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Capone says, BLACK SNAKE MOAN is his favorite film of 2007, thus far!!!
Black Snake Moan
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here, with my personal favorite film from BNAT8. With his previous film Hustle & Flow, writer-director Craig Brewer was not attempting to make a film about a pimp trying to make it as a hip-hop artist. He was making a film about the essence of great hip-hop music. Almost without exception, great hip-hop songs come from someone who has lived the experiences laid out in the music. As top-notch as your production may be, ultimately rap music lives or dies by the authenticity of its lyrics. With his latest, and far superior and more provocative film, Black Snake Moan, Brewer gives us not just a story about a long-retired blues man, but also a tale about what makes a middle-aged black man, deliberately named Lazarus, find what it is in himself that made him love and embrace the blues so dearly many years earlier. I'm sure he never guessed that a half-naked, skinny, nymphomaniac white girl would be his salvation.
Samuel L. Jackson (in his finest performance in more than a decade) is Lazarus, a one-time Tennessee blues man whose wife has just left him for his younger brother. He's angry and shattered by the development. The badly beaten, unconscious Rae (Christina Ricci) is left for dead near his driveway. He attempts to nurse the girl back to health, and while in town collecting medicine and other supplies, he finds out a thing or two about Rae's wicked ways. Her boyfriend (played beautifully by Justin Timberlake) has made many promises about their future, but only after he ships off to bootcamp (and presumably Iraq several months later). In the wake of his leaving, Rae goes on a sexual and alcoholic bender. She also has epileptic-like seizures that can only be ceased with sex.
Lazarus takes on the girl's soul as a project, and he is determined to cure her of her wicked ways by keeping her under his care, reading her Bible verses, and simply showing her the kindness of a stranger who is not trying to have sex with her. To make sure she stays put until the job is done, he chains her to his radiator. My guess is that, if you knew anything about this film before today, this chaining business was a part of what you knew, maybe the only part. Craig Brewer is no dummy; he knows he's being provocative with this set up. And make no mistake, the chaining all happens fairly early in the story, but Ricci isn't in chains long. But in the time she is held captive, she does everything in her power to escape. I know a lot of actresses get labeled "brave" for taking their clothes off in films, but Ricci is downright fearless with her body and the label might stick with this performance.
But after the dust and boobies settle, it becomes clearer what Black Snake Moan is really about, which is, of course, Lazarus' personal redemption and his rediscovery of the things in his life that once made him a better man and a terrifying musician. Brewer drenches his subjects in blues folklore and culture, and you leave this film feeling both educated and invigorated. Black Snake Moan is a deeply spiritual piece, and as strange as it might sound, I could see some churchgoers finding many positive lessons about salvation in several scenes in this work. The course this film takes and the way it leads the audience is unexpected and wonderful, and bless Craig Brewer for carving out this music-fueled niche for himself in the film universe and teaching us not just about playing music but about what inspires those who create it. The year is young, I know, but this is my favorite movie of 2007 so far.
Capone
Email Me Your Women In Chains Pics Here!
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Am I is Frist?
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I feel I now know what this movies about. Great review, mate. I might actually watch this now :)
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if you ask me.
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Support that statement please. You can't just leave it at that. This movie is fucking terrible. I am on a crusade against this tripe. I can't tell you how overjoyed I am to see alot of critics panning it. Don't waste your money. Don't be swayed by the marketing. It's not shocking. It's not controversial. It's flat-out awful.
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once the director's sensibilities grew up to match his subject matter he would be perfect to adapt Tennessee Williams.
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Mar 02, 2007 5:04:41 PM CST
Ultimately rap music lives or dies by the authenticity
by bannedontherun
of the persona you create. Just ask Carlton Douglas Ridenhour or Tracy Marrow!
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Geeze, he has like a new one every month it feels like eh? And they arent half bad more often then not.
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Ebert loved it, who cares what the Dude from Maxim thinks
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film and just reading some of the reviews. There is no doubt the imagery is intriguing and the film is well made - it looks like a Southern folk tale. And of course I like the two leads. It just seems that given the themes and its attempts to be uplifting, it's having too much fun being salacious along the way. No different really than Hounddog in its themes of sex, rape and the "healing power" of music, focusing longingly on the body of the female character to arouse the audience.
