All language subtitles for michael.jackson.bad.(1987).eng.1cd.(97648)

PROTESTERS:
Hell, no, we won't go!

Hell, no, we won't go!

Hell, no, we won't go!

Hell, no, we won't go!

There was a war going on.

He killed Malcolm,

King, the president,

even the president's brother.

Vietnam was being shoved
down our throats.

They were shooting us,
hosing us, lynching us,

and in the movies,

they was making us look

any fucking way they wanted to.

[LAUGHS]

Did I fuck him?

Now, see that's
none of your damn business.

Remember this--

good things...

do not come...

to those who wait.

[**]

MELVIN VAN PEEBLES:
1970.

I'd just finished
directing Watermelon Man

for Columbia Pictures.

They were setting me up

to become their very first
token nigga-ologist.

Since the movie
hadn't come out yet,

everyone was being extra nice,
calling me Mel, baby.

Mel, baby, great picture.

I loved it.

Very funny.

Hey, when do we get
the next script, huh?

Three picture deal
with fucking Columbia Pictures.

Three picture deal
with fucking Columbia Pictures.

Am I good or am I good?

Well, you're going to start
pitching these sons a bitches

before Watermelon Man comes out,

because if we wait
and it opens badly,

these cocksuckers,

they'll turn on us, you know,
in a second.

My agent, Howie, was right.

I had to come up
with my next film idea

before the money guys got cold.

I mean,
it's got to be something funny

because they want something funny.

Hollywood liked
to show us clowning,

but America wasn't
in a laughing mood...

especially black America.

Times were changing.

The Panthers knew it.

The students knew it.

Hollywood was ignoring it.

[TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING]

You happened to be brilliant
at something funny.

What do you...
Maybe a fried chicken man.

It's because it's not far

from Watermelon Man,

and you could make it funny.

Yeah.

I'd grown up on those images

and nothing Hollywood ever did
reflected who we were.

[TRAIN CROSSING BELLS CLANGING]

[**]

This is it?

This ain't camping.

We don't have a sleeping bag.

You got the helmet, didn't you?

Shut up and listen for a while.

What was my next movie
going to be?

Some idea
was lurking back there,

just waiting
for the coast to clear.

The military?

Somebody, like,

a guy who's, like,
a cook in the Army.

God knows what happens to him.

There was even a military flick

where Bubba can't walk.

The kindly white doctor

gives him a good,
old-fashioned dose

of racial shock.

You dirty nigger!
Get up and walk!

Get him back on his feet.

All for a good cause.

[**]

Melvin!

[BOMB WHISTLING AND EXPLODING]

Street brother,

average hustler turns revolutionary.

Another comedy?

Serious as cancer.

Who's going to want to see that?

Black guys always die
in the end.

Can we go now?

That's it.

I'd make a film
about a real brother,

not some bourgie or clown,
like they always do,

but a real brother,
a street brother,

just getting the man's foot
out his ass.

Given number one--

no cop-outs.

I want a movie

where niggers
can walk out the picture

standing tall

instead of having to avoid
each other's eyes.

Given number two--

entertainment-wise,
it had to be a motherfucker.

If folks get bored, it's over.

Given number three--

show business is business.

The man has
an Achilles pocketbook.

It had to be a moneymaker.

The man ain't going to carry
no messages for you for free,

especially a relevant one.

[PLAYING SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC]

Given number four--

I wanted this picture
to star the community...

all the community.

All the faces

that Norman Rockwell
never painted.

* You bled my mama... *

I might have had a Leroy.

I might have...

WOMAN:
I might have had a Leroy...

MELVIN:
My secretary, Priscilla,

turned every entrance
into an audition,

but she was too late.

All I could hear

were the voices in my head
talking to me now.

MAN:
Take him. Take him.

Howie's on the phone.

Mel, your agent's on the phone.

MARTIN LUTHER KING:
I have a dream that one day...

that all men are created equal.

MALCOLM X: We don't see
any American dream.

We've experienced
only the American nightmare.

[CROWD CHEERING]

GIRL:
Wash your car, mister?

Wash your car, mister?

MAN:
How you gonna hibernate
like that old bear?

MAN 2:
Baby, baby.

[GOSPEL MUSIC PLAYING]

PREACHER: That's why the man's
down on you.

Bam. Bam.

MAN: You want to know
what they think of you?

Just turn on your TV.

You're nothing but a bunch
of ignorant clowns.

RICHARD J. DALEY:
The policeman isn't there
to create disorder.

The policeman is there
to preserve disorder.

[DOGS BARKING, SIRENS WAILING]

MAN: The police aren't here
to protect and serve.

They're here
to patrol and control.

WOMAN:
Are you anti-cop,
or anti-white?

MAN:
No, no, no.

We are anti-oppression.

You can't fight racism
with racism.

RICHARD NIXON:
To defend the freedom
in Vietnam.

JOHN F. KENNEDY:
Ask not...

[HELICOPTER WHIRRING]

what your country
can do for you.

Ask what you can do
for your country.

CROWD:
Justice is blind!

MELVIN:
I'd been expecting him.

I knew he'd show up
sooner or later.

You're out of your fucking mind,

you know that?

You in or out?

[CHUCKLES]

Finished.

Only one thing left.

I'd need bread.

Money.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Mel?

After two weeks you finally
decide to pick up.

I've been to the gold mine, man.

I struck the mother lode.

Mel. Mel, don't--
don't mess with me.

Do you have any idea
what's going on?

They're gonna back-burner
the three picture deal, Mel.

Now, yesterday they wanted
to do it.

I'm meeting these executives

in less than an hour.

A brother, a street brother,
turns revolutionary.

Okay, good. So wait.

The hero is him or the brother.

Mel, listen.

He's the wrong nigger
to fuck with.

The cops fuck with him,
and he whoops some ass.

The man comes after him,

full force--

Helicopter,
cars, everything,

and he gets away.

Why are the cops after him
if he's the good guy?

Because they're dirty cops, man.
They're racist.

They're crooked cops.

Listen, Mel.

Here's what you're gonna do.

You're gonna meet me
on the lot in an hour,

and wear a suit, please.

And Mel,

even Cagney
didn't get away

with killing cops,
right--

dirty or otherwise.

Oh.

[CHUCKLES]

DIRECTOR:
And we're cut.

[BELL RINGS]

All right.
Oh, these bags are heavy.

MELVIN:
I'm tired of this shit.

HOWIE:
Oh, come on,

he's making money,
and he's funny.

Come on.
Don't be so touchy.

It's a Western.
Everybody loves a Western.

You know what?
Speaking of Westerns--

This idea I got
is kind of like a--

like a ghetto Western.

In fact...
Ghetto western?

the brother even wears, like,

a black kind of cowboy hat...

And dig this, man,
at the end of the movie.

When he gets away,

words come blazing
across the screen.

Badass niggas gonna come back

and collect some dues.

Have you lost your mind?
Are you taking drugs now?

Listen to me. Listen to me.
Melvin, listen to me.

On Watermelon Man,

your white lead
is supposed to wake up

from this nightmare
where he's a black guy

and turns back
into being white again,

and you said, "No, no,

being black is not a nightmare,"

and you didn't shoot
the ending the studio wanted.

Who backed you 100 percent?

So why are you doing this to me?

I can't take this kind
of inflammatory shit.

To a major studio,

nobody legitimate
is gonna touch Baadasssss.

No one!

You know how hard
we worked to get here?

Melvin, just do
the fucking comedy, okay?

[VOICES MURMURING]

All right. They're--
They're coming.

Do you know what this is?

You're terrified
you're gonna fail,

so you're failing yourself.

Nothing to it being black
or blue or green.

You hear me?
It's self-destruction.

Hey. Marty.

[CHUCKLES]

Allen. How you doing?

Good to see you.

So, listen, you know...

I was-- I was--

Melvin. Wa--

He's in a world of his own.

Melvin.

What is this,

some kind of personal crusade,

or are you really
gonna make a movie?

MELVIN: I'm making
a movie, motherfucker.

Yeah?

First black power film.

Yeah, what about people power, man?

No, you people got the power.

All you gotta do
is get yourself a haircut.

You join the establishment
any time you want.

And you are black forever.

Dig it.

Mm-hmm.
I hear that.

You just gotta remember
the golden rule--

He who has the gold
makes the rules.

[LAUGHS]

Now, if the studio
gives you money,

they're gonna want control.

That's true.

Nothing truly revolutionary

is gonna come
from the studio machine.

Independent money.

That's the answer,
independent financing.

Yes.

That's exactly what
I'm talking about,

a group
of radical young filmmakers

collaborating, man.

It makes this easier for us

to float a loan
from the money guy.

You know what I'm talking about?

Diversify our resources, right?

We get a warehouse,
a working space,

share equipment, right?

A living space...

Bill, that's more of this
hippie commune shit.

That's never gonna fly, man.

Fuck you, man.

It's hurts my feelings
calling me a hippie.

Why you wanna do that?

Look, man, I got film experience.

You gotta let me produce.

You can't even balance
your own checkbook.

I got resources, man,

economic resources.

I got people lined up
ready to invest their money

in something real.

You help me raise the money?

You call yourself
whatever you want.

Producer, produced by Bill Harris.

Executive producer.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Oh, another thing.

I want this motherfucker
to be a living work share.

I want 50 percent of the people
on the crew

to be getting experience,
to be third world folks.

Unions are lily white.

They'll never go for it.

Fuck 'em.

[**]

MELVIN:
Bill was right.

The unions were lily white.

Even if I could
afford their rates,

they'd never let me have
a 50 percent minority crew.

WOMAN: Whoo, whoo.
Whoa, whoa.

Hey!

You look like you got
a sweet, sweet back.

