Sun Ra - Space Is The Place
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CD Details
Composer: Sun RaEdition: Music CD
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Picture Format: 1.78:1
CD Release Date: 2003-10-28
Music Label: Plexifilm
Music reviews of Sun Ra - Space Is The Place
Music Review: The Only Black Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made!
Rating: 5 Stars
I love this movie. In the so-called "black exploitation" movie period during the early '70s, Sun Ra is distinct in being the only man to attempt to make a "science-fiction" movie from the Black worldview perspective; with help from a multicultural cast. Yes, because of budget limitations there was not much that could be done with the special effects & such, so that the movie looks campy, cheap and could easily be dismissed; but the storyline is the classic version of good vs. evil; a western influenced pimp-type dude vs. the cosmic consciousness african from outer space, set during the early '70s, which was a time of high black consciousness amongst Africans in America.
The classic moment in the film is when Ra appears to a group of youngsters at a community center & enlightens them to their sad state of existence. What begans as ridicule by the kids of Ra's clothing, turns into a cool debate about Black people's state in America. Making black kids think & debate in a movie is a rare treat to see. Yeah, the costumes and the vernacular of the day seems a little dated now, but the overall message of this movie & what Ra was trying to express was real & very relevant even until today,as far as knowledge of self/consciousness goes. Classic stuff.
Description of Sun Ra - Space Is The Place
DESCRIPTION:Science fiction, blaxploitation, cosmic free-jazz and radical race politics combine when Sun Ra returns to earth in his music-powered space ship to battle for the future of the black race and offer an "alter-destiny" to those who would join him. Intentionally created as an homage to the low-budget science fiction films of the 50's and 60's, SPACE IS THE PLACE became a visual embodiment of Sun Ra's Afro-Egyptian myth of salvation in outer space. The special effects, outrageous plot line and apocalyptic message harmonize with the otherworldly score and a climactic live performance by one of the most innovative and profound groups in jazz history. After having traveled through space in a yellow spaceship propelled by music, Sun Ra finds a planet he believes could serve as a new home for the black race. Returning to earth, he lands in Oakland, California circa 1972 and has to battle The Overseer, played by Ray Johnson (from 1971's DIRTY HARRY), a supernatural villain exploiting the black people. The Overseer, the FBI, and NASA -- who are after Ra's Black Space Program -- attempt to assassinate Ra, who escapes into space with his followers before the destruction of Earth. Cosmic blaxploitation cum sociological critique, SPACE IS THE PLACE defies categorization. It is at once a platform for Sun Ra's radical racial philosophies, an indictment of the government's policies in Vietnam-era U.S., cult camp flick, sci-fi movie and concert film with unforgettable performances by the Intergalactic Solar Arkestra. Since its extremely limited release in 1974 -- the film played very briefly in San Francisco and New York -- SPACE IS THE PLACE has become an underground legend spoken about but never seen, and if so, in poorly dubbed bootlegs or in the severely adulterated 1992 VHS version.This peculiar, rather warped feature is a product of the highly original mind of the late "musician-thinker" Sun Ra (the former Herman "Sonny" Blount, an accomplished jazz pianist and bandleader). The 82-minute, 1974 film melds effects that are straight out of '50s Japanese sci-fi, politics reflecting '60s racial radicalism, and the overall vibe of '70s blaxploitation films, with some African-Egyptian mythology thrown in for good measure. It isn't exactly a masterpiece of cinema; the production values are mediocre, the story is thin (Ra, who co-wrote, portrays an alien who offers oppressed African Americans the opportunity to seek their "alter-destiny" in outer space; complications ensue before his spaceship departs with true believers on board), the acting amateurish. But it's entertaining--Ra's array of costumes (especially his headgear) is impressive, and we do at least get a taste of his Intergalactic Solar Arkestra's heady brew of avant-garde jazz. --Sam Graham
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