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Bannedontherun seems to think he's clever because he knows the real names of Chuck D and Ice T, both of whom are talented MCs and would successful with or without their "personas."
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...what, bad?
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can you blame me ?
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"hey everyone." ??
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That's just awesome! Can't wait to see Sam the Man put that honkey bitch nympho in her place. Snakes in my mothafukin' pants.
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An oxymoron? Perhaps. If not then at least as rare as good country, which is definitely an oxymoron. See we have a paradox there.
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I saw this one last night in Seattle. This is a very absorbing film that is part exploitation film, part music bio, and part redemption plot. If you enjoy films where fractured people hit the bottom and then start the long climb back up, BSM won't let you down.
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Straight up and down. I never understand how people can pigeonhole entire genres of music. Johnny Cash, homie. Highwaymen homie. Killer country right there. And I'm not even going to list off good hiphop, cause it takes a certain kind of mentality to enjoy street shit, and I'm going to assume you wouldn't get it. But yea. Don't be a dunce. Every single genre has at least ONE fantastic artist. You'd probably be a better person if you allowed yourself to enjoy more shit. Except for Black Snake Moan. Cause that shit sucks.
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of the film where she is beaten and raped - yes.
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And that is why the Beastie Boys embody the very essence of what “good” rap music characterizes. An authentic lyric, street cred, and hardcore roots which is in itself parallel with the evolution and genesis of hip hop. Not sure what this has to do with BSM, I’m just happy they have a new album coming out soon.
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I thought it was just an hour and a half of a nympho Christina Ricci prancing around undressed and begging for sex while chained to a post. If there's going to be thinking and dialogue and stuff then sorry - not interested.
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beautifully done, Justin. kudos.
anybody else heard Samuel L Jackson's 'singing' yet? -
is better than their last. Their 'tribute' to NYC in To The Five Boroughs sounded more like a tribute to Al Qaeda.
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Let me say that rap would garner so much more respect from musicians if actual instruments backed up the MCs. None of this synthesized, computer generated bullshit. The rap and hip hop industries need to set down their laptops and pick up some axes! Look at the success enjoyed by Rage Against The Machine... Rap and Metal are perfectly suited for eachother.
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specifically, the delightful boobies of Ms Ricci. Now you can talk all you want about the power of redemption and how music can touch your soul, by I wants to see me some boobies. Sweet baby moses!
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Does Ricci really show her tits in this?
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Saw this movie today - Samuel L. Jackson is great (he learned to play the blues on guitar for the film) and Ricci gives a damn sexy performance in it. You get a good look at her breasts, but no full nudity. She does spend much of the movie dressed in a loose crop-top and some white panties (or less) though.
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Ricci's titties were in top form.
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Cadillac.
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That's great hip hop music for you today!Or maybe let me get some of that Laffy Taffy!
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Coming soon, produced by Lorne Michaels....
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People who complain that hip hop doesn't use real instruments are missing the point. I used to say the same thing till I realized I was placing my own cultural biases on a different art form. Rap (good rap) isn't about the music, it's about the lyrics...it's Harlem Renaissance, jazz, poetry...Most rap sucks, sure, but so does most rock, pop, etc. You just gotta wade through the shit and find the diamonds. /rant
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at the grindhouse drive-in.
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Not great. Just good. I had fun and there were a lot of funny moments. For the first half, I honestly was all "what the fuck??" But some things got cleared up in the second half that chilled me out. That's my opinion of the film and anyone who doesn't like it can suck my black snake.
