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This week’s mystery movie was the 1978 film Killer of Sheep, with Henry Gayle Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett, Eugene Cherry and Jack Drummond.
Written and directed by Charles Burnett.
Sound by Charles Bracy.
Assistant sound Willie Bell, Larry Clark, Christine Penick and Andy Burnett.
Further information on Killer of Sheep is available from the AFI Catalog.
Killer of Sheep is being released by the Criterion Collection in May.
Interview with Charles Burnett about Killer of Sheep.
A discussion of Killer of Sheep.
Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times (Nov. 14, 1978) did not approve of such goings-on.
Killer of Sheep, which opens today at the Whitney Museum, is a film to make one mindful of the difference between genuinely abstract art and iciness for its own sake. The program notes say that Charles Burnett, the director, thinks the idea of the film “is to try to recreate a situation without reducing life to a simple plot,” but his film has just enough of a story to make it taxing.The action, which of course is hardly supposed to be action at all, revolves around a Black man whose only measure of prosperity is the fact that he’s well enough off to give things to the Salvation Army. He is remote and depressed. His wife is bored and sexually frustrated, and she’s depressed too….
….And for all its air of starkness, Killer of Sheep is more often arid than it is genuinely economical. Mr. Burnett obviously has a keen eye for tiny moments — the way a child pulls up a sock, the way a man’s hands move on machinery — but he doesn’t demonstrate the kind of coherence that might give them larger meaning.
By 2007, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called it “An American masterpiece, independent to the bone.”

For Monday, we have a mysterious guest.
Update: This is Angela Burnett.

For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This fellow is as yet unidentified.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
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For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Kaycee Moore.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious child).

For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious youth and Back of the Head Girl.
Update: This is Jack Drummond and Angela Burnett as Back of the Head Girl.
Brain Trust roll call: L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Michael Lott (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery woman).

For Friday, we have a mystery girl and a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Angela Burnett and Henry Gayle Sanders.

And a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Henry Gayle Sanders.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia (Thursday’s mysterious youth) and Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery woman).
Dog Day Afternoon?
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Killer of Sheep 1978
Mon – Angela Burnett , daughter of the director Charles Burnett
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On Monday, Angela Burnett in “Killer of Sheep.”
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Tues – Not sure. I know who he is not, but that’s it.
The music Burnett chose for the film is amazing, so varied.
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Killer of Sheep (1978) w/Henry Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Angela Burnett, Charles Bracy, Jack Drummond…
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Killer of Sheep (1978) w/Henry Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Angela Burnett, Charles Bracy, Jack Drummond…
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Wed – Kaycee Moore
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It took me a minute, I couldn’t remember where I saw that mask… The movie is Killer of Sheep by Charles Burnett. Today’s actress is the late Kaycee Moore.
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Kaycee Moore on Wednesday …
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I’ll take a WAG that Thursday’s young man is Clarence Williams III, which would make the movie “The Cool World.” Or not.
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Thur – not sure. I thought he was the Stan Jr character, but the images I’ve found for Jack Drummond (even within this film) vary widely. I’m guessing that the little girl is Angela Burnett again, but maybe not. Will await your breakdown for the answer
Guessing that Friday will finally show Angela’s face and reveal Henry G. Sanders.
Wish I could find a link to this movie.
Some of it was shot just a few miles from where I grew up in South Central L.A. My best friend lived on Towne Ave for a while, one of the location street names mentioned on IMDb. Her family home was about 3 miles south.
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KILLWR OF SHEEP. Jack Drummond Monday, Eugene Cherry Tuesday, Kaylee Moore Wednesday, Moore and Charles Bracey Thursday.
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Angela Burnett Monday and Thursday, Henry G. Sanders today with Burnett.
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It’s Killer of Sheep! Such a good movie. (That mask has always given me a touch of the creeps.)
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This week’s movie is Charles Burnett’s 1978 classic Killer of Sheep.
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Great coincidence; I’ve been looking for this film, on and off, for years and finally found it in the LA Library system where I have it on hold. It seems to be a great selection to wrap your month with.
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