Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-24 16:33:39

Just awful

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) "Life is hot in Cracktown" was a very disturbing film. It was a cross between watching a breaking news story and the all to tough life on the streets. I'm sure there was something about this film that may have been good; however, I'm not able to find it.. It was based on a book that I have not read and I don't think I will. I saw no redemption in this movie, it was a film that said to me there are bad people out there and watch out they will get you. You have no control over anything or anybody; furthermore there was no love story to pull it together except one scene. I turned it off and then turned it on to finish it. It is just not my kind of movie. It was violent just because these thugs could be and they left a trail of victims in their wake. There were some extras and deleted scenes. It is rated R for violence, sex and drugs. It is almost an instructional DVD on becoming a gang leader. I cannot recommend this film.

markgrizzly 2012-05-24 10:11:31

The REAL Reality...

With this being the FIRST movie review i've done, i couldn't havepicked a harder movie to summarize.. If you've seen Buddy Giovinazzo's1986 street slime suicide epic "Combat Shock", than you'll know what toexpect.. A perfectly made film thats downbeat and depressing, a Dramathat can pass for horror And characters that you are supposed to hate,but can't.. The only difference here is that instead of the gritty 80'slook this film has a nice pop-polished feel (and more characters tofeel bad for)The movie basically follows four groups of characters in their day today struggles in a drug/hooker infested neighborhood (Not unlikeHollywood). There's Marybeth (Kerry Washington) and Benny (DesmondHarrington) who roam the streets looking for johns. Marybeth is aTranssexual who's trying to save money for her sex change by givinghead to old filthy tricks and at the same time supporting her loserboyfriends (bennys) drug habit. Benny's trade is a burglar, but hisdrug problem and age has made it difficult to pull anything off withoutF**king it up. Then There's Willy (Ridge Canipe) A pre-teen who, likeall kids in these neighborhoods has no future. He wakes up tocockroachs running across his face, hangs out with the Junkie outsidehis welfare building (Brandon Routh), Has a crush on a local hookernamed "Melody" (Elena Franklin) who's roughly the same age as he is..He also has to watch after his little sister while his Mom (IlleanaDouglas) and her abusive boyfriend smoke rock.. Romeo (Evan Ross) isthe neighborhood punk who roams the streets terrorizing people,extorting and brutally beating down the elderly for their welfarechecks, raping, robbing, killing.. People may think his character is anexaggeration of a street punk, but there are HUNDREDS of "Romeos" inevery city.. The kids that were number one on the football team 2 yearsago, now sell crack and aspire to live out the "Scarface" life. ThenThere's the people in the neighborhood who are trying to make a lifefor themselves, but they are too naive to realise that it will NEVERhappen.. Manny (Victor Rasuk) works two jobs.. A Day job at the localLiquor Store and a Security job at the welfare apartments (were WillyResides). He and his wife Concetta (Shannyn Sossamon) live in squalorand have a newborn son who NEVER STOPS CRYING (Kinda reminiscent ofFrankies 'Agent Orange" Baby in "Combat Shock"). Of all the people inthe neighborhood (that we see) he is the only one trying to make abetter life for himself and his family, but in the end not even THREEjobs can help. (you just have to LEAVE!!)Of the four of us that went to the film i think i was the only one whoreally loved it.. My Girlfriend (who's favorite film is "BloodsuckingFreaks")said that it was too dark. My two other friends liked it, andone friend actually sparked his stem about half way through.. The truthis, we all grew up in a neighborhood just like the one shown in thefilm. Its hard to watch "Hollywood" almost Glorify and Exploit thisreality for rich snobby dick heads to watch and try to analyze.. (Itsbasically Hollywood Exploiting ITSELF!) I've been in willy's shoes andthe reality is that no matter how innocent he seems in the film,eventually he will grow up to be a junkie, thief or dealer (or allthree) Some people finally realise that it would be easier to justLEAVE the neighborhood and move to the suburbs. You'd still have tostruggle, BUT after everything you've already dealt with, moving wouldbe a walk in the park. HOPEFULLY some Crackheads out there will seethis film and realise that they should NEVER have kids! Maybe they willsee that this life is a vicious cycle that they will pass on to theirkids and they'll grow up to be our future addicts and hookers OR WORSE,They'll become the future "Romeos". Too many kids in the city end uplike him. In a neighborhood full of druggies you realise that the onlyREAL job out there is to actually supply these drugs to these losers.When your Mom and Dad cant pay the rent and your able to hustle $1000 ADAY selling crack and heroin you feel like a success. Thats the trap.Only 1 in 10 will be able to stay off the drugs they sell, and only 1in 10 will save that money and move to Riverside and get a job sellingDVD's and VHS tapes on Amazon :) Anyways, this is my first movie reviewto a movie that still doesn't have a review. (now i'll try to soundlike everyone else) The movie had GREAT direction, excellent actingfrom an excellent ensemble cast and it will give you a realistic lookinto the streets! I heard somebody say this film was like "Short Cutson Drugs". That sums it up nice, except there isn't some stupidearthquake. Unlike "Short Cuts" this movie has a realistic ending. Goodjob Buddy G!! Hopefully you'll adapt some of your other books to film.Then you'll have my SECOND review ever!

