Little Richard: I Am Everything main backdrop
Little Richard: I Am Everything main poster

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Visit website

6.4/10 • 25

2023-04-111h 38m

DocumentaryMusic

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

Directors
Lisa Cortés
Editors
Jake Hostetter

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Little Richard

    Little Richard

    Self (archive footage)

  2. John Waters

    John Waters

    Self

  3. Mick Jagger

    Mick Jagger

    Self

  4. Billy Porter

    Billy Porter

    Self

  5. Tom Jones

    Tom Jones

    Self

  6. Paul McCartney

    Paul McCartney

    Self (archive footage)

  7. Nona Hendryx

    Nona Hendryx

    Self

  8. Valerie June

    Valerie June

    Self

  9. Nile Rodgers

    Nile Rodgers

    Self

Reviews2

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 6, 2023

7/10

I admit to not really knowing so much about this enigmatic and flamboyant man, and I found this effort from Lisa Cortes to be quite an engaging and enlightening introduction. Using a mix of actuality and some soundbites, we are presented with an observational documentary of an outwardly gay man who can truly claim to have "invented" rock 'n roll - with over a dozen, instantly recognisable, toe-tappers to his name. As ever, we have the usual music industry shenanigans, his flirtations with sex, drugs, booze and ultimately, his rediscovery of religion as possibly his only lifeline. It's a well paced analysis but I could have been doing with more of his actual performances - especially as his songs tended to be so very short. It's still quite astonishing that so much footage does still exist and the use of the early material really does work well to illustrate not just how captivating he was as an entertainer, but also how effective he - and his music - was at offering some (limited) conduits for racial and sexual integration at a time when segregation was still rife and homosexuality still very much illegal. A fascinating insight not just into this man, but into the times in which he flourished; of the influential role his music played around the USA at the time, and well worth a watch.

Media

  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster
  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster
  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster
  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster
  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster
  • Little Richard: I Am Everything poster

Recommendations

  • Maria Montessori main backdrop

    Maria Montessori

    7.0

  • Ferrari main backdrop

    Ferrari

    6.4

  • You're Watching Video Music Box main backdrop

    You're Watching Video Music Box

    6.4

  • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes main backdrop

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

    7.1

  • Parasite main backdrop

    Parasite

    8.5

  • Rear Window main backdrop

    Rear Window

    8.3

  • Saint Maud main backdrop

    Saint Maud

    6.6

  • The Fantastic 4: First Steps main backdrop

    The Fantastic 4: First Steps

    7.2

  • The Beasts main backdrop

    The Beasts

    7.5

  • Oppenheimer main backdrop

    Oppenheimer

    8.1

  • Apartment 7A main backdrop

    Apartment 7A

    6.2

  • A Nightmare on Elm Street main backdrop

    A Nightmare on Elm Street

    7.3

  • Holidate main backdrop

    Holidate

    7.0

  • Dick Tracy main backdrop

    Dick Tracy

    6.2

  • Anora main backdrop

    Anora

    7.0

  • Fantastic Mr. Fox main backdrop

    Fantastic Mr. Fox

    7.8

  • Jurassic World Rebirth main backdrop

    Jurassic World Rebirth

    6.4

  • Fargo main backdrop

    Fargo

    7.9

  • The Thing main backdrop

    The Thing

    8.1

  • Dune: Part Two main backdrop

    Dune: Part Two

    8.1

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
artists' lifebiographyrhythm and blues (r&b)black singereccentric artistgospel singerportrait of an artistr&b artistartistic revolutionmale pianistegocentric artistsgay artistlife and careerhomosexualrevolutionary singer