Won't you come party
with Delicious for a while.

No, no, y'all are too much
for me.

Oh, come on, now.
I can make you say mm-hmm.

I bet you could, girl.

Well, that's a shame.

[SIGHS]

[MOANING]

MELVIN:
The answer was so obvious

I didn't see it at first.

The unions don't bother
with smut films.

They consider pornos
beneath their dignity.

I tell everyone I was
making black beaver flick.

Maybe they'd
leave me the hell alone.

One name kept coming up

in the production credits...

Clyde Houston.

[MOANING]

[MOANING CONTINUES]

Can I get a little
bit more emotion,

Brenda?

You have to fuck me for that.

More of the same then.

That's perfect.

[MOANING]

Melvin Van Peebles.

I'm putting together
a feature.

I saw your credit
on "Lily White."

Oh, yeah, man.
I got your message. I'm in.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Don't you wanna know
what it's about?

Do they wear clothes?

Yeah.

Well, like I said,
I'm in.

One more time
from the top, please.

[MOANING]

MELVIN:
Hey, Bill.

Go get it!

Hey, Nixon.

Nixon. Hey, baby, look at that.

Nixon loves you, baby.

Howdy.

All right.

Here we go.

So this guy
used to be an actor.

Used to be in all
these black and white westerns.

You probably recognize him.

He's got real money?

Real money, my friend.

He's already financed

a couple of independent
films in Europe,

and he's ready to break big
state side, huh?

Okay.

Ostentatious big white house
on the left.

Go ahead. Go on, man.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
you're not coming?

Oh, no, no, no, man.

He just wants to meet
one on one, you know?

Artist to artist,
all right?

Go get it.

Okay. What's this?

Oh, man.

My favorite fucking danishes,
man.

What's this for?

For being your friend,
you crazy motherfucker.

Ow, you are my friend!

[LAUGHS]

Mr. Van Peebles,
howdy, howdy.

What'll it be?
Name your poison.

Beer's cool.

MELVIN:
Aside from the tan,

this guy seemed pretty genuine
for Hollywood standards.

My contacts
at the studio said

that you can be

a real stubborn pain
in the ass.

They used to say
the same thing about me.

I like that. It means
you're different.

Different threatens them.

Now tell me about
that movie you wanna make.

This is a movie about
modern-day colonialism,

about a brother...

He was a no bullshit guy.

No lackey.

No chicks hanging
around the pool

for him to impress.

Just straight to the point.

Strong.

Insightful.

Very powerful.

Who's playing the lead?

I don't know yet.

It should be you.

I'm the writer.
I'm the director--

No, you've been
living it.

You have the passion for it,
don't you?

Yeah.

Trust me.

I have the eye. Be honest.

You're beautiful,

sleek, strong...

You're not afraid
to be different.

You're not afraid to be

who you really are,
are you?

How well I know what that is.

How about a little dippety-doo?

Come on, sexy mon.

Oh, Melvin.

Hey, how'd it go, man?

Give me
my motherfucking danishes.

Hollywood's
a close-knit community.

It's easy to make friends,
and it's easy to make enemies.

The friends
you don't normally keep,

but the enemies, you do.

If you wanna be
a part of the stew,

you really don't want
to stir things up,

or you may find yourself
in the fire, baby.

MGM, Paramount--

They're all losing money.
They're all in the toilet.

MGM's selling off its back lot.

It's selling--

It's selling
Dorothy's red shoes,

for God's sake...

and he's making them nervous
with this kind of material.

RADIO ANNOUNCER:
The Chicago Seven trial

has finally come to an end.

Black Panther Bobby Seale,

one of
the original defendants...

[RADIO SHUTS OFF]

Mom?

Mom, where are the kids?

Oh, Rochester,

see that Mr. Kern
has some coffee, please.

Yassir.

Mom.

MAN: Get 'em all.

Get 'em all.

Always do a good job.

You crumb-crushers
ready?

Get your bathing suits.
Let's hit it.

Hey, Dad.

I'm teaching the boy about work.

Man's gotta know how
to make a living.

You look tired.

Need anything?

No, I'm fine.

What about you, Dad?

WOMAN: Peebles.

Peebles!

Guess I better be going.

You know how your mother is.

Melvin, what happened
to your motorcycle?

I bought a car for today.
Get in.

[ENGINE STARTS]

I want you start
calling me Dad.

Answer me
when I talk to you.

Mom lets us
call her Maria.

It's less confusing

when everyone's calling
off for their mother.

I'm not your mother.
I'm your father.

But while you're here,

you do
what the fuck I say.

Am I clear?

Yes, Dad.

Okay.

All right.

* Doo-dee-doo-dee-dee *

Sing it for me.
Be my piano.

CHILDREN:
* Doo-dee-doo-dee-dee *

Louder.

* Doo-dee-doo-dee-dee *

Louder.

* You bled my mama *

* Doo-dee-doo-dee-dee *

* You bled my papa *

* Doo-dee-doo-dee-dee *

You won't bleed me!
Again, louder!

Mel, welcome.
How you doing?

Good, how you doing?

Doing great.
This is my wife, Jennifer.

Hi, Jennifer.

That there's Josh and Tracey.

These are my kids,
Mario and Megan.

Oh, good thing you brought along
your bathing suits, kids.

Why don't you take a dip

while your dad and I talk shop,
huh?

Go on.

Jen, go and get Mel
something to eat.

You want a drink?

Sure, water's good.

All right.
Help yourself.

So, um...

I hear great things
from Bill Harris

about your project.

Real radical stuff, huh?

Well, the truth
is always radical

when it's told
by the oppressed, right?

Whatever.
I make movies.

Hey, Dad, come on.
Can we climb the rope?

Well, that's just
something I do

to keep in shape.

[GRUNTING]

Come on, Dad.

You can do it.

[HOLLERING LIKE TARZAN]

[LAUGHS]

That is not easy.

Congratulations.

You try it.

Huh?

No, it took me
almost a year

before I could
get to the top.

You gotta be
in great shape.

You don't wanna
embarrass yourself.

MEGAN: Please?

You can do it.

You know what?
Not today, kids.

Your dad's tired.

Hey, I think we got
some cake in the house.

Who wants cake?

I do. I do. I do.

Let's go.

Come on.

Please?

Dad?

MELVIN:
I should have known better

than to make that climb,

considering black folk's
history with ropes.

I gotta be the first nigga
in history

that hung himself.

[**]

Man, all right.
You made it.

Hey, you're not so mad,
are you?

All right, man,
who's your friend?

He is in here, man.

He is ready for you, my friend.

Everybody is flying high.
Come on in.

Hey, Moonbeam...

Ginnie, this is Melvin.

Moonbeam is pure love, man.

This is Ginnie. She's from--

Where you from?
Where you from, baby?

Alabama.

BILL: Alabama.

[BILL LAUGHS]

Bill, Bill,
Bill, Bill...

Where's
the money guy, man?

He's here, man.

He's for real,

and he's ready to do
some serious business, man.

Well, let's go meet--

Let's go meet this guy,
man. Come on.

[DISTORTED SPEECH]

MELVIN:
This time, the brother gets away
and at the end...

[ECHOING]
Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song.

Far out.

Donovan, what
do you think, man?

Well, everybody needs
someone to love, right,

and I got
one question for you,

my brother.

For the
collective conscience

of the universe
be expanded

after people see
this flick,

and I'm not talking
individuals here.

I'm talking about
the whole fucking universe,

moving ahead in time,

not horizontally, man.

Vertically,
you know, a jump.

You know what I mean?
A real jump.

Is that what we got here?

Abso-fucking-lutely, man.

All right.

How do I know
they're not narcs?

They're not narcs.

One minute, gentlemen.
Come here.

How do I know they're real, man?

How do I know they're
fucking real, man?

He's for real.

He wants to be
a producer, man.

It's all good.

Oh... hello.

He wants to be loved,

but he'll settle for attention.

Bill...

this guy's got real money,
right?

It's for real.

Relax, man.

You're the serious one.

Intense.

He's--

Ahh...

He'll do it.

Here's the conditions.

My client
is a silent partner.

His name does
not appear anywhere.

All negotiations will be
with my firm

with all legal fees
added to the budget.

This is the deal...

MELVIN: Bottom-feeders
always do that,

especially
bottom-feeding attorneys,

inserting themselves
and their fees into the deal...

but fuck it, man,

if this was real,
we were a gold movie,

a green light.

Hey, Melvin.
Have a wonderful evening.

What did I say, man?

It's real.

[ALL LAUGHING]

Whoo!

Yeah... whoo!

* You bled my momma *

* You bled my poppa *

* Won't bleed me *

* Won't bleed me *

* You bled my momma *

* You bled my poppa... *

Oh, man.

You chewed this motherfucker
to death.

Bill.
Hmm?

You know
what I'm thinking?

When Sweetback's
in the desert.

He hears the voice
of angels.

But he doesn't see them.

No, he just
hears them, man.

Like the ghetto choir.

Like voices of
the disenfranchised.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Oh, hello.

Good morning.
Upsy-daisy.

Fantastic.

Right.

You know, I like it.
I like it.

It's surreal. You know,
it takes it all

to a whole other dimension,
right?

That's good.
It's operatic.

And then
you superimposition

for when he's running...

through the ghetto,
urban decay.

Right.
Huh?

Right. I see it.
Oh, hi.

[SIGHS]

Rise and shine.

Morning.

Hey.

This could--
Whoa. Where am I going--

Okay, whoa!

[MOANING]

Another thing--
You listening to me?

[MUFFLED]
Mmm?

Check it out. The music
on this motherfucker, right?

It's got to drive. It's got
to be up front, man.

Who is that bitch?

Who is that bitch?

Priscilla...

