Notorious
20TH CENTURY FOX
MOVIE B
SPECIAL FEATURES B
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6.75
(OUT OF 10)
This is a good biopic about Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher
“Biggie” Wallace), telling the story of his life from his days as a
nerdy kid on the streets of Brooklyn up until his murder while visiting
Los Angeles in 1997, when he became a casualty of the East Coast/West
Coast rap feud.
Jamal Woolard gives a strong performance as Biggie, a drug dealer
who could lay down some decent rhymes and caught the attention of
up-and-coming producer Sean “Puffy” Combs (played by an excellent Derek
Luke). The film puts a fairly positive spin on Biggie’s life,
considering the guy used to sell crack to pregnant women (or so the
film depicts).
I learned a few things watching this. I never knew Biggie and Lil’
Kim were doing it. I also didn’t know that Tupac Shakur was actually
once shot downstairs from Biggie’s recording studio. (He would die in a
later shooting.) Anthony Mackie nails down the Tupac role, looking and
sounding a lot like the guy. All of the actors do fine jobs of singing
and dancing their parts.
They could’ve made a whole movie just dealing with the dynamics of
the war that got Tupac and Biggie killed, but this is the story of
Biggie, and it is an interesting one. It’s curious that those murders
never got solved.
Cool side note: Biggie’s real son plays him at 10 years old in the
film.
SPECIAL FEATURES: You get both the theatrical version and an
extended cut. Deleted scenes, making-ofs and more come in a two-disc
set that should please fans of the film. Biggie’s real mom (who is
played by Angela Bassett in the film) gives an interview about the
project and the creation of the film. It’s fun to see her participate
in the casting of her son; she actually spotted Woolard and said,
“That’s my son!”
8 Mile (Blu-Ray)
UNIVERSAL
MOVIE B-
SPECIAL FEATURES C+
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6
(OUT OF 10)
In the battle of the rap movies recently released or re-released on
video, the winner is definitely Notorious. But this one, now
getting the Blu-Ray treatment, certainly has its moments.
Some of this film—loosely based on the life of Eminem, who
made his feature-film debut here—is pure shit. The movie tells
the story of Bunny Rabbit (Eminem) and his fight to get above it all in
scary Detroit; some of it is terribly melodramatic. Kim Bassinger is
100 percent awful as his long-suffering trailer-trash mom, and his
motley crew of buddies seems borrowed from every urban-film
cliché in the book.
Then there’s Eminem, who ignites the screen when he shows his rage
mojo; that’s total fun to watch. I suppose a two-hour film of him just
rapping would’ve been better, but this uneven film comes out slightly
positive, thanks to the moments when he lets loose.
SPECIAL FEATURES: A making-of documentary, and uncensored
“rap battles.”
Splinter
MAGNOLIA
MOVIE B-
SPECIAL FEATURES B-
DVD GEEK FACTOR 5.75
(OUT OF 10)
An old-school horror film in the spirit of Sam Raimi’s Evil
Dead and George A. Romero’s zombie films, Splinter is fun
thanks to the cast performances. I found myself wishing producers had
thrown a few more dollars at this low-budget effort; the monster
effects and gore are OK, but the acting and some interesting character
twists are better.
A camping couple (Paulo Costanzo and Jill Wagner) mess up their tent
and decide to head for a hotel. En route, they are taken hostage by a
gun-wielding psycho fugitive (Shea Whigham) and his drug-addict
girlfriend (Rachel Kerbs). They wind up at a gas station, where things
shift from a hostage drama into horror: They are attacked by dead folks
infected with a strange parasite transferred through splinters jutting
out of them (thus the name of the film).
The dynamics between the actors and some truly unexpected behavior
both keep things interesting. Director Toby Wilkins does the most he
can with the money he’s given. Some of the effects, like disembodied
hands that are obviously puppets, don’t work all that well. However, I
did like some of the zombie effects, especially one zombie that manages
to run around on the station rooftop.
Overall, this is a good rental for those who like their horror
sloppy and fun.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Docs, making-ofs and a commentary with the
director and cast.
Bedtime Stories (Blu-Ray)
DISNEY
MOVIE D-
SPECIAL FEATURES D
DVD GEEK FACTOR 2
(OUT OF 10)
This is the worst Adam Sandler movie ever, and I can’t say enough
bad things about it. A fun premise (a kid’s bedtime stories come true)
is squandered in a messy, unfunny, torturous film that continues a
terrible streak for Sandler. Hopefully, this summer’s pairing with Judd
Apatow (Funny People) will get things back on track for the
funnyman.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Bloopers and deleted scenes. Ah, who
cares?
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
