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7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Pie, Pie, Blackbird remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've got ten minutes and a soft spot for grainy, old-school musical numbers, yeah, definitely. But if you’re looking for, like, a coherent story or stakes that actually matter, you’re gonna be bored stiff.
Honestly, this thing feels less like a movie and more like someone hallucinated a variety show after eating too much fruit. You either lean into the weirdness or you just turn it off.
It starts with the boys eating pie. That's it. Then the kitchen basically dissolves, and boom, we're in a jazz club.
The transition is so fast it makes your head spin. There’s no logical reason for the pie to be the catalyst, but I guess it’s a good enough excuse to get the band on screen. Who cares about plot holes when you have Eubie Blake?
The Nicholas Brothers are just unreal. Seeing them move like that makes you realize how static everything else in cinema was back then. It’s got that same kind of rhythmic energy you see in People on Sunday, only with way more tap dancing and less sitting around in the park.
The camera just hangs there, letting them do their thing without trying to be too clever with cuts. It’s refreshing. Most directors today would be doing a million zoom-ins and shaky-cam nonsense.
It’s not trying to be a deep, meaningful drama. It’s just pure, unfiltered joy for a few minutes. Sometimes that’s all you need on a Tuesday night. 🥧🎷