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Review #312 of 365
Movie Review of Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006) [R] 88 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $5.00
Where Viewed: Cinemark Century 16, Lakewood, CO
When 1st Seen: 19 November 2006
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: Stacy Title (Let the Devil Wear Black)
Written by: Jacob Hair (The Courtesy Nudge), Chris Kobin (2001 Maniacs), Jonathan McHugh, and Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Snoop Dogg (Soul Plane) • Ernie Hudson ("Desperate Housewives") • Danny Trejo (Sherrybaby) • Pooch Hall ("Pepper Dennis") • Anson Mount ("Conviction") • Daniella Alonso ("One Tree Hill") • Brande Roderick (Starsky & Hutch) • Richard Gant ("Deadwood") • Aries Spears ("Mad TV") • Dallas Page (The Devil's Rejects) • Jeffrey Licon ("Joan of Arcadia") • Noel Gugliemi (Harsh Times) • Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars") • Tucker Smallwood ("Enterprise") • Cleo King (The Benchwarmers) • Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld") • Billy Dee Williams (Constellation) • Hawthorne James (The System Within) • Jonathan Penner ("Survivor: Cook Islands") • Mike Malin ("Big Brother All Stars")
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Snoop Dogg's entry into the Horror Fest 2006—a new way to hype not-so-great horror films by packaging them together into one weekend—is an anthology of three stories loosely linked by the presence of Snoop Dogg himself and the Keeper of the Hood. Edgy animation and music are the best parts of this film which involves stories that seem to be plotted around the mildly-imaginative ways in which the authors dreamed up to kill people in sort of a "Twilight Zone" or "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" only not as good fashion.
"… mediocre …"
The first story involves a graffiti artist named Posie (Daniella Alonso) who is given a special power by a mysterious derelict (Danny Trejo) whereby any tag she paints over will lead to the original tagger meeting an untimely demise within minutes—the worst of which was a dude taking a beer bottle through his mouth and skull. This story starts off with much promise. Posie has the power to clean up her neighborhood of all the hoodlums who are gang banging, mal-treating women, dealing drugs, selling guns, and generally serving as public menances. But, just as quickly as the Posie turns to simply killing in discriminately, the story devolves tragically into one that makes little sense. Why doesn't she use the power properly? Why doesn't she paint the church mural that would so please the Pastor Charlie (Billy Dee Williams) who has worked so hard to protect her since her father killed her mother and then himself when she was just a child? Ah, probably because it gives the writer the reason to bring back everyone she has killed in zombie like fashion to seek their revenge. A great story concept, that failed to make a very good point.
The second story involves a snotty Texan named, not surprisingly, Tex, Jr. (Anson Mount) who kills his father for his inheritance only to find the inheritance is getting to live in a rent-controlled building in LA with his former army buddies. Tex, Jr. and his new wife, the equally pampered Tiffany (Brande Roderick) move from Texas into a two-story building in an 'up and coming' neighborhood of Los Angeles. The well-kept, but nonetheless ramshackle building is inhabited by four Black gentlemen, all of whom were beloved and loyal members of Tex, Sr.'s unit in the army. He has long been subsidizing their veteran's benefits so that they could live out their lives in decency. Roscoe (Ernie Hudson) serves as their informal leader, and expresses willingness to help fulfill the wishes of their now-dead former commander and friend to help teach his son to live with honor. Unfortunately, Tex, Jr. and Tiffany have other plans beginning, immediately, with forcing the men to become a renovation crew. The story is highly predictable in that you know right away that Tex and Tiff are going to become too big for their britches, upset the men, and die similarly to Tex, Sr. in a revenge plot. The trick here is in the details as to how it all goes down. This story, of the three, is the least horrific and more "Dead Like Me" in principle and effect. The moral of the story is, "don't abuse retired vets" and that's about it. This story's worthiness of even the 'mediocre' label is suspect.
The third and final story involves the meteoric rise of a rap star named Sod (Pooch Hall) who sets up his best friend Quon's (Aries Spears) murder to help escalate sales of their music. He gets what's coming to him though when a mysterious venue manager pays him a visit to his dressing lounge under the auspices of giving him a lecture on permitting his guests to smoke in a public facility in violation of a California, clean air statute. She dissolves the doors so there is no escaping, and then she forces him in Facing Your Life-fashion to watch scenes from his life that proved Quon's loyalty and worsen the impact of his ultimate betrayal of his friend. She then permits Quon to return as a vengeful ghost zombie to get his revenge. Let's just say that the new Quon is not quite as loyal to his former best friend. By far the most meaningful and well-written of the stories with the best twist, this one too sadly devolves from teaching lessons to gory blood baths.
