8 Mile vs. Get Rich or Die Tryin’

Release Dates: 8 Mile – November 6, 2002

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – November 9, 2005

Production Companies: 8 Mile – Universal Pictures/Imagine Entertainment

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – Paramount Pictures, along with Interscope/Shady/Aftermath Films and MTV Films

It’s been a long time coming. I had told myself to do this in the past. Why had I not done it? I don’t know but I am finally doing it.

There is so much I could say about these two films. They both came out at the height of Eminem and 50 Cent’s popularities. They both came out in a certain timeframe, which I am not sure if it was a coincidence or intentional. Then again, I recall reading that “8 Mile” was initially supposed to be released in the summer of 2002 but was delayed until the fall of that year. And finally, these films are pseudo-biopics of the leading actors. Why did I call them “pseudo-biopics”? Because their life stories were the basis but not really the actual stories. If anything, the movies are fiction but also have some references to their life, at least to a point.

However, there are differences between the two films. Let me start by talking about “8 Mile.”

So this film has Eminem playing a character named Jimmy Smith but goes by “Rabbit” as that is his rap name. Being that Eminem is from Detroit, a lot of the film was set and shot in 8 Mile Road and was also set in 1995. I think it was set in that time because Em had been on the battle rapping circuit at that point before he got signed years later. So he has a group of friends who support him but he has problems of his own, such as a girlfriend leaving him and lying about being pregnant. He moved back in with his mother, who is dating a guy with whom Rabbit went to school. Oh, and there is a rival crew of rappers and thugs who have issues with Rabbit and his crew, along with a young woman who catches Rabbit’s eye.

Eminem impressed me a bit with his acting ability, but in a lot of ways, I am not sure if he is really playing himself or a character. I can’t say what he’s really like but there were some parts that felt like he was playing himself but at the same time playing a character. Accord to IMDB trivia, Eminem said that personal history would limit the storytelling and characterization, but playing a character would be unrestricted in his performance. It’s a lot more than I could say about his character in “The Wash,” but that was more of a cameo at best.

What really stood out, in my opinion, was Curtis Hanson’s (RIP) direction. It was clear that he went all in when it came to the rap battle scenes, he started an improv battle among some rappers who auditioned and the three best would go up against Eminem, who mimed his battles because he had to save his voice for the scripted scenes. I recall seeing something like that on the DVD extras way back when.

Interestingly enough, I was also impressed by some of the rappers who did the battles, as well as other freestyling scenes. A couple of rappers who appeared were Obie Trice and the late Proof (of D12), whom Eminem was cool with and had signed to his label at the time this was filmed.

As for “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” well, this one is a different case. Not that it was meant to be exactly like “8 Mile,” but because 50 Cent was involved in criminal activity before becoming a rapper, some sources have said that it was “75% accurate” to 50’s life story. Of course, this wasn’t a straight-up biopic of 50’s life. If anything, this felt more like a hood movie and a gangster movie with the rapping subplot being something the main character, Marcus, pursuing while being a gangster (or is it “gangsta”?).

If I have to treat this as a fictional take or a fictional story, this movie is fine for what it is. I felt like I was watching something like “Juice” or “Menace II Society,” or probably a much better version of “Hot Boyz,” which says a lot considering how bad that film was.

I felt like 50 acted more like himself this time. I am not sure if this film was supposed to kick off his acting career but after this, he mostly did straight-to-video films and played supporting roles in other films because he hadn’t had lead roles in theatrical films after this. I am not sure if “All Things Fall Apart” was released in theaters but that film felt more like a passion project for him.

I will give both films credit for the soundtracks. With “8 Mile” taking place in 1995, it was interesting to hear Mobb Deep, The Notorious B.I.G, Naughty By Nature, and I was intrigued to hear “Gotta Git Mine” by MC Breed and 2Pac in one scene. You only get snippets of Eminem’s songs in the film, at least until the credits. As for GRoDT, you get a lot of 50 songs but I’ll give it that they were supposed to be what 50’s character wrote and performed because it didn’t explicitly state when the film was set.

