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8 Mile (Full Screen Edition)

8 Mile (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Eminem is AWESOME!!!
Review: This movie is really great. It also made more money than any movie ever released by a first time star of a movie!! That's because Em is awesome!! Em is multi-talented and this movie shows that. This movie is funny/serious/dramatic all at the smae time. It is definetly worth the $$. Buy this DVD!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Plain Eminem
Review: Even though I am not a fan of Eminem, his music, or his sometime antic behavior, I was still looking forward with great interest to seeing 8 Mile. I knew he could rap, dance around, and create controversy, But would he be able act alongside seasoined performers and work for director Curtis Hanson to make the film work? I wanted to be able to give the film a fair shake, and not prejudge it, just because I am not a member of his fan club.

Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem) wants a better life for himself. He wants to leave the urban setting of his youth and become a star. Unfortunately, taking the leap to stardom proves a hard road to travel. This, despite the urging of his new girlfriend Alex (Brittany Murphy), Jimmy doesn't think he can hold his own. He also has to deal with an alcoholic mother (Kim Bassinger), her very abusive boyfriend, and care for a younger sister.

Overcoming huge obstacles, in order to make good on one's dream, is not new in the movies. In fact, there are certain aspects about 8 Mile, that are similar to other films of this kind. I have to say though, while not all that great, the film is better than I thought it would be. Since Eminem is playing a character very much like himself--at least based on what I know of his real life rise to fame-- it's kind of hard not to be able to play yourself. It will be interesting to see whether Eminem can play a role against type... As for the rest of the cast, Basinger is ok, but at times it seems like she overplays the role. However, Murphy redeems herself, in my opinion, after the dreadful Don't Say A Word movie from awhile back. She is quite good. Director Curtis Hanson keeps the film on the fly and it's very well paced.

I have to say that the DVD extras left me disappointed. Fans of the rappers music will probably go for the bonus material more than non-fans would While it may be nice for the fans to have, most of the stuff I would have preffered more filmmaking insights from all involved. The DVD contains "Freestyle" Rap Battle audition footage, a never before seen music video for the Eminem song "Superman" from The Eminem Show album, 2 featurettes, one on the music for the film and the other an interview with the rapper about the film itself. Given the sparse extras, can we expect a special edition, to be released at some point down the road? Probably a safe bet

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow
Review: I bought 8 Mile the day it came out and LOVED it. Eminem definatly deserves an oscar nomination, its too bad he was overlooked. It has a great story of success and gives hope when there seems to be none!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "8 Mile" Is One Mile Short Of Being Good!
Review: Well here it is! The movie we all heard about. Rapper Eminem's venture into movies. When I first heard about this movie I was expecting to absolutely hate it. I thought it would turn out to be the worst movie of the year. And I thought all of this not because I'm not a fan of Eminem's, but, because I thought this was going to turn out to be a pretentious piece of junk that would have us sympathize with him and make us feel sorry for the life he's lead. And I wasn't ready to say I feel sorry for Eminem. Well, just to show everyone that I ALWAYS try to judge a movie fairly. I will admit, I liked this movie more than I thought I would. And I am forced to eat a little crow. Not the whole bird mind you, but, maybe a wing.

"8 Mile" as Jimmy Smith (Eminem) tells his friends is about a bunch of losers who do nothing but talk about getting of the "8 mile". All they do is talk about rapping. As if that's their ticket to a better life. As I heard Eminem say this I was shocked because, this was exactly what I was thinking. And that's the downfall of the movie. It's too slight. "8 Mile" doesn't go that extra mile (yes, pun intended!) to seperate itself from being an average movie to something better. Why do the characters in this movie think rapping is their way out of the ghetto? How about a better job? Sticking to school? All the characters do is talk about rapping. I swear that was all the dialogue. The characters rarely speak about anything else.

