In the blaxploitation spoof Undercover Brother, Dave Chappelle is the perfect Conspiracy Brother.
Standup comic with outstanding style
Sophisticated wit, slapstick, irreverence and satiric sting: It's the mix Dave Chappelle uses to give laughter a daring, new cultural context.
For those not lucky enough to snag tickets to Dave Chappelle's Tampa gigs - and those who missed his most excellent HBO standup special Killin' Them Softly - here are his Top 3 scene-stealing film cameos to grab from the video store:
SCENE STEALER NO. 1: Conspiracy Brother, from the 2002 film Undercover Brother.
WHY HE'S FUNNY: Edgy but not threatening, angry but not dangerous, Chappelle's Conspiracy Brother sees a plot by The Man to subjugate black folks around every corner - making him the perfect sidekick for Eddie Griffin's ebony Austin Powers, in this inspired blaxploitation spoof.
CLASSIC LINE: "They never give a black man credit. Jesus Christ: A black man. Babe Ruth: A black man. Madonna: Sleeps with black men. Think about it!"
SCENE STEALER NO. 2: Kevin Jackson, from the 1998 film You've Got Mail.
WHY HE'S FUNNY: As the obligatory funny friend to Tom Hanks' acerbic mega-bookseller Joe Fox - think Rosie O'Donnell in Sleepless in Seattle - Jackson punctures his buddy's excuses for not meeting an online flame in person, only to find she's the small-time bookstore owner he has been trying to force out of business.
CLASSIC LINE: "You're just taking (the relationship) to the next level. I always do that. If that works out, I take it to the next level after that. Until I finally reach that level when it becomes absolutely necessary for me to leave."
SCENE STEALER NO. 3: Ahchoo, from the 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
WHY HE'S FUNNY: Just developing his skill with a one-liner, Chappelle gets plenty of them here as director/writer Mel Brooks taps his streetwise flavor to break up a stilted Robin Hood parody. Unfortunately, many of his best gags are unprintable in a family newspaper.
CLASSIC LINE: (Pulling out Malcolm X-style horn-rim glasses to address the people of Sherwood Forest) "You been bamboozled. Led astray. We didn't land on Sherwood Forest. Sherwood Forest landed on us!"
