Mario Van Peebles was 13 when his filmmaking father, Melvin, asked him to perform his first on-screen sex scene in the groundbreaking 1971 blaxploitation flick Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song. Baadasssss! is Mario's loving and stylish dramatic recreation of his father's pioneering independent film career, literally stepping into Melvin's shoes to reignite the revolutionary fire that changed Hollywood.

After Melvin's first film, the French-funded Watermelon Man, was a financial success, Hollywood came knocking. Instead of toeing the line, Melvin (played by Mario) decided to not only bite the hand that feeds but to land a swift kick in Hollywood's crotch. Hiring a ragtag group of hustlers, hippies and wannabes, and battling one adversity after another, Melvin created a landmark in American cinema. Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song was not only a box-office hit, but it ushered in a new genre' blaxploitation'the far-reaching influence of which has left an indelible mark on world cinema.

'Baadasssss! vibrates with crazy energy.' -The Village Voice

D Mario Van Peebles P Mario Van Peebles, Dennis Haggerty, Tobie Haggerty, G. Marq Roswell S Mario Van Peebles, Dennis Haggerty WS Showtime TD 35mm/Col/2003/109mins

Mario Van Peebles was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1957. Films include: New Jack City (1991), Posse (1993), Panther (1995).