Jay Z - Fade to Black

Amazon.com

Fade to Black is a document of Jay-Z's self-proclaimed final concert; a grand affair that took place before a sold-out crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden in November 2003. (But anyone who follows celebrity news knows that Jay-Z was out of retirement and back performing at the Garden just a year later.) Fade to Black is a legitimately powerful record of a truly historic event in the annals of rap. Muttering offhand narration with typical bored, streetwise affect, Jay hails the concert as a momentous occasion for being the first time a hip-hop show was allowed to headline at the Garden.

It's unlikely that the full impact of the live performances will hit home to viewers unfamiliar with Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records stable of artists. Another frustration is trying to identify the array of visitors who trade raps on Jay's stage. Included in the star-studded lineup are Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Pharell, Ghostface Killah, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and R. Kelly. One unmistakable figure--and we do mean figure--is Jay's squeeze Beyonce, who raises the temperature and the roof with her skimpy outfit, flowing hair, soulful yowl, and sexed-up dance routine that leaves her boyfriend and the whole of Madison Square Garden slack-jawed with animal desire.

Twenty cameras captured the event, and some of the most powerful sequences are sweeping moves across the swirling, blissed-out masses as they lip sync along in perfect unison with Jay-Z's complex, profane, quick-witted raps. Less effective are intermittent cutaway segments that show the artist in various studio settings working up beats and rhymes. These amateurish home video breaks may give some insight to Jay's perfectionism and dedication to his craft, but they detract from the visceral power of the beautifully executed performance footage. --Ted Fry

Description

FADE TO BLACK takes a look at the rapper's career, providing a backstage glimpse during the concert and showing how his last album was conceived. Narrated by Jay-Z himself, the film features notable guest performances by Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Pharrell Williams, Foxy Brown and appearances by P. Diddy and 2004 Grammy-winner Kanye West.

Customer Reviews:

exceptional in every way.......2007-08-25

I'm quite convinced that this is the most watched DVD I've ever owned, I must have seen it 30 times. Jay-Z's madison gig must've been one of the greatest nights in entertainment history, and for a fan unable to be there that night, this is the next best thing. the event was captured in an outstanding way, just watching this makes me bop my head, jump around the room and sends mad chills down my back. One of the greatest concerts ever performed and THE best live capturing.

My Inspiration.......2007-06-05

This film shows Sean Carter is the most positive light. I see a man with a strong work ethic and so much drive. He's hungry for success and he never settles for anything. He always aims higher. I think I enjoyed the studio footage more than the actually concert footage. Much love goes out to Jay Z and his production crew!

An Authentic Peek.......2007-05-29

I recently began seeking out hip-hop documentaries after watching Jin's No Sleep Till Shanghai. I was pretty skeptical though as to how much a superstar like Jay-Z would be willing to show. It's actually a much more insightful doc than I expected, in terms of understanding the music process. I was surprised how much, and sometimes how little, effort goes into making an album, especially for an artist of Jay's stature. Of course, Fade to Black can also be enjoyed simply for its concert footage, which makes this an excellent film overall.

It is what it is...........2007-05-14

What more can I say?... It's Hova baby.... The concert footage is hot... The studio footage showing the many producers he worked with in creating the Black Album was hotter... Only one reason for falling short of five stars... It wasn't long enough...

"The Last Waltz" of Hip-Hop.......2007-01-08

Jay is one of the few hip-hop artists who can not only fill the seats at the Garden, but play to an audience that large as well. There are tons of guest appearances here and they are universally strong. Even potentially mismatched performances such as Beyonce's appearance work extremely well. The behind the scenes footage of Jay in the studio is riveting. He has a soft, almost hoarse speaking voice yet a powerful voice on the microphone. Like his contemporary Biggie Smalls, he listens to beats with a frighteningly focused intensity and then writes and records all from memory. Some scenes, like when Jay visits Rick Rubin and spits an entirely new verse to the Public Enemy classic "Welcome To The Terrordome" are alone worth the price of admission.

The picture quality of this DVD transfer is decent, though not stunning. Saturation is pushed a little high and the transfer can appear a bit soft at times. The audio track is a well executed surround mix that really captures the acoustics of the Garden. Audio and video sync appears to be quite good.

