Cellars of IMDb: Dave Chappelle is Quite Happy in South Africa, Thank You Very Much
Yes, it's Friday again. Today is that special day, the last day of the work week, the first day of the weekend. It is a night of debauchery or relaxation or, in my case, writing.* Because it is on Friday's that I post the Cellars of IDMb, my time to share with you, my gently readers, my abiding passion for far too many Hollywood actors of middling repute. Last week we left of with the vastly underappreciated Mos Def, and this week we begin anew with the somewhat oversaturated Dave Chappelle.



Dave Chappelle was the king of the world. His sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, the aptly titled Chappelle's Show produced two hugely popular seasons in 2003 and 2004.



Chappelle's salary for the next two seasons was an unprecedented fifty million dollars. It seemed you couldn't go anywhere without there being somebody there to scream, "I'm Rick James, bitch!" in your face.



Myriad other instantly memorable characters populated Chappelle's racially-charged critically-acclaimed show, most of which were Chappelle in various wigs.







Sure it was fun for awhile, but Chappelle just couldn't take the pressure and dissappeared from a taping for Season three in mid-May. Eventually it came out that he had run away to South Africa on a spiritual retreat (he's been a Muslim for a couple years now). He vehemently denies all rumors of crack addiction andmental breakdown. Regardless he's gone back to his roots and has begun a slow but steady stand-up tour.

So that's the rise and fall and subsequent rise of Dave Chappelle, but that's not really what we're after is it? Before Chappelle's Show took him into the stratosphere Chappelle had a solid film career. Most recently he provided comic relief in the ostensibly comedic Undercover Brother. Before that he turned in entertaining, albeit brief, performances in a number of otherwise unassuming pictures, including Blue Streak, 200 Cigarettes.

Chappelle has had, to date, one chance at the cinematic limelight, starring in a picture he himself wrote with Neil Brennan (who would go on to also help write much of Chappelle's Show) and produced: the charming Half Baked.



1998's Half Baked is an epic stoner oddyssey, and a surrisingly sturdy film, all things considered. The highlights are, however, the cameo appearances by such notables as Tommy Chong, Bob Saget, and Jon Stewart.

Before Half Baked Chappelle found his way into a number of movies including the ambitious Con Air, the highly popular The Nutty Professor, and the vastly underrated Joe's Apartment (albeit as nothing more than one of many loud-mouthed cockroaches).



To some though Dave Chappelle will be best remembered for his feature film debut a scant thirteen years ago: Ahchoo in Mel Brooks' instant classic Robin Hood: Men in Tights.



The film, not particularly popular with critics, was classic Brooks and gave the up-and-coming stand-up Chappelle plenty of room to showcase his growing talents in a brand of cinematic humor sadly absent from the theaters of today. And on that sad note I must leave for another weekend of whatever it is I do over weekends.




And remember the guiding light, lest we forget the glory that be Lemon Party.
Because your blog sucks.


*This system may have to go. I'm going to try getting ahead on these in the future. That means that next week's Cellars is going to go live at 12:01 AM, and that is my promise to you, gentle reader.
- posted by Odovaucer @ 11:57 PM