Kanye West Video:

Editorial Review:
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

Block Party Reviews:
Greatest Concert Movie Ever???
2009-08-16 - Totally overlooked, maybe because this is a concet movie, not a comedy. Incredible performances by Lauren Hill, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Dead Prez. Umi Says is worth the price alone. Great, feel good concert flick.

Join the party now
2008-12-13 - This is by far one of the best concert films out there, if you love hip hop its a must have.

Brilliant!
2008-02-19 - I love this movie/concert production by the always brilliant and funny Dave Chappelle! The music is amazing, the commentaries and insightful, and Dave's jokes are appropriate (it's not a comedy or stand-up, he's just being himself). As a child of the 70s, I can appreciate this movie on so many levels. First of all, it is reminiscient of the movie concerts of the past (before You Tube, etc.). Secondly, the music and the choice of musicians is brilliant. However you want to categorize the artists (Hip Hop, Neo Soul, etc), they are the voice of now and conscious artists who commit not only to their artistry but also to being activist and supporters of the community. Thirdly, you get to see that Dave Chappelle is multifaceted and truly concerned with providing people with food for thought (not just jokes). Not that this matters but (like Talib Kweli) he is the son of collge professors. That said, he was, I'm sure, raised to be a "thinker" and a "doer." This concert was about him getting together with like-minded artists (Jill Scott, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Kayne West, Common, Dead Prez, and appearances by the legendary Big Daddy Kane, John Legend, the HBCU band of Central State, etc.) and getting together with us, the viewer. If you really listened to the message then you should have walked away from the experience feeling inspired.

PS check out Erykah Badu's new CD coming out next week. New AmErykah, Pt. One: 4th World War

Dave Chappelle at his best
2007-12-30 - Loved this movie when I saw it on HBO. Love it even more since I own it. I have watched it several times.

Horrible
2007-12-30 - Dave Chappelle is a great stand up and had a great show. This movie is nothing like that. It is more like a 2 hour music video. If you like the bands in the movie, you will probably like this. If you dont, this is a horrible movie, I almost turned it off before it was done.