Dolemite is My Name

Starring Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a down- and- out failed musician, comedian, and shake dancer still looking for his big break. In the early 1970s, Moore works in a record store and one of his duties is kicking the bums out. One particular bum who comes in is always rapping, telling these funny stories and commands the attention of whoever is around. Moore takes notice and decides to buy all of his stories to refine and create the character the guy is talking about, Dolomite. After borrowing money from his aunt to record a comedy album in his living room, Moore/Dolomite finally see his big break. He starts making money, touring and making more albums. One thing he hasn't conquered is the big screen. He sees making a movie as a way to get his story out to all of the people at once.

With his record label backing him, he starts production on the Dolomite movie. Its on a shoe string budget and shot in a boarded up hotel now inhabited by transients. He hires Key and Peele's heavily moustached, community theatre actor Key to write the script, and a hilarious and flamboyant Wesley Snipes plays the director/ bad guy in "Dolomite". Snipes was such a funny character in this feature- omg. He nailed this role.

Of course they wrap the film and it does get released and was a success.

This was such a "bigger picture" piece for me. Sure "Dolomite" was low budget, campy, corny, silly and just poor, but it was entertainment. They knew they weren't remaking Gone With the Wind. It wasn't supposed to be some grandiose cinematic art- it was supposed to make folks laugh and have a good time and love life for a couple of hours. Moore had such a vision, he lived in "the now" where he saw opportunities meet preparation. He never gave up, no matter how many times he heard "No". Moore had a perseverance and a drive about him and his hard work absolutely paid off. It's amazing to see this played out on film with modern actors all these decades later; it's definitely a film where you can feel the hunger and the reward.

A N&T recommend here, and if you've never seen "Dolomite", this film recreates it just enough that you want to pull out the VHS and watch it again.

Submitted November 08, 2019 at 05:35AM by DominoBarksdale https://ift.tt/2CqrwjT