Mario Van Peebles: Melvin Van Peebles

Baadasssss!

Melvin Van Peebles

Melvin Van Peebles: Is this something negative, Priscilla? Because if it's negative, I can't even deal with it right now. I'm a broke, pissed off nigger from Chicago, and I'm down to my last cigar.

Melvin Van Peebles: Hollywood liked to show us clownin'. But, America wasn't in a laughin' mood - especially black America. Times were a-changin'. The Panthers knew it. The students knew it. Hollywood was ignoring it.

Bill Harris: What is this? Some kind of personal crusade? Or, are you really gonna make a movie?
Melvin Van Peebles: I'm makin' a movie muthafucka. The first black power film.
Bill Harris: Hey, what about people power, man?
Melvin Van Peebles: No. You people got the power. All you gotta do is get yourself a haircut, you can go establishment anytime you want.
Bill Harris: And you're black forever.
Melvin Van Peebles: Dig it.

Melvin Van Peebles: I want this muthafucka to be a living workshop. I want 50% of the people on the crew to be getting experience, to be third world folks.
Bill Harris: Unions are lily white. They'll never go for it.
Melvin Van Peebles: Fuck 'em.

Melvin Van Peebles: Nothing truly revolutionary is gonna come from the studio machine. Independent money. That's the answer. Independent financing.

Melvin Van Peebles: I'm not your mother, I'm your father. While you're here you do what the fuck I say.

Brewster: I hear great things from Bill Harris about your project. Real radical stuff, huh?
Melvin Van Peebles: Shit's always "radical" when it's told by the oppressor.
Brewster: Whatever. I make movies.

Melvin Van Peebles: We were gonna be shooting in some rough ass places. So, we'd need some ghetto muscle.

Melvin Van Peebles: This is gonna be special. I told you, you're never gonna forget it. And don't - don't go gettin' shy on me, girl. There's gonna be a couple of people watchin'.
Ginnie: Now, see. Now, I knew you was a real kinky muthafucka.
Melvin Van Peebles: So, we on?
Ginnie: Yeah, we're on.

Bill Harris: It's not a porno. It's a social statement. Tell her, Mel.
Ginnie: A social statement? I'm through with both of your all's fuckin' asses. I'm outta here!
Melvin Van Peebles: No, no, wait a minute. Sister, listen, listen, listen, listen. We have been marginalized sexually for years. We've been Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben. We're never had a Marilyn Monroe. We've never had our own Mae West. This thing is gonna be breakin' all of the taboos.
Big T: It's about gettin' the man's *foot* out your ass.
Melvin Van Peebles: No, this could be totally revolutionary...

Melvin Van Peebles: The scene with the dirty cops was the one that divided the crew... White folks who'd never experience racial brutality, couldn't really believe that a double standard existed for minorities... Black folks, who had lived it, were more than ready to see someone stand up against racism... Even when it hid behind a badge.

Maurice: Look man, I gotta tell you, the shit you are puttin' down is right on! Now, I know you don't know me, but I need to do the music on this. I can do whatever you need... I know you don't have a lot of cash, but, we could really use this chance.
Melvin Van Peebles: We?
Maurice: My new band.
Melvin Van Peebles: What do you call yourselves?
Maurice: Earth, Wind & Fire.

Melvin Van Peebles: All right, here's how it works: what I sing, you play. If I like what I hear, *if* I like what I hear, we got a deal.
Maurice: All right, it sounds good, man.
Melvin Van Peebles: You ain't heard me sing yet.

Bill Harris: Fuck the film, man! Fuck it! Fuck the fuckin' film, man! This is our crew behind bars on bull shit charges. Doesn't that bother you?
Melvin Van Peebles: Yeah! It's been botherin' me for 400 years.

Melvin Van Peebles: The good news was - Earth, Wind & Fire came through with some of the music. We played it against the movie - and it worked like a *muthafucka*.