Don't Priscilla me. Bill?

[DOG WHIMPERS]

Wait, and you got
a dog too,

you nasty, sick motherfucker.

What the fuck you looking at?

I don't believe
this shit, Melvin.

What about Melvin Jr.?

What about our baby, Melvin?
How could you--

[DOG BARKS]

You know what?

I want a divorce

because
you're killing me.

You're killing me.

It's over. Over!

[SOBBING]

You married?

Oh, no, no, no, no, man.
That's his secretary.

See, she does
this whole audition thing.

[**]

[MOANING]

MAN: Aw, yeah.

Let's cut.

The gaffer needs
another shorty.

MAN: Anybody have
another towel, please?

MELVIN: Clyde introduced me
to his cameraman, Bob Maxwell.

Bob Maxwell...

His wife, Nora, did makeup.

There's a saying
in the business--

If you can make an ass
look good,

then faces were a snap.

It was like there was
a whole non-union movie industry

in existence right then,

and I knew every one
of them motherfuckers.

Imagine the kind of opportunity
that he's lost,

and he had such a chance to be

such a credit to his people.

How many Negro directors
were there altogether?

Gordon Parks,
there's Ossie Davis...

and Melvin.

CLYDE:
Mel, we don't have
a permit for any of this

so we got to shoot it
and get up out of here.

Ahh, we gonna steal this shit.

Priscilla, don't write
the location down

until we all agree on it,

and those pads ain't cheap.

Use a pencil next time.

Hey, girl, put some clothes on.

This ain't soul train.
Come on, now.

[DOG GROWLS]

Ew!

Bill, get this mangy mutt
off of me, please.

Oh, come on, Nixon.

He just
can't resist you.

You look like
a lemon Popsicle, girl.

All through here.

Oh, this is great shit.

And I can sing, dance,
model, and act too,

so tell that controlling
Leo motherfucker over there

to put me in his damn movie.

Hey, Bill.

MELVIN: Jump over the water

and run down here,
man.

It's too fucking steep.

Hey, man. This is art, baby.

CLYDE: You can do it.

Okay. Hold this.

Whoa!

MELVIN: Come on, feet!

Cruise with me!

MAN: Come on, Max.

Come on, run.

Come on, Bill.

Whoa!

Oh, shit.
Oh, sh... it.

CLYDE: You know we're
gonna need a stunt man

when we shoot this.

Oh, yeah.

Sweetback
is still alive!

Priscilla,
make a note

I want some dogs at the end
to chase the brothers.

Three dogs, bloodhounds.

We'll get some modern
runaway slave imagery

with these dogs, man.

And I can save us
some time and money

if we shoot this hand-held.

A little edge.

Edge? Shit, this motherfucker
is gonna be nothing but edge.

Ghetto realism like folks
ain't never seen.

Right on, baby.

Don't you know
what I'm saying?

I mean,
look at this, man.

This is beautiful.
Look at that.

[STUTTERING]
Back the fuck up...

bitch.

Pigs ain't got
nothing on me.

Okay, again.
Contain the hostility more.

B-b...

Back the fuck up,
b-bitch.

Pigs ain't got
nothing on me.

Thank you, brother.

[STUTTERING]
Yeah, nigga.

Well, he didn't exactly
take direction, now, did he?

He's not the lead.

I mean,
he's not even SAG.

The guy can't talk.
Doesn't that bother anybody?

I like his fucked-up speech.
It's real.

Make a note. Let's put him
somewhere, Priscilla.

Shit, I'm better than half
these motherfuckers anyway.

Next.

All right, brother.
Sit down right there.

Action.

MELVIN:
Finding the lead

was turning out to be
problematic.

Sweetback would only have
six lines

in the whole movie.

Those with the grit didn't have
the technique,

and those with the technique
wanted more lines.

MELVIN:
Hey, crumb-crusher.

Huh?

Come here.

Why don't you have lunch
with your old man, huh?

You're going to go see
Howie, remember?

MELVIN:
Howie was probably hoping

I'd come to my senses.

His wife, Roz, was taking Mario
for the day.

We were gonna be shooting
in some rough-ass places,

so we'd need
some ghetto muscle.

[DISTANT VOICES]

Hello?

Hey!

[SQUISHES]

Talking about education,
protesting, organizing,

and getting the
man's foot out of they ass.

See, now,
you're a problem.

Hello?

You mean
you're anti-white?

We're anti-oppression.

You can't fight racism
with racism.

What, niggas
talking revolution

is crossing
the color line?

Hell, no.

[DOG BARKING]

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

The man takes off
the old sheets

and picks up the badge
and the gun

to protect and serve.

To patrol and control.

Hello.

Will justice prevail

or will it just
be us in jail?

Shit.

That's right, brother.

From shackles to cuffs,

he still got his foot
in yo' ass.

One size fits all, nigga.

One size fits all, nigga.

One size fits all...

One size fits all, nigga.

[SNARLING]

T.J., down, boy.

T.J.'s the alpha male.

They do what he do.

Last motherfucker
broke in here,

they tore his arm off.

[BARKING]

That pipe wouldn't have helped.

[PIPE CLANGS]

You eat pig?

Yeah.

Pig's bad for you.

This here's smoked turkey.

Taste better than pig.

Howard, you spent six months
in film school,

so are you going to be

in the smoked meat
business

or are you going to be
in the movie business?

MELVIN:
Besides security,

T could double as the boom man
for the sound guy.

Only drawback,

he didn't know shit
about recording sound.

Check it out.

What?

Honey.

Melvin, it's Mario
on the phone.

He's going to be
a little late.

MELVIN: Tell him
to get his ass on home.

Okay. Hey.

Your dad is busy
right now, honey.

You better come on home.

[CLANGING]

All right.

First thing you need to know
about movie making--

when the director
says listen up,

you listen the fuck up,

okay?

We start shooting
in three days.

This is a family affair.

This is Bob
and his lovely wife, Nora.

Nora does makeup.

Bob is our
cinematographer.

We'll have
two cameras working,

so we also have,
from New York,

Black Latino
Filmmaker's Coalition,

Jos� Garcia.

Que vivo
Puerto Rico libre.

Exactly.

All right.

On script,
we got Randy over here,

and our genius of sound
is Tommy,

backed up by Big T,

who'll also be
heading up security.

Oh, no, no, man.

Hey, hey.

Why do I got to answer
to a white man

on a movie about a brother
finally breaking the chains,

you dig?

We been answering to whitey
for 400 years, blood.

Well, T, now, hold up.

Tommy here
is risking his career

to be here.

He's one of the few
motherfuckers here

who really knows
what he's doing,

so why don't you
do yourself a favor?

You'll learn something.
Listen to this man.

When your big ass

has been listening
to whitey

for 400 years,

another month won't hurt.

All right,
last but not least,

right here,

my foxy production
secretary

and star of the first
day of shooting

of Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song,

Priscilla.

[SQUEALS]

That's right.

Listen up. The speech.
Come here, baby.

Look around you.

No crew has ever
looked like this.

We're not supposed
to get along,

let alone be able
to make a movie together, okay?

Once we get started,
there's no quitting,

so anybody want out,
hit the door now.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.
Anybody else?

Ah, Mr. Harris.

We'll have
none of this WPT,

Mr. Harris.

BIG T:
What's WPT?

White People Time, T.

[SCATTERED LAUGHTER]

We have to talk.

All right.

Let's do it. Let's make a movie.

Yeah!

Hey, Melvin.

The script guy,

he says you only got
a 65-minute movie here.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Listen,
I know what I got.

Let him keep track
of the shots, okay?

I got it in my head.
Cool?

Don't worry about it.
Don't worry.

Hey, Melvin.
It's Clyde.

He's got to talk to you.

We got to talk now.

All right, well, find out
what he wants, okay?

Hey, Clyde.

He got arrested.

Who?
Donovan.

Our financing man.

Motherfucker. What for?

What about that attorney?

We had a deal.

Yeah, let's just say that, uh...

the financing for this film
has been put on the back burner

for the foreseeable
future,

like the next
five to 10 years, man.

[SIGHS]

You got to go in there.

You got to cancel.

Fuck it.
I'll use my own bread.

Oh, no, no, no, man.

Nobody uses their own money
to finance a movie, man.

What if the movie's a bomb

or you spend
your money on it

and you can't get
a distributor--?

I can raise $72,450.

Make that $72,000--

I haven't paid
next month's rent--

but that's enough
to get the train rolling.

I get the train rolling,

investors are going to see
we got something good

and they're going
to jump on board.

And what if they don't, man?

That $72,000's not going to get
you through pre-production--

Bill, do you have money for me?

Melvin, we got a problem.

Yeah?

They're asking

for one week's payroll
up front.

Well, I ain't got
that kind of bread, Clyde.

Fuck it.

SAG is...

We can't use any SAG actors.

What?

Shit, we shoot
in three days.

We're going to have
to postpone, right?

We start shooting May 11
as planned.

Everybody got that?

Everybody got that?

Yeah.
Right.

All right, get back to work.

We'll recast.

Shit.

[DOOR SLAMS]

Who's going to play
Sweetback?

I was starting to believe
my own bullshit.

Chomping on an unlit cigar...

Hey, Mel.

[STRAINING]
Come on.

Ta-da.

[LAUGHS]

Howie says hello.

You've got
a great kid here.

[HORN HONKS]

What you got there?

Miss Kaufman bought it for me.

I didn't ask for it.

Tomorrow you bring it back.

Bring it back?

You losing your hearing?

When I want
a favor from Howie,

I'll call it in, okay?

You don't let people use you
to get to me.

What people?

Get in the house.

CLYDE: Melvin had not submitted
the proper paperwork

to the Screen Actors Guild.

