Slam

Rating:
Summary: scary
Review: What happens to the main character in this film is really scary. But we know this kind of "slamming" of young brothers behind bars for nonsense charges really goes on with regularity in more cities than just Washington D.C., where this story is set. The prison scenes are stark, and streety characterizations are all too real. Great poetry by Saul Williams and the lovely Sonja Sohn, and the other brothers too. The ending made sense, but I still have questions about it. This is a real good film which should appeal to anyone who appreciates good story telling. I'm not necessarily a hip-hop or rap music enthusiast, but I liked this movie.

Rating:
Summary: art is back
Review: When I finally too the time to sit down and watch this movie, I didn't know what to expect. I have always been a huge fan of poetry, the older stuff including pope, frost, Cummings etc. As well as some newer beat generation stuff including kerouac and gindsberg (i recently learned that Saul williams performed on stage with Gindsberg). Despite my love for poetry, i began watching this movie with a weary eye. Needless to say this lasted only a few minutes and soon i was completely entranced in the story of Raymond Joshua.This story does two amazing things, it addresses the inner city problems so many directors shy away from or glamorize as well as openins the audience's eyes to the miracle of modern day poetry. I, like many white middle class americans, was blind to the cultural renaissance taking place in the so called 'ghettos' of america. I guess it is a logical progression. Historically, art thrived where there was oppression, helplessness, and greed. The apathetic view government has applied to modern day black Americans fuels the hope and poetic freedom of this movie. By forcing the realization of america's inner-oppression, this movie is assisting in a struggle that has gone under-exposed for many years. Although it is practically laughable to make such a blunt claim, but this movie could change the world

Rating:
Summary: One of the most vital films of the 90s
Review: Working in a video store, I've seen "Slam" repeatedly dismissed by white folks as "a black film", or "a movie about rappers". Please, don't let race distinctions turn you away from this film. "Slam" is one of the most noble uses of film I've seen in a long time. It challenges and provokes and creates intense thought. It is a ferociously intellectual movie, though not in a highbrow way. It has the unique ability to present complex and daunting ideas in a way that makes them unusually comprehensible. At the same time, it places a value on the process of writing and personal expression that has been woefully lost in the age of stuff-goes-boom movies. The performances - especially by Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Bonz Malone - are impeccable, and I'm not refering to just their dynamic slam poetry sessions, which are electrifying in a way that few passages of film are. If you see one movie this year, let it be "Slam".

Rating:
Summary: One of the most vital films of the 90s
Review: Working in a video store, I've seen "Slam" repeatedly dismissed by white folks as "a black film", or "a movie about rappers". Please, don't let race distinctions turn you away from this film. "Slam" is one of the most noble uses of film I've seen in a long time. It challenges and provokes and creates intense thought. It is a ferociously intellectual movie, though not in a highbrow way. It has the unique ability to present complex and daunting ideas in a way that makes them unusually comprehensible. At the same time, it places a value on the process of writing and personal expression that has been woefully lost in the age of stuff-goes-boom movies. The performances - especially by Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Bonz Malone - are impeccable, and I'm not refering to just their dynamic slam poetry sessions, which are electrifying in a way that few passages of film are. If you see one movie this year, let it be "Slam".