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Eddie Murphy/Netflix Dolemite biopic

Started by Sin Agog, November 02, 2019, 10:36:11 PM

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Sin Agog

Not quite supermurgitroid or anything, but it's a fun, warm watch, and Eddie's definitely not phoning it in.  Wesley Snipes nails his role as well.  Haven't seen any mention of it on here so figured I'd give it a shout out.  Would be up for a sequel, mostly so's I can see a fictional making of for Rudy Ray Moore's weirdo classic Petey Wheatstraw.

BlodwynPig


Dannyhood91

I watched this last night. It's a subject I'm interested in and I thought Eddie had some of his old spark back. A pretty heartwarming story all in all and I fucking loved the outfits.

Sin Agog

I like how much it parallels O.G. Blaxploitation when it comes to giving African-American talent work.  No one would have thought of giving Snipes a decent, fairly chewy role like this post-tax fraud, but he's great as the closest thing to a villain here.  They even stuck with the formula to the point of having a white director! (Hustle & Flow's Craig Brewer).

Kinda wish Netflix would promote it a little better, though.  The ninja release technique may have worked in the past, but I only fluked into noticing this existed when it was recommended after a Chappelle special.

Had an interesting reaction to the scene where Dolemite and his friends are watching Billy Wilder's The Front Page and are totally nonplussed by it.  I kinda like that movie, but I can imagine thinking it felt like a relic from another time in 1974.

up_the_hampipe

I enjoyed it a lot. Murphy and Snipes are indeed the MVPs, but some great performances across the board, really stacked cast as well. It is strange how little it's been promoted, and why it went to Netflix instead of getting a proper release. I know it's a huge platform, but releasing films on Netflix will probably give most people the impression that it's "straight to DVD" quality.

Similarly, 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture' was an enjoyable but largely unnoticed film on Netflix about the life of Doug Kenney.

Bennett Brauer

I'll give it a go, but I can't see it being as good as Murder Mystery or Bird Box.

Egyptian Feast

Quote from: up_the_hampipe on November 02, 2019, 11:33:15 PM
Similarly, 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture' was an enjoyable but largely unnoticed film on Netflix about the life of Doug Kenney.

Ooh, I hadn't heard about that, thus proving your point. Cheers for the heads-up!

Shaky

"Gesture "is fairly sketchy and light, but it acknowledges how uneven and thin decade-spanning biopics often are and ends up being very good fun. Worth it for Thomas Lennon as Michael O'Donoghue, at the very least.

Famous Mortimer

I loved it. I think it benefits from having seen at least the original "Dolemite" and "The Human Tornado", because they mix in scenes from those two as if they're all from the same movie, but I reckon it'd be a lot of fun to watch no matter what.

I thought the performances were great too - Murphy, Snipes, and Key especially, but pretty much everyone is good in it. While he may not have been the best comedian or actor or martial artist (certainly not the best at that) he entertained people and his age when he made "Dolemite" means I think he was aware of his shortcomings and didn't care. Unlike, say, Ed Wood or Tommy Wiseau. They reflect that, and what a decent guy he was (there seems to be no-one with a bad word to say about him).

The thought that wandered across my mind when I watched it is how their careers overlapped - Rudy Ray Moore made Dolemite in 1975, and Murphy's first "show" was in 1976. Feels way different-er than that.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: BlodwynPig on November 02, 2019, 10:52:28 PM
????

A Netflix biopic about Rudy Ray Moore, aka Dolemite, starring Eddie Murphy. FFS, you know where Google is.

Dannyhood91

https://youtu.be/h2zgB93KANE

If you've not seen the full dolemite you may have seen bits of it in this

NJ Uncut

Should I watch these both simulatenously?




Malcy

The scene where he Kung fu's the two cops was in front of a house instead of a car park like in the Dolomite film which bugged me a bit but I really enjoyed it. Had seen the trailer months ago and decided to see if I could download it and it had releases that day so watched it straight away.

Apparently Rudy Ray Moore had tried to work with Eddie Murphy for years because he was a huge fan of him but Eddie repeatedly said no due to rumours about Moore's sexuality which if true is a shame. It was Moore's manager who said it in a recent interview.

4 of his films went up on Amazon Prime the day this was released. It's a long time since I've seen them so going to binge them soon.

Quote from: Dannyhood91 on November 03, 2019, 12:45:37 PM
https://youtu.be/h2zgB93KANE

If you've not seen the full dolemite you may have seen bits of it in this

I think you meant this video.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=XXTzm5GtqVo

And if you don't have Prime the first 2 are on YT.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=X3cdVVMf9jc

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fyOpZ70DE60

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Just so great to see Eddie Murphy actually acting again, he's brilliant in this.

steveh

Netflix's own comedy movies have been generally dire but I liked this. It sags a little in the section prior to starting on the making of the film and they could have trimmed ten minutes off it but it's a great story with some good laughs. Did remind me in places of Bowfinger though...

Goldentony

Really enjoyed this, and it did Rudy proud. Snipes deserves a lot of recognition for this because he's fucking brilliant as D'urville Martin

If anyone's tepted by the originals, go with Human Tornado and Petey Wheatstraw first. Dolemite's a laugh but it's filmed and paced in a way that makes it almost unwatchable, a bit like a play that's been filmed? Apparently Martin was directing it on the floor pissed so you can imagine why.

arpster

splendid this....Murphy's excellent in it and some great cameos....hats off

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: Goldentony on November 05, 2019, 06:03:08 PM
Really enjoyed this, and it did Rudy proud. Snipes deserves a lot of recognition for this because he's fucking brilliant as D'urville Martin

If anyone's tepted by the originals, go with Human Tornado and Petey Wheatstraw first. Dolemite's a laugh but it's filmed and paced in a way that makes it almost unwatchable, a bit like a play that's been filmed? Apparently Martin was directing it on the floor pissed so you can imagine why.
And avoid "Disco Godfather" unless you're some sort of perverse completist (and definitely avoid all the late 90s / early 2000s stuff, it's like bad home movies).

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Even though it cleaves to the standard biopic beats, the writing and acting manage to transcend those cliches for the most part. It's a good, entertaining film.

As mentioned above, it would be easy to portray RMM as some sort of ridiculous Ed Wood or Tommy Wiseau figure, were it not for the fact that he was a comedian who was very much in on the joke. I thought he came across as a thoroughly likeable, sympathetic guy.

Dusty Substance



I thought it was terrific fun. Massively entertaining if derivative of other, better biopics ie: the end scene, of the gang on their way to the premiere of the film, felt as if was lifted directly from Ed Wood - By the same writers as DIMN.

So great to see Eddie Murphy back doing what he does best - OTT character stuff where he gets to say "Mother fucker" a lot - and, as mentioned, Wesley Snipes is AMAZING in his supporting role (bound to get an award for it).

It was also maybe the first time ever where I watched a biopic knowing absolutely nothing about the real life story. The name Rudy Ray Moore rang a vague bell, but everything that unfolded onscreen was a surprise.


PlanktonSideburns

man, would love a wesley snipes renescance. like that mans face

Schnapple

Thought this was alright, a decent uplifting bit of filthy fluff.

Wesley Snipes was fantastic.

Enrico Palazzo

Looking through Eddie Murphy's filmography, he really hasn't made many decent films, has he. Entire decades of guff. Intrigued to see The Adventures of Pluto Nash though.

kalowski

Great stuff. Especially when they are making the film. As everyone has said, Snipes is marvellous, and Eddie Murphy is on top form. The scene where he does the kung fu is just brilliant.
"Can you shoot that from an angle where it looks like he's actually kicking him?"
"No such angle exists."