Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

[revbfc]

Eddie Murphy stars as the legendary entertainer Rudy Ray Moore in this movie directed by Craig Brewer.

[Spartan Girl]

Just saw it and all I can say is Eddie where have you been?!

It was really good. I can't help being inspired how Rudy and his friends responded to rejection by putting out his records and later his movie by himself and it went on to become a hit. Yeah, Dolemite was dumb but so are a bunch a bunch of movies, and they're fun anyway. So let that be a lesson to you: don't let the critics make you give up on your own material. You will find your audience.

Loved the dedication to Charlie Murphy at the end.

Edited October 27, 2019 by Spartan Girl

[roseslg]

my husband and i just watched it. We thought it was hilarious. We loved the scenes of the real movie at the end.  All the wine i had also helped!

[revbfc]

One of the greatest entrances I ever saw live was by him.  It was the 1992 “Watch It Sucker Review” at DAR Constitution Hall in DC, Blowfly had just walked off stage, and the lights went dark.  Then Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra” started to play, the doors at the back opened up, and Moore walked down the center aisle to the stage in a white suit (spotlight on him), handing out roses to the ladies he passed.  The crowd went nuts.  He knew that people didn’t just come to hear him tell jokes, his fans loved him because his confidence was infectious.  His stage persona was larger than life, and people ate it up, because with that confidence came genuine kindness that he gave back to his fans.

This movie is a fitting tribute to his legend.

Edited October 27, 2019 by revbfc

[CherryMalotte]

Just got done watching this and I loved it!  What a great cast this was and I am no Eddie fan, but he did a wonderful job here.  

Now I must say some friends from a movie club and I have run Dolemite which includes a drinking game - every time you see the boom mike in the film.  It's quite a lot.  Still a fun fun film though so screw the critics.  There are some films you just see for fun, not to work out the great questions of life.

[festivus]

Just watched this. Man, I loved all that 70s goodness. Wesley Snipes just cracked me up and I thought Eddie was great. Now I want to see the real movie. I was just a little kid in the 70s, so I missed out. Hubby just came in and said it's on Amazon Prime.

I think my favorite scene (besides the sex scene which was hilarious) was when Snoop Dogg locked the door and played Rudy's old record.

[Vixenstud]

It took me a while to watch this movie and now that I did....it was okay.

Eddie was really good in it but I'd be surprised if he got an Oscar consideration; the nomination should go to Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Lady Reed who IMO stole the show! 

I liked Wesley too but couldn't understand why he was playing D'urville Martin like he was gay....don't remember that about the actor.

Loved the Ding-a-ling song too.

I've got to use 'rat soup eatin' motherfucka' on somebody, lol.

Appreciated the Charlie Murphy dedication but one for Rudy should have been included, despite the movie being about him. 

[tennisgurl]

Eddie, you went and got funny again! 

That was really good, I had a lot of fun watching that, and there really is a very inspiring story in here about never giving up on your dreams, no matter how many people tell you that they're impossible. I loved seeing everyone coming together (Rudy and his pals, Wesley Snipes "big shot" Keegan-Michael Key`s social drama writer, the film students) and working their hardest to make this very low budget, very silly, but also very fun movie, and how while Rudy never got much critical acclaim, he gave people a fun time, and I think thats what was most important to him. I've always had a soft spot for 70s era low budget films, they're so silly but so much fun!

It was also fun to see some of the movie take place in my hometown of Indianapolis! We never get shown in movies, so that was a fun surprise! 

[xaxat]

I also enjoyed this movie. Because of the history of our experience in the US, African Americans don't often get to reflect nostalgically on the past. This was a hilarious slice of the seventies.

Back when I was a kid in the seventies, my parents had a big album collection, jazz, blues, Motown etc. It was only when I reached my thirties that I found out that they also had a secret stash of Redd Foxx and Rudy Ray Moore albums they kept hidden in their bedroom.

[truthaboutluv]

On 10/26/2019 at 9:27 PM, Spartan Girl said:

So let that be a lesson to you: don't let the critics make you give up on your own material. You will find your audience.

Rudy was 100 percent on point when he said "who cares what the critics think. It's whether the people like the movie". How many times have people had conversations about how the viewing public's opinion rarely reflects that of the critics', especially if Award shows are anything to go by. How many times has a film won a bunch of Awards and truthfully, how many people ever saw it?

Rudy was obviously not out to make some Academy Award winning film. He was just trying to appeal to his audience and have his comedy be on the big screen. And he did that.

I also thought he was dead on when he said the review that called the film the crudest thing was a great review because sure enough, it would arouse people's curiosity. 

On 11/6/2019 at 3:00 PM, Vixenstud said:

I liked Wesley too but couldn't understand why he was playing D'urville Martin like he was gay....don't remember that about the actor.

I didn't think he was playing him as gay. I thought he was playing him as pretentious and fake as fuck with a faux accent that he clearly thought made him sound "posh" and like a "serious actor". 

That said, Wesley was the scene-stealer for me. I literally laughed out loud at so many of his scenes. Eddie was great, though yeah I'd be surprised if he gets an Oscar nom, in large part because of exactly what I posted above. 

The voters may not see this film on the level of Marriage Story, The Irishman, etc Or they may surprise people. I'm just glad to see Eddie back on the big screen and back out there. 

Edited December 9, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[DollEyes]

My verdict: loved it! This is not only Eddie Murphy's best work in years, it reminded me of Ed Wood, both the director & the movie.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Award nominations:

Best Actor – Eddie Murphy

Best Costume Design – Ruth E. Carter

Best Comedy

Best Hair and Makeup

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Awards!

BEST COMEDY
BEST COSTUME DESIGN - Ruth E. Carter

 

[Growsonwalls]

Saw this when I got home from work. I loved it. Eddie Murphy has the funniest voice inflections. He doesn't even have to be saying or doing anything that funny. But just the way he says it is funny. Like "When I think of back home, I think fuck back home." But he says it in that goofy familiar inflection. I love him.

[raven]

Watched this last night and really enjoyed it.  It was so funny while still being uplifting.  I thought Eddie did a great job showcasing Rudy's love of life and belief in himself. 

Agree that Wesley Snipes was a scene stealer.  I was also very interested in Lady Reed and her friendship with Ray.  Her encouraging Ray to make the sex scene funny when he was doubtful about it was well done - they really were shown to understand each other (and the sex scene was hilarious - well, the whole movie within the movie was).   Unfortunately there's not much known about Lady Reed, even on the History vs Hollywood page.  I also read an interview with Da'Vine Joy Randolph and she said she was saddened that there wasn't much info on her either.  Regardless, she also did a good job and was very charismatic on screen - not a small feat when you're sharing scenes with Murphy and Snipes.

I'm a sucker for a feel good story about making your dreams come true and this fit the bill - even better that it's a true story.  Kudos to Murphy for bringing it to the screen.

The 70s costuming was glorious as well.

On 10/27/2019 at 9:13 AM, revbfc said:

 He knew that people didn’t just come to hear him tell jokes, his fans loved him because his confidence was infectious.  His stage persona was larger than life, and people ate it up, because with that confidence came genuine kindness that he gave back to his fans.

Awesome!  I saw B.B. King years ago and it was the same - we were there to hear not just the music but to spend time with him and hear his stories too, whatever he wanted to give to the audience.