Hustle & Flow

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

Release Date: July 13th, 2005 (NY/LA)

Cast: Terrence Howard (DJay), Anthony Anderson (Key), Taryn Manning (Nola), Taraji P. Henson (Shug), DJ Qualls (Shelby), Ludacris (Skinny Black), Elise Neal (Yevette)

Director: Craig Brewer (The Poor and Hungry)

Screenwriter: Craig Brewer (Water's Edge)

Premise: With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful rapper.

[pete]

my emotions are all conflicted.

[pete]

my buddy, a film snob, just told me that it was a really good film and had a kickass soundtrack.  he saw it at the sundance.

[cowboykurtis]

i think this looks pretty boring.

its like the Rocky of Southern Crunk Rap - If one likes Ludacris and No Limit and all that  I'm sure the soundtrack is great. Also, if one thought 8mile was good i'm sure it will be up their alley as well.

I for one do not like the music nor am I really taken by the heroic story of a rapper writing his way out of the slums. Theres nothing really new or exciting here.

This has gotten all the press because it sold for the most. That doesn't neccessarily mean it was the creme de le creme of sundance.

I don't really care to see this.

However I do give respect to Terrance Howard - quite a good actor in general.

[Finn]

it looks like the sequel to 8 Mile or something. the story looks way too unoriginal

[SiliasRuby]

it looks like the sequel to 8 Mile or something.

Good, so I'm not the onlyu one who thought that. It really sounds unispired and I don't think it will have the same drive that 8 mile did, way too many similarities. Even with Ludacris in this, I don't many will see this film.

[cowboykurtis]

I disagree - I think alot of people will see this, and it will rake it in at the B.O.

[Ghostboy]

This movie is awful.

Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson are both really good, and I wish their performances were in a good movie.

I predict, however, that this will be a big hit.

[modage]

urban audiences are already lining up.  there are HUGE ads for this up in manhattan.  why do you suppose the sundance buzz was positive, GB?  or what the hell is harry knowles talking about raving about it?

[Ghostboy]

I just read Harry's review. He seems to love it because of its blaxpoitation roots. While the 70s fonts in the credit sequence weren't lost on me, I didn't really look at it as a throwback to Superfly, and I don't think most audiences will, either.

Personally, I was coming at it from the POV of someone who loves good hip hop but hates all the crap that's foisted on the top 40 charts - which is sort of what the guy in this movie writes, and which the movie is is sort of like in general.

I'm not a model of political correctness, but I think there's something socially problematic with marketing this as mass entertainment.

[pete]

urban audiences has already lined up?  I live in a boston ghetto and just spent a week shooting something in the oakland ghetto and I see no ad for this anywhere and have heard no one talking about this.
I also don't really think it's "top 40" music.

[Ghostboy]

It's Top 40 in the 50 Cent / Ludacris style, which is what the character's music sounds like a combination of (with a touch of Tupac's flow for good measure).

[Stefen]

Terrence Howard is an underrated actor. He always seems to be on the cusp of breaking out, or so it seemed 10 years ago. But it never happens, he's had some fine roles this year though. As for the movie, I don't want it. It seems to glorify all the things that make rap bad, and Taryn Manning is the new Bijiou Phillips, big turn off.

[Gabe]

This is more entrepenurial than 8 mile

[Ghostboy]

I figured it would make a killing too, but it's already dropped out of the top ten two weeks into its run, and probably will top out with only 20 million.