As for anything else, I would probably say “8 Mile” was the better film. I know that “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” has its fans and I didn’t mind the film but when comparing the two, “8 Mile” was superior because Eminem really did his best in what is likely his only film role and the director did what he could to make the film work. Plus, the script worked with some of Em’s life elements implemented while incorporating some other elements to make it feel like a fictional story than a biopic. GRoDT, on the other hand, I never claimed to be an expert on 50’s life but I am not sure how much is accurate, especially subplots involving a Colombian gang and stuff. If one was to treat it like a fictional crime story, then it’s fine, I suppose.

I had seen “8 Mile” before but it had been years but until I decided to do this post, I had never seen “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” in its entirety.

What also separates the two was that “8 Mile” was the bigger hit. It had an overall gross of more than $240 million while GRoDT barely made its budget back. I think that one was a bigger hit on video and developed a cult following over the years. Personally, I enjoyed both films but I treat them as their own things.

8 Mile – 4/5

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – 3/5

Movie Review – “Above the Rim”

Release Date: March 23, 1994

Production Companies: New Line Cinema (later acquired by Warner Media) and Medina/Pollack Entertainment

Here I am with another review/retrospective for my Tupac Shakur marathon. It’s weird to think that while Tupac was alive, he only did six films (not counting “Nothing But Trouble”) and I wonder if he would have done more if his untimely death didn’t happen. So many things to think about.

I had seen this movie a handful of times before. The first time being back in 2001 when I caught it on TBS. Granted, it was the TV cut, but aside from dubbing over profanity, there really wasn’t a lot censored as there was no sexual content at all and the violence wasn’t all that severe that it had to be edited. Although I will note that with the soundtrack, some songs were the clean versions, some of which were re-recorded songs with different lyrics. That’s about as far as I could go with my personal history with the film, except for maybe the soundtrack album but that’s a different topic altogether. Yes, I did see this movie a few times before and did enjoy it, but it isn’t something that I would call one of my favorites.

That isn’t to say that I don’t have some things to say about it, however. I did say I liked the film.

It was not until now that I found out that this movie was not only directed by the late Jeff Pollack, who had directed other films (I know I’ve seen one other one, “Booty Call”), but he also co-produced and co-wrote this film. If he had a lot to do with this film, something tells me that this was a project that he wanted to get off the ground. I had read that during the production, Allen Payne (“New Jack City”) was considered to play the lead role but Pollack turned it down in favor of Duane Martin, who played the main character, Kyle-Lee Watson.

So the plot goes like this. The film starts off with two teenage basketball players playing on the rooftop of a building and one guy wants to show that he could jump high enough to touch the backboard of a basketball hoop, he does so but breaks through and falls to his death. Given how dimly let the setting was, it has hard to tell where the two friends were, unless you play close attention to a skylight nearby in a wide-angle camera shot. Then it turns out was a dream (or flashback) when Thomas Sheppard, or as he went by, Shep (Played by Leon; he has a full name but was just credited by his first name), woke up. It turned out he was the one who survived and then it cuts to another scene at a high school basketball game. The gist of the story involves Kyle-Lee Watson, who is a star player on the team and hoping to get a shot at playing at a university, causing a loss for the team because he often hogs the ball, leaving other players and his coach to confront him about it. We then find out that Shep started working as a security guard at the school.

Over the course of the film, Kyle comes across other people and is torn between who he should align with for influence for his future, which includes local gang leader, Birdie (Tupac Shakur), who has quite an influence and clout on the streets that he can make things happen. Oh, and Kyle’s old friend Bugaloo (Marlon Wayans) is the one who introduces Kyle to Birdie. While the narrative primarily focuses on Kyle, there is also focus on Shep, who still deals with pain over the loss of his friend, and also his familial relationship with Birdie, who happens to be his brother.

So basically, while basketball is the aesthetic for the plot, the real story is about connections and choice. Throughout the film, you can see that some of the negative influences can lead to negative consequences, as well as a positive influence being close by but not realizing it until a certain point.

What’s interesting is that while some elements aren’t fully explored, it’s possible that Pollack went for some elements to be interpreted. For example, one scene had Shep encounter a homeless man named Flip (the late Bernie Mac) and the two knew each other. It’s implied that the two had history from their school days and that Flip had played basketball. It didn’t get fully explored but it’s implied and left for interpretation. So while things aren’t fully explained, when you go back and watch it again, things start to make more sense.

