Passing Strange is a musical in name only. Really it’s an
autobiographical concert by the soulful, rotund, endlessly charming
Stew. Imagine Reggie Watts crossed with Mike Daisey, hooked up with
a backing band. And actors. The results, filmed by Spike Lee (here
atoning for Bamboozled), are soul-shaking. An African American
growing up in 1970s L.A., Stew liked punk rock and Camus—he and a
select crew of misfits felt like they were “passing for black
folks.” Stew flees for Amsterdam and Berlin where sex, drugs, and
performance art crack his American head wide open. Just watching
Passing Strange will make you a better person. (Kirkland
Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, thestranger.com/siff. 6:30 pm,
$11.)
Brend an Kiley has worked as a child actor in New Orleans, as a member of the junior press corps at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and, for one happy April, as a bootlegger’s assistant in Nicaragua.... More by Brendan Kiley
I saw Spike Lee on my flight to NY last Thursday. He looked really, really tired.
Me, I’m going to see the cool lesbian girls in Miao Miao, followed by The Whole Truth.
Although it was that or ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction.
They have a 4:30 showing of Daddy Cool at the Uptown – that film was great!
Reggie Watts is not even remotely in the same class as Stew! Stew takes it to a whole ‘nother level baby.
Bamboozled was excellent. You’re nuts Kiley!
Lee has made so many bad movies and you chose Bamboozled?
@5:
Care to provide us a list??????
I think Bamboozled is great, but I should add that the first time I watched it, it was with director’s commentary running, which I think greatly enhanced my understanding of it. As for Spike’s bad films, the only one I gave up on halfway through was She Hate Me.