The One and Only Melvin | Tributes


SCOUT TAFOYA

The modern film landscape has become so anemic and such an echo chamber that the idea of true revolutionary art seems almost unthinkable now. What would a movie look or feel like that stopped people in their tracks? That got everyone talking? That changed things? Melvin Van Peebles made them. “The Story of a Three Day Pass” uses the outsider gaze of the French New Wave to tell the story of his own alienation from a supposedly enlightened society. “Watermelon Man” took sitcom/Disney language and made one of the most shocking comedies of the century with it. And “Sweet Sweetback” was the only real Robin Hood story America ever needed, a chaotic, sexual, violent, unreasonable and Cool story of killing cops and getting away with it because the people want your freedom more than the authorities want you dead. He wrote novels, he staged plays, he was a mentor and a friend to young filmmakers who needed his hand on their shoulder (I was once told he and Spike Lee were both initially refused admission to “Do the Right Thing”’s Cannes premiere because they didn’t show up in tails, and I can perfectly picture them taking the news), but even if he had just made any of those three films his place in history would be assured. We needed him badly. Now more than ever we need artists who don’t see risk—they just see the truth and tell it.

PETER SOBCZYNSKI

My first, albeit glancing, encounter with the work of the legendary—and in this case, that word is not so much hyperbole as a simple statement of fact—Melvin Van Peebles came when I was about eight years old, and, like so many things related to my still-developing interest in all things cinema, was due to the efforts of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. By this time, around 1979, I was already an avid viewer of “Sneak Previews” and at one point, they did a special episode entitled “Movies that Changed the Movies” in which they took a look at films that had gone on to have enormous, trend-shifting influence on the industry in recent years. Some of the titles under discussion were ones that would have already heard of by that point—things like “Jaws,” “Airport” and “Easy Rider” while others were unknown to me. Falling into the latter category was “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” his groundbreaking 1971 film that he wrote, directed, co-produced, edited, scored and starred in about a Black man on the run from police after being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Produced outside a Hollywood system that would never have even dreamed of putting a penny into it—even though Van Peebles had already worked for a major studio with his previous film, the wild 1970 comedy “Watermelon Man”—it went on to become a huge hit with chronically underserved Black audiences who were at long last able to see a movie that represented their struggles and has often been cited as a precursor to the popular blaxploitation genre. In truth, the film was not exactly a true blaxploitation movie—while it contained plenty of action, sex, violence and other easily exploitable elements, it was far more inventive and radical than most of those films both from a formal perspective, utilizing cinematic techniques that were more common found at the time in European cinema, as well as a political one—this may have been a tense action-thriller but it was ultimately one that was genuinely about something more than cheap thrills. If anything, it was more of a precursor of what would eventually become known as the American film movement.

Of course, I didn’t know any of that at the time of this “Sneak Previews” episode. All I knew is that a.) the brief clips featured on the show were utterly unlike anything I had seen up to that point, b.) it had one of the most memorable titles that I had ever heard and c.) there was no way that I was going to be seeing it anytime soon—even in the highly unlikely event that the film appeared in the profoundly white-bread midwestern suburbs where I grew up, I was still young enough that merely saying the full title would have earned myself at least a mild reprimand from my parents. However, I never forgot it and when I finally got a chance to see it on home video a decade or so later, I leapt at it, albeit with a certain amount of apprehension that it would prove to be one of those movies that may have captured the moment when it was made but which did not exactly age very well. That was not the case. The film was still a potent and oftentimes radical piece of cinema that remained as vibrant, alive and relevant as it was when it first came out.

You can view the original article HERE.

Explore the World of “Dune: Awakening” | Video Games
Explore the World of “Dune: Awakening” | Video Games
Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto Reunite For ‘Mike Hammer’ Movie
Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto Reunite For ‘Mike Hammer’ Movie
When I Started I Loved It So Much
When I Started I Loved It So Much
Just Wasn’t Made for These Times: Brian Wilson (1942-2025) | Tributes
Just Wasn’t Made for These Times: Brian Wilson (1942-2025) | Tributes
The Grammys are introducing new rules for Best New Artist categories starting in 2026 and new Country categories
The Grammys are introducing new rules for Best New Artist categories starting in 2026 and new Country categories
Bono “ready for the future” with U2, and band have “25 great songs” for new album
Bono “ready for the future” with U2, and band have “25 great songs” for new album
James Gunn reveals new ‘Wonder Woman’ movie is “being written right now”
James Gunn reveals new ‘Wonder Woman’ movie is “being written right now”
Beyoncé Staying Strong Despite ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour Sales Slump
Beyoncé Staying Strong Despite ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour Sales Slump
Nathan Fillion Delivered His Best DC Performance Way Before ‘Superman’
Nathan Fillion Delivered His Best DC Performance Way Before ‘Superman’
Everything You Need To Know About Warhammer Before Henry Cavill’s New Show
Everything You Need To Know About Warhammer Before Henry Cavill’s New Show
Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Streaming Series Adds Several Familiar Horror Stars
Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Streaming Series Adds Several Familiar Horror Stars
Chloë Grace Moretz’s ‘If I Stay’ Is an Underrated Teen Romance Drama
Chloë Grace Moretz’s ‘If I Stay’ Is an Underrated Teen Romance Drama
Bryson headlines list of players to miss U.S. Open cut
Bryson headlines list of players to miss U.S. Open cut
SGA not letting fatigue get to him: ‘You got to suck it up’
SGA not letting fatigue get to him: ‘You got to suck it up’
Early Matchups That Could Shape Tennessee’s 2025 Playoff Push
Early Matchups That Could Shape Tennessee’s 2025 Playoff Push
49ers McCaffrey: ‘I feel great’ after injury-riddled season
49ers McCaffrey: ‘I feel great’ after injury-riddled season
Jason Kelce Tattoo Owner Has No Regrets, Big Fan Of Eagles Legend!
Jason Kelce Tattoo Owner Has No Regrets, Big Fan Of Eagles Legend!
Rand Paul Slams Military Parade Idea And Calls Out GOP Hypocrisy On Spending
Rand Paul Slams Military Parade Idea And Calls Out GOP Hypocrisy On Spending
‘Bachelor’ Couple Grant Ellis and Juliana Pasquarosa Split
‘Bachelor’ Couple Grant Ellis and Juliana Pasquarosa Split
Tom Emmer Delivers Scathing Rebuke To Minnesota Governor Tim Walz In Fiery Exchange
Tom Emmer Delivers Scathing Rebuke To Minnesota Governor Tim Walz In Fiery Exchange
The Friend Club Evolves from Online to IRL with NYBFW, Grace Heller Events & Jimmy Choo
The Friend Club Evolves from Online to IRL with NYBFW, Grace Heller Events & Jimmy Choo
Parties, Parties, Parties! Todd Snyder’s Dashing Dinner, ASOS’ Opening Soirée!
Parties, Parties, Parties! Todd Snyder’s Dashing Dinner, ASOS’ Opening Soirée!
The Finest Stack: Fashion’s Most Emotionally Intelligent Luxury Brand
The Finest Stack: Fashion’s Most Emotionally Intelligent Luxury Brand
Meet The Costume Designers Of And Just Like That…
Meet The Costume Designers Of And Just Like That…
What Makes Life in Big Orange Guitar by Brickwall Jackson
What Makes Life in Big Orange Guitar by Brickwall Jackson