Dir: Ernest Dickerson
Cast: Snoop Dogg, Khalil Kain, Bianca Lawson,
Pam Grier, Clifton Powell, Ricky Harris, Michael
T. Weiss, Merwin Mondesir, Sean Amsing
Rated R, Approx: 96 minutes
A New Line Cinema Release/DVD
Films of the 70's is Actually Far Better Than You
Might Think...
cheesy trailers and ads ("Unleash the Dogg") would lead you to believe. Boosted by rich production values, well
tuned direction from Ernest Dickerson (Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight) and a memorable horror icon in
Jimmy Bones, this sleeper (now on VHS and DVD) deserves another look after being virtually ignored in the box
office.
brother, half-sister and best friend. They're getting ready to open up a dance club and are in hopes of making it into
a success. Things start off unusual right off the bat, with shadows following them around and even catch a couple
strange sights. They also start to find out about the history of the house, which was owned by Jimmy Bones (Snoop
Dogg), a gangster who was shot to death over twenty years ago. He's pissed at those responsible for his death and
currently snoops around the house in the form of a red-eyed, maggot puking canine! When he is soon brought back
to life in human form (a nifty nod to Hellraiser), he has revenge on his mind and is willing to kill anyone who gets in
his way.
and present, learning about the history of Bones. Dickerson, teamed up
with cinematographer Flavio Labiano (Day of the Beast), give the film a
gorgeous European style and take advantage of the creepy settings. I
especially liked the flashbacks of Bones himself, which are filmed in a
gritty, retro style that show him looking over everyone in the
neighborhood he lives in and enjoying the company of his love interest
(Pam Grier, still looking foxy). The script often pays tribute to classic
horror films, while seeming fresh in both its character and plot
development. Some moments managed to creep up my spine and a
sequence involving Patrick's encounter with the canine in the club is one
for the books. This scene made me laugh and squirm at the same time.
Its unfortunate to see that the film starts to get over-the-top in the films
final quarter, taking its straight-laced horror approach more on the
humorous side. Granted, some of the tacky moments and one-liners ("I
got a natural high... a supernatural high!") are perfectly appropriate to
catch the blaxploitation feel the filmmakers are going for (and it
succeeds), but it seems like a different movie from this point on and the
complete opposite of the creepy material from the start. Some of the
ghoulish fx work are phenomenal (the people crawling on the wall), yet it
was a disappointment to see this film take an obvious note in the finale,
which offered little of a surprise.
sympathy for him. Although he lives a life of crime, we can see how he struggles to keep the streets safe for those
who live in his neighborhood and how he longs for the romance of Grier. Grier, the gorgeous '70s icon who recently
co-starred in the equally underrated Ghosts of Mars, feels at home in the material she's working with and steals her
scenes whenever appearing. Of the talented young cast, Blanica Lawson and Kain both stick out. They both have
some nice chemistry together and create likable lead characters to root for. I hope to see more from these two in the
future, particularly Lawson, who shows great promise and sex appeal in her role. A shame to see that a few of her
genuine moments in the film with Grier were clipped out, but thankfully New Line restored them on the DVD.
out in the end and there were a few unanswered questions in the plot, but I still had a good enough time watching it
that the flaws never really bothered me until after the film was over. Dickerson and the writers have come up with a
fast paced and enjoyable film that brings back memories of old school horror, reflecting a little bit on Dario Argentos
films. It opens up for a possible sequel and I wouldn't mind watching this gangster back in action.
commentary track by a chatty Dickerson, co-writer Adam Simon and Dogg (who is mostly quiet, but brings up some
funny anecdotes every so often). There's also plenty of deleted scenes (some which should've stayed in), three
fascinating featurettes on the film, a couple Dogg videos, and that lame trailer.
* * * 1/2 out of 5
Reviewed by Adam Eshack 3/28/02
 |
 |