I think when you've heard Mel
all of your life,

you just don't listen anymore.

Who had to go down there
and sort everything out?

Mr. Clyde.

Of course,
you don't hear about that.

We were following him, you know?

He was our leader,

so if he was crazy,
we were fucking lunatics.

I just looked around
and I knew we were in trouble.

MELVIN:
In L.A.,

you can't even see
the stars at night.

It's not the city lights.
It's the smog.

Shut the fuck up, man.
I'm trying to calculate.

What're you trying
to calculate?

You ain't got shit.

You ain't even got
your lead.

No, no,
I'll play the lead.

I'll play Sweetback.

Fuck it.
I know the lines.

I'm not union, right?

I'm not taking a salary.

Fool, ain't nobody
investing in this shit.

I'll cut more days
out of the schedule.

Hey, look,

it'll take 40 days
to make a studio movie.

You settle for 27.

Then you cut it down to 24,
minimum.

Now what?

20.

20 with some ragtag crew
that don't know shit?

Man, you're about to lose
every fucking thing.

Kids' college funds, all of it.

Just get the fuck off my roof.

Look around you, man.

Every fucking sign is saying,
"Don't do this."

You're about to be
a Hollywood joke.

Go back to the studio.
Do a comedy.

Do whatever.

Do it with their money.

Make a real movie.

Get the fuck off my roof!

Get the fuck off my roof.

Get the fuck off my roof,
you hear me?

Melvin, who are you
talking to?

Running lines.

Been a long fucking time
since I acted.

Um, I'm sorry to bother you,

but I need to talk to you
about something--

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
hold on, now.

Is this something negative?

Because if it's negative,

I can't even deal with it
right now.

I'm a broke, pissed-off nigga
from Chicago, Priscilla,

and I'm down
to my last cigar, okay?

Don't leave.

Chill.

About...

About tomorrow...

I can't be in the movie.

What?

My boyfriend doesn't...

think I
should do it.

Hold up. Hold up.

I thought you discussed this
with the boyfriend.

I did,

but not about all the
sexy stuff exactly.

Well, we're making a sexy
fucking movie, right?

Now, I've been
straight about that

from the get-go.

I know.

I'm sorry.

Tomorrow's
our first day of shooting.

With all the other shit

I got coming down on my head
right now,

you're fucking sorry?

I'll leave production
if you want me to.

Leave production?

Are you crazy?

That's your
final decision?

You can't? Okay.

You know what you
fucking need to do?

You need to get off
my fucking roof

before I throw you
off this motherfucker,

all right?

Get the fuck
out of here!

[SIREN WAILING]

I'm trying to do something,

and sorry motherfuckers
come along

and sorry your ass to death.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Hello?

Hey, Ginnie, it's Mel.

Who?

Melvin.

Bill's friend.

[LAUGHS] Oh, yeah.

What do you want?

How about a date?

So you're asking me out?

Yeah, why the fuck not?

Hmm.

Why not?

Great.

It's going to be special,
though.

I want you to meet me
at 52730 Alameda

tomorrow morning,

7:00 a.m.

A.m.?
Man, shit, you're tripping.

Wait, wait, wait,

now, this is
going to be special.

I told you,
you're never going to forget it,

and don't go getting shy
on me, girl.

Going to be
a couple of people watching.

Now, see, now, I knew you was
a real kinky motherfucker...

So, are we on?

Yeah, we're on.

All right.

Tomorrow morning. Don't be late.

[**]

Clyde, Clyde,
come here.

Melvin going to use
his own dad for this scene?

Yeah, well, we ain't got
enough actors,

and Melvin's dad'll
do it for free, you dig?

But that's Melvin.

He told me to get a dildo.
What's a dildo?

Thomas. Thomas.

Why are you doing
this movie, man?

You want to see how
the other half lives, huh?

Hey, look,
there's your fairy godmother.

[HUMMING]

Melvin, Melvin,

we got to start
shooting, man,

before the husband
comes home

and kicks us the hell
out of here.

Where's Ginnie, man?

Come on.

I was shooting
our sexiest scene up first

so if the union showed,

they'd be convinced
we were doing a black porno.

The problem was,

my date, Ginnie,
got the same impression.

Oh, fuck you, nigger!

I don't do
this kind of shit!

No, no, listen,
I want you to be--

Bill Harris, get your
sorry motherfucking ass

over here.

Sister--

Look, no, no.
Your sorry-ass friend

wants me to be
in his fucking porno.

Did you know about this?
Give me my goddamn hat.

Okay, okay.

It's not a porno, Ginnie,
I swear.

Okay, here we go.

It's not a porno.
It's a social statement.

Tell her, Mel.

A social statement?

I'll should whoop
both your fucking asses.

I'm out of here.

No, no, no, wait.
Sister...

Listen, listen,
listen, listen.

We have been
marginalized sexually

for years.

We've been Aunt Jemima,
Uncle Ben.

We've never had
a Marilyn Monroe,

never had
our own Mae West.

This thing is going to be
breaking all the taboos.

It's about getting
the man's foot out yo' ass.

Exactly. This could be
totally revolutionary.

Ginnie was at least
listening now.

I rapped on

about this being
the opportunity of a lifetime

for her to be the first
soul sister sex goddess.

That was the clincher.

Revolutionary or not,
I still need to get paid.

Plus, the couple
of emergency Benjamins

I laid on her

didn't hurt.

Don't fuck with me.

We're on the camera.

Okay, let's
get her dressed.

I want to shoot
right now.

Mel, let me handle this.

It's going to be out of sight,
baby.

Talk to me, Bob.

I am the producer.

Speed.

[CAMERA WHIRRING]

[**]

And... action.

[HOOTING AND CHEERING]

* ...With the rising tide *

Bet you ain't never seen
no shit like this before.

[**]

* I can hardly wait
To feel your lovin' *

[HOOTING]

You all right?

Uh, yeah, yeah,
I've got a heart thing.

It's no big deal.

* I want you up and down *

Does someone else
have a sweet back?

* Beautiful chocolate brown *

What are they watching?

Some kind of...
black porn thing.

I don't know.

She's hot, right?

[CHUCKLES]

Let's go.

MELVIN: The union seemed to buy
our little porno scam.

We were on our way.

[MUSIC FADES]

Yeah.

You dig that sound?

Yeah, the sound of
your jaw dropping.

Brother, good work.

Man, it was great.

Great first assembly.

Hey, Cosby, man.

Say, hey,

when you going to
light that cigar, man?

When I can afford
to buy me another one.

Oh, please, please.

Listen, I heard about the
three-picture deal, man.

Listen, listen,

I'm doing an independent
right now.

We just had our
first day of dailies.

Powerful shit.
You got a second?

I'll string them up
for you right now.

Excuse me, Mr. Cosby.

We've really got to get
to the airport.

I got to take care
of some business.

Check this out.

They get three strikes,
we only get one.

You sure you know
what you're getting into

with this whole
independent stuff?

Bill, we've got to go.

Hey, listen,
I'll call you, okay?

Number's
still the same?

Listen, you're
looking good too.

Keep on doing
what you're doing.

Hey, man...

[MOTORCYCLE RUMBLING]

[GENERATOR CLICKS]

[GROANING]

Shit.

Someone get
a flashlight.

Melvin, we lost
the generator again.

I see that shit, Clyde.

Reroute the cables,
get that motherfucker back on.

Clyde made another one
of his cut-rate deals

on a generator.

You get what
you pay for.

Bill.
Okay.

Huh?
All right.

Miss Bourgie is here
with the kids.

All right, listen,

we got to cut another day
out of the schedule, man.

No way, man.

The schedule's
too tight already.

What about
all those investors

that were jumping
on the train?

You got 10 grand
to loan me, huh?

That'll buy me another day,
baby.

It is what it is.

What?

We're low on bread,

but you're not really
going to use your own son

in that scene,
are you?

Everybody's somebody's son.

Why would I not use my own kid
if I'd use somebody else's, huh?

Have Nora meet me on the set
with hair and makeup right now.

Bill, hold this.

Hold this.

Melvin, listen.

I know it's none
of my business,

but you can't be
doing this to your own--

The other generator's up.
Come on.

Let's go on the other set.

Come on, Bill.

This kid's got an eye.

See, your father's
too cheap

to use
35 millimeter film.

That's why
we're shooting 16.

You don't need to shoot 35
all the time.

It depends on the shot.

T, that's not a toy.

The sound department.

You're the boss.

All right.
You crumb crushers

are going to be
in the movie.

All right.

You're going to
blow up a cop car,

and you're going to help
Sweetback escape.

Do I get to wear makeup?

Pretty little girls
do not need to wear makeup.

You. You a good actor?

Yeah.

You are?

Yeah.

Good,

because I got another role
for you.

I get to play two roles?

That's right.

I'm going to open the movie

with you playing Sweetback
losing his cherry.

Having sex for the first time.
Nora, take a look at his 'fro.

What'll I be wearing?

Nothing. It's a sex scene.

Cut this all real short

and then cut
some bald patches in it.

Melvin, we need you.

I got to cut my 'fro?

Yeah.

You're a malnutritioned
street kid.

It's the Depression era, okay?

Put some makeup
on the bald patches.

Make it look like ringworm.
What? What?

We got a problem
with the actor...

What the hell's holding us up?

Bob.
Camera's ready.

Let's do it.

Roll sound.

Rolling.

Speed.

Slate.
Camera set.

And... action.

I have not seen
Sweetback.

Cut.

What the fuck happened
to his stutter?

He took speech lessons.

That's what I was trying
to tell you.

He's got a piece.

All right, brother, look,

I need to have
that piece, man.

Well, I-I thought there
might be some trouble.

What the f-fuck
you doing?

Good, back to the mic.

