Product Details

• Directors: Michel Gondry
• Producers: Dave Chappelle, Mustafa Abuelhija, Julie Fong, Bob Yari
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: June 13, 2006
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FMH8RG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,808 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Dave Chappelle's Block Party (Unrated Widescreen Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Few movies, documentary or otherwise, capture the relaxed exuberance of Dave Chappelle's Block Party. This is Chappelle's first project since his show on Comedy Central received so much popular and critical attention that he apparently had a psychological meltdown and fled to Africa to escape. You can still see a hint of weariness and wariness in his eyes--but even more you can see his relief to be launching a project that bears no expectations. Funded by his own money and free to all who attended, Chappelle set up a secret concert location in Brooklyn and pulled together a musical lineup of stellar acts, including Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Common, the Roots, Dead Prez, and the reunion of the Fugees, all of whom give vibrant performances. But Block Party doesn't just capture the show; at least a third of the movie is Chappelle wandering around Brooklyn or the Ohio neighborhood where he lives and interacting with the people he meets, many of whom he gives free tickets for the show. These scenes, combined with footage of the performers rehearsing or just gassing around before the show, offer a sense that for Chappelle performing is just an extension of his everyday life; that he takes just as much pleasure from goofing around with one person as he does goofing around in front of hundreds or thousands. Putting together this event becomes a unique self-portrait as well as an experience that rejuvenated Chappelle. If you surrender to the vitality of the show and Chappelle's loose comic jazz, you may find it rejuvenating too. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Celebrate with Dave Chappelle in the uncensored, unforgettable and unbelievably hilarious full-length movie about throwing the ultimate block party. Join Dave as he travels through the heartland and makes a special stop in his hometown to pass out invitations to attend the event of the decade. It's a front-row seat for outrageous laughs with music from today's hottest artists. Be a part of what Dave Chappelle calls "the best single day of my career!"

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Step up to the "Block" March 3, 2006

By Clare Quilty

For all its benefits, one of the things that modern technology has really put the kibosh on, unfortunately, is the concert movie.

These days, fans can see their favorite musicians on so many small screens -- on cable TV, the Internet, even their cellphones -- that there really isn't much of a demand for old-school, 1970s and '80s-era big-screen music experiences in the style of "Woodstock," "The Last Waltz," Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same" or the Talking Heads' excellent "Stop Making Sense."

Leave it to comedian Dave Chappelle, then, to bankroll something as unexpected as "Block Party," a film that fits right into that "back-in-the-day" cinematic category.

In September 2004, (before his famous flight to Africa) Chappelle set up a stage in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood and filmed a concert that featured hip-hop and R&B acts including Kanye West, the Roots, Erykah Badu and a reunion of the Fugees.

Like the 1973 documentary "Wattstax" (to which "Block Party" pays unabashed homage), the film focuses as much on the audience and the show's locale as it does the musicians onstage, and Chappelle wanders through it all, riffing in his edgy drawl that's part hip alley cat, part lunatic. His comic bit about James Brown's routine of commanding "hornshouts" from his band, those little blasts of instrumental punctuation, is one of the funniest scenes in any comedy in a long while.

Director Michel Gondry, who animated the White Stripes with Lego blocks and made "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," filmed the concert and peppers the movie with great little random, textural bits: Chappelle reflecting on jazz great Thelonious Monk or talking to the woman who supervised the day care center attended by the late Biggie Smalls; Wyclef Jean firing up a group of kids; a blissfully happy young couple on their way to the show.

There's a lot of music in the movie, too, and while "Block Party" isn't as much of a roof-raiser as one might expect (the heaviest it gets is West performing "Jesus Walks" with the Central State University marching band), the vibe is mostly funk and jazzy riffs, surprisingly mellow and accessible.

If the film has a drawback it's that, as in "Wattstax," the performance footage is constantly intercut with interviews. It's great to see the Fugees together again, but odd when Gondry cuts into their number to show ... musicians commenting on how great it is to see the Fugees together again.

But that's a minor quibble. For the most part, "Block Party" is an exuberant, inspiring surprise and a welcome wintertime blast of music and comedy. And it's especially cool that Chappelle has brought the concert movie back to American multiplexes.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful thing to behold July 9, 2006

By Andrew Cox

Format:DVD

Even as a fan of Dave Chapelle and all the artists featured in his block party, I was a bit apprehensive about this movie/documentary due to all the negative reviews it got. But within the first five minutes of the film, I knew that it was going to be something great. People expecting Dave Chapelle the comedian or one of his characters will be disappointed because what you get instead is Dave Chapelle the person. He's out interacting with real people and offering them the chance to be a part of something that he believes in. He's just out to have a good time and he wants to share that with as many people as possible, from Ohio probation officers and townspeople to the actual residents of the community where many of the artists featured in his block party were brought up. This is Dave doing something that he wants to do out of love for the music and its power to bring people together. The joy and energy of the people and artists featured is contagious, as is Dave's benevolence. It truly was a beautiful thing to behold!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It's called Dave Chappelle's BLOCK PARTY, not Dave's block comedy August 6, 2006

By Joshua Adair

Format:DVD

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions first and foremost. I can't understand why a lot of people are bashing this flick when it's obvious they failed to piece together that this movie is a documentary about a.... (are you ready?) BLOCK PARTY! Seems to me all the people who are giving this movie a 1 star review were expecting to see a live version of The Chappelle Show or maybe some stand-up. C'mon people the title says everything. It's a show Dave and many of his close jazzy underground hip-hop friends put on in BK to show love to the people. How can you bash that? When was the last time you seen an entertainer on the top of his game put on a free show with as many well known acts as he did just to show his fans that they're appreciated? I give this flick a 4 star review for the simple fact that I don't think it's a perfect film. The acts were all on point in my humble opinion. If you like socially conscious hip hop then I think you'd enjoy this movie. Peace and Love.