Jimmy Smith (Eminem) is trying to get by. I guess he's just finished high school perhaps college. He just got fired from his job at white castle. Broke up with his girlfriend. And goes down to a local club run by his friend "Future" (Mekhi Phifer). Where he competes in "battles". A battle for those unfamilar with the term is basically a one on one fight with rhymes. Each person insults the other while rapping. And Jimmy thinks that if he can get a demo made he'll be on his way out of the 8 mile.

Now maybe this all sounds enjoyable to you. But, the movie never does more than create a nice atmosphere. I was expecting more depth. I wanted the movie to dwell deeper into it's characters. I didn't just want to hear about what they think about rap. And there is one character who does try to change the subject now and then and everyone tells him to keep quiet. I think "8 Mile" wanted to achieve what I'm talking about. It didn't want to be a "light" movie or a "popcorn flick". It wanted to be something more important. And I say that because they went out to get Curtis Hanson (Wonder Boys & L.A. Confidential) to direct it. If they weren't concerned with making an important movie they could of gotten any hack director to do the picture. The Eminem audience didn't go see this movie to see how Hanson's directing would be. They went to see Eminem! But because they set out to do more with the story they wanted a talented director. And who knows maybe Hanson did make many changes in the script. Perhaps he made major improvements. But, the story still comes off too slight. Nevertheless, they are things to be enjoyed while watching this movie. Namely the performance by Kim Basinger. She plays Jimmy's mother Stephanie. A woman who is dating a guy that went to school with her son. She lives in a trailer. And doesn't seem to have much to look forward to in the future. Also there's Brittany Murphy, who plays a girl Eminem likes. She does a nice job acting. But, I felt at the end of the movie, they forget about her and never resolve her part of the story. It would of been interesting if more information about her was given. And like I said, the movie does a good job at creating an urban atmosphere. It's because I have good things to say about the movie I wish the movie would of meet the expectations that could of been.

Another question on people's mind is can Eminem act. The answer to that one is no. Now this is not to say he wasn't good in this movie. Most people are good at being themself. But, here is the real test. Can you see Eminem playing a complete 360 from the persona he's created for himself? I mean can you see him playing the kind of roles Freddie Prinze Jr. plays? No. And if he's not capable of playing different roles that means he can't act. And I doubt he wants to start a career in the movies anyway.

So is "8 Mile" enjoyable? So-so. Fans of Eminem will probably enjoy the movie more then the rest of us. If for anything reason their expectations may not be as high as our's. Their fans of his, they'll go easy on him. But non-fans will want more. And "8 Mile" almost gives us it. ** 1\2 out of *****

Bottom-line: A movie that is just too slight. The idea isn't interesting enough, and needed to add another level to it to make it enjoyable. A nice try though. Some good performances save the movie from being a waste of time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Conventional But Entertaining Eminem Vehicle
Review: Rapper Eminem portrays Detroit factory worker and street rapper "B. Rabbit" in this poor-boy-makes-good story based loosely on Eminem's own life. Rabbit desperately wants to make a demo tape of his music and rap his way out of the trailer park and into a better life. He must cope with his venomous alcoholic mother, manipulative friends, neighborhood thugs, and overcome his own intense stage fright in order to get respect for his work and a shot at exposure. Mekhi Phifer plays Future, Rabbit's most loyal and sensible friend who pushes him to do better and has unfailing confidence in Rabbit's ability to succeed. Brittany Murphy is Rabbit's unfaithful but supportive love interest Alex. And Kim Basinger plays Rabbit's dysfunctional mother, with whom he shares a love-hate relationship.

