Unfortunately, this is going to be yet another week where I haven’t seen any of the new releases, so just like a few other POTWs, I will improvise. Looking through the new batch, I definitely found one (besides Kurosawa’s 1990 Dreams) that really caught my eye. It’s filmmaker and actor Wendell B. Harris Jr.’s almost forgotten 1989 independent film and marvel Chameleon Street.
Based on a ridiculous but actual true story about con man Douglas Street, the titular “chameleon” who successfully lied his way up the socioeconomic ladder by posing as a magazine reporter, an Ivy League student, a respected surgeon, and a corporate lawyer.
Watching the restoration trailer, I sense that it is a deliciously disturbing satire (in the vein of 1969’s Putney Swope) on the nature of race, class, identity, and greed (which definitely defined the ’80s). It also looks like a brilliant new rediscovery and a testament to the power of not just independent cinema, but also Black film.
And judging by the stacked special features of the release by Arbelos, this release sounds even more tempting and a must have. They include a new audio commentary featuring Wendell B. Harris Jr. and Ashley Clark; new audio commentary featuring cast and crew; Being Independent is Glorious – an archival conversation featuring Harris and Mike Plante; Archival video interview with William Douglas Street Jr.; Marriage Counseling – the evolution of a scene; The Process – archival documentary on the making of Chameleon Street; Colette Vignette – Harris’ award-winning 1986 short featuring Chameleon Street’s Colette Haywood; So, You Say You Know Leadbelly… – archival footage from Chameleon Street pre-production character explorations; and the Original & 2021 U.S. theatrical trailer. It also includes a 16-page booklet and comes in a limited-edition slipcase featuring invisible ink design with an accordion foldout 6×24 inch poster.
Although I haven’t seen Chameleon Street, I do 100% recommend it, especially for fellow film buffs who want to see and add something refreshing and real to their collections.
Other releases:
Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (Criterion 4K UHD): The master filmmaker’s 1990 fantasy which consists of a collection of tales based upon the actual his dreams. Renowned filmmaking legend Martin Scorsese makes a cameo as Vincent van Gogh. [Read Kent Conrad’s review]
Outrage (Kino): Ida Lupino’s controversial and hot-button 1950 drama about a young woman who has just become engaged has her life completely shattered when she is raped while on her way home from work.