marasha 2012-05-24 06:18:54

Worst Movie Ever!!!!!

Most awful casting I've ever seen. Clark Kent as a crack head, a veryfeminine looking woman as a trans and on and on.............Stupid ass violence just for the sake of being violent. No content, nomeaning. This person has never been on the streets. It's a joke!The only thing dumber than this movie is the fact that I finishedwatching it. I just kept thinking it couldn't get any worse but it didto the very end.Trying way to hard to be an off the hook movie. Trying to be freaky. Sostupid! I really have no more to say but can't leave a comment unless Iwrite more.Please take this advice and DO NOT BOTHER WATCHING THIS MOVIE!!!!!AWFUL!!!

crispusattucks 2012-05-23 17:50:44

Awful, Awful Movie.

I am sitting here reading all these reviews of this horrible, poorlydirected, poorly cast, awful dialogue cliché ridden film and I amamazed to see people describe this film as "realistic", "real" &"authentic". I grew up in poor neighborhoods and know people who aredrug addicts and their is nothing "real" about this film. "Life is Hotin Crack Town" is filled with cliché'd two dimensional stereotypes (notstereotypes from film which tends to be more PC, but stereotypes fromnews headlines) lacking all humanity and believability. Actually, Itake the last part back. This movie is probably believable and "real"to people who have no contact or first hand knowledge of what goes onin these types of neighborhoods (which I am sure is the case with thereviewers who found this film so "authentic").

2012-05-14 06:54:07

A weak story hampered by uninteresting characters

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I got this movie a few months ago as part of the Vine Program. I tried on several occasions to watch it but could never find a reason to watch it more than a few minutes at a time. I finally just gutted it out and forced myself to wait it out until the end. I think I managed to finish it on my sixth try. This is easily one of the least pleasant movies that I have ever seen. It starts with the characters. The film is essentially an anthology show, telling the story of a number of characters in an area of a city that has been destroyed by drug culture. OK, this is all well and good, but regardless of intent, a film is only as good as its characters. I can honestly say that there was not a single character that I cared about even in the least. I can honestly say that there was not a single minute of the film that I cared for in the least. The film is an unremitting exploration of the inconceivably bleak existence of a string of completely unlikeable characters. The film has no redeeming qualities. The writing is wretched, the acting adequate but unable rise above the horrid material, and the narrative bleak without redemptive features.Not many movies have left me feeling as bored and soiled as this one. Honestly, if I had not felt obligated by getting it through the Vine Program, I would not have finished it or reviewed it.

dbborroughs 2012-05-13 18:25:04

A slice of black lives with a slice of bleakness, is a little too "clean" which makes it hard to lose yourself-which is good since this is a punch in your face

