DVD Review: A Day In The Life
Is it possible to do a review when you haven’t watched the whole movie? I don’t know, but that’s exactly what I’m doing.
While looking at the new releases on another site, I decided to pick up “A Day In The Life“, mostly because of the cast. We have a round-up here of many urban drama staples; Omar Epps, Mekhi Phifer, Sticky Fingaz (who wrote and directed), Fredro Starr, Faison Love (Big Worm from Friday), Bokeem Woodbine, Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire), Wee-Bay from The Wire, Micheal Rapaport, Clarence Williams III, Tyrin Turner (Caine from Menace II Society; where’s he been?) and Ray J (!!).
With a cast like that I settled in to see some real hood rat stuff. Even if it wasn’t good, at least it would be interesting to see what the cast is lookin’ like, I thought.
It opens with a home invasion shoot em up, a robbery of drugs and cash by phoney cops. The whole thing was rapped! It was actually quite well done and interesting…creative to say the least. But after the opening credits, there was more rapping. And some more. And more. Oh hell no! I thought, this whole movie is rapped like a rap opera?
And so it was. Though it has it’s moments (like when the corny YT hospital doctor had to rap his lines), the concept got old. Really fast. By the time Sticky Fingaz was hittin’ his girl from the back (ifyaknowwhatimean) and they were rapping back and forth about how good it was, I had enough.
I did not even get to see the comeback appearance of the great Bokeem Woodbine as Bam Bam. Oh well. I must say, however, that this is the perfect movie for those that live on a steady, or semi-steady, diet of blunts and 40’s.
Here is the trailer…one thing I wanna know is how these Negroes were posted up all in the Sunset and Hollywood Hills in mansions, with Hummers, Porches, Bentleys, Rovers and guns all day long, but there is never a policeman in sight? Hmmmmm. (warning-some graphic violence):
Issa Rae
Rocky Horror
Soul Sis-Star Reviews 
i see it online. i’m gonna try to watch it.
Please let me know what you think after viewing; I’d be interested to know.
I can’t lie. As I was watching the trailer it slowly bit by bit got funnier to me. I want to see it now if not for out of sheer curiousity.
Yet seeing that Mehki Phifer, Omar Epps and Clarence Williams III (for God’s sake!) are in the film surprised me. I mean why are they in it? They just love to work? Did they do it as a favor? It can’t be the money because I’m sure they got next to nothing being in the film, so what’s the excuse? The only thing I figure is because they want to show their “street cred”? In other words: “yeah I’ve done Hollywood movies and work on TV series, but I’m still a down brother from the hood keepin’ it real”. I mean is that so important to them? Must be, though the DUMBEST reason for doing a film like this.
Yeah Sergio, I do think that’s a big part of it. “I’m on a show like ER, or House, or whatever, and I can flip it and and be completely hood.”
Also, back in the day when I worked for Russell Simmons, and Onyx was hot (the group Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr were in) these actors were also trying to be rappers….they were practically groupies in fact, so there are strong personal New York ties there too.
LMAO! Sticky Fingaz actually writing something was a tip off as to how bad I knew this pile-o-sh*t would be. I love me some Bokeen and why da hell is Rappaport’s pasty ass always up in some “urban” film? Guess he’s the go to YT. I blame Oliver Stone for setting it off with “Zebrahead”. Rappaport ain’t been no good since then girl. No-damn-good.
You are too funny! Rapaport has always been that one white dude you see with the homies, huh?
I thought he was pretty good in an otherwise mediocre film “Higher Learning”. Did you know he was in Bamboozled?
I saw him in Bamboozled and he was a pain in the ass. That mo-fo was in Hitch too as the token YT friend. I’ve never seen Higher Learning. Singleton has been dead to me for awhile now.
Ya know, I don’t remember him in Hitch, but I guess I only half watched that movie. Singleton’s been dead to pretty much everybody, lol. Where is he?
Singleton was for the longest time attached to direct that film version of The A Team (which to my knowledge NO ONE has been waiting to see and proving once again that Hollywood is officially out of ideas) He has since left that project and is currently suppose to direct a car chase Fast and Furious rip-off The Wheelman with (who else?) Vin Diesel
You know, for the past 3 or 4 years I read every few months about some project he’s attached to, but they never, ever come to fruition. I know he directed some promos for the Academy Awards (mortgage and car must be paid, Lord knows).
Saw that Latin crime drama he produced last year, but it was so lackluster and unrealistic that I can’t even remember the name of it.
You mean Illegal Tender. I had to look it up. I couldn’t remember that name of it either. It was in and out of theaters in a week
For good reason!
A friend of mine gave me this flick to watch, and I love me some Bokeem too! There’s something “Grown ass man” about him that I dig! I actaully like sticky, but fredro is just a mess. I swear somebody is going to slap him in the back and his face is going to stay scrunched up like that! The movie served it’s purpose. I had a good laugh! How homegilr expected to run through an airport in stripper heels was beyond me!
It’s somewhat enjoyable. If your bored and have nothing else to watch, I’d say check it out. I was impressed by Omar Epps flow! Bokeem plays Sticky’s older brother and it was such a waste of talent! Again, I love me some Bokeem!
A very honest little film from England’s BBC – tells the real story of a black photographer caught up in 1985.
The 1985 Handsworth Riots, UK- Pogus Caesar – BBC1 TV . Inside Out.
Broadcast 25 Oct 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey7ijaXv6UQ
Black History UK: In 1985 racial tension and community discontentment escalated into the historical Handsworth riots that rocked Birmingham, England between 9th – 11th September 1985.
Birmingham film maker and photographer Pogus Caesar knows Handsworth, Birmingham in Great Britain well. He found himself in the centre of the riots and spent two days capturing a series of startling images. Caesar kept them hidden for 20 years. Why? And how does he see Handsworth now?.
The stark black and white photographs featured in the film provide a rare, valuable and historical record of the raw emotion, heartbreak and violence that unfolded during those dark and fateful days in September 1985.