This is one of the great hip-hop DVDs. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Perverse take on Little Red Riding Hood
"Better than Expected
horrible dvd rendition.
i like this movie
Reese is an amazing actress.....

Freeway
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland , Reese Witherspoon , Wolfgang Bodison , Dan Hedaya , and Amanda Plummer
Director: Matthew Bright
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6304517661
Release Date: 1997-08-20

Amazon.com

Freeway is one of those movies that has the power to simultaneously amaze and disgust just about anyone who dares to view it. Like Seven, Kalifornia, and Natural Born Killers, it's a movie that could be called a product of our times, since it caters to our societal fascination with serial killers and outrageous psychopathic behavior. But make no mistake: director Matthew Bright isn't out to feed anyone's sickest impulse. This is a scathing satire in the age of Jerry Springer fistfights and "real" TV shows like Cops, in which the "I-5 Killer" (Kiefer Sutherland) meets a wayward teenager (Reese Witherspoon) on the freeway that provides his nickname. She confides in the man but soon discovers his gruesome intentions, and ... well, let's just say she effectively defends herself, only to find later that the killer (whose wife is played by Brooke Shields, no less!) has used the media to his advantage. Fine performances make this a provocative thriller, but it's definitely not for the innocent or squeamish. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Perverse take on Little Red Riding Hood .......2007-08-30

Reese Witherspoon stars as Vanessa Lutz. She has a black boyfriend, a mother who sells herself to get drug money and a stepfather who likes to have somewhat consensual sex with his stepdaughter. One day while mom is selling herself to an undercover cop and step-dad and Vanessa are fooling around under the covers the cops bust in and take her parents away. A family friend is called to look after Vanessa but within minutes of her arrival Vanessa has tied her up and packed a picnic basket and heads out for Grandma's house. Along her way she will encounter Mr. Wolverton played by Kiefer Sutherland. There is a murderer patrolling the highways picking up and killing female hitchhikers. Vanessa gets in his car and the two have some small talk. Over the course of dinner though Mr. Wolverton starts asking Vanessa personal questions of a sexual nature. She becomes uneasy by this and suspects that he may be the murderer. Her suspicions are soon confirmed but what Wolverton doesn't know is that one of the items in her picnic basket is a gun. She shoots him in the face and leaves him there and continues her journey to Grandma's house. She assumes she killed him but what she doesn't know is that he is still alive and will cause serious trouble for her. She is soon apprehended by the cops since she is covered in blood and as this is happening Wolverton undergoes emergency surgery that will leave his face grotesquely disfigured and put his head in a brace. In prison Vanessa meets two girls as screwed up as she is. Brittanny Murphy looking plump and frumpy like she did in Clueless plays Vanessa's bunk-mate who likes to cut herself and sleep with the new female inmates. The other woman is played by Allana Ubach and she is the feisty Latina gang leader who likes to attack the new girls. As Vanessa is trying to survive in prison Wolverton now supported by his wife (Brooke Shields) is taking legal action against her. The media coverage paints Wolverton as a monster and Vanessa a hero for protecting herself and the flip side of Wolverton a helpless victim against a violent and reckless youth. Either way the case is spun both become media celebrities. Oliver Stone served as executive producer on this one and this film shares many of the same scenes of graphic and disturbing violence and explores the issues of how the media makes celebrities out of these murderers. After the trial Vanessa breaks out of jail with the gang leader and has only one goal: to get to Grandma's house. What she doesn't know is that Wolverton has been following her every step of the way and knows where Grandma lives. The film is very dark and disturbing not only in its violent content but in its subject matter. What disturbs me about the film is that it can be found in the Comedy section of Best Buy alongside Witherspoon's more familiar Legally Blonde films. Granted this film is supposed to be a satire but it is very heavy and unsettling. I certainly did not laugh during this film. The performances by Witherspoon and Sutherland are good but overall a film that I did not want to watch again.

