Toronto photoblog daily dose of imagery Dave Chappelle's Block Party premiered (as a work in progress) at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 12, 2005. It was quickly acquired for worldwide release by Rogue Pictures, a division of Focus Features. (Read the press release.) 13 September 2005 Jeff at paulthomasanderson.com sends us the first review of Dave Chappelle's Block Party from the premiere: "gondry came out timidly after being introduced by the MC and greeted by a massive cheer from the audience. he scratched the side of his head a lot as he explained that the film was a work in progress, bits were still 'rough', and that this was the first time an audience has seen the movie. "the crowd ate up all of the movie, which is structured fairly simply (jumping back and forth from a concert song to chappelle screwing around). gondry's style is virtually absent from the film, by the way. if you go into it expecting anything remotely gondry-like, you will be very disappointed. "the 'hit me' scene had me crying with laughter so hard that i couldn't breathe. it's one of the funniest bits i've ever seen in my life. "sadly there was no Q&A after the film, but it appeared to be a success. the movie didn't seem to complicated other than how many cameras were shooting at once, using a combination of video and film (mostly film), and in general it just took the form of a party. it's just a lot of fun, and doesn't try to say anything big or communicate any message." Synopsis and History "Michel Gondry follows Chappelle from the streets of his hometown of Cleveland to Brooklyn, as he picks up passengers along the way. This extraordinary collaboration combines musical performance, documentary, and stand-up comedy." More description here. For those of you who didn't get the e-mail, Shots has a news article about Gondry's foray into hip hop via the current Dave Chappelle project. In it, Danielle Hinde, head of video at Partizan LA, remarks: "Commissioners reckon that he doesn't get the urban market - 'we need Dave Meyers', they all say - it's as if they're scared to take a chance. ... He's wanted to work with almost all those artists but they've turned him down for one reason or another." Says Shots: "Being a live event there was little scope for the technical clever-cleverness that is one of Gondry's hallmarks, instead he was apparently happy to be 'running around with a camera like a little child' - his production facility was housed in a day-care centre. He travelled across middle America with Chappelle in a passenger van in the run-up to the event, at one point convincing a marching band they stumbled across at an Ohio intersection to jump on board to open the New York show for them. "There will still be an 'insane amount' of post, says Hinde, though it will be down to the sheer volume of footage rather than effects: the whole event is slated for a feature-length DVD release, co-produced by Chappelle, Partizan and a private investor." September 18 was a rainy day in Brooklyn, but the super-secret Dave Chappelle concert still happened (at Quincy Street and Downey Street), and it included a Fugees reunion! Fans who registered online were bussed to a very secret location in Brooklyn. The nine-hour concert featured many of today's most talented hip-hop and R&B acts, including Kanye West, Talib Kweli, the Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Common and Dead Prez. Kelefa Sanneh has a New York Times review. An MTV News report said Chappelle was hoping to recreate the vibe of Wattstax, a 1972 concert and subsequent film set in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles that featured legendary performances by various funk, soul and gospel artists.