Plot:

Gil Scott-Heron, one of rap's earliest (and unfortunately unknown) pioneers, gets his full due in Black Wax, the 1982 documentary recently reissued on video. Interspliced between performance footage of Scott-Heron and his Midnight Band are vignettes of him walking around Washington D.C., spouting his views on then-President Reagan (dubbed "Ray-Gun") and generally dropping knowledge. The live performance features many of Scott-Heron's best-known hits, including "Johannesburg," "Winter in America," and "Angel Dust," among others. Warm, intelligent, and insightful throughout, Scott-Heron is clearly enjoying himself and the opportunity to espouse his views. A must for any fan of Scott-Heron's, and definitely worth a look for fans of the funkier jazz music of the mid to late 1970's.

Tags:

Actors - Crew

Gil Scott-Heron
Himself

Glen 'Astro' Turner

Gia Scott-Heron
Herself

Ed Brady
Himself

Robert Mugge
Director

Larry McConkey
Director of Photography

Similar movies:

7 9

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970)

6.931 261

Triumph of the Will (1935)

7.474 96

Harlan County U.S.A. (1977)

6.2 5

Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge (1989)

7.2 101

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

7.663 141

Let It Be (1970)

7.727 75

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

7.089 448

Pumping Iron (1977)

7.221 113

A Brief History of Time (1991)

7.544 260

Woodstock (1970)

8.274 188

Shoah (1985)

7.8 134

For All Mankind (1989)