"Better than Expected.......2007-08-25

This movie was way better than I expected. I had no preconcieved ideas or thoughts going into the viewing of this film. It was a well balanced film considering the weight of it's message. If you like a movie that is a bit skewered, but with a whisper of irony and justice, then this is your movie.

horrible dvd rendition........2007-08-19

Freeway is a cult classic. Raw, dark and utterly hilarious. However, why on earth Lyon's Gate decided to release this movie if they don't plan on enhancing it for widescreen televisions? That's right, this DVD is not Anamorphic so it only looks good on Letterbox tvs.
Moreover, there are hardly any special features and the look of the menus is way too similar (if not exactly the same) to the Trimark DVD. In other words, don't buy this DVD if you have a widescreen tv and if you still own the old Trimark release...

i like this movie.......2007-07-20

This movie's intense and pretty GD hilarious. I didn't know Renee Witherspoon could be so funny.

Reese is an amazing actress............2007-06-27

I don't look for deep meaning in movies, as a rule, but I have to say that Freeway made me think beyond its entertainment value. This film makes you realize how horrible some children in this world are treated with evil and heartache in their own homes - by their own parents. Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of Vanessa is realistic and totally believable. You walk away being mad at her for being so vicious, but you can't blame her one bit because of her miserable life. I can't believe Reese Witherspoon was never recognized for this performance. Kiefer Sutherland is also fantastic. Parts of this film are disturbing, but you'll sit there thinking "man, Reese is amazing..."

Average customer rating:

L A Story - simply the best
True Love and True Comedy
A laugh at our Culture
A modern classic...
Pollo Del Mar

L.A. Story (15th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Steve Martin , Victoria Tennant , Richard E. Grant , Marilu Henner , and Sarah Jessica Parker
Director: Mick Jackson
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000F3UAEI
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com essential video

Steve Martin wrote this film as a meditation on both love and Los Angeles (and then-wife Victoria Tennant). He plays a L.A. TV weatherman who finds himself conflicted about what to do with his life, both professionally and personally. As he works his way through a couple of relationships (including a very funny one with a frisky Sarah Jessica Parker, who talks him into colonic therapy), he discovers a L.A. freeway sign that gives him romantic advice. It helps him realize what he knows intuitively: that the British woman he is attracted to (Tennant) is the one he should pursue. A big cast (and lots of cameos) have fun with this witty (if slight) material and director Mick Jackson adds visual pizzazz. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

L A Story - simply the best.......2007-09-06

The other reviewers capture the true essence of this film. Simply put, this is one of the best movies of all times. Wonderful directing, acting and writing. Steve Martin was his absolute best in this movie.

True Love and True Comedy.......2007-08-17

I remember not wanting to see this movie - the previews did not do it justice. Once I watched it I was hooked. This is a true grownup love story with all the pathos and irony that entails, however, since Steve Martin is the narrator and star it is madcap, surreal and satirical too. I love this movie and every time I watch it it makes me laugh, cry and still wonder if anything like this could really happen. Marilou Henner and Sarah Jessica Parker play great supporting characters and Victoria Tennant an eccentric love interest - only Steve Martin could break your heart and keep you laughing at the same time.

A laugh at our Culture.......2007-08-07

As a Californian, I have to say that I found this movie quite entertaining. I think in the matter of 2 hours you can see almost every stereotype for California played out on the big screen. Funny enough, as exaggerated as they might be, these stereotypes seem so true.

Steve Martin did a great job with this movie. While this movie is a comedy, it really works as a social statement. Even the most unknowingly viewer will probably stand back and think about the movie and the statements it makes. I don't want to give those away, but it makes for a hilarious comedy with real depth. This is comedy like it should be. It isn't slapstick and it isn't stupid.

This is the type of comedy that moves to the top of people's favorites list, and it is worth a watch, even if as a rental.

A modern classic..........2007-07-12

Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker are wonderful in this treasure. The music by Enya just adds a haunting romantic feel to this movie. DOO WAH DIDDY!

Pollo Del Mar.......2007-03-22

I became entranced by this movie the first time I saw it. My wife and I both love this film on so many levels it's hard to describe. I also have a slight personal connection to this film and Steve Martin. In 1990, during the Gulf War I was stationed at a small airbase in Bahrain when Steve performed as part of the USO tour. He was ghastly ill but still managed to go see the "Tree of Life" in the desert. You'll recall he refers to that during the movie. As an aside it really is amazing, a tree growing in the middle of a desert and has been for several hundred years; but I digress.

