Gang Tapes

I was quite keen to see Gang Tapes being a fan of 'hood movies but it was not an easy task. Being reasonably unknown in general and not what would usually come to mind when the topic of ghetto/hood/gang banging movies is brought up (that spot is usually reserved for "Boyz N The Hood" and "Menace II Society"), it wasn't at any of the video shops I visited. After looking for it for some time I eventually gave up. But last week I was searching for a good movie at my video shop when I noticed they had bought a copy of "Gang Tapes".I rented it out and found it was worth the wait.

What would draw most people away from this movie is the cover, R18 rating and a grisly summary or review on the back. But despite all this the movie is not overly violent at all. There are some pretty bad moments that makes this definitely not a family movie, but I still don't think it deserves an R18. The only over the top thing in this movie is the offensive language, but that probably wouldn't faze anyone because bad language is commonplace in all 'hood movies.

Some people have said that it is pointless because all it does is show gang life. Which is true. It does realistically show gang life, but that is no reason to put it down. Now, I'm not saying that "Gang Tapes" is better than "GoodFellas", but "GoodFellas" just shows life in the mafia and nobody puts it down.

One might say it is "just another 'hood movie" and it is another 'hood movie, but Adam Ripp (director and writer) and the rest of the crew have managed to make it different from the others. For starters, it is filmed all from the point of view of a young teenage boy living in South Central L.A. which is an original twist. Another interesting thing is that the bulk of the main cast are all gang members, ex-gang members or have grown up in South Central and have added realism to the story and dialogue. The writers have also made the plot different from what you would usually see in movie of this genre.

The acting is probably better than what most people would expect. As I said before, the gang members are played by actual gang members so they are easily able to pull it off. And performing on camera doesn't matter to them because it's meant to be a home video, so they can look at the camera etc.

Thumbs up for director and co-writer Adam Ripp. Watching the special features I can see he is very passionate about his movie. I feel sorry for him because his movie didn't really become as popular as some other 'hood movies, but at least he knows he made a great movie. Thumbs up for the cast and crew as well.

Overall this is a great movie if you look past the obvious. Anybody who is a fan of 'hood movies should love it and if you are someone who isn't you should still check it out and remember some of the points I made above.

"Gang Tapes" is supposed to take the viewer inside an L.A. street gang via a jacked camcorder. The idea is; the person holding the videocam is a gang member who simply tapes the daily activities of his gang including murder, rape, drugs, robbery, etc. You know, the stuff gangs do every day. The problem with the flick, aside from its threadbare subject, is the whole production is purposely awful to give it that authentic shaky-cam feel while the scenes appear contrived with phony looking stage blood, obviously pulled punches, bad acting, etc. Bottom line: Reality films have poor quality because they're REAL. Trying to lend reality to a film using intentionally poor quality doesn't work when they subjects aren't real. The result is simply poor execution. (D)

'Gang Tapes' is a serious and fascinating look into life in south central LA. The movie does not try to become a larger than life portrayal of the gangsta life it documents. Instead it pretends to be an actual camera recording of a boy and his surroundings as he grows up. In this respect, 'Gang Tapes' excels phenomenally. You will have to remind yourself constantly that it is not a documentary you are watching, but a film. 'Gang Tapes' does not break this superior reality at all. The actors never seem fake, except for slight faults in Lonzo's strange fascination with showing off, all of the gangbanger's seem real throughout 'Gang Tapes'. One surprise though, is the gunshots heard throughout the film. Because of my past experience with these Gangsta B-movies (of which I have become quite a collector)I was expecting the usual dubbed over, pathetic shots that sound either to loud, or to quiet for the gun that was fired. 'Gang Tapes' again keeps to reality, each shot sounds as it should, loud and uncontrollable. This helps to create the film's impressive, yet gritty reality. Perhaps the only downfall of 'Gang Tapes' is the large amounts of all talk/ no action scenes throughout the film. These sequences are often just large fragments of conversation from Lonzo to another gangbanger.Though boring, these scenes reveal each characters perfectly realistic personalities. They are important parts of the film's structure.

All in all 'Gang Tapes' is an accurate depiction of the lives of the residents in South Central LA.

9/10

First time director Adam Ripp received a good bit of attention for his film Gang Tapes, unfortunately for most, it was for all the wrong reasons. The white, Jewish director was lambasted by the public for his attempt to tell the real story of the gangs in South Central Los Angeles, despite the support of that neighborhood. Theater owners refused to book the film for fear of riots and for a while it seemed all the attention the film got was bad. Its release on DVD will hopefully change some of that and perhaps the public will take a chance and view this engrossing and challenging look at gang life.

Filmed on a meager budget (by Hollywood standards) using a digital video camera, Gang Tapes is the coming of age story of young Kris (new actor Trivell). Surrounded by a life of violence and family, the young man has many difficult choices ahead of him. Perhaps his outlook would be better if he weren't caught between his mother and his friends, who each want him to go in a different direction.

The controversy around the film, aside from Ripp's background, stemmed from his use of the digital video and realistic style. The story starts off with a family on vacation in Hollywood. They film themselves at all the tourist locations and later get lost in South Central LA. It's at this point the story takes a shocking turn as the family is car-jacked and removed from their van by several gang members who happen to keep their camera as well. The camera, through the hands of Kris, becomes an outsiders look at not only gang life, but life in the Watts neighborhood as well.

The unique and unorthodox method of filming let Ripp extract good performances from his mostly inexperienced cast. Comprised of several ex-gang members, the performances are real and the film is edited in a way to hide the inexperienced cast members. The comfort with which the camera is carried from scene to scene makes you believe your witnessing the inner-workings of the gang as they go trough their everyday activities.

Ripp's film makes a powerful statement that those not familiar with the culture