Summer Nights and Cool Runnings: The Reggae Movie

Looking for a feel-good movie to watch this summer? Check out Summer Nights and Cool Runnings: The Reggae Movie. This feel-good flick is about a group of friends who start a reggae band in the 1970s.

Reggae Music in Film

Reggae music has often been used in movies to set the mood for a scene, especially if the scene is set in a tropical location. Reggae music can also be used to convey a message of peace and love. The film Cool Runnings is a great example of how reggae music can be used in a movie.

The Harder They Come

The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film became an international success, introducing many of the tropes of reggae and Jamaican culture to a wider audience. It is often considered one of the best examples of the genre.

Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings is a 1993 American comedy sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba, and John Candy. The film was released in the United States on October 1, 1993. It was Candy’s last film appearance before his death on March 4, 1994.

The film is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team’s debut in competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. On January 17, 1988, the team finished in 14th place out of 26 teams overall and 7th place in the four-man event.[5]

The film Cool Runnings was generally well received by movie critics. Rotten Tomatoes has a 73% rating, based on 22 reviews. The site’s consensus states: “An amiable movie with enough light pleasures to even out its predictable plot.”[6] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 60% based on 15 reviews.[7]

Most critics praised the performances of the cast (particularly those of Candy and Doug), as well as the humor and lighthearted feel of the film. However, some found the plot to be formulaic and clichéd.

Reggae Music and Culture

Reggae is a style of music that was developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Reggae is a fusion of African and Caribbean music. The music is typically characterized by a strong bass line, drums, and percussion. The lyrics are often about life, love, and social issues.

The Rastafari Movement

The Rastafari movement is a social and religious movement that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s. The movement is based on a interpretation of the Bible, and its followers worship Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as the incarnate God. Rastafarians believe that Selassie will one day return to Africa and lead his people to freedom from oppression.

The Rastafari movement has its roots in both Ethiopianism and Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Rastafarians believe that all blacks are “children of Abraham” and therefore have a claim to the Promised Land of Africa. They also believe that whites are “children of Cain” and are destined to suffer for their wickedness.

Rastafarians live by a strict code of behavior called the “Pords” which includes avoiding alcohol, pork, shellfish, and other foods considered unclean in the Bible. They also refrain from cutting their hair, which they see as a symbol of their African heritage. Rastafarians typically dress in brightly colored clothing and wear their hair in dreadlocks.

The Rastafari movement has exerted a significant influence on Jamaican culture, especially on Jamaican music. Reggae artists such as Bob Marley and Burning Spear often sing about Rastafarian themes such as liberation, equality, and respect for nature. The Rastafari flag (green, gold, and red) is also often seen at reggae concerts and festivals.

Reggae Music and Politics

The relationship between reggae music and politics is a long and complex one. Reggae has often been used as a tool for political protest, and many of the genre’s biggest stars have been outspoken advocates for social change. But reggae’s relationship to politics is not always so straightforward. The genre has also been used to sell everything from cars to tourism, and some of its biggest hits have been apolitical party tunes.

Reggae’s political roots go back to the late 1960s, when the music was first becoming popular in Jamaica. At that time, the country was in the midst of a bitter civil war, and many reggae songs were explicitly political, calling for an end to the fighting. The most famous of these songs is probably “No More War” by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

In the 1970s and 1980s, as reggae became more popular internationally, it continued to be used as a vehicle for political messages. Artists like Burning Spear and Steel Pulse wrote songs about racial injustice and poverty, while others like Midnight Oil and U2 wrote songs supporting the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

More recently, reggae has been adopted by some right-wing politicians as well. In Jamaica, for example, the governing party has used reggae songs at campaign rallies, much to the dismay of some music fans. And in 2011, an Austrian far-right politician caused outrage when he used a remix of Marley’s “One Love” at a campaign event.

So while reggae has often been used as a tool for political protest, it is by no means solely a genre of protest music. It is also a genre that can be enjoyed simply for its catchy melodies and infectious rhythms.

The Reggae Movie Genre

Reggae movies are a subgenre of musical films that developed in the 1970s. Reggae movies typically feature a plot that revolves around the struggle of a young, black man from an inner-city ghetto who tries to escape his environment through the positive power of reggae music. The films often include scenes of live concerts, and the soundtracks typically feature popular reggae hits.

Dancehall Queen

Dancehall is a type of Jamaican popular music that developed in the late 1970s. It is characterized by a strong bass line and drum beat, as well as catchy melodies. Dancehall was initially popular among the Jamaican working class, but it has since become mainstream.

One of the most popular dancehall films is “Dancehall Queen” (1997), which follows the story of a young woman named Marcia (played by Angella Katie) who becomes a dancehall star. The film was a huge success in Jamaica and helped to increase the popularity of dancehall music outside of its home country.

Other popular films in the genre include “Cool Runnings” (1993), about a Jamaican bobsled team’s journey to the Winter Olympics, and “Summer Nights” (1984), which tells the story of two teenage girls who fall in love while vacationing in Jamaica.

One Love

Reggae movies are a subgenre of Jamaican cinema that began in the late 1960s. The earliest films in this genre were musical comedies such as The Harder They Come (1972), which starred Jimmy Cliff as a rebellious singer trying to make it big in Kingston. This film was followed by other comedies like Themessage (1977) and Rockers (1978).

In the 1980s, the reggae movie genre began to take on a more serious tone with films such as Countryman (1982), which starred Pitch Black actor Dwaine Johnson as a Rastafarian fisherman caught up in the political violence of 1980s Jamaica. The 1988 film Dancehall Queen tells the story of an impoverished woman who becomes a successful dancehall artist.Other notable films from this era include Jamaica Fever (1988) and Third World Cop (1999).

The 2000s saw a resurgence of the reggae movie genre with the release of several successful films, including Shottas (2002), which starred Ky-Mani Marley and Spragga Benz as friends who turn to a life of crime, and One Love (2003), which tells the story of young lovers caught up in the Gully/Shotta war in Kingston. More recently, the 2010 film Better Mus’ Come tells the story of romance and violence during Jamaica’s 1970s gang wars, while 2012’s Dancehall Queen 2 follows a young woman who must overcome obstacles to become crowned dancehall queen.

Reggae on the Silver Screen

Reggae has been having a moment lately. More than just a sound, reggae is a way of life- a way of thinking, and a way of being. And it’s not just Jamaicans who are feeling the vibrations, people all over the world are being drawn to the music and the message. The reggae movie, Cool Runnings, is one of the most popular films to come out of Jamaica in recent years.

Marley

Marley is a 2012 documentary-biographical film directed by Kevin Macdonald, about the life of Bob Marley. The film was released on March 9, 2012, in select theaters.

The film features never before seen footage and performances, as well as interviews with the people who knew him best. Marley was shot over a period of five years in more than 20 countries.

Rockers

Rockers is a 1978 Jamaican film directed by Theodoros Bafaloukos. The film stars Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace as a struggling musician trying to make it in the reggae business. The film also features appearances by several well-known reggae musicians, including Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, and Junior Murvin.

Rockers was one of the first films to portray the reggae music scene in a positive light, and it helped to increase the popularity of reggae music outside of Jamaica. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it has been praised for its depiction of Jamaican culture and its focus on the positive aspects of the reggae scene.