Bamboozled

Writing in VL-3/01, reviewer Rob Blackwelder said, 'beginning as a stinging, double-edged satire of stereotype exploitation, Spike Lee’s racially charged Bamboozled slowly transforms into a heavy-handed horsewhipping as it loses its sense of humor. Intelligent, persuasive, scathing, and provocative, the picture delivers a pasting to upstart TV networks that run clownish urban sitcoms, with Damon Wayans here as an embattled comedy writer (and ostentatious Harvard "oreo") who creates the most racist, offensive show he can imagine to mock his ghetto-wannabe boss (Michael Rapaport): a modern minstrel show complete with actors in blackface, playing "real coons" who live in a watermelon patch. Unfortunately, to his shock and dismay, the show becomes a hit. Lee offers up a sharply observant and ultimately effective piece of shock therapy, asking just how far degradation must go before it’s recognized as socially detrimental (but once he climbs on his soapbox, the smart satire takes a backseat to the blatant preaching). Although Wayans’s performance is often obnoxious, costars Tommy Davidson, Savion Glover, and Jada Pinkett-Smith fare better.' Presented with a 2K digital transfer, 2000’s Bamboozled bows on high def with a slew of extras, including a 2001 director’s audio commentary, a new conversation between Lee and critic Ashley Clark, new interviews (with Glover, Davidson, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter), a 2001 'making-of' documentary, deleted scenes, music videos, alternate parody commercials, a poster gallery, and an essay by Clark. A strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)