Sun Ra's Space is the Place

Matt Till · #1 10-27-2008, 04:09 PM

Has anyone seen this film?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djBKQNVj5Cc

I watched it the other day and I really enjoyed it, probably added to my top 10 movies of all time, a list I've never attempted to construct, but a crazy flick.

Partially a blacksploitation film, but in that regards, it's actually an interesting 1974 point of view on the oppressed black race. Sun Ra and a character that goes by "The Overseer" play a card game which is the fate of the black race.

Ra's ultimate goal is to transport black people to his planet that he resides on, adjusting their vibrations through music. The Overseer is a representation of Ra's views of the evils in the Black community, It's a very interesting good vs. evil story. But from a completely insane point of view.

And of course, a huge plus, an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack. Highly recommended.

Also, if anyone can recommend more movies where music and an avant garde sort of feel go throughout, I'd appreciate it. Between this and Frank Zappa's 200 Motels, I think this is the sort of movie I really enjoy. Weird and... weird music. I guess, weird.

Passinwind · #2 10-27-2008, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Also, if anyone can recommend more movies where music and an avant garde sort of feel go throughout, I'd appreciate it.

Naked Lunch

Matt Till · #3 10-27-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Naked Lunch

I've heard good things... I'll be checking that out.

MatticusMania · #4 10-27-2008, 05:06 PM

Naked Lunch, oh man, that ones wild... have you read the book?

Talk about experiencing the mind of a heroin addict

Ed Fuqua · #5 10-28-2008, 02:33 PM

"that's OK, I'm YO doctor, too..."

Matt Till · #6 10-28-2008, 06:33 PM

Glad to see someone saw it.

The only quote imdb has was another amusing scene:

Drunk: My man, what's happenin?
Sun Ra: Everything is happenin.
Drunk: What is this... I mean what... where am I? Who is you?
Sun Ra: I am everything, and nuthin.
Drunk: Nuthin? Well you betta tell me about this nuthin stuff, cause, uh, I need a job. I... I don't know what to do.
Sun Ra: What have you been doin lately?
Drunk: Uh huh uh, nuthin, really, nuthin.
Sun Ra: How long have you been doing nuthin?
Drunk: Quite some time. Quite some time.
Sun Ra: You must be an expert at it.
Drunk: Got my B.A., ya see.
Sun Ra: We'll hire you to do that.
Drunk: How much I get paid, man?
Sun Ra: Nuthin.
Drunk: Nuthin? NUTHIN? I got to have sumthin so I can get me anotha botty. I can't go for that ****!

Ed Fuqua · #7 10-29-2008, 11:39 AM

If anybody wants to talk about the decline of Saturday Night Live, there's no better marker than the way the entertainment booking went from personal to corporate. I mean for freakin Keerist, to have SUN RA and the ARKESTRA on network TV and then get to Ashley Simpson lip syncing.. decline of Western Civilization in a freakin nutshell...

Alan Vorse · #8 10-30-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

If anybody wants to talk about the decline of Saturday Night Live, there's no better marker than the way the entertainment booking went from personal to corporate. I mean for freakin Keerist, to have SUN RA and the ARKESTRA on network TV and then get to Ashley Simpson lip syncing.. decline of Western Civilization in a freakin nutshell...

Don't forget Ornette Coleman and Prime Time, Captain Beefhart, Zappa, Phillip Glass, Keith Jarrett, Miles...

Matt Till · #9 10-30-2008, 02:59 PM

SNL use to be amazing.

Passinwind · #10 10-30-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

SNL use to be amazing.

Sure did. Did you ever see Night Music though? I'm guessing that was before your time Matt?

I once saw Sun Ra at the Bottom Line in NYC with one of his really big bands, around the mid-70s I think. The band was close to 30 pieces that night. All the sax players took solos one after the other on the first tune. By the last three guys, you'd have sworn that they couldn't possibly top what had already gone down. Wrong! The last guy, John Gilmore, absolutely killed it with only a few notes. And after an hour plus of total mutant space they busted out an Ellington chart and completely owned. Good times...especially hearing and seeing it from less than 5 feet away from Sun Ra himself.

Alan Vorse · #11 10-31-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Sure did. Did you ever see Night Music though? I'm guessing that was before your time Matt?

I once saw Sun Ra at the Bottom Line in NYC with one of his really big bands, around the mid-70s I think. The band was close to 30 pieces that night. All the sax players took solos one after the other on the first tune. By the last three guys, you'd have sworn that they couldn't possibly top what had already gone down. Wrong! The last guy, John Gilmore, absolutely killed it with only a few notes. And after an hour plus of total mutant space they busted out an Ellington chart and completely owned. Good times...especially hearing and seeing it from less than 5 feet away from Sun Ra himself.

Strangely enough, Sun Ra's appearance on Night Music was a major turning point for me in my development as a musician.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsKDbuCsTkk

+1 to Gilmore and my personal favorite Marshall Allen.

zac2944 · #12 10-31-2008, 01:31 PM

Thanks for the link!

I love Sun Ra for many reasons. In college I had the opportunity to write a research paper about him. Very interesting man; very interesting music.

Matt Till · #13 10-31-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Sure did. Did you ever see Night Music though? I'm guessing that was before your time Matt?

I once saw Sun Ra at the Bottom Line in NYC with one of his really big bands, around the mid-70s I think. The band was close to 30 pieces that night. All the sax players took solos one after the other on the first tune. By the last three guys, you'd have sworn that they couldn't possibly top what had already gone down. Wrong! The last guy, John Gilmore, absolutely killed it with only a few notes. And after an hour plus of total mutant space they busted out an Ellington chart and completely owned. Good times...especially hearing and seeing it from less than 5 feet away from Sun Ra himself.

Well, 90 wasn't before my time, but I was 7 and hadn't acquired a taste for jazz yet.

That's really awesome though, I wonder if Night Music stuff is archived on DVD anywhere...

The vid of him on Night Music is great, I can only IMAGINE turning on the TV and seeing something like that.

Ed Fuqua · #14 10-31-2008, 02:17 PM

That clip led me to this clip...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBltH...eature=related

Matt Till · #15 10-31-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

That clip led me to this clip...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBltH...eature=related

I watched that one a couple days ago, it's amazing how on the same page Philly Joe Jones and Don Cherry are.

acubass · #16 10-31-2008, 04:06 PM

I love Sun Ra. Im headed to a Ra type Freakout tonight for halloween. Im taking my new LMII. Running it with an ampeg 410HE and my fretless jazz. I can't wait.

Alan Vorse · #17 11-03-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

The vid of him on Night Music is great, I can only IMAGINE turning on the TV and seeing something like that.

I was about 15 and watching the show with my dad. Now my dad has pretty eclectic tastes, but he comes from a country/bluegrass/folk/blues background. I figured he wasn't going to like Sun Ra because he was so freaky, but my dad said "No no, lets give this a listen." So we watched the whole performance. When it was over, he said "I didn't like all of it but some parts were really good!"

I learned something that night about keeping an open mind when it came to music. Thanks dad and Sun Ra!

Matt Till · #18 11-03-2008, 02:59 PM

Very cool