That's it. Again.

Fuck you.

G-give me my g-gun.

Right here.
Right here.

The line. The line.

Action.

S-Sweetback ain't here,
m-motherfucker.

Pissed off.
Go ahead. Again.

S-Sweetback ain't here,
m-motherfucker.

Perfect. Bob?

Got it.

Perfect. Beautiful. Beautiful.

Priscilla,
put this somewhere safe.

All right.
Next set. Let's go.

Uh, Melvin,
can I speak to you for a minute?

All right,
the script supervisor

says we need to shoot
the reverse.

No, I got the whole thing
edited in my head.

I know just what
I need here, Clyde, okay?

Melvin.
What?

He said it's not
going to cut

unless we get the reverse.

All right,
I'll handle this.

You, Script,
come over here.

Come over here.

Tell you what.
Give me this right here.

Here, okay.

Now, you are getting
a promotion.

You're going to be an actor.

I want you to stand
right over there

in that light.

Go ahead.
In the light.

Everybody,

I'm doing
the fucking script now, okay?

Next set. Let's go.

MELVIN:
The scene with the dirty cops

was the one
that divided the crew.

He doesn't look
very tough to me.

Does he look tough
to you?

Nah.

Don't look too tough.

Don't mark
his face.

Hey, Sweetback.

I'm sorry, man.

I forgot you two
were attached together.

Let's see
if we can get...

MELVIN:
White folks

would never experience
racial brutality.

Couldn't really believe
that a double standard existed

for minorities.

Stay home at night,
you wouldn't...

Black folks,

who had lived it,

were more than ready
to see someone

stand up against racism...

Fuck the pigs up!

even when it hid
behind a badge.

Help the brother out,
Sweetback.

BIG T:
Got a new thing
right there.

Come on, Sweetback.

Fuck him up.
Right on, Sweetback.

Yeah.

It's about time.

Never seen nothing
like this.

Thanks, man.

GINNIE:
Righteous.

He's just a child.

Huh?

Mario.

He's barely 13,
Melvin.

When I was 8, I was already
working the cash register

at my dad's tailor shop.

He gave me old clothes to sell.

Old reject shit
that folks left behind.

Here comes
this skinny little kid

with a wagonload
full of shitty clothes.

[ECHOING]
Boy, you got
to work often,

and that's only the beginning.

You think I liked that?

Hmm?

You think I even liked my dad
back then?

I got my ass whooped
damn near every day,

and every day,

Daddy sent me
right back on the streets,

selling them old,
fucked up clothes,

until I learned

how to give the gangsters
some free shit

to protect me from those bullies

while I sold
those clothes

to the winos
and the junkies.

My dad had taught me
how to survive,

how to hustle.

I'm not in the tailor business
anymore.

I'm in the movie business.

My kids want to be
in this shit, hey.

It is what it is.

I just think he's
ready to go home

and be with his mama.

No shit.

Shit.

We don't always get
what we want,

do we?

What if his friends
see the movie?

He's going to be
embarrassed.

Fuck his friends.

His friends
ain't paying college.

[SIGHS]

Well, at least let him
keep his afro.

That wig lady thinks
she can make him a skin wig.

It'll look natural.

It'll be perfect.

Of course she does,
and a skin wig costs money.

I don't have the bread
to pamper him,

or you,

or any other
motherfucker,

and if I did,

I'd fix
the focus on B Camera first

and I'd buy more film.

Mario can grow more hair later.

I can't grow more film.

Melvin, listen to yourself.

You're cutting
the boy's hair off

and you're forcing him

to be in a sex scene.

It's not real. It's acting.

He wants to act.

He's in a motherfucking movie.

He should be happy.

What?

He's tough. He's resilient.

He's an ambitious
little motherfucker.

He can handle it.

What if he can't handle it?

Are you going to risk
fucking up his childhood

just because
yours was fucked up?

You want to turn him
into some macho stud man

like you think
you're supposed to be?

I'm going to split.

I'm out.

Of course you are.

You got to go
screw everything that moves?

That's what this shit is about?
Huh?

Me and chicks?

No, it's not about you
and your chicks.

It's about you
not respecting anyone.

Not even your own son.

You know what you are?

You're a nice sister

who has no idea
what it's like

on the other side
of the tracks.

None. And maybe
you don't respect the fact

that I know my own kid
better than he knows himself.

I know what the fuck
I'm doing

and he can handle it.

He can handle it.

Why don't you ask Bill,

or Clyde,

or that crazy-ass
assistant of yours,

Priscilla?

If they ain't too scared
to tell you the truth.

My grandmother used to call it,
uh...

listening with half an ear.

Dig?

Well, Melvin,

he'll listen with, like,
a third of an ear.

It was Melvin.

His kids.

His dad.

A family affair.

And we were all a part of it.

We all had a role to play in it,
like it or not.

Black man's got to work
twice as hard to get hits.

That's what I'm talking about.

Can't be afraid of hard work.

I wasn't hard on the boy.

That's a fact.

[**]

How much?

Short answer's all I
could get for 50 bucks.

Fucking actors
kept dropping lines.

Eight fucking takes.

You got to buy
enough film, man.

Well, film costs money.

So does down-time, Clyde.

Every minute that crew's
sitting on their ass,

that's costing us.

Just get what you need.

With what?

How the fuck
was I supposed to know

the bitch wouldn't know
her damn lines?

Why aren't we shooting?

Camera's reloading, chief.

How long's
he been waiting?

Too long.

Quiet on the set.

Quiet on the set.

Roll sound.

Rolling!

Speed.

A Camera.

A Camera's rolling.

B Camera.

B Camera ready.

And... action.

Little smile, ladies.

Looking at me
right here.

At me, me, me.

And good and cut.

You're up next,
little man.

Time to get ready.

JOSE: Hey, Clyde, uh,
what time tomorrow?

Can you wait
for the call sheets?

I got to go to court.

Jos�, you're killing me.
All right?

MELVIN:
Show me the sides.

There, right above the ear.

See that, Nora?

Smooth that down.

Yeah, we can see.

Cover it with makeup.

I think it'll work fine.

I didn't ask you
what you think, Clyde.

All right, let's do it.

We got a movie to shoot.

Scene two,
opening sequence.

Young Sweetback
loses his virginity.

Thank you for letting him
wear the skin wig

and not cutting his hair off.

Oh, that's just the way

things worked out
this time.

We've still got
a scene to shoot.

Am I going to
see you later?

I don't know.

I don't think so.

Suit yourself.

Megan wants to go
shopping with me.

Don't buy her anything
you can't afford,

because I ain't paying it back.

[LAUGHS]

Bye, Melvin.

Come on, baby.

Hey, uh, I'm going to
pick a second meal, man.

What should I get?

Something cheap.
Real cheap.

Want some licorice?

Nora, can I
see you here?

Hey, little man.

Come here.

Get these clothes off.

[LAUGHING]
Damn.

Unbutton it.

Don't worry, sugar.

You ain't getting
your picture taken.

Come on.

Move.

Yeah.

That's it.

[LAUGHS]

Damn, man,
I wish that shit was me.

I didn't get my dick wet
till I was 18

and she was
double bag ugly.

Well...

Uh, darling,

we're going to go
grab some dinner.

All right, cool.
Get a bite.

I'll catch up to you.

All right, let's go.

Hungry?

Melvin?

What?

My boyfriend
wants to talk to you.

What the fuck
is wrong now?

He just wants
to talk to you.

I ain't got time for this shit.

This is my man,
Maurice.

Hey, brother.

It's good to meet you,
brother.

Look, man,
I got to tell you,

the shit you are
putting down

is right on.

Now, I know
you don't know me,

but I need to do
the music on this, man.

I can do whatever
you need.

Look, man--

No, Priscilla,
she hipped me to it,

all right?

I know you don't have
a lot of cash,

but we could really
use this chance.

We?

My new band.

What do y'all call yourselves?

Earth, Wind & Fire.

All right,
this is how it works.

What I sing, you play.

If I like what I hear--
if I like what I hear--

we got a deal.

All right.
Sounds good, man.

You ain't me heard sing yet.

I don't know shit
about no gun, man!

Fuck!

What's your malfunction, man?

G-go get my...

my piece, nigga.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Slow your roll.

My apologies.

I thought you got
your piece back, okay?

Priscilla,

what happened
to his .357?

The pistol?

Yeah, from the other day.

Oh, I put it
in the prop box

with the other guns.

What?

MELVIN:
A loaded gun in the prop box?

[**]

The actors had been
in and out of that prop box

at least 100 times,

all to get their guns...

Police specials,

just like that brother's
loaded one.

What?

Sometime,
I suppose when I get the time,

I'll have
reoccurring nightmares

about that escape.

Mario.

Hey.

I know you're awake.

Look, son, I want
to tell you that...

you don't have
to sleep on the floor.

Sleep...
Sleep on the bed.

I'll take the couch.

Mario.

Suit yourself.

NEWSCASTER:
President Nixon
had no comment...

[CHUCKLING]
Oh.

Your dick's on fire too?

Where's second unit, man?

I thought they'd be here by now.

Oh, the lab called

and the dailies
aren't going to be ready

till Monday.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Yeah.

We got arrested, Mel.

You got to come down here
and get us out.

What the hell happened?

We were heading back
from the shoot and...

[**]

* Yeah, yeah, yeah *

* Yeah *

[SIREN WAILING]

JOSE:
The pigs, they pulled us over.

You're not going to
believe this.

They thought my telephoto lens
was a bazooka.

Outside of the truck.
Hands against it.

Let's go. Come on!

Put that down!
Put that down!

Right here.
Right here.

You one of them
Black Panthers, boy?

What are they
holding you for?

Grand theft.