It's a cliché, but I think I notice something new every time I watch this movie. I have no idea how long it was before I noticed that the name of the hotel they stayed in was "Pollo Del Mar" or "Chicken of the Sea"!

This is the ultimate love story that even guys will like. Please watch it. You'll thank me.

Average customer rating:

OMG!!
3 Stars for the Second round of get down or lay down............
MARIAH CAREY Is In It!!
Makes Superfly look like the Godfather
Orginal is better.

State Property 2
Starring: Ol' Dirty Bastard , Michael Bentt , Billy , Cam'ron , and Sundy Carter
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009K7RMA
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

Three Gangsters vie for the control of Philadelphia

Customer Reviews:

OMG!!.......2007-08-26

This movie was horrible!! I liked State property 1 but this next one was so bad!! This was the biggest minstrel show i have seen since the
flavor of love!! peace

3 Stars for the Second round of get down or lay down...................2007-08-26

Not as good as the first one. But its probably the funniest gangsta flick I've ever seen.

MARIAH CAREY Is In It!!.......2007-08-12

The Only Reason I Love This Movie Is Because I Am A Huge MARIAH CAREY Fan And MARIAH CAREY Is In This Movie! So Of Course I Got It!!

She Swears Alot In This Just Like "Wisegirls" But I Loved Her In All Her Movies!!..Yes Even "Glitter" Which Was Great,For Being Her First Movie.. NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS!

Makes Superfly look like the Godfather .......2007-02-07

I don't know if this is a movie or a minstrel show.
I would say that it's two things Beanie Siegel and Dame Dash pride themselves on when making these retarded hood movies. One is "keeping it straight hood" another is sterotypes.

There's no need for me say what hasn't already been said about this movie because quite honestly, the horrible quality of this movie speaks for itself.

This isn't black cinema it's black death.

anyone with the intellect that's over 12 years old will let the "State" keep this "Property".

P.S. What's up with the horrible muti-shot scenes( a bunch of scenes in one shot) near the end of the movie where they are attempting to tie up the loose ends the story( if you wanna call it a story). I guess Damon Dash is the next Quentin Taratino(sarcasm).

Orginal is better........2006-09-19

When I first heard that they were making a State Property 2, I was so excited. That is until I got it. This movie wasn't gangsta at all. As a matter of fact, it didn't even have a plot. Damon Dash's performance was horrible. He should stick to producing records. Even though the orignal is low-budget, is was way better than this movie. They should have got the guy who directed the first movie. This movie was straight garbage.

Average customer rating:

Perverse take on Little Red Riding Hood
"Better than Expected
horrible dvd rendition.
i like this movie
Reese is an amazing actress.....

Freeway (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland , Reese Witherspoon , Wolfgang Bodison , Dan Hedaya , and Amanda Plummer
Director: Matthew Bright
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MMMTBY
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Amazon.com

Description

A hip, darkly comic, on-the-road tale about a young woman who has an unfortunate encounter with a figurative big, bad wolf while hitching a ride to grandma's house to escape her abusive family.

Customer Reviews:

Perverse take on Little Red Riding Hood .......2007-08-30

"Better than Expected.......2007-08-25

horrible dvd rendition........2007-08-19

i like this movie.......2007-07-20

This movie's intense and pretty GD hilarious. I didn't know Renee Witherspoon could be so funny.

Reese is an amazing actress............2007-06-27

Average customer rating:

L A Story - simply the best
True Love and True Comedy
A laugh at our Culture
A modern classic...
Pollo Del Mar

L.A. Story
Starring: Steve Martin , Victoria Tennant , Richard E. Grant , Marilu Henner , and Sarah Jessica Parker
Director: Mick Jackson
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Urban | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005QCVV
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

L A Story - simply the best.......2007-09-06

True Love and True Comedy.......2007-08-17

A laugh at our Culture.......2007-08-07

A modern classic..........2007-07-12

Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker are wonderful in this treasure. The music by Enya just adds a haunting romantic feel to this movie. DOO WAH DIDDY!

