Mo' Better Blues (1990)

Wesley Snipes: Shadow Henderson (Sax)

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Quotes 

• Bleek : Here we are. This is our music, right? Jazz is our music. lt's black music. We will go and watch some crossover stuff that's created by other people, but we don't come to see our own, man. But the jazz - if we had to depend upon on black people to eat, we would starve to death. You look out into the audience, and what do you see? You see Japanese, West Germans, you see Slabovic, anything, except our people, man. lt makes no sense. lt incenses me that our own people don't realize our own heritage, culture. This is our music, man.

  Shadow Henderson : That's bullshit.

  Bleek : Why?

  Shadow Henderson : [slurred]  It's all bullshit. Everything, everything you just said is bullshit. Out of all the people in the world, you never gave anybody else, and look, I love you like a step-brother, but you never gave nobody else a chance to - to play their own music, you complain about...

  Bleek : l'm talking about the audience.

  Shadow Henderson : That's right! The people don't come because you grandiose motherfuckers don't play shit that they like. If you played the shit that they like, then people would come. Simple as that!

• Left Hand Lacey : You're jealous.

  Shadow Henderson : Jealous?

  Left Hand Lacey : Couldn't pull a French girl. She's an educated woman. She went to the Sorbonne. You don't know where the Sorbonne is.

  Shadow Henderson : Sore buns? You can catch that on 125th Street.

• Shadow Henderson : You're supposed to be taking care of me. l'm the artist, midget rat bastard.

  Giant : What does size have to do with it?

  Shadow Henderson : A lot. You keep coming up short.

• Shadow Henderson : She has a highly developed sense of smell. She could sniff me out five miles away. l think she must be part canine and shit.

• Shadow Henderson : lt's about time. Bleek borrowed this a year ago. This is a rare, out-of-print Bird. Just stand there, brother. Better not be no scratches on here, either. Lucky. Tell your bitch don't ask for nothing if it takes a year to return it.

• Shadow Henderson : Yo, you know what? She counts my rubbers, man.

  Giant : Nah.

  Shadow Henderson : Yes. The woman was an accountant major in school. Right? So she takes an accurate account of my jimmys. So, now l got to go buy a whole 'nother box so she won't bust me again. One time l rid around the city, man, and l searched for a box of 12 dozen blue Trojans, ribbed, with the receptacle end, lubricated with the garden-fresh scent. Daggone girl knows everything.

  Giant : Why bother?

  Shadow Henderson : Why bother? Well, l like her, number one. Number two - she's a mother in bed. Number three - the rest don't matter.

  Giant : Three good reasons.

• Shadow Henderson : All Bleek cares about is Bleek.

  Clarke : ls that so?

  Shadow Henderson : Oh, so that is. I mean, just take a look around.

  Clarke : It seems to me that all Shadow cares about is Shadow.

• Shadow Henderson : He only wants you when he wants you. l want to make you a full-time gig.

  Clarke : l don't believe what a man says.

• Shadow Henderson : You look hot! That dress makes you look like a zebra. l could be Tarzan. or somethin'. We could play in the jungle.

• Clarke : Hi, Shadow. How you doing?

  Shadow Henderson : Fine, like yourself.

• Shadow Henderson : You shut the fuck up, you midget!

  Giant : My name is Giant, all right?

  Shadow Henderson : Blame your motherfuckin' mother, man.