They saw us with
all that equipment,

they figured
it must have been stolen,

so they impounded all of it,

including the truck.

Did you show them
your receipts, Jos�?

Yeah.

I showed them everything.
They thought it was funny.

Excuse me. I'm not through yet.

Jos�.

Get on it, man.
Call a lawyer.

What lawyer, man?
With what money?

Oh, come on,
for crying out loud.

This is our equipment.

Some of that's
my personal stuff.

What's the charge?

[CHUCKLES]

Charge of being black.

Welcome aboard.

You're a real nigga now.

When's Van Peebles
getting us out?

Soon.
He's coming soon.

Yeah.

He fucking better.

Shit.

He fucking better.

Sick of this shit.

[RINGING]

Hello.

Yeah, man, it's me, Melvin.

Hold on a second, man.

Learn how to play
some tennis.

Hey, Mel, you okay?

My crew
just got arrested.

I don't know if I'm
going to make it.

I'm tapped out.

I got to finish
this movie.

I got to do it right.

So how much you need?

To get me through post, a lot.

Well, how much?

50,000.

Cosby came through.

He fucked us, man.

It's the start of the weekend.

There're no judges available
till Monday.

You go down there
and you visit him.

It'll do the troops good
for them to see you.

No.

What the fuck
are you talking about?

No. No.

Right now,
to those cops,

Melvin Van Peebles

is some white,
aristocratic Dutch guy,

right?

I show up with my black ass

to start singing
"We Shall Overcome"

with the troops,

they throw us all the fuck
in jail.

We got three days left

of filming
this motherfucker.

We'll jeopardize
the whole film, man.

Fuck the film, man!
Fuck it!

Fuck the fucking film, man.

This is our crew behind bars
on bullshit charges.

Doesn't that bother you?

Yeah,

it's been bothering me
for 400 years!

That's why we're
shooting this shit, Bill!

Oh, man, don't give me
that 400...

Fuck it, I'll go by myself.

No, no, no, no, no, no.
Hold the fuck up.

Here's what the fuck
you do.

You go home.
You cool the fuck down.

Monday morning,

you put on
a nice white guy suit,

you go down there,
and you bail them out.

Any emotional liberal shit
you do right now

will only jeopardize our crew.

Do you hear me?

Yeah.

I hear you.

Hey, he'd sacrifice
his friends,

his family,

even me.

Well, a black man in jail
who's not afraid

is a fool,

but I heard Big T
was crying like a bitch,

crying for his mama.

I wasn't scared of shit
in that jail, man.

I was scared of being hungry,
that's all.

[DISTANT SIRENS WAILING]

Please, folks,
this is sound equipment.

Sound equipment?

Please stand back.

Y'all making
a movie?

I can do Flip Wilson.

Get the fuck
out of the way.

Move.

How many extras we got?

Seven.

I need more.

Melvin,
we got a problem.

We only got four mags of film.

Fuck.

If everything went perfect,
I'd need five.

I told Clyde six.
Where's Clyde?

Clyde!

Two men, two women?

Fine.

Damage control.

Some of them are pissed

about spending the weekend
in jail.

Now, if T quits,
the others might follow.

Bill tells me
we only have

four mags of film
for the whole day.

Uh, really,
that should be plenty.

I asked you for six.

Well, I needed the money
for the stunt man

for the L.A. river chase.

Now you saw what happened
when Bill tried.

Clyde, I can
do that stunt myself.

What I can't do
is shoot without film.

Did you sign off on this?

No, no.

Okay, here's what I want.

You, Bill,
go get all those people

away from
the sound equipment.

I want to start
our first shot

in 20 minutes.

We're going to start

with the cops
bringing Sweetback out.

Isn't that
Clyde's job, man?

Not anymore.
Clyde, you're fired.

This shit is not my fault.

Now, there's only so much
I can do with no money,

but if you're looking
for somebody to blame--

Right, it's my fault.

I got you in over your
head. I'm sorry.

When I get a bigger budget
or a smaller film,

I'll give you a call.

This is bullshit, Melvin!

T, I need to talk to you.

We got a problem?

Yeah, brother,
we got a problem.

I work with niggas,
I end up in jail.

Some shit like that
go down again,

I'm going to break me

some little
motherfucker neck.

T, you're a big
motherfucker.

In a fair fight,
you'd whoop my ass.

I ain't fought fair
in a long time,

and if I was
afraid of you,

I wouldn't be
the kind of nigga

to get that shit done

in the first
motherfucking place!

I got everything I own
on the line,

and all my family's shit,

but it's
bigger than me,

and it's bigger than
your two days in jail.

This is a war,

it's our war,

and if you don't know by now
that's your war,

take your big ass
back to your shed

and your smoked meat.

No hard feelings, brother.

We got three days left
to shoot,

so if you stay,

and brother, I hope you do,

don't ever threaten me again.

Just step to me
and take me the fuck out,

before I take you,

because I'm going to have
to take you seriously, T.

T, this is our shit.

Hey, yo, that fool
with the glasses

said he gonna put me
in the movie, man.

Please, you got to move
these people back.

Okay, uh, all right, uh...

Hey, my good brothers
and sisters,

let's, uh...

let's move it on back, please.

I ain't your brother, Casper.

Man, I'll beat your white ass
back across that freeway.

Don't come here

telling us
where we can't be.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Peace, peace, okay?

Let's just, uh,
back it up.

All right. All right.
Excellent.

That's exactly
what I'm talking about.

Thank you.

Sound is ready, boss.

Camera set.

Kids, get in.

Frame up.

It's out of focus.

Looks sharp to me, chief.

Okay, frame up.

T.

[**]

Rolling.

Slate.

Action.

Wash your car,
mister?

No charge if you
don't like it.

Yeah, no charge
if you don't like it.

Okay, Bob?
Got it.

Okay, cut! All right,
everybody out.

We're going to
blow this motherfucker up.

I need everybody back.

Get all those people
back over there.

[SCREAMING]

Fire engine!
They called a fire engine!

Someone must have called
the fire department.

We got to get
the hell out of here.

No, no, no, hold on.

That's why we got
the permits on Friday,

so they couldn't notify
the fire department.

You can't buy this kind
of production value.

Tommy, get over here.

Listen, fire department's
going to show up soon.

Don't show them the permit
till the last possible second.

I'll get the production value.

Sweetback's
going to make his escape.

Roll the cameras. Go!

[SIREN WAILING]

MELVIN:
Somehow we got that shot.

With the Cosby money,

a deal from the labs,

and my borrowing
from anyone I could,

our little ragtag crew

managed to make it
through the end of the shoot.

Trial by fire
will singe your ass,

but it also bonds.

We'd become
more than comrades in arms.

We were family.

Smoked turkey?

Last you're going to see
in a while.

Tommy's taking me
on his next film.

Teach him
how to make sound.

Somebody's got
to learn this shit

before I retire.

That's fucking great.

That's beautiful.

Beautiful.

Come here.
Oh!

Hey, Melvin.

Huh?

Allow me
to introduce you.

This is Jimmy,

the best editor
no money can buy.

Jimmy, you up for spending

long hours in a dark room
with me?

Because I'm a motherfucker
to work with.

Fun is the enemy, sir.

I see you've been briefed.

All right, welcome aboard.

I'll tell you one thing
right now.

Independent filmmaking
would not exist

had Melvin not put a "Van"
in the middle of his name.

You know, when you're clowning
and making the man laugh,

you can do anything,

but when you get serious,
you see,

that's when
you become dangerous.

Yeah, it kind of went, like,
* You bled my mama *

* You bled my papa *

* But you won't bleed me **

[**]

MELVIN: Good news was,

Earth, Wind & Fire
came through

with some of the music.

We played it against the movie,

and it worked
like a motherfucker.

Now!

* You bled my mama *

* You bled my papa *

* Won't bleed me *

* Won't bleed me **

Yeah! That's it!

That is it!

We got it, baby!

You know
what you want.

You niggas going home

to make some more
of this music.

I need it. I need
all of it right now.

Time is money.
Go, go, go, go, go.

Jimmy, whenever
you're ready.

Speaking of which,
we need some bread, man.

Got it.

Got to give you
a check, though.

No problem.

Okay.

All right.

Bring it back to me now.

Right on.

That check was $500.

You ain't got that.

Get me some coffee.

Go on.
Get me some coffee.

[BARKING]

* You bled my mama *

[EAGLE SCREAMS]

MELVIN:
The bad news was

that with the rental
of the editing room

and all the money I owed,

interest was piling up.

Time was of the essence.

I couldn't make a dime
on the movie

until I sold it,

and I couldn't sell it
until I finished it.

My ass was dragging.

Name's Sweetback.

Sweetback!

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

Yeah.

I told you,

I got nothing to pay you with
until I sell this thing.

Yeah. No, no.

Uh, I don't know. Two weeks?

Unacceptable.

They want it now,
get it?

Is that a threat?

Take it any way
you want to.

Is that a threat, motherfucker?

Is that a fucking threat?

Where's Sweetback?
Where is he?

I don't know
where's Sweetback.

Where's Sweetback?

Come on, boy!

Where's Sweetback?

Where is he?

Sweetback!

Come on, boy!

[VOICES OVERLAPPING]

Are you okay?

You all right?

I'm okay.

Yeah, get...
Give me some coffee.

You got to see a doctor.

Go get me some coffee.

About your eyes.

You got to see a doctor.

Please, Dad.

Get the man some coffee.

Go ahead. I'm fine.
Go ahead.

MELVIN:
And that was it...

Go ahead, I'm fine.

The first time
my kid ever called me Dad.

You worry about your kids
until they put you in the grave.

He looked like he needed
a good meal and a good rest.

Circles under his eyes.

Melvin had lost a lot of weight.