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Man, I was just gonna let dogs slumber, but I hate to see someone espouse their opinion as truth, especially when they've got no fuckin' idea what they're talking about. First off, rap-metal sucks, hands down. R.A.T.M. is an exception, if only because they aren't really "rap-metal" and because Tom Morello is a pretty talented guy. Secondly, if you'd listened to real hip hop then you might realize that you are listening to real instruments - not just computer generated sounds or "stolen" samples. Some artists lean more one way then the other, but to lump everyone together is just idiotic. Have you ever used Ableton Live? Wavelab? ProTools? Ever miced and sampled live drums, then created your beat with said sounds and a sampler? Combined live instruments with midi to create that sound you're searching for or that you hear in your head? I've played guitar, bass, and keys for almost twenty years now and I ALSO realize how stupid it is to wish for a "rap artist" to pick up a guitar. Why don't you pick up a sampler? My good money is hedged against you being able to use one adequately to compose anything decent in a short amount of time - they aren't as easy to use as you probably imagine them to be. Also, hip hop's strength will always be in verbal gymnastics, which - nine times out of ten - blow your little, whiny rock/metal/emo bitches out of the water (those guys are still crying over stuff any mature man got over his senior year of high school). Don't believe me - check out Del Tha Funkee Homosapien or Gift of Gab. Ever question the composition skills of a hip hop based artist? Check out Blockhead or DJ Shadow (ohh, but not his last album - it WAS really bad). The repetitive, plaintive, looping structure of the blues also has more in common with hip hop than your beloved metal genre - and some argue rap and such primarily verbal excursions are a natural derivation of it. Ahh, but this is all music theory, stuff you might try checking out to expand your horizons as well. So, see - there's a lot more to it than your simple mind can comprehend, apparently. I feel you if you're referring to most of the junk on MTV or the radio, but to make broad, dumb statements like you did - well, you end up taking the bitchslap pretty hard.
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Well put. The Roots and jurrasic five sort of make the instruments arguement irrelavent anyway.
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All of these movies look awesome, to me. Black Snake is only in limited release this weekend, so I'll go with Zodiac. However, next weekend I am definitely in line to see 300. I actually hope that Black Snake Moan does not come out wider that weekend, and THEN I can go see it and appreciate it. Anyway, all of these movies, without seeing a single frame, I have a feeling they're all going to rule. Nice time to be a movie geek, eh?
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At least that way we won't suffer Indy 4.
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direct Yentl vs. The Golem.
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That talkback has turned into such a fucking waste of time...
Douchebags wanting to trash the site for OPINIONS, or WEETODDS just trying to continue lame ass bullshit like Tomboy Beanpole.
Eat a fat dick all of you.
In the meantime...
Whether I agree or not, good job on the review.
And in this case...I saw it today and thought it was a pretty damn good film.
Lick my taint those who flame from this point on... -
So I saw it. Samuel L. Jackson is great and so is Ricci for the most part. They have a good dynamic. However, the film doesn't really go into the fact that chaining a girl to a radiator against her will is completely fucked up. Instead, it's presented as negative reinforcement for Ricci's nymphomania without judgement. Sure, characters in the film judge Samuel L. Jackson's decision, but Craig Brewer always seems to be on his side. It's kid of like a "Mandingo" rape fantasy without the rape, the idea that this powerful, masculine, God-fearing black man can "cure" a wayword, skinny, young white woman. The ends justify the means, basically. We've seen it in "Secretary," but there at least James Spader was a creepy asshole and we knew everything was fucked up from the word go. Here, Craig Brewer seems to go out of his way to show that Samuel L. Jackson is a good man and justified in his actions. It's definitely exploitation, but it's presented in a sincere, heartfelt manner that feels contrived.
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say the people who never listen to it.
you know, i've heard some pretty awful rock songs on pop radio. according to your logic, that means all rock music since its inception sucks. -
No, wooden tits, Cheetah!
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Sorry, but trying to stop a girl from being a nympho is just plain evil... (not to mention a waste)
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Well put.
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Macchio one, not the Britney Spears one), except with Christina Ricci to look at. Southern summer blues-funk extravaganza.
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I've seen a clip of the love scene between her and Timberlake. Nothing to shout about. But what is it that makes her fearless?
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What is it with you dickheads? Don't let your learning disabilities hold you back in life! Shoot for the stars! The world is your oyster while you're eating mustard sandwiches! Rise! Rise from the depths of stupidity and say something smart!
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authenticity of its lyrics." Too bad the same couldn't have been said of Hustle and Flow. Whoever made that movie knew jack shit about street level prostitution and pimping. It was like some suburban 7th grader wrote a screenplay about pimping and hip hop. God, that movie was awful.
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I haven't been on the street pimping for years. In fact I gave up the life years ago and can no longer claim to be an expert. That being said, even someone who has no experience pimping can spot a fraud. Hustle and Flow was one of those movies that I just didn't understand the accolades.
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I mean, Charlie's Angels had some sincere moments about friendship, too.
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I thought so from the first I heard of this. Totally unexcited about "Mrs. Skellington" Ricci, and Sam Jackson has achieved Ben Affleck / Nic Cage / Jack Black levels of overexposure.