Pollo Del Mar.......2007-03-22

Average customer rating:

honkey tonk freeway
Honky Tonk Freeway
THE BEST!
More facts about than a reveiw.
Absolutely Hysterical! Many famous stars!

Honky Tonk Freeway
Starring: Paul Jabara , Howard Hesseman , Teri Garr , Jenn Thompson , and Peter Billingsley
Director: John Schlesinger
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005R243
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Customer Reviews:

honkey tonk freeway.......2007-02-08

this movie is a classic to me. i have not see it since the late eighties. that is why i am pleased i found it at amazon. does not have it anywhere else that i know of...

Honky Tonk Freeway.......2006-08-31

The movie is great fun to watch with my family. Parts of this film was filmed in Sarasota,FL where we live and I did work as an extra on this film. We were thrilled to find it and have a copy to enjoy again and again, and of course to go with the my keepsake Honky Tonk Freeway t-shirt, paycheck stubs and letter of thanks.

THE BEST!.......2006-03-17

I love this movie. There is wall-to-wall entertainment; or rather, tire-to-tire. Not one minute leaves you bored. It's a road movie but there is so much more. I love the characters. The actors playing them are all fantastic. I know this is an awful review but if you have ever just wanted to relax, past midnight, to watch a cool movie that will make you laugh but not to where your ribs hurt (the older we get, the harder it is to watch really, really funny movies, isn't it?) then this is your film.

More facts about than a reveiw........2006-03-05

Hi im carl and i live in Sarasota florida. When i was young around 1980 or so Interstate 75 was being built down the west coast. Just east of Sarasota there is a town called Fruitville. This is the town they used as Ticlaw. They painted all of the town pink, and erected a false church steeple behind some trees. The overpass that is referenced in the movie was just south of the Fruitville road(SR780) exit and passed over Palmer road. Its close proximity to the SR780 exit made the palmer road overpass not need any exits. But you will have to watch the movie to find out what they do to the overpass(which was a brand new I75 overpass). I rated it as a three as it was a so-so film but has interesting Florida and I75 history. I just ordered my copy for posterity.

Absolutely Hysterical! Many famous stars!.......2003-06-18

If you are looking for a good laugh, get this movie! An oldie, I've been looking for it on cable for 10+ years. Beverly D'Angelo, Beau Bridges, William Devane, Jessica Tandy, Hume Chroyn, David (?) (the guy who played "Sledgehammer") and other character actors you'll recoznize. One of the funniest scenes has George Dzunda smelling women's panties.

Freeway Speedway: Megalopolis Express Way Trial - The Complete Collection

Average customer rating:

Great Set

Freeway Speedway: Megalopolis Express Way Trial - The Complete Collection
Starring: Freeway Speedway Complete Collection
Manufacturer: Adness
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Legend of Speed

ASIN: B0002IQLNA
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Description

Contains all 6 films in the series!
• Freeway Speedway
• Freeway Speedway 2
• Freeway Speedway 3
• Freeway Speedway 4
• Freeway Speedway 5
• Freeway Speedway 6

Customer Reviews:

Great Set.......2004-09-28

I find that this is a perfect match for the Tokyo extreme zero PS2 game...the roads are all the same and the chaqllenges are too. If your into speed like i Fast and the furious and even its sequel...

Welcome to the real realm of Speed

Average customer rating:

Finally
"When I send you brothers out into the world of flimflam, scoot, and scam, you'll be twice as sharp and bad as bad."
OLDSCHOOL 76
Monky AND Hustling huh...?
Monkey Hustle

The Monkey Hustle
Starring: Yaphet Kotto , Kirk Calloway , Thomas Carter (II) , Donn C. Harper , and Lynn Caridine
Director: Arthur Marks
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000V499M
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Description

From the director of Friday Foster and J. D.'s Revenge comes a free-wheelin fast-dealin look at life in the ghettoChicago style. Filled with comedy, fantasy and a cast of unforgettable characters, The Monkey Hustle is a fast, funny and downright funky film that has it all and a little more! Everybody's got a scam goin on in this small Chicago hoodbut nobody's got it goin quite like Daddy Foxx (Yaphet Kotto). He's so smooth, he teaches Flim-Flam 101how to score, scam, jimmy and jam and get over on anyone! But when a new expressway threatens to express its way through their turf, Foxx and all the other monkey hustlers have to band together or the only placeleft to do their deeds will be between six stripey lines on a blacktop!

