Dolemite

For the mineral, see Dolomite

Poster

Dolemite is a 1975 blaxploitation feature film, and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film. Moore had developed the alter-ego as a stand-up comedian and released several comedy albums using this persona. The film was directed by D'Urville Martin, who appears as the villain Willie Green. The film is generally seen to have taken the blaxploitation genre beyond what previous films such as Shaft had done, playing black stereotypes to a highly exaggerated extent. Unlike many blaxploitation films, however, Dolemite was written and directed by African Americans.

Often seen as more of a parody than a true blaxploitation film, Dolemite is usually appreciated in a manner much as Plan 9 From Outer Space is, amusingly inept by any true cinematic standards, though that may well be the point. A minor but often cited flaw with the film is the tendency for the boom microphone to appear on screen for extended periods of time. It has attained something of a cult status, earning it a following and making it more well known than many of its counterparts. It has been parodied on the sketch comedy show MADtv.

The Human Tornado, an often neglected sequel, was released in 1976. This sequel took the humor of low-budget production further, with the absurdly choreographed fight scenes played at fast speed.

References in pop culture

The 2000 film Big Money Hustlas features "The Ghost of Dolemite" as a character.
In the film Booty Call, Bunz (played by Jamie Foxx) states, "I thought sodomite was Dolemite's cousin."
Dolemite makes a guest appearance at the beginning of the 1997 album, When Disaster Strikes, by rapper Busta Rhymes, and in the intro of the 2001 album, Genesis.

In the film Broken Flowers (2005) Bill Murray's character Don Johnston is talking to his neighbour's daughter and discussing who her father might be.

Don Johnston: He's that Dolemite guy right?

Young Girl: No, not Dolemite.

Don Johnston: No?

Young Girl: He's down.

Don Johnston: Keep your eyes open. He may be Dolemite.

External links

[Dolemite.com] - everything you'd ever want to know about Dolemite and Blaxploitation
[Reviews of Dolemite] at Rotten Tomatoes

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