Tupac Shakur - Before I Wake

Rating:
Summary: Moves at a snail's pace but indispensable
Review: Documentaries about Tupac Shakur can be tricky business. On the one hand, he is a fascinating subject, on the other hand, filmmakers can rarely get a hold of his music or interview the important people needed to tell the full story. Tupac's music is controlled by his Mother and she hasn't sanctioned an official documentary thus far. And with it only being 5 years since Tupac's murder, most of the important parties associated with him are reluctant to talk. "Before I Wake" makes a valiant effort but is hindered by the same things I mentioned previously. WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD: This film is basically an interview with Tupac's bodyguard that is somehow stretched out into 90 minutes. The film maker's cannot use any of 2Pac's music, his videos or concert fotage, so they rely on still pictures that they repeat over and over again. Credit must be given to the editors though who use a moody instrumental score, creepy sound effects and a dark visual style that makes an impression. Essentially, "Before I Wake," boils down to a brief bio of Tupac followed by a recap of his legal problems. The main focus of the documentary is his murder in 1996. We get a blow by blow, often minute by minute summary of his final day before the shooting. The bodyguard has an interesting story to tell. Unfortunately, his story drags on and on. Which does add some suspense but it gets to be overkill. Like the filmmaker's are teasing the audience with a big revelation that never comes. In a nutshell, the film reveals that Tupac's security detail messed up big time that day in Vegas and that the Las Vegas police did a terrible job of investigating the shooting. No big surprises there. Nonetheless, "Before I Wake" is an indispensable document on Pac's murder and his troubled last years. The film will make you miss him terribly. And wonder just why he seemed destined to die young.

Rating:
Summary: Good documentary on the G.O.A.T.
Review: I just finished watching this piece on my all-time favorite rapper 2Pac. It's probably the best documentary I have ever seen except for the beginning. Once 2Pac's former bodyguard, Frank Alexander, begins his version of the year leading up to Pac's death, the whole thing is great. I didn't want to miss one word from this. I felt I had a lot to learn about Tupac's death, and I feel that I have learned quite a bit from "Before I Wake". Before seeing this, I was 100% positive that 2Pac had faked his death, but seeing this, I'm not so sure anymore. I also believed that Suge Knight had a part in the death of Pac, but everyone (from detectives to bodyguards to journalists) believe that Suge had no part in it. This was a great movie because it explains how Pac felt about things, and some of his responses to adversity (such as the rape charges he faced). Make sure to check this out and Frank Alexander's book "Got Your Back: Protecting Tupac In The World Of Gangsta Rap".

Rating:
Summary: The Realest
Review: I, like many other hip hop fans, was and is completely engrossed in the world of Tupac Shakur. But whether or not you liked his music doesn't detract from the intensity of this DVD. The first 30 minutes or so are rather bland, talking about his days with Death Row and his beef with Bad Boy Records. You've heard it all before. But after that, witnesses go into DEEP detail about what happened the night of his death and the days that followed. They talk about the MGM Grand feud between Suge and Orlando Anderson. What Suge said to Pac after he was shot. How friends reacted when they found out he was actually dead. Some of this stuff is pretty chilling, especially when Frank Alexander states, "I thought I was going for a swim that night."

If you're a true fan, you need to pick this up. This DVD represents everything about what a good documentary on Tupac should be. Unlike most other ones, the people who worked on this project knew what they were doing. This is the best stuff I've seen on Pac so far.

Rating:
Summary: For The Serious Pac Fan
Review: If you really have an interest in Tupac Shakur, and you REALLY want to know who is possibly responsible for his murder, then get Tupac Shakur: Before I Wake. Out of all the Tupac documentaries, this is the only one that followed his shooting in a step by step format. Frank's part is a little long, but he takes you on a step by step journey of Pac's last year of his life. It was good seeing Easy E in the doc, some people act like he never existed. Done by true Pac fans and fans of hip hop.....I can tell, can you??

Rating:
Summary: For The Serious Pac Fan
Review: If you really have an interest in Tupac Shakur, and you REALLY want to know who is possibly responsible for his murder, then get Tupac Shakur: Before I Wake. Out of all the Tupac documentaries, this is the only one that followed his shooting in a step by step format. Frank's part is a little long, but he takes you on a step by step journey of Pac's last year of his life. It was good seeing Easy E in the doc, some people act like he never existed. Done by true Pac fans and fans of hip hop.....I can tell, can you??

Rating:
Summary: very interesting
Review: no matter where you sit on the fence with Tupac Shakur you can't ignore His Importance as a Artist.this Video reveals alot of interesting aspects of Him through His BodyGuard&also some Studio footage.very detailed&On Point Presentation here.you won't forget it after you see it.

Rating:
Summary: Thug Life
Review: people in the world never knew tupac shakur. all that they saw was his violent, thug ,angry side they never really knew the real side because the way tupac grew up with crack and nothin' but drug's around him and people he knew would get shot,if it wasn't for the way he grew up then he would be nothin' but a studio gangsta and thank you Afeni for this wonderful gift of a child to look up to as i was a child.so if you say you knew him , you never knew the real side of his life. instead of on t.v. and newspapers and s^!t.

Remember TUPAC SHAKUR as a person not a rapper
remember how his life was good and there will always be spot for him in "THUGZ MANSION" "PEACE"

Rating:
Summary: A must have
Review: This is a must have for any hip hop fans. This video is told through the eyes of 2pacs bodyguard "Franki". Frankie was probably closest to 2pac when pac joined deathrow records, besides maybe suge. It doesn't really go into the pre deathrow days. After watching this and seeing the events that led up his death it is very obvious that pac was meant to die that night.

Rating:
Summary: TUPAC
Review: Tupac was and always will be a person to remember. even tho Tupac Amaru Shakur broke the law alot he was a lot of peoples role model take me and my friend jake we LOVE tupac and we look up to him and we live by his words. we look up 2 him cuz everything he said or did was true and he did or say in his life.

R.I.P Tupac Amaru Shakur

WE LOVE YOU