Opening

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Thunder Soul (2011)

tomatometer

100

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 0

No consensus yet.

audience

85

liked it
Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 623

My Rating

Movie Info

Presented by Jamie Foxx, Thunder Soul follows the extraordinary alumni from Houston's storied Kashmere High School Stage Band, who return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for the 92-year-old "Prof," their beloved band leader who broke the color barrier and transformed the school's struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s. -- (C) Official Site

Jan 31, 2012

$0.1M

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All Critics (28) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (0) | DVD (2)

There's a purity -- sense of righteousness and reunion and optimism -- that makes Thunder Soul galvanizing. Also, the music is smoking hot, which is pretty amazing, considering it comes from a high school band. And a bunch of oldsters.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Detroit News
Detroit News
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All of the agreeable ingredients are there, but director Mark Landsman doesn't coast on the built-in feel-good factor.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Film.com
Film.com
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Arguably, the current generation of funk and soul revivalists owes a debt to musicians who forged their astonishing sound in between Algebra study sessions.

October 7, 2011 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Washington Post
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Though it sometimes overplays the sentimentality, "Thunder Soul" gets not just the music but also the sense of possibility for this post-civil-rights generation.

October 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
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A precious scrap of American history.

October 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
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An uplifting and entertaining film...

September 25, 2011 Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
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...the unstoppable power of the music is an undeniable, stone groove

October 16, 2011 Full Review Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

They don't make 'em like Prof anymore!

October 14, 2011 Full Review Source: AALBC.com
AALBC.com

Radiates warmth and energy from fun, kind people sharing love for each other and playing music together.

October 6, 2011 Full Review Source: RedEye
RedEye

Uplifting docu spotlights legendary high school jazz band.

October 3, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Thunder Soul tells the story of the Kashmere Stage Band, and before the film is through, this high school band you've never heard of will have earned a top spot on your personal hit parade.

September 30, 2011 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle

Thunder Soul represents a feast for the senses, a soulful celebration of the black musical renaissance of the late '60s and '70s, but the filmmakers don't seem particularly interested in peering beneath the dazzling surface.

September 29, 2011 Full Review Source: AV Club
AV Club

Not without its problems, but overall a compelling snapshot of how and why good teachers matter, as well as a case for the value of the continued study of the arts in high school curricula.

September 29, 2011 Full Review Source: Shockya.com

A film flooded with memories and declarations of respect, laughs and tears, and plenty of funk to keep toes tapping along as director Mark Landsman investigates how one man's authority carried from high school to the modern day.

September 28, 2011 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com
BrianOrndorf.com

Warmly uplifting documentary about an inspiring teacher and the funky, funky music he made with generations of happy kids.

September 23, 2011 Full Review Source: Film Journal International
Film Journal International

Thunder Soul is touching, charming and easy to love.

September 23, 2011 Full Review Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer | Comment (1)
Cleveland Plain Dealer

A touching tribute to a teacher who managed to inspire his students not only to do good work but to live good lives.

September 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Akron Beacon Journal

Audience Reviews for Thunder Soul

Wonderful documentary of a an award-winning all-black high school band whose director fused funk with the more pedestrian stage band conventions of the time to create a new and life changing group.
December 27, 2012
Something more for lifetime? lol
September 7, 2012

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