FEAR OF A BLACK HAT
A film review by Max Hoffman
Copyright 1993 Max Hoffman
FEAR OF A BLACK HAT., Not Rated Yet (probably an R)
Color -- 89 minutes U.S.A
Max Reax = 9 on scale of 0 --- 10
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sux must see
Director: Rusty Cundieff
Producer: Darin Scott
Prod. Company: Oakwood Films
Screenwriter: Rusty Cundieff
Cinematgphr: John L. Demps, Jr.
Editor: Karen Horn, Okuwa Garrett
Art Direction: Stuart Blatt
Music: Larry Robinson
Principal Cast: Larry B. Scott, Rusty Condieff, Mark Christopher Lawrence,
Kasi Lemmons, Howie Bold, Barry Heins
World Premiere Jan 23/24 at Sundance Film Festival, UT
I LOVED THIS FILM!
FEAR OF A BLACK HAT presents a moral dilemma, in that it clearly "steals" from SPINAL TAP. But like an alchemist, black baby boomer Rusty Cundieff has improved the content, and what he delivers is "solid gold." Members of the younger and more moral generation, beware.
CONCEPT: "Nina Blackburn" follows a Rap group, "NWH" (Niggas with Hats) across the country on their "Itchy Dick" tour to make a documentary about this "art form". The performers give deadpan explanations for why songs like "Kill Whitey" aren't racist or potentially an invitation to violence. ("You see, man, we just meant this *one* whitey, not all o' 'em.") The actors are convincing in taking themselves and the songs totally seriously, which creates high camp comedy. Though ludicrous explanations for why the "butt" is like society cross the line on good taste, only the comfort level of mainstreamers who avoid rap music like the plague would be violated. (P.S. If you were upset by my review of MAN BITES DOG, definitely do *not* see this film!)
Up-to-the-minute issues are exploited (e.g., the rappers being interviewed with riot-ruined Central L.A. in the background, an interview on MTV where the lead female backup singer is accused of lipsynching in a CC Company "Everybody Dance" send-up.) You'll savor the video's images of her struggling with her out of control scarf, sandwiched between bobbing fluorescent tubes.
The entirely original soundtrack is sheer genius, and if you didn't pay close attention to the lyrics, it could pass for the real article. We can only hope that the soundtrack will soon be released, a la SPINAL TAP.
Though this film owes more than the national debt to SPINAL TAP, it benefits from our intervening 10 years worth of exposure to MTV. The director/writer *knows* his target, and a half dozen take-offs on MTV videos interspersed throughout the film will have you rolling in the aisles. Many a scene is a virtual xerox of SPINAL TAP, (for instance when NWH is stalled from an entrance by an uninformed security guard, props don't show up and they're expected to perform with*out* hats, one member showing off his collection of assalt weapons instead of amplifiers.) Some of the steals are brilliant improvements, for instance: instead of showing the audience the "Sniff the Glove" album cover, as in SPINAL TAP, this film lets you deliciously create your own depraved image of an unshown album cover that features 15 white cops in highly submissive positions.
The film is spray painted with non-stop profanities, and racy images, hence almost anything quoted from the film will suffer being taken out of context.
One of the stronger moments in the film is when NWH appears in a grammar school class room, with their hated rival rap group, as part of the "Rappers Against Violence" program. You can imagine the result. One false move and this scene would have fizzled. It didn't.
Rusty Cundieff as writer/director/lead actor is clearly having the time of his life making this film. And the audience won't feel left out. Cundieff walks a fine line in that he runs the risk of magnifying overplayed racial stereotypes. However, with black actors and director, fully in control of the film's content, slyly winking at the audience through the ridiculous lyrics, the effect at Sundance was blacks and whites laughing out of control, together.
I don't know if a distributor has picked up this film or not, but it'll probably at least make midnight shows in rep houses. Judging by the audience reaction at Sundance, it stood a fair chance to win competition as the audience favorite.
-- Max Hoffmann
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