Unlike “Juice,” Shakur’s performance as Birdie is a lot more subdued than as Bishop. What sets them apart is that Bishop wanted power and respect but was also a scared young man deep down, while Birdie is already a respected (and likely feared) gang leader who has the kind of influence that if someone does what he says, they’ll do it and will order a hit on someone if the person crosses him. Yes, Bishop was terrifying in some scenes, but Birdie has that air about him that while he may seem respectful at first, he is more dangerous than he initially lets on and it showed as the film progressed.

To establish Shep and Birdie’s relationship, this scene showed a lot of Tupac’s acting ability. It was one of the best scenes in the film. It also established the two characters’ personal faults.

The film also provided some comic relief in some scenes with Wayans and Mac, especially with the two being comedians. It didn’t hurt to have some funny bits in a serious movie.

I also have to talk about the basketball scenes. It was clear that Pollack knew what he was doing when directing and editing the scenes but you had some quick cuts and close-ups during bits when one shot would change and then a shot of a basket being made. Whether there was a wide-angle shot, a close-up, or a quick montage, the editing made those shots feel intense.

Here is a good example of that. It was the film’s climax, by the way.

Because this came out at a time when “hood movies” were more prevalent, a lot of the time there was a soundtrack to come out with the film. You could say that some films were used to promote music soundtrack albums back in the day. Hell, it was often shown in the production credits on the poster and some of the time, trailers and TV spots would have a list of artists on the soundtrack. This film was a good example of that as it not only had some songs to go with the setting but also had one of the hottest labels at the time, Death Row Records, to promote their music. Not to go into the soundtrack fully because I would rather go into it in another post, but for a movie set in New York City, there was a lot of West Coast rap in it. I know that Death Row did the soundtrack, but with that being mostly a West Coast label, it seemed a little out of place. Yes, there was some East Coast rap in the film but not on the soundtrack album. That’s just my opinion, though.

I think I appreciate this film more now than when I watched it before. I didn’t say I didn’t like the film. I liked the film okay but it seems that whenever I watch it more times, I can appreciate different aspects about it. This film is no exception. I know that it’s been nearly three decades since it came out but with this film having a low budget, it barely doubled the amount. Yes, I know that ticket prices were lower in the 1990s but this film was not that big of a hit. Not saying it needed to be, but even when I talked about with people I knew back in my teens (in the early-2000s), some people said they had never heard of it. I mean I wouldn’t rate it too high but I still like the film okay, if fine. A lot of the basketball scenes were done well. The story actually worked when looking at the perspectives of the three main characters.

Overall, I would call this an underrated film.

3.75/5

Movie Review – “Juice” (1992)

Release Date: January 17, 1992

Production Companies: Paramount Pictures/Island World/Moritz-Heyman (later known as Original Film)

Hello, everyone. I am starting a different series at the moment. I am not done with the other one involving “The Hip-Hop Martial Arts Trilogy” that I did before where the next step was to cover the soundtrack albums. I will get to those. I am just on a bit of a break from that at the moment. So right now, my main interest is covering all of the movies Tupac Shakur was in, at least as a character because I am not sure about covering 1991’s “Nothing But Trouble,” which had him appear as a part of Digital Underground in one scene. Not sure if it really should count, unless I do a bonus post of a particular scene.

With that being said, I felt that this was the best place to start. So I may cover his films in order of release, which may mean I will cover “Poetic Justice,” “Above the Rim,” “Bullet,” “Gridlock’d,” and “Gang Related.” Yes, he was only six films, at least as a character, so here I go.

I was a little kid when this film came out but I first acknowledged its existence when it came out on video. I was about 6 years old when it came to video and I remembered seeing the display poster at Blockbuster Video back in those days but I was never sure what the movie was about. It wasn’t until about 2001 (at the age of 15) when I caught it on BET that I first watched it, or at least a good portion of it. Despite the censors of the language, the violence was still intact, and this movie got pretty violent (though not as much as “Menace II Society,” which is something I may need to touch on). When I was younger, being a hip-hop head as well, I had a fascination with “hood movies,” at least that what they were perceived as. It was more common during the 1990s that these types of films came out, such as “Boyz N the Hood,” the aforementioned “Menace II Society,” “New Jack City,” “New Jersey Drive,” “Clockers,” “Fresh,” etc. It was a common thing during that time when it came to black cinema. Even in the late-1980s at the turn of the decade, there were other examples like 1989’s “Do the Right Thing.”