This is a bleak black film about how crack and other ills destroy thelives of people. We have a small boy who has to figure out how tosurvive with his sister and his parents; pre-op transsexual whoseboyfriend is addicted; a young man with a wife and baby who works daysas a security guard and nights in a bodega trying to get enough moneyto get out, and a gangbanger and his crew who run rough shod overeveryone and each other in a crack fueled haze.I began by saying that this is bleak and black and I mean it. The filmbegins with our gangbanger taking his girlfriend away from watching astreet basketball game to show her something. Instead of showing hersomething he turns her over to his boys who brutally rape her and leaveher crying in an alley. Its not a fun and happy film by any stretch ofthe imagination. It's not the sort of film that I would normally watchbut the opening kind of floored me and I had to see where it was going.You would think it could only get better from there but it doesn't,we're on the fast track to hell as we watch as most things and peopleare broken.Well acted, you like many of the "bad" people despite their actions,this film remains bearable thanks to the very good cast.If there is any flaw in the film it's that its too clean. The filmdoesn't have a grittiness to it that speaks of the street. The filmoften has the feel of a Hollywood idea of the street and the poor. Itsnot that what happens doesn't ring true, it does, it just that thingslook dressed up. In a way it feels like people re-enacting eventstranspiring in the next room. The characters, the young boy and hissister most glaringly, seem to be playing dress up. The kids seem toowell fed, the dirt on their faces too perfect. For me it put a distancebetween the actors and what was going on, some of the edge was takenoff things.Then again maybe that's a good thing since this is still anuncomfortable movie no matter how you slice it.A good little film, this should have been great. Regardless of good orbad this film with haunt you like a bad dream.Worth a look if you like your slices of life black with a side ofhopeless.

2012-05-05 00:01:27

I wanted to love it but i could not

This review is from: Life Is Hot in Cracktown (Unedited) (DVD) I watched this thing and i can't say it is a "bad" movie. But , it sure is not a good movie. it's main problem is that it fell out of the Cliche tree and hit every branch on the way down.First everybody looks too good. There are good looking people in the bad parts of town but NOT EVERYONE. the cute kid leads look Like their parents wouldn't get them bad haircuts because they had a lunchables commercial shoot next.the transvestite hooker junkie love story was mildly interesting. it came the closest to having character development.the black gang members are cut outs.I did not believe the young family with the crying kid. if the wife had an extra 20 pounds it might have been more realistic. but why bother , They were cut outs too. Just building you up for a predictable ending which anyone could have seen plodding down the trail.if you are going to watch it get the unrated at least the skin is good.

2012-05-04 08:40:59

From The Book Of Short Stories By Buddy Giovinazzo!

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Life in "Cracktown" is not so hot for stars Kerry Washington, Desmond Harrington, Victor Rasuk, Shannyn Sossamon, Evan Ross, Brandon Routh, Illeana Douglas, Edoardo Ballerini, and Lara Flynn Boyle in the unflinching drug drama, "Life Is Hot In Cracktown". Based on the best-selling novel by writer-director Buddy Giovinazzo, the four stories that comprise this film are reminiscent of the After School Specials you might remember from back in the day, artfully begging the viewer's attention with an addictively watchable cast and stories. Rated R for strong violence, rape, drug content throughout, graphic sexuality, nudity, and pervasive language (as noted on the rear cover), "Life Is Hot In Cracktown" features Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) video, Dolby Surround 5.1 & 2.0 English and Spanish audio, plus the following Special Features: Behind-the-scenes featurette & Deleted Scenes. Running time is 100 minutes.

halfrocentric1975 2012-04-27 23:54:12

Overdone To the Max

First off let me say that I used to live where this movie was filmedand its some what like that but this movie is madness maxed out. Itsreally not like that. They show these people has having no humanitywhat so ever. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Bad things dohappen but when u live in a neighborhood no matter how down trodden thepeople are still your neighbors. You have to live with those people.They show crackheads as just animals with no souls. Its not true.Another reviewer said that it was unreal because the transgendercharacter was beautiful. He's obviously not been around many transwomen or seen many. There are some trans women who are absolutelystunning like the character in this film.Again this movie is gritty but its sensationalism. I also resent thatthe only redeemable characters are white people. All the black men arebarbaric and the white are more docile. This is not true. I'm sick ofseeing this mess in films.