He was in trouble, you see,

because I could see it
in his eyes.

MELVIN:
Things had gotten so bad,

I had to sell the bike.

From now,
on we'd be hoofing it.

I also had to collect
all my debts

by any motherfucking means
necessary.

[STRAINING]

Doctor said
if I didn't rest soon,

I could lose sight
in my left eye.

Rest wasn't an option,
so I got an eye patch.

I need the edit list
from yesterday.

Hey, can we talk?

We just did.

I said I need the edit list
from yesterday.

I'm quitting.

What the fuck did you say?

I have to quit.

Man, I'm really sorry.

but I got
this other thing.

You come in here,

telling me what the fuck
you going to do?

But--
You gonna leave
this fucking film

when I tell you you can!

BILL: Melvin!

What the fuck, man?

We had a deal! We had a deal!

You're the only
other motherfucker

in here besides me

that knows all these elements!

If I don't sell this shit
and make some bread soon,

I'm gonna lose
every fucking thing!

You got it?

* You bled my mama *

* You bled my papa *

MELVIN:
Things had gotten out of hand,

but somehow I managed
to get the movie done.

All 97 minutes of it.

I was desperate to sell.

Plan was
to have distributors come

to a cast and crew screening,

so the buyers would see it
with an enthusiastic audience.

You know, T,
the Temptations called.

They want their suit back.

MELVIN: I'd have to put on
my best game face.

Never let the buyers
see you bleed.

Action.

BOTH: No, we have not
seen Sweetback.

And cut.

The apple don't fall
far from the tree,

does it?

Ah, you're so right.

Comes a point

where you got
to let the kids go,

and just be supportive of them.

This was a movie

by the brothers
for the brothers

about the brothers,

and you know what?

We're all brothers.

They didn't even invite me
to the cast and crew screening.

Do you believe that shit?
It's not like I would have gone.

I mean, who the fuck am I?
Blame-a-Nigga?

Like everything bad
that happened

is Clyde's fault.

Motherfucker.

And that Bill Harris,

that white boy,

with all that peace and love
bullshit,

now, that was one honky

that was out to get me
from the very beginning.

I knew it. I could feel it.

I was supposed to have the lead
in this motherf-fucking movie,

but I had two f-fucking lines.

Well, it was very uncomfortable.

To be honest,
I didn't feel safe.

It was embarrassing.

The distributors were
tripping over themselves

to get out of the theater.

What can I say?
Listen, we like Mel.

Oh, well, we both do.
That's not the point.

It's just... the movie
wasn't entertaining...

and who wants to see
something like that?

First thing is,
when you make a movie,

you have to know
who your audience is

and that's a lesson
Mel completely forgot,

went completely
out of his head.

Very sad.

There's the guy
from Stax Records.

He says
the album's ready.

Just wants to know
when the movie's coming out.

Well, tell him
to give me some vinyl

and I'll let him know
when we know.

Okay?
Hey, brother.

Man, it's beautiful,
beautiful.

Congratulations.

Thank you, baby.

You're welcome.

Bill. Hey.

What's happening?

Let me borrow him
for one second.

So what do the fucking
the distributors think?

I don't know, man.

They split
halfway through.

One guy left his card.

I don't even know them.
Cinemation?

Wait, wait,

what about the guy
from Spotlight?

Yeah, he says,
once you get it rated,

if it gets nothing
harder than an R,

then he'll screen it.

Melvin,
we're going to have to run,

so I just want
to congratulate you

and tell you
a lot of hard work up there.

Good.

Who would believe
this bullshit artist?

Come on, come on.

What did you really think?

Honestly?

You know, uh, it's... it's...

it's a dangerous film.
What can I say?

But it's not dangerous
when John Wayne has the gun.

See, most of America
looks like John Wayne,

so I'm just a little nervous

people aren't going to be able

to identify with it.

I don't know. I always
identified with the Indians.

You know what?
I don't know anything,

so leave me out of it,
all right?

When's it rated?

When and if I submit it.

Okay, Melvin, no,
no, no, no, no.

You had the whole porn thing
that worked with the unions,

but the ratings board,

they're just gonna want
to cut out a few tits,

they're gonna want

to get rid
of a few swear words.

Just get your R and go.

You know what?
It's an all-white jury.

This board has been doing this
since the year zero.

Somebody has
to tell parents

what kids can see,
what they can't see.

I don't know nothing
about birthing babies!

JOSE:
It wasn't just the blacks

who were being portrayed
negatively.

It was all of us.

I'm telling you,

all the Mexicans
who kept saying,

"Badges!
I got no stinking badges!"

It was the Chinese...

You speak to me?

JOSE:
The Indians, you name it.

The truth is,

if you weren't white,
you were the joke.

Only thing is,
we weren't laughing.

MELVIN: And any white actor
could play us.

Yellow face, red face,
black face, or brown face.

Get yourself a feather
or a turban.

Who said that was okay?

Making us mammies and butlers,

kissing Shirley Temple's
little ass.

Didn't I tell you
to bring this water?

That's right.
It was you.

MELVIN: And it fucked up
white kids too,

because they'd think
that's who we were.

[REPORTERS CLAMORING]

No all-white jury has the right

to tell the black community
what it may or may not see.

Now the rest of you
want to submit to that program,

that's your business.

Honestly,

aren't you doing this
for the press?

Whose press? Whose press?

I'm not doing it

for the white media's
consumption,

or yours either.

I'm telling the truth, brother.

You take it
however you want to take it.

Melvin, you just
bought yourself an X.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

MELVIN: I was hemorrhaging cash,
every day bleeding more.

Calls for money were constant.
Even death threats now.

I devised a signal
for the inner circle.

Ring twice, hang up,
then call back.

HOWIE:
We had, uh...

We had a couple of calls
about the picture.

Nothing much,

but I thought I'd
tell you about it anyway.

One of them's... they'll...

they'll distribute
Sweetback worldwide,

but they want their fee up
front,

and they want

a 70 percentage
for perpetuity, so--

We're losing bread.

I know, I know,
it's ridiculous.

I don't even want
to think about it.

Listen, it only gets worse.

The other one,
it's a very low-ball buyer.

I'm not going to
insult you with it.

You ever hear of Cinemation?

HOWIE:
Cinemation? Yeah.

Yeah, they're a very low-level
distributor

doing mostly schlock,

if they're even
still in business.

Kid, you all right?

MELVIN:
Yeah, I'm fine.

Dad.
Huh?

The patch.

Oh, yeah.

How do I look?

H.N.I.C.

Head Nigga In Charge?

Huh.

So, I got to be honest here.

What we got
is an X-rated black film

with no stars.

No Sidney Poitier,
no Diahann Carroll.

In this film,

a black hustler
beats up two white cops,

screws a white chick,

and gets away with it.

Black folks are gonna
fucking love it, Jerry.

They're gonna love it.

Black folks don't own theaters
in America.

Old white guys do.

On Watermelon Man,
we had a nice opening.

Sweetback has gotta open big.
You with me? Bam!

How many theaters
can you get me?

Two if we're lucky.

Just two in L.A.?

Two in the U.S. of A,
my friend.

The second's in Atlanta.

The first in Detroit,
the Grand Circus.

It's run by the Goldberg twins.

Believe me, I begged.

I want to get us

in as many theaters
as possible.

My money is where your money is,

and even if they run it,

they're gonna play it safe.

They're gonna sandwich it
between two other flicks.

Only two theaters
in all of America,

and it won't even run alone,
not even first run.

They don't run X-rated films,
Melvin.

You know you can't even
print the title?

Sweet Sweetback's

Baadasssss Song?

You can't put it
in the newspapers.

You can't even put it
up on the marquee.

Let's get the fuck out of here.

No peeking.

All right, open up.

What you got there?

For finishing
your movie.

Congratulations, honey.

What's wrong?

I still got to pick out
a still photo

for the poster.

I can't even see straight.

Okay.

Okay, honey.

Listen, go to bed,
rest your eye,

and I'll help you
with that.

I'll take care of it.

Congratu-fucking-lations.

Fuck!

All right,
I'll do this fucking deal.

I just want to meet these guys
that run this theater.

Absolutely not.

You'll fuck it up for us.

Come on, man.

They're premiering my movie.

All right,
go charm the shit out of them.

Look, do us a favor, okay?

Why don't you take a shave,
put on a suit?

These guys are
very sharp dressers,

you understand?

All right, here's
where you're going.

HOWIE: To say that this
is self indulgent

to make this movie,

that's too good.

The thing is,

if you want to make
political statements,

you can't be concerned
about box office as well.

We were so busy talking shit

about bringing a message
to the people,

we never stopped to bother
whether the people gave a shit

about the message
we were bringing to them.

We were just wondering
if they would come.

[**]

Fernando!

Fernando!

Hello.

Look at what you're doing,
will you?

Excuse me.

The show don't start
till 2:00.

Fernando, I told you,

just copy off
the damn poster!

It's Zombie with a Z,
not an S.

I'm Melvin Van Peebles.

You're premiering
my movie.

The box office
ain't open yet.

Uh, you must be
Mr. Goldberg, correct?

Yeah.

I'm Melvin Van Peebles.

I'm the producer-director

of Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song,

This is my son, Mario.

Can we take a look
at your theater?

Hold on a second.

Okay.

All right, Ethel,
tell Manny I want to see him,

and get rid of this
crazy fucking shrasse, okay?

Yeah.
See you.

That's him.

Some wild movie.

You really schtupping
those girls?

MORT: What movie?
What fucking movie?

Hey, hey, you eat it,

you pay for it.

Right there.
Triple feature.

Desert Killers,
40-Foot Woman,

Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song.

Now, now, listen.
Don't short-change yourself

by playing it
as a triple feature, man.