The acting is mediocre. The stories are mediocre. The horrors are mediocre. In a word, the film is mediocre. Certainly, it was bloody and graphic, but not horrifying. Again, writers and directors confuse the two as happens too often in this genre. This film had the makings of something ground-breaking with its blend of stylized graphic animations, the Crypt Keeper like Snoop Dogg host, engaging music, and vignettes set in more modern digs. Unfortunately, the stories, acting, sets, and even some of the special effects, were less well done than most late-night horror films. All in all, this film is best left straight to DVD or late night tv. P.S. ever wonder where the reality stars of yesteryear go after their 20 minutes of fame expires? Well now you know for, at least two of them, Big Brother's Mike "Boogie" Malin and Survivor: Cook Island's Jonathan "I sound just like Alan Alda" Penner both have very, very bit roles in this film. Their on-screen presence is only rivaled by "Seinfeld's" Jason Alexander who pops up in a cameo role as the stuffy English record producer for Quon and Sod's duo.
The second story involves a snotty Texan named, not surprisingly, Tex, Jr. (Anson Mount) who kills his father for his inheritance only to find the inheritance is getting to live in a rent-controlled building in LA with his former army buddies. Tex, Jr. and his new wife, the equally pampered Tiffany (Brande Roderick) move from Texas into a two-story building in an 'up and coming' neighborhood of Los Angeles. The well-kept, but nonetheless ramshackle building is inhabited by four Black gentlemen, all of whom were beloved and loyal members of Tex, Sr.'s unit in the army. He has long been subsidizing their veteran's benefits so that they could live out their lives in decency. Roscoe (Ernie Hudson) serves as their informal leader, and expresses willingness to help fulfill the wishes of their now-dead former commander and friend to help teach his son to live with honor. Unfortunately, Tex, Jr. and Tiffany have other plans beginning, immediately, with forcing the men to become a renovation crew. The story is highly predictable in that you know right away that Tex and Tiff are going to become too big for their britches, upset the men, and die similarly to Tex, Sr. in a revenge plot. The trick here is in the details as to how it all goes down. This story, of the three, is the least horrific and more "Dead Like Me" in principle and effect. The moral of the story is, "don't abuse retired vets" and that's about it. This story's worthiness of even the 'mediocre' label is suspect.
The third and final story involves the meteoric rise of a rap star named Sod (Pooch Hall) who sets up his best friend Quon's (Aries Spears) murder to help escalate sales of their music. He gets what's coming to him though when a mysterious venue manager pays him a visit to his dressing lounge under the auspices of giving him a lecture on permitting his guests to smoke in a public facility in violation of a California, clean air statute. She dissolves the doors so there is no escaping, and then she forces him in Facing Your Life-fashion to watch scenes from his life that proved Quon's loyalty and worsen the impact of his ultimate betrayal of his friend. She then permits Quon to return as a vengeful ghost zombie to get his revenge. Let's just say that the new Quon is not quite as loyal to his former best friend. By far the most meaningful and well-written of the stories with the best twist, this one too sadly devolves from teaching lessons to gory blood baths.
The acting is mediocre. The stories are mediocre. The horrors are mediocre. In a word, the film is mediocre. Certainly, it was bloody and graphic, but not horrifying. Again, writers and directors confuse the two as happens too often in this genre. This film had the makings of something ground-breaking with its blend of stylized graphic animations, the Crypt Keeper like Snoop Dogg host, engaging music, and vignettes set in more modern digs. Unfortunately, the stories, acting, sets, and even some of the special effects, were less well done than most late-night horror films. All in all, this film is best left straight to DVD or late night tv. P.S. ever wonder where the reality stars of yesteryear go after their 20 minutes of fame expires? Well now you know for, at least two of them, Big Brother's Mike "Boogie" Malin and Survivor: Cook Island's Jonathan "I sound just like Alan Alda" Penner both have very, very bit roles in this film. Their on-screen presence is only rivaled by "Seinfeld's" Jason Alexander who pops up in a cameo role as the stuffy English record producer for Quon and Sod's duo.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006)
Cast Members
Snoop Dogg
• Ernie Hudson• Danny TrejoPooch Hall
• Anson Mount• Daniella AlonsoBrande Roderick
• Richard Gant• Aries SpearsDallas Page
• Jeffrey Licon• Noel GugliemiSydney Tamiia Poitier
• Tucker Smallwood• Cleo KingJason Alexander
• Billy Dee Williams• Hawthorne JamesJonathan Penner
• Mike MalinDirector
Stacy Title
Co-Writers
Jacob Hair
• Chris Kobin • Jonathan McHugh • Tim Sullivan| DVD |
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Snoop Dogg's entry into the Horror Fest 2006—a new way to hype not-so-great horror films by packaging them together into one weekend—is an anthology of three stories loosely linked by the presence of Snoop Dogg himself and the Keeper of the Hood. Edgy animation and music are the best parts of this film which involves stories that seem to be plotted around the mildly-imaginative ways in which the authors dreamed up to kill people in sort of a "Twilight Zone" or "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" only not as good fashion. The acting, stories, and horrors are equally mediocre. While the film had the makings of something ground-breaking the result is less well done than most late-night horror films. All in all, this is best left unclaimed from the straight-to-DVD or late night TV road.
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