gbill-74877
Joined Mar 2016
Badges3
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Ratings3.4K
gbill-74877's rating
Reviews3.1K
gbill-74877's rating
"I met the president. We in trouble."
Not always politically correct by today's standards, but the importance of Richard Pryor's comedy can't be overstated. His ability to slip into characters in this act and deal with a rather unruly crowd in New Orleans were fantastic. And amidst the riffs on his troubles doing drugs and in his marriages, he also slips in bits like the custom of dancing at funerals in New Orleans, the pride of the newly independent country of Zimbabwe, and how America typically handles drug issues ("They call it an epidemic now. That means white folks are doing it"). It's not his greatest act, but there are some real gems, and I loved the raw sense of authenticity.
Not always politically correct by today's standards, but the importance of Richard Pryor's comedy can't be overstated. His ability to slip into characters in this act and deal with a rather unruly crowd in New Orleans were fantastic. And amidst the riffs on his troubles doing drugs and in his marriages, he also slips in bits like the custom of dancing at funerals in New Orleans, the pride of the newly independent country of Zimbabwe, and how America typically handles drug issues ("They call it an epidemic now. That means white folks are doing it"). It's not his greatest act, but there are some real gems, and I loved the raw sense of authenticity.
"'Cause there aren't any."
Prime Richard Pryor, despite what he had just done to himself a couple of years earlier. There are lots of great bits here, but hearing him talk about going to Africa and his addiction to freebasing cocaine are truly special. Loved the Mafia and Mudbone segments too. Must see if you like comedy.
Prime Richard Pryor, despite what he had just done to himself a couple of years earlier. There are lots of great bits here, but hearing him talk about going to Africa and his addiction to freebasing cocaine are truly special. Loved the Mafia and Mudbone segments too. Must see if you like comedy.
"With enough time and enough money, you could spend the rest of your life following the summer around the world."
The pinnacle of Bruce Brown's surfing films and a cult classic, The Endless Summer has a couple of things which distinguish it from his others, which are all a celebration of the emerging surf lifestyle and a window into an era. For one thing, it follows two surfers, 21-year-old Mike Hynson and 18-year-old Robert August as they travel around the world in search of untouched surfing spots and the "perfect wave." That alone gives it the feel of a travelogue as they visit Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and California. While a lot of that was incredibly cool, like their discovery of extraordinary waves at Cape St. Francis in South Africa after trekking three miles over sand dunes, there is also some unfortunate bits of casual racism in Brown's narration, e.g. When he condescendingly refers to a village in Ghana as being primitive, so beware of that.
The other thing which makes this film so unique is the idea of remaining in an "endless summer" by traveling the world from one hemisphere to another, which Brown admits would take a great deal of privilege. There is an aspect of this idea that seems like it's cheating Time, or defying the natural way of things, and when you combine that with the degree of nostalgia in the film for youth, it's irresistible.
The pinnacle of Bruce Brown's surfing films and a cult classic, The Endless Summer has a couple of things which distinguish it from his others, which are all a celebration of the emerging surf lifestyle and a window into an era. For one thing, it follows two surfers, 21-year-old Mike Hynson and 18-year-old Robert August as they travel around the world in search of untouched surfing spots and the "perfect wave." That alone gives it the feel of a travelogue as they visit Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and California. While a lot of that was incredibly cool, like their discovery of extraordinary waves at Cape St. Francis in South Africa after trekking three miles over sand dunes, there is also some unfortunate bits of casual racism in Brown's narration, e.g. When he condescendingly refers to a village in Ghana as being primitive, so beware of that.
The other thing which makes this film so unique is the idea of remaining in an "endless summer" by traveling the world from one hemisphere to another, which Brown admits would take a great deal of privilege. There is an aspect of this idea that seems like it's cheating Time, or defying the natural way of things, and when you combine that with the degree of nostalgia in the film for youth, it's irresistible.
Insights
gbill-74877's rating