Kid,

when white people lived
in this neighborhood,

we got first-run flicks.

Now we got a half-empty barn

playing second-run
triple features,

because your people want
a lot of movie for their buck.

Of course they do,

but you're not giving them
a lot of movie.

You're giving them
second-rate B stuff that's...

that's got nothing to do
with their lives.

Melvin, I saw the movie,
and I don't think--

Manny,

no offense,

but you guys
aren't the audience.

Hey, son.

Excuse me for a second.

What did you get?

3,200 seats total.

The balcony's been closed
for years.

2,062 seats working,

a dollar a ticket,

three shows a day.

Look, kid,

even if we ran
your movie alone,

it's rated X.

Reputable newspapers
won't run X-rated ads.

How's anyone going to
know it's playing?

Early to bed.
Early to rise.

Work like a dog, and...

advertise.

Sweetback soundtrack
and T-shirt.

A record?

We don't sell records.

This is a Sweetback
soundtrack.

I'm gonna be all over
the local radio station

to play this soundtrack,

wear that
fucking t-shirt,

and talk about
the world premiere

of Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song

right here,

at Goldberg's spectacular

Grand Circus Theater.

It's still got to be
a triple feature.

I'll make you a bet.

I'll bet you

a brand new suit

that if you run
Sweetback alone,

the way it should be,

you'll make more money
in one day

than you did all last week.

Chutzpah,
this fucking kid.

A suit?

Three pieces,
our tailor?

Your tailor.

There's two of us.

And one of me.

If I lose, I lose double.

* They bled your mama *

* Won't bleed me *

* They bled your papa *

* Your mama
And your sister too *

[**]

RADIO ANNOUNCER:
Hey, Detroit, this is
the main man,

J.J. Davis,

right here at KLST,

and we're here
in the studio

with Mr. Melvin
Van Peebles,

the soul brother
of cinema.

We're taking calls
for Mr. Van Peebles.

KLST. Rap on.

WOMAN: Mr. Van Peebles,

are you gonna be
in the theater

in person tonight?

That depends, girl.
Are you on the pill?

Ooh!

KLST.
Rap on, brother.

MAN:
Hey, I seen your comedy
Watermelon Man

with Godfrey Cambridge, man.

Does Sweetback
have any stars in it?

Yeah, you, me...

The black community.
We're the star, brother.

MAN:
Oh, shit,

I look out my window
and see that for free.

Not on the big screen,
brother.

Sweetback opens tomorrow
at the Grand Circus.

Where else?

Right here in Detroit,
Grand Circus Theater,

world premiere.

What y'all showing?

First-run movie, brand new.

Sweetback's.

What else
shows with it?

Nothing.

Nothing?
For a dollar?

Let's go over
to the Greek Theater.

These people
are tripping.

Can't keep
forgetting to eat.

You hungry?

Yeah.

Go get some food.

Here. Here you go.

You don't want anything?

I'm fine. Go ahead.

[**]

* Oh *

* Doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo-doo-doo *

You've got a...

You've got a... sweet back.

Mm.

MAN: Sir, I think we've
discovered the weapon

on one
of the assailants.

Uh-huh.

Sweetback.
Yeah.

We have
a new development in the case.

Wash your car,
mister?

Get away from here.

No charge
if you don't like it.

Yeah, no charge
if you don't like it.

Too bad the witness has
injured himself in a fall.

Okay.

Right, sir.

Commissioner says

get the information out
on the nigger

before we get into the station.

[GROANING]

[CLAPPING]

WOMAN:
[ECHOING] Well?

WOMAN: Oh, Lord.
Let's go.

Mm-mm-mm.

[CLAPPING, LAUGHING]

I mean, it's gotta be
something funny,

because they want
something funny.

COSBY: You sure you know
what you gettin' into

with this whole
independent stuff?

MELVIN: Average hustler
turns revolutionary.

Another comedy?

Serious as cancer.

Who's gonna want to see that?

Who's gonna see that?
Who's gonna see that?

Well?

They'll show.

They'd better.

It's 15 minutes
till the 7:00 show.

If your soul brothers
don't show by then,

we have to cut
our losses

and switch
to the other movies

while we still can.

Eagles ain't nothin'
but a bird.

White man ain't nothin'
but a turd.

Niggas ain't shit.

Fuck you.

No, you fucked us.

Change the marquee.

Switch to Zombies
and 40-Foot Woman,

r�pido!

All right, all right.

Hello, five for Sweetback.

Oh, I-- I'm sorry.

We're not playing
that one anymore.

I can give you tickets

to 40-Foot Woman
and Killer Zombie.

Well, the the marquee
says "Sweetback."

You got a problem?

BILL: Well, I sure hope not,

because we drove
a long-ass way

to see Sweetback.

Customer's
always right, Ethel.

Hi, sweetie.

Hi.

Where's Daddy?

I don't know.

Hey.

J.T.

[APPLAUSE]

ETHEL: Look, Manny.

We've got a problem.

There was this guy--
he was in here before--

acting suspicious.

Gang members, more of them
keep gathering.

They're up to something.
I know it.

MANNY: Black Panthers.
What do they want?

Get Melvin.

He left.

ETHEL: We don't
give refunds.

That's our policy.

Give him his refund, Ethel.

No, lady, I wanna buy
some tickets.

Yes, sir. Uh--
How many?

Twenty-two.

Twenty-three.

Make it 23.

[WHISTLING, HOOTING]

[**]

[CLAPPING, WHISTLING]

Manny...

you're never gonna believe this.

Outside.

Oh, my God.

Will you look at that?

Morty.

Come here.

You ain't from around here.

L.A.

Long way to come
for a drink.

Yeah.

[VOICES SHOUTING]

What the fuck are they showing?

[PEOPLE HOOTING]

We're getting more, sir.
It'll be just one minute.

We're sold out.

Like hell we are.
We'll open the balcony.

We're out of popcorn,
and there's no hot dogs left.

I'll take over the stand.

You go down to the Greek Theater.

Buy whatever they got.
Fernando can help you carry it.

Don't slop up my Caddy.

Hot dogs too?

Don't they have to be Kosher?

We're not eating them, schmuck.

We're just selling them. Now go.

[SIRENS BLARE]

Told you, man.

I told you it'd be bad, man.

Shut up man.
Shut up.

* They bled your mama *

Won't bleed me!

WOMAN: Go, baby!

POLICE: He's got to get
to the border.

You see him?

WOMAN: They're coming,
Sweetback.

Run, Sweetback.

Run motherfucker, run.

BILL: Down in front!

[BARKING]

Look, he's getting away.
He's getting away.

We've gotta get him
before he gets to the border.

CHORUS: The man knows
everything, Sweetback.

SWEETBACK: Then he oughta know
what's coming to him

for fucking with me.

MELVIN:
Well...

Sweet Sweetback's
Baadasssss Song

became the top grossing
independent hit of 1971.

Folks started calling me
"Mel Baby" again.

Cinemation got out
of bankruptcy.

Bill Cosby got paid back.

Earth, Wind & Fire
blew up...

and oh, yeah,
those Goldberg twins--

They made me that suit.

I had a little bit of the money,

and I went to Mrs. Cosby,

and, uh, she said sure,
and that--

It was done as far as I was
concerned.

BILL: The first time
I found out about Sweetback

was one day when I went
to visit Melvin,

and he came to the door
with a big gun in his hands.

JOSE: "Okay, that's enough.
I heard enough.

Lock him up."

Suspected grand larceny

and impersonating L.A.P.D.
police officers.

So we spent the weekend in jail.

So I brought the dildo
back to Melvin,

and Melvin said, "It's brown."

I said "So? What's the big deal?

He said, "Go back
and get me a black one."

VERDINE: And he was almost
like a conductor.

Melvin would show us clips
of the film

and say, "Okay, this is gonna
go here.

This is gonna go there."

Melvin was the time filler.

My brother Maurice knew Melvin.

He was very tight with Melvin,

so Melvin had this idea
about doing this crazy film.

The thing I remember most of all

is that he gave me a check
for $500.

That check was $500.
You ain't got that.

That check bounced all over,
all over...

all over the world, you dig?

I do remember singing
with Earth, Wind & Fire...

Wash your car, mister?

for the soundtrack.

And my voice is so bad.

No charge
if you don't like it.

Yeah. No charge
if you don't like it.

It was because
of Melvin's commitment

and Melvin's focus
and his passion about this.

Nothing was gonna prevent him.

If he had to die
making this film,

he would make this film.

The Panthers... identified
with the part

that I played as Mu-Mu.

We had every one of our chapters

mobilize community support
to go see that movie

because we were so inspired

by this first revolutionary
piece of cinema.

Very important film.

It was a great deal
of solidarity.

That's what brought us together.

Hollywood ain't seen nothing
like Melvin, ever before.

He was a combination
of arrogance, insecurity,

and boastfulness.

We've come full circle,

and some of the things
that were happening

at that particular time,

the message that was delivered
in that particular film,

we're still experiencing
some of that today.

HILLIARD:
We supported that film

to the extent that we put
the film in our newspapers.

People keep saying,
"Follow your dream,"

and I say, "Okay,"

but I think
there's more to it than that.

I think follow your dream--

the first thing you do
is you wake up.

Shaft, I think, was being
written for a white actor,

and after "Sweetback,"

they changed it over
for a black person.

It was before Shaft.

It was before, uh...
New Jack City.

It was-- It was really
the prelude

of all the films
that we see now.

I think that Melvin Van Peebles
is a wonderful example,

and not the only example,

but a wonderful example
of a person

who had a thought, dreamt,
woke up, did it,

and it's still good.

MAURICE:
* You bled your mama *

* You bled your papa *

* But you won't bleed me *