I had seen this one a few times before, actually. In more recent times, things started to become clearer to me in terms of story.

Before I get into the film, I had heard on a video from a YouTube channel called Axiom Amnesia that a script had been written much earlier and the director Ernest Dickerson (who had later on directed “Bones,” another film I covered a while back) had wanted to do it in the early-1980s but with being greenlighted in the 1990s, it’s hard to imagine this with a more early-1980s (with some shades of the late-1970s) added into a story like this. I had also watched an interview with the main cast about the auditions and how it was hard to get certain parts and they were hired for the roles they ended up playing.

What’s interesting about this movie is that there is a genre shift about more than 1/3 of the way through, but there was a gradual buildup to the shift. Because when you really think about it, the whole plot was a coming-of-story about four teenagers whose innocence was lost after experiencing some unfortunate events brought on by one of the main characters. The movie went from sequences of the quartet skipping school and messing around to the remaining characters fearing for their lives after said unfortunate incident, especially since (SPOILER ALERT) one of them gets killed. Of course, there are also subplots, such as Q (Omar Epps) having aspirations to become a DJ. At the end of the day, they all want respect, power, in other words, juice, hence its title, but there is also a hidden message related to friendship in the plot.

When you really look deep into the characters, there is often some depth to them than what is displayed on the surface. For example, Bishop (Tupac Shakur) may have been the antagonist for the better part of the film, but there was also some pain and suffering deep down. The rest of them, like Q, Raheem (Khalil Kain), and Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) all getting involved in the mix that led up to that fateful point, and the chemistry between the leads was good enough that you felt like they were friends that had known each other for years.

Acting aside, I also have to admire the direction that Dickerson took with the camera work. Many scenes complemented the emotions of the characters, as well as the tones of said scene. For example, one scene had the camera moving around to give off Q’s feeling after witnessing a horrific event. Then you had this scene, and I could even talk about the performance from both Omar and Pac, because this is one scene that stood out when I saw it on TV back in the day.

Pac gave off a chilling performance that he felt terrifying in this scene. Then you have this scene, which was in the finale, that gave off a mix of action and horror, and for some reason it works.

It’s hard to imagine how dark things took when earlier on, you had scenes like this earlier in the film.

Something tells me I should read the script to see how it all went down and maybe watch it with the commentary. Like I said, the change in tones actually worked because when watching it again, many of the plot elements actually made sense. As I also said about the camera work, there was also a scene where you look in the eyes of Bishop, who was being hassled by the character of Radames (Vincent Laresca) and then what you see in the foreground goes out of focus to shift focus on Q and Steel.

As for other things, the soundtrack to this movie is still fire after all these years. It really adds to the environment of Harlem and the time period this movie came out in, even when you hear Bay Area (California) rappers such as Too Short and Pooh Man on the soundtrack. Even the R&B songs give off the vibe of the early-1990s. Speaking of music, I also saw a lot of cameos in this film. Queen Latifah played the emcee for the DJ competition. Treach (of Naughty By Nature) was one of Radames’s goons. Also, if you look closely at one scene in a bar, you will see Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith sitting there. This was when they were still EPMD. In fact, the soundtrack still holds up now that I must cover it eventually.

Another thing I found interesting was that this game actually had a scene where the first “Street Fighter” game was shown. This film was likely shot in either 1990 or 1991 (it came out at the start of 1992, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was originally slated for a 1991 release). This was also before the release of “Street Fighter II,” which helped popularize fighting games in that time.

This movie holds up after all these years. I may have seen it a few times but I still get chills seeing Pac as Bishop. Omar Epps went on to have a good career after this as he was in “Higher Learning” a few years later and then in the 2000s, he was on the doctor show, “House.” I would have to say a lot of this film with the message it conveys, as well as a lot of the technical aspects, and of course, the music.

4.25/5