Customer Reviews:

Finally.......2007-01-29

I remember watching this movie as a teen and for many of my adult years, I had been looking for it. I went on the amazon just for the fun of it a low and behold, there it was. I was so happy that I ordered it right away.

"When I send you brothers out into the world of flimflam, scoot, and scam, you'll be twice as sharp and bad as bad.".......2006-09-19

I'm not exactly sure what The Monkey Hu$tle (1976) refers to (even after watching the film last night), but according to one of the tag lines, `It ain't legal an it sure ain't safe...but it do seem worthwhile!', so there you go. Co-produced and directed by Arthur Marks (Detroit 9000, Linda Lovelace for President, Friday Foster), the film features Yaphet Kotto (Live and Let Die, Alien), Randy Brooks (Colors), Thomas Carter ("The White Shadow"), Donn C. Harper (Mimic 2), and Rosalind Cash (The Omega Man, Uptown Saturday Night). Also appearing is Debbi Morgan (Mandingo), Fuddle Bagley (J.D.'s Revenge), Kirk Calloway (Weekend Pass), Steven Williams (The Blues Brothers, "The X Files"), and Rudy Ray Moore (The Human Tornado, Disco Godfather), probably best known for his Dolemite character from the 1975 film of the same name (if you haven't seen it, it's about one of the cheapest, funniest blaxploitation features ever).

As the film begins we see Yaphet Kotto, playing the character Big Daddy Foxx, a hustler of sorts, driving around the south side of Chicago in a blue Sanford and Son pickup truck with white, shag interior, stopping at an abandoned building which, apparently, he uses as an office/storage facility for his ill-gotten goods. Soon after a couple of young bloods named Player (Carter) and Tiny (Harper) make the scene, looking to hook up with Foxx so that they may `get over', which I think means getting paid (the phrase is used extensively in the film, especially by those who have very little in the way of green). Anyway, after a scam at the train station Player and Tiny hook up with Win (Brooks), a drummer, who got shorted on a gig or something, and now has returned home to find not only his friends but also his little brother Baby `D (Calloway) have taken up with Foxx, much to his disproval. Not only that, but his girlfriend Vi (Morgan), whose mother Sweet Mama (Cash) runs a soul food restaurant, has taken up with another due to his negligence in writing her while he was away...man, the life of a musician sure is difficult. From here a bunch of stuff happens, including more scams, but the main plot seems to be how the city is planning to tear up the neighborhood to lay down a new expressway, and everyone's trying to come together to avert loosing their homes. Glitterin' Goldie (Moore), another hustler (who seems to have a thing for gold lamay jumpsuits), makes the scene, there's a catfight, Foxx hooks up with Sweet Mama, Win tries to patch things up with Vi by sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night, Player and Tiny take revenge on a dude who messed over Win, Win's skins (drums) get trashed in retaliation, more scams occur, there's some roller disco action, Baby `D breaks out on his own, and Win catches a beat down along with having to come up with some bread to get some new skins so that he may play in the giant block party set up to promote killing the proposed expressway project.

The film, released by American International Pictures (AIP for short), is pretty goofy in general, full of exaggerated performances, huge Afros, some of the most horrendous 1970s denim fashions I've ever seen, along with scads of dialogue I could barely understand, including the following...

`She was a booger bear, but she had educated lips and a body for days.'

As best as I can tell the character makes a derogatory statement about a woman, but then follows up with mention of her better qualities.

Here's another baffling line...

`Chumped by a broke stacked dog, the wino's reject.'

I won't even attempt to decipher that one...and here's one more...

`The closer the bone, the sweeter the meat.'

This was another line used by a character talking about a woman, but since I neglected to take Jive 101 in school, I'm unsure the intent behind the statement (I think it was meant as flattery, but I'm not positive).