2012-04-27 16:16:59

Life Is A Nightmare In Cracktown (Get Out Before You Die!)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) "Life Is Hot In Cracktown" is an explosive eye opener. It is one of the most shocking and revolting films I've ever seen. You won't be able to forget this tragic drama no matter how hard you try. Less than ten minutes into watching this film, I was thanking God that I didn't' live in Cracktown - the name given to a poverty-stricken inner city neighborhood where its residents are addicted to drugs, perversion and violence. It's easy to judge and condemn the characters in this film. Except for Manny, who works two jobs to support his family, most of them do little to escape the nightmarish world of Cracktown. They seem content to wallow in their destitution. However, the plight of some of the characters made me want to cry. For example, there is adorable Willy, a child who is often abandoned by his crack addicted mom; he is forced to fend for himself and his younger sister. Marybeth's bizarre lifestyle repulses me but I sympathize with her yearning for love and acceptance, which we all crave. Then there is the despicable gangster Romeo who beats, rapes and murders in order to satisfy his base, animalistic desires. I hated and detested him so much that I was hoping to see him die. These and other well-drawn characters seemed so real that I wanted to shout at them: "Get a job, get therapy, get religion, get anything! Just get off your hind parts and get out of Cracktown before you die!" The cast is a gorgeous one - a veritable who's who of Hollywood stars. My favorites included the talented Shannyn Sossamon ("One Missed Call" and "A Knight's Tale") who was Concetta, a distraught mom taking care of her ailing infant. Victor Rasuk ("Feel the Noise" and "Stop-Loss") does a very believable portrayal of Concetta's workaholic husband, Manny. The gorgeous Kerry Washington ("Lakeview Terrace" and "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer") is wonderful as Marybeth, the preop transsexual prostitute. Horror star hunk Desmond Harrington ("Wrong Turn" and "Ghost Ship") is excellent as Benny, Marybeth's lover. Cute Evan Ross is the deplorable Romeo; he starred with Hilary Duff in "Greta." Beautiful Lara Flynn Boyle ("Twin Peaks" and "Men in Black II") has a glorified cameo as Betty McBain, a prostitute. "Life Is Hot In Cracktown" is raw, dirty and repulsive. It does not glorify and glamorous life in a drug addicted, gang infested neighborhood of the inner city. Watching it will anger, frighten and sadden you. My heart pounded with tension as gang members shot each other, police searched tenements with drawn weapons, mothers forced their children to beg for money or sell their bodies, and thieves pulled guns on store clerks. This film is not for the timid. It depicts graphic violence and sexual assault, including a gang rape. The ending is brutal and will make you feel as though you've been punched in the stomach. Anchor Bay Entertainment has done an excellent job of presenting "Life Is Hot In Cracktown." There is a trailer for this film and two more: Val Kilmer is a thief performing his last heist in "Columbus Day." In "Skeleton Crew," evil is reborn when a film crew does a documentary at an abandoned insane asylum where a doctor butchered his patients. The deleted scenes for "Life Is Hot in Cracktown" are mandatory viewing, especially those that give more details concerning Manny and Concetta's efforts to leave Cracktown. I preferred the alternate ending because it provides a ray of hope and is not as downbeat and depressing as the theatrical one. "Last Exit To Cracktown" is an interview with director/writer Buddy Giovinazzo who wrote the novel on which the film is based. It is a low budget film shot on location in a dangerous neighborhood in downtown Las Angeles. According to Giovinazzo, it was the hardest film for him to make. Time, money and security were in short supply. Watching the lives of the transsexuals inspired him to write the novel. Actual transsexuals were used as consultants and as extras. He compared the film to a car wreck; you don't want to watch it but you can't help yourself. He admits that "Life Is Hot In Cracktown" is not for everyone. He hopes that we all see ourselves in the characters and realize that we, after a series of bad breaks, could be like them. We must ask ourselves, "What would we do if we were in their situations?" As for me, I don't want to ever find out; I will work hard to keep from ever having to live in Cracktown.