The verdict is still out on whether Eminem can act. Eminem is certainly convincing in his role, but I am under the impression that B. Rabbit is too close to the rapper's own experience to be an accurate judge of acting talent. Eminem's rapping talent and charisma are not in question. Even the uninitiated will be convinced that he has plenty of both, and tremendous screen presence as well. Fans of Curtis Hanson may be surprised that the director has made such a conventional film. That's a little surprising coming from Eminem too. But the fact is that 8 Mile is a smart public relations move on Eminem's part. This is mainstream fair, complete with a mainstream crossover soundtrack. It's good mainstream fair, as is the soundtrack. And B. Rabbit is sweet enough and politically correct enough in his attitudes towards women, homosexuals and his loser friends to assuage middle-class audiences into thinking Eminem is a decent guy. I'm not saying that he isn't. I'm only saying that 8 Mile is less a convincing portrait of inner city poverty and salvation in music as it is a trailer park fairy tale, constructed in a very cliched fashion, to promote -some would say whitewash- Eminem's image for a wider audience. -Which is fine. It's an entertaining film, and Eminem has great presence. But we haven't seen the frank, brilliant, hateful Eminem who is so loved and so loathed on the silver screen yet. And who knows if we ever will.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If your a fan of movies go see this one.
Review: I personally have never been a fan of rap or hip-hop. I come from The Who, AC/DC, Eric Clapton and Motorhead. However as big of a music fan as I am I am also just as big of a movie fan.
After seeing the the trailers I must admit I rolled my eye's, like i'm sure a lot of people did, and dissmised it. After learning that Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind)was producing the film and Curtis Hansen (LA Confidential) was directing I knew that the movie would be watchable. Finally I swollowed my prode and went to see the film.
The movie is about a young aspiring rapper from Detriot named Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem) struggling to cope with life and his unclear future. The movie opens with Jimmy becoming frozen onstage during a battle. By opening the movie that was I think that you care about Jimmy right from the get go. He moves back with his mother (Kim Basinger) in a trailer park. Jimmy struggles with his mother and other rappers.
Solid preformances by Britt Murphy as Jimmys girl and Mekhi Phifer as Jimmys friend. Still the movie belongs to Eminem.
The movie and the charactors are well devloped and the plot is simple but plauseable (The Quiet Man wasn't a big story either). The acting is very good and surprising considering that Eminem has never acted in a movie before.
The movie also deals with racisim on both sides of black and white and for that alone this movie is worth commending.
The music suits the movie well and even though i'm not a fan of the music on a whole I found myself humming the title song later in the day.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Keep Lowering those expectations!
Review: I was not expecting much, which is why this got a 3. it didnt deliver much. There was so much cursing, that it got really tiring. The film shouldve been a lot shorter. M&M was pretty good as an actor, not great, not horrible. But some of the other characters just werent developed well, considering how much was said, it seemed like they said nothing. Not worth running to the video store.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Much ado about something
Review: I agree that the main reason this movie is getting negative attention is that Eminem is in it. This movie was great. My only complaint was Brittany Murphy's gratuitous role. If she was taken out, no one would miss her. She was only there for the sex scene.

Other than that, I was very very impressed. While I think Eminem is obviously a troubled individual, this film succeeds in explaining why he is the way he is. I can't wait until he grows a little more and decides to get on with his life, but hey, he's ranting all the way to the bank, so more power to him. This IS a free country, and I salute Eminem for saying everything he wants.

To the skeptics: go see the movie and pretend it's not Eminem on the screen. If you have any sense of what's good and what's not, you'll agree that it's worth seeing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Real
Review: ... it was a good movie. I can describe it in one word "Real" for anyone who has been to Detroit, or lived in a trailor, man life is hard. This movie had great acting and good writing, the plot was simple but it was the attention to detail that makes it noteworthy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better Than I Had Expected
Review: When I first saw this movie, I was skeptical that Eminem could pull off acting, but I was wrong. Eminem did a really good job. Maybe it was the fact that he was basically playing himself and didn't have that far to stretch, I don't know. What I do know is that I was impressed with his performance.

8 Mile is a movie about a down-and-out underdog who rises to success in the rap world through free-style competitions. Feeling that his life is going nowhere, he pulls through and gains the respect he craves.

Although the storyline isn't the most original in history, the movie is entertaining and does inspire you to go out and be successful, no matter who tells you that you can't.


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