The story's a real mish mash, focusing on various go nowhere minor plots from time to time, but it's mostly made up of various strangely garbed characters perpetrating different kinds of scams, cons, and flimflams, always trying to `get over' and asking each other if they can `dig it'. I didn't really have a favorite scene from the film, but there was one part that was kind of funny in that after Player and Tiny beat up a dude in getting revenge for their friend Win, Win's place, along with his drums, gets trashed in retaliation and someone scrawled on the wall the following, `You been warned succa'...succa? Hooked on phonics worked for me I guess...there was one aspect of the film I really liked and that was all the shots of Chicago, but then again I'm kind of partial to films that feature the Windy City seeing as how I've spent most of my life around the place. As far as the performances, I mentioned earlier they were exaggerated (and I wasn't kidding), and sometimes it's kind of funny but it does wear a little thin after a while, given how little substance there seems to be within the actual characters. Most tend to come off as silly caricatures, ones common within the blaxploitation genre. All in all not a completely rotten film, but one that could have used a lot more soul.

The picture, presented in fullscreen format, modified to fit your TV, does look very clean. I would have preferred a widescreen, unaltered format, but oh well...as far as the Dolby Digital mono audio I had no complaints. The only extras included are a theatrical trailer for the film and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish...I have to say, I was especially thankful for the English subtitles as otherwise I would have had to spend an extraordinary amount of effort trying to discern what some of the characters were actually saying.

Cookieman108

By the way, Rudy Ray Moore is displayed prominently on the DVD cover artwork, most likely due to his cult status in the video market stemming from his Dolemite films, but he has a relatively small part in the film, one that includes about a total of ten minutes of screen time.

OLDSCHOOL 76 .......2004-10-29

THE MOVIE WAS VERY FAR OFF, BUT YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT HOLLYWOOD MADE IT. I SAW THE MOVIE WHEN IT RELEASED IN 1976. I RECENTLY SAW THE MOVIE, AND IT'S STILL FUNNY, AND BRINGS BACK GREAT MEMORIES.I'M FROM CHICAGO, AND I RECONIZE ALL THE AREA'S THEY FILMED IN. KEEP IN MIND THAT ALOT OF ACTORS AND ACTRESS, WENT ON TO HAVE EXCELLENT MOVIE CAREERS. CAN YOU DIG IT!!!!!!!!

Monky AND Hustling huh...?.......2004-10-11

I know it's a blaxploitation film, but why does it have to be called MONKEY Hustle? Talk about degrading. I guess the actors will do anything for a check.

I like black 70's films. While not all were great, many go down as all-time classics to me. This is one of those films that I have not heard of. Usually, if I did not hear about it, it was for good reason.

This films was one of the better ones with decent cinematography. The film on a whole is a film with a story that tries to be ghetto, but fails. It is supposed to be a bout scam artists, but the scams that they pull are not the type of scams that people in the ghetto would pull. It almost seems as if this is a film by 'Hollywood' with their ideas on what ghetto hustles and scams should be. These hustles are too clean-cut for me. The film is entertaining though.

I cannot call this a classic. I cannot even say that I would keep it in a collection, but it is something to see. The girls with their tight jeans is a sight to behold. It makes me want to jump back in time and go them!

Overall, it tried to be a lown-down ghetto wise, scamming black film, but turns out to be a 'hollywood' black film. This is not hard-core like Shaft, Superfly or even Uptown Saturday Night. This film is soft while trying to be hard. I cannot say stay away, but...

Where is Lady Sings the Blues, Sparkle, Claudine(WS), Coolie High(WS), Three the Hard Way, Black Belt Jones and some other notable black 70's films on DVD? What is the delay?

Monkey Hustle.......2003-05-12

Excellent movie. The fashion and lingo alone are reasons to watch.

Average customer rating:

L A Story - simply the best
True Love and True Comedy
A laugh at our Culture
A modern classic...
Pollo Del Mar

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ASIN: 078401163X
Release Date: 1998-05-20

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Customer Reviews:

L A Story - simply the best.......2007-09-06

True Love and True Comedy.......2007-08-17

A laugh at our Culture.......2007-08-07

A modern classic..........2007-07-12

Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker are wonderful in this treasure. The music by Enya just adds a haunting romantic feel to this movie. DOO WAH DIDDY!

Pollo Del Mar.......2007-03-22

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