2012-04-26 23:19:41

"Fly-on-the-wall" candid insight into tough drug-related lives

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This exceptionally acted film covers multiple stories of people coping with drug-related pressures and is one of the best portrayals of such a difficult subject matter that I have seen for many years. The stories are graphic at times, but they show the subject quite literally as if you were a fly on the wall. There's no Hollywood shine or spin to sell you something, which makes this film so refreshing and engaging.I had a tough life growing up with a single parent mother and encountered many problems of my own, so some of the scenes in the movie brought tears to my eyes as I felt quite closely connected with the actors as they toiled with their circumstances. People that have enjoyed more sheltered lives may find the movie quite uncomfortable, but I think it is an important piece of work and educational in many respects too.I had to deduct a star for some irritating cuts. The film uses a cutting technique that deletes around half a second of footage, so the action jerks between two locations at times. I felt this was overdone and it started to irritate. I got the feeling that someone was experimenting and for me, that really distracted me away from the immersion.Overall, I felt that this was a movie with many messages and an insight into drug related lives that is quite accurate and focuses on people that are slipping under the control of addiction or coping with the collateral circumstances such as theft and violence. It also examines how cultures adapt and become entwined with the power struggles that surround drug use, including how impressionable children become the unfortunate fodder and victims of criminal intent.

matt-2477 2012-04-26 02:07:25

Just so god-awful

I cannot stress how bad this movie is. This director took every cheaplittle unintelligent shot at making these people look so "distressed".Why are their clothes so dirty? Why on earth would you get the newclark kent to play a crack head? You should be banned from motionpictures for the rest of your life Buddy Giovinazzo.I take serious offense to this fool wanting to cast real actors asthugs and lowlifes as some kind of clever joke. Why would you ask ClarkKent to play a crackhead? Why are they yelling so much? Why is everyoneso mean? Why are those kids so filthy? No one would want to be sofilthy? Not even a crackhead child.You need to grow up and not make any movies ever again.

2012-04-26 12:57:25

Not my type of movie

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This movie review is part of my obligation to Amazon for accepting to be a member of the Vine program, a club of selected customers that provide opinions about "new and pre-released items." We enter this club by accepting free copies of products but we promise in return to submit an opinion.Therefore, while this is NOT the type of movie I would have acquired, for I enjoy movies that are historical, mysteries, romances but no horror of any kind, we realize that "Life is Hot in Crack-town" delves in a subject that is a daily challenge for families that live under the influence of drugs, and is intended to show real consequences to choices made by a segment of society that is sad and painful to watch. Based on a 1993 best selling novel written by Buddy Giovinazzo, Life is Hot in Crack-town surfaces people struggling to survive a cruel world. Topics include rape, abuse, drug use and abuse of elder citizens, and these are presented with such crude power that we found ourselves having to turn off the TV to ponder on whether to watch further, deciding to continue and finally seeing a conclusion that left us wishing the world would someday be rid of drugs.

