Scratch

Rating:
Summary: some dope...
Review: I peeped this film as part of the hip hop film festival that toured through 'Burque. Documentaries don't get any better. If you have any interest in hip hop DJ's then this is a gotta have it. Pick it up.

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular!
Review: I saw the film in the theater in June and I was in awe by the time I left. It is a well made documentary, that gives a great history and explanation into the world of turntablism. If your a fan of hip-hop, techno, or any form of music in general, this one is a must buy!

Rating:
Summary: All this scratching is making me itch...
Review: I saw this movie last week and I was absolutely blown away. It covers the whole history of scratch DJ'ing in hip-hop from the very beginning up to the present day.

Probably the best made documentary I have ever seen - fascinating content, presented in a way that really captures your attention, and funny too..

Excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Should be in every Library
Review: I will get to the point. This film is for anyone who likes music. This film is for anyone who enjoys film. Rent this film from the video rental. Buy it from a store and pass it on, once you're done watching. Tell your public library to add it to the collection because everybody should see this film.

Rating:
Summary: Can't Stop Watching This DVD
Review: I've watched this documentary dozens of times. A must for every turntablist. Even watched it with the director's commentary. I hope Doug Pray eventually rereleases this DVD with more footage about areas he missed like the International scene and gets more interviews with DJs like A-Trak and the Scratch Perverts.

Rating:
Summary: Great flick!
Review: Loved this movie! Does anyone know the name of the DJ Krush song that features towards the end?

Rating:
Summary: DONT FORGET ABOUT DISC 2!!!
Review: ok i missed this movie in theaters but i heard how it covers the history of djing and all that and its the best for showing you where scratching got started and i bought the dvd and its true this movie is BOMB!! with mixmastermike and dj qbert and all the rest.. SCRATCH is a totally amazing & informative 1&1/2hour ride.

but then i got to disc 2! theres a whole nother part with lessons on how to scratch from dj qbert and dj z-trip. also theres part of the WAVE TWISTERS movie and other dj footage. if theSCRATCH movie doesnt make you want to go out and buy turntables (and it will!) the 2nd disc of the dvd will!

Rating:
Summary: made lemonade out of lemons
Review: Ok, I wouldn't quite go so far as to call the djs in this video lemons, but, give Doug Pray credit for assembling a video based on who was accessible for his project. It probably would've been nice to see a bunch of other influential djs, as some of the other reviewers here have mentioned, however, the movie probably wouldn't have been as watchable and entertaining for the cross section of audience members who are new and old to scratchin'. After all, there aren't many movies out there about scratchin', so if you are into it, you should support it so that more funds could be aimed at making documentaries that go a little further in depth. We played this video for a group of people who had a wide range of musical interests and they all enjoyed it. This dvd's content is entertaining and educational. So you should buy it!

Rating:
Summary: IMHO
Review: Picked this up for AU$10 (about US$7.80) in the bargain bin at "Crazy Clarks" and for that it's good value. I have to agree with other reviewers here who state that some of the more important influences were skimmed over. For example, no mention of Grandmaster Flash's "Wheels Of Steel" - both the man and the track being very influential and pioneering. Nowhere near enough of Kool Herc either. Also, what's with the spelling errors on screen - "DXT"?? It is "DST" as in Delancey Street, there are quite a few of these careless errors which challenge the DVDs credibility somewhat.
It does seem overly biased towards the current/recent scene but perhaps that footage is just more accessible to the producer.
Not bad for 10 bucks, but I suspect that price is indicative of the fact it's not the best DVD of it's kind.


Rating:
Summary: Excellent for an outsider, Mediocre for an insider
Review: SCRATCH premiered here in Vancouver last Thursday, and I got a chance to go and view it with some friends. It is a feature-length documentary film that explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. SCRATCH showcased excellent and hidden-from-mainstream talent, had a smattering of humourous quips (mostly by Jurassic 5's Cut Chemist), alot of amazing scratch footage, and overall the documentary was quite good.

SCRATCH gave an insight into the turntablist scene that we don't get to see much in these modern days - you see someone scratching in a Gap commercial or an ad for Fanta, but you never really learn much about it. SCRATCH is a good example of a proficient and poignant view into where scratch DJing started, where it's been over the last 5 years, and a bit of insight as to where different artists see it going in the future.
The documentary was quite lighthearted - started chronologically with the advent of the first scratch - something GrandWizard Theodore came up while whiffing the record back and forth during one of his mother's lectures. From there it took you on a journey of interviews and quips from DJs discussing the full gambit of flora and fauna relating to the world of turntablism - where their inspiration comes from, attempts at annotating the art, different styles from beat juggling to faderless scratching, how and why the DJ got started, what the role of a DJ is in music today, and whether or not the turntable is actually considered an instrument. Fascinating for a newcomer to the genre of scratching and turntablism, and at the same time invigorating and refreshing for the veteran - scratch DJs worldwide will become inspired by this documentary to elevate and innovate their styles and game.

It was great to see some DJs from around the world, but I think that it was focused a little too much on the american male DJ cross section. Although I understand in a documentary you can only have so many objects of information, but there could have been a greater global influence with interviews from some of the worldwide players like Dexta from Australia, DJ Shine from Denmark, A-Trak or Jr Flo from Canada, Woody, Plus One from the UK, the list goes on. The other thing that was lacking was the focus of females in the scratching scene - although DJ Faust's girlfriend Shortee was featured, there are some extremely talented female DJs out and about that put a lot of the guys in the scene to shame.

There were a couple of other things that were obviously lacking in this documentary, namely DJ Jazzy Jeff, who invented the transform and chirp scratch, and DJ D-Styles who ranks above most of the people in this documentary. I would have also liked to see some examples of where scratching is going, and where the new branches are taking the art form, but then again you only have 90 minutes. It's too bad that they had to put in 'filler' with interviewing Q-Bert's marketing manager Yoga Frog, who simply praised Q the whole time, and Tony Prince, the hardly sober man allegedly behind the DMC Championships.

In conclusion, SCRATCH was a relatively well informed look into turntablism - the artform and the culture. Although it could have been better, I was impressed with the DJs that they did use, the message they conveyed, and most importantly the footage that they showcased. This is a "must see" for those of you who don't know much about scratching or turntablism, and a "maybe see" for those of you that do.