Dyn-o-mite! Black Dynamite's badasssss screening | Show and Tell | Denver | Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado
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Dyn-o-mite! Black Dynamite's badasssss screening

If it weren't for a few smirking touches of ironic self-awareness, you'd swear Black Dynamite was straight out of the blaxploitation era. Not only does it feature the baddest motha-shut-yo-mouth since Shaft and Sweet Sweetback rolled into one, plus a ridiculously convoluted plot reaching to the top level of government...
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If it weren't for a few smirking touches of ironic self-awareness, you'd swear Black Dynamite was straight out of the blaxploitation era. Not only does it feature the baddest motha-shut-yo-mouth since Shaft and Sweet Sweetback rolled into one, plus a ridiculously convoluted plot reaching to the top level of government (the climax is a kung-fu battle with Richard Nixon), it's also shot on Super 16 film, so it looks like the '70s. It isn't really, of course. It came out in 2009 to become an immediate classic of the genre, and like all classics, the only way to really see it is on the big screen -- which you can do tomorrow night. And for just $10, you will get that and a whole lot of other badasssss songs.

The concept of the evening, put together by promoter ASR Entertainment, is almost as convoluted as the plot of the movie, but that won't make it any less awesome. Originally, the screening was intended to promote Black Dynamite: Slave Island, a comic book starring the character from the film and following him as he takes down in characteristically badass fashion a remote island where black slavery still exists. Except it kind of ended up not really being about that.

"I had been giving out copies of the limited edition of the comic book for promotion for this event, and now I don't have too many of them left," admits ASR president Paul Matthews. "And I wasn't able to get any out here to sell. So whoever gets the five or so of them I have left, I guess that'll be a good thing. I'll probably have the guys autograph them."

Those guys would be Adrian Younge, who edited the film and composed the soundtrack, and Loren Oden, lead singer of the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, Younge's band, and the character Leon St. James in the film, both of whom will be appearing in person to talk about the movie -- Younge is also spinning a set. And that won't be the only music of the evening, either.

There are actually two screenings -- one at 6 p.m. and one at 10 p.m. -- both of which are attached to receptions with live music; the first features the fantastic DJ Cavem (aka Ietef Hotep Vita, one of our 100 Colorado Creatives) and the second is anchored by GirlGrabbers, one of our favorite local hip-hop acts (we gave GirlGrabber producer Qknox Best Hip Hop Producer this year). Actually, they're both some of our favorite local hip-hop acts -- seriously, just the lineup alone is worth the admission price.

Both go down at the Crossroads Theater in Five Points. Don't miss it, mothafucka.

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