Plot looks like Brewer played himself. He wants to have it both ways... the thrilling taboo of the Big Scary Black Male and the Little Blonde White Female, but with a predictably PC "let us benefit from the old-timey negro wisdom" twist... yuck.
All that said, I don't know why people are shitting on Hustle and Flow, come on, admit it, that movie was definitely better than you expected it would be... not at all a bad portrayal of a finesse pimp, and at least closer to reality than most of the media nonsense associated with that lifestyle is. -
does the ad for this movie on this site (upper right corner) have the Shroud of Turin for its background?
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All wise negroes turn out to be angels in movies. Of course it's a given that the old negro plays the blues but if he also doesn't rape you or your daughter, he's probably a divine being.
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Come on, Oliver Stone, that was your speciality! Hollywood, America relies on you to perpetuate racial stereotypes. I mean, we've got Eddie Murphy doing "big, tyrannical, sexually voracious black woman," we've had a recent upsurge in solemn/psychotic Africans, Asians apparently no-one cares about unless they're in the Yakuza or do Kung-Fu, and of course the Jews are off limits... so where are our wise old Indians, dispensing their timeless New Age knowledge to the White main characters?
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The clues are everywhere. The number of pixels in that advertisement divided by the number of threads in the pope's underwear will point you to the next destination, where Ian McKellan awaits with an expository powerpoint presentation.
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Of course, Daddylonghead. How could I have not seen it! I particularly like "Ian McKellan awaits with an expository powerpoint presentation." So, is it me or does it look like the Shroud of Turin?
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I loved it. It was great and it was well acted and actually touching. I want the soundtrack.
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This movie was great. This movie was the blues and if you're a fan of the blues or southern life, this movie is for you. Electrifying performances, I can easily see this movie growing a cult following.
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Is that you JR, from Dallas?
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I haven’t seen a worse film this year.
Samuel L. Jackson is once again angry and spouting scripture.
Justin Timberlake, plays Christina Ricci's military bound boyfriend. The problem with his performance is that Timberlake is only in a few scenes, but manages to cry more in the movie than Ricci.
Ricci, plays a woman with a community coochie, like a city park it's open to everyone, anytime day or night. She is really good in the character except for when she gets her "spells." Craig Brewer presents her condition as laughable. She looks like a crackhead going through detox. She drops to the ground, starts moaning, shaking, grunting, and writhing away.
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Another film he hypes up and it sucks.
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Brewer basically had a bunch of themes he wanted to show (white girl held captive by crazy looking black guy in some far off southern city) and he tried to backtrack and create a storyline.
Eh, didn't quite get there. Not all bad by any means, but I was looking forward to leaving by the end (not because I was disturbed by anything, but just to relieve my boredom). -
and Sam playing the blues at the bar was awesome!
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I admit it, I have a one-track mind and I make no apologies. I just want to know if Ricci's naked in this? Full frontal? Boobs? What? Remember that opening shot of Prozac Nation? Do we get any of that here? Anyone know?
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To answer your question, yes...several times. One instance in which she tears off her shirt and jumps a guy is particularly hot, but it only lasts a second.
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That's all I needed to know =)
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This flick is gonna pull in two types of people: dimwits who simply wanna see Christina Ricci masturbate herself with a link chain; and people who understand what U2 meant when they sang of "salvation in the blues" in "Angel of Harlem". Actually, the exploitation hook will pull in just about everybody--half of em will love what Craig Brewer has done here; and the other half will be sorry they didn't get to see if Ricci's all-growed-up carpet matches the drapes. They'll also probably think the film is over the top, offensive, racist, stupid, and just too darn upsetting for mass consumption.
Fuck all of em: the movie rocks. Now I don't pretend to know the blues much at all; but you'd simply have to have no appreciation whatsoever for good music to not be moved by this film. Jackson is, of course, Da Man: how could he not be? And Wednesday Addams is indeed all growed up: this is her best onscreen work, period, since she was a kid. More than that, even the fringe characters in the movie are important, and acted with real heart. Compared to other films, you might call this the offspring of The Hot Spot and Monster's Ball: it has that kind of feel. Come April, Grindhouse will be our exploitation feast; we will dine heartily on fine junk food. Black Snake Moan is more than that; it's a seven course meal: a tale that shows rebirth coming out of the most unlikely of places.
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