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187 REASONZ Y
Written, Produced, and Directed by NecroUnderground rapper Necro, who proudly boasts musical influences ranging from Herschel Gordon Lewis to porn videos, tries his hand at directing with this 20 minute black and white Super 8 short titled 187 REASONZ Y.
Those familiar with early Factory 2000 efforts might find interest in this underground tale of urban angst as twenty-something gangstaz have their lives snuffed out by toxic poisoning by the fad-setting Corporate White Man represented by an afro-sporting dwarf.
Set to the sounds of Necro's music, 187 REASONZ Y plays like a long form music video, or perhaps more appropriately, an attempt at an mini underground rap opera. There's no dialogue, and what parts of the story can't be related through the music, must be told through the images on screen. Think PUBLIC ENEMY attempting to make a Chaplin short. The results are somewhat stilted and forced, but the messages are easily conveyed.
What the short suffers from due to the amateur performances, it makes up in visual style. Necro's sense of composition often reminded me of Speed Racer in that everything within the frame is overtly geometrical and strikingly stylized. Just don't go looking for Racer X to pop out of the trunk sporting .45's in both hands.
For those wondering, Necro's musical style is surprisingly melodic and soothing. From what I had been told, I expected to be hit over the head with some hardcore street rhymes and not lulled into a cool sense of trance-like melo. When juxtaposed with the striking visuals, the result is a weird sense of euphoric discomfort. Apparently, it's only the music on his albums that's hardcore.
I've seen better, I've seen worse. 187 REASONZ Y is a first movie by a filmmaker with no proper training who is able to invoke the street scene he lives by, and thus he brings to the table a point of view about life that might be farfetched to some, yet completely everyday to others. Just because something is "amateur" doesn't mean it can't be passionate and insightful.