Edondada 2012-04-25 20:25:38

Should be a comedy

U know when you're laughing and it's not supposed to be funny? That'sthis movie. Characters are a joke. Not believable at all. Crackheadswearing make up, hair done...Story doesn't have meaning when you'rewatching "thugs" walking in unison to a funky beat...R u kidding? Thosethugs were hilarious! I thought it was a Wayans movie! Good thedirector got it made....its hard to make an indie... but using "whoalook how far we're gonna take it" shocking scenes to make it seem morereal?...actually does the opposite. Casting's wrong, direction, pacing,everything... could even be considered an insult to those battling realdrug addiction. Really belittles their struggle. Some good talent,solid actors, but the story's so cliché no performance could save it.Tell a story about real crackheads and junkies not actors trying newstuff in this fictional urban jungle

2012-04-25 06:26:03

Mind altering drugs might make this a better view

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Wanted to like it. Really, really tried to watch it. Couldn't do it.Cracktown starts out gritty and violent. We're introduced right off the bat to the fact that the characters live in a rough, crime riddled, depressing environment. Poverty, prostitution, rampant drug use - these people have it rough, and there's little to look forward to.The film is very poorly edited. The obvious edits are jarring and extremely distracting; in fact, there were a few times when I honestly thought part of the film was totally cut out by accident (what the heck actually happened to the young girl in the opening scene? is something missing?). Dialogue is mumbled and overpowered by background noises and music. I kept turning up the volume and rewinding to catch what the characters were saying.Still, I was determined to finish the film so I would have a complete picture on which to base an opinion. I gave up and threw in the towel shortly after the forced enema scene. Yes, you read that correctly. Forced. Enema. Scene.As some previous reviewers have pointed out, the style and concept here are much like that of Crash; vignettes of seemingly unrelated characters that I assume eventually intersect. Unfortunately, the poor technical qualities of the film combined with the jarring violence without context made me give up. Gritty reality makes for amazing viewing when done by the right hand. I don't think I would ever be able to say that a film in the vein of Crash (which I liked) is "enjoyable." Sheer entertainment is not the goal of these films, and I wanted to watch Cracktown in its entirety just to get the filmmaker's intent and message. I just couldn't do it. Give me a reason early in the picture to be invested enough in the outcome that I'm willing to watch the violence and the despair. Cracktown just doesn't manage to do it.

2012-04-24 16:51:56

I enjoyed the grittiness. Very realistic (if you know what I mean)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This is a very gritty, urban (ghettoish) movie. There were scenes that were down right disturbing, but it happens. You may hate it, but this is why we need more social programs and parental responsibility. The violence was needed. I enjoyed it.

2012-04-20 13:25:56

Not a feel-good-date movie

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) To say that this movie is not engaging will be an understatement. True, it reveals a lot of pain points for a leading society, primarily the struggle for survival for the underprivileged that could make for a good debate at a literary university class. What lacks is the types of characters that viewers can fall in love with and follow through. There were moments indeed. Moments where a young boy is out on the street begging for money in order to feed his little sister, or a young father working two jobs and studying part time to provide for his new born. Within these moments, one looks to connect somewhat remotely and share in the struggle. Then there the moments where a transvestite is hiding his true identity from his boyfriend, while both abuse hard drugs - these in particular are too tough to decipher for us the identity-settled middle class folk. This isn't a date-movie, feel-good-movie, entertaining-movie, get-together-with-old-pals-movie. This is a weak attempt to capture what could be a powerful book (it is always doubtful that a movie can capture the soul of the poor ghetto survivor).

2012-04-19 23:55:53

Hot Ice

As the film drew to a close, I passed the non-buttered lightly salted generic popcorn to Sonny Vadi seated to my left, who then passed it to Danny Nasco seated to my right. We took a vote as we often seldom do after watching films on "film night". The votes are in for Mr. Giovinazzo's, "Life is Hot in Cracktown" .....Epic!

2012-04-17 23:57:23

Life is depressing in Cracktown.

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This is a good film get me wrong, but it's very depressing. It has large cast, many of them well known. It's a nice little low budget gem. The strange jump cuts are a bit annoying though, but that adds to the "rough feel" of the film. Some trivia, Evan Ross is the son of singer/Supreme Diana Ross.

2012-04-17 18:14:19

Nice Movie!

This review is from: Life Is Hot in Cracktown (unedited version) (DVD) This movie has it all and held my interest throughout. The cast of characters was well planned and the storyline was authentic. Nice acting and such.