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March 10, 2010
Lost surprises
I don't know which was the bigger surprise on last night's "Lost": finding out who Ben is talking to on his doorstep, or seeing the "Directed by Mario Van Peebles" credit that flashed up on the screen at the same time (full episode here).
The last I'd heard of Mario, he was directing and starring in a homage to his father Melvin's seminal 1971 blaxploitation movie Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, called, naturally Baadasssss! It was, and I mean this with all sincerity, badass.
Since then, he's directed a few episodes of "Law & Order" and now has a small role on "Damages". I don't think he's really made a movie since Baadasssss! (that's 5 s's) in 2003, but he has somehow gotten to direct three feature-length movies that are in production right now, including:
- a movie about spiritual redemption with Michael Clarke Duncan and the always skeezy Tom Skerritt called Black, White and Blues,
- an insane-looking Russian produced movie about secret missions in Iraq with Bill Pullman and a guy from Twilight called Kerosene Cowboys,
- and one about a young football player called Things Fall Apart, written by and starring 50 Cent, though seemingly not related to the Roots album, the novel by Chinua Achebe, or the poem by Yeats.
Plus a BET documentary about black male role models called "Bring Your A Game" with Spike Lee and Ice Cube. And an episode of "Lost".
Mario Van Peebles, I don't know how you do it. Either he's got the world's best agent, he works really cheap, or the entertainment industry thinks back on New Jack City with overpowering fondness.
categories:
Celebrities, Movies, TV
posted by amy at 10:22 AM | #
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Comments
Right, Mario Van Peebles directed 3 eps of Damages and appeared in a bunch of episodes last year. If we want to get rigorously thorough about his recent career, he also appeared in a year's worth of "All My Children" episodes in 2008.
My point is that these kinds of TV appearances wouldn't lead me to think his movie directing/producing career would be as busy as it looks like it is these days.
I don't watch Damages and I love Lost, so I'm biased. But even so, directing an episode of Lost, which has 10 times as many viewers as Damages, strikes me as a bigger deal career-wise.
And he did a great job--I hope my man Mario gets more episodes.
Posted by: amy at March 10, 2010 3:36 PM
And he also did a docu called "Fair Game?" this year that just recently aired on TV1. Glad to see him on such a prominent show.
Posted by: Yvette at March 10, 2010 4:06 PM
It sounds like "Fair Game" was an extended version of his shorter "Bring Your A Game" doc. Lots of love for Mario!
Posted by: amy at March 10, 2010 4:48 PM
I was totally shocked about this too, but the episode was great, so well done Mario!
Posted by: Lightwalker at March 11, 2010 10:42 PM
what the FUKC are you talking about?
he starred (and not in a small role) in 2 seasons of Damages and directed lots of episodes too!
Posted by: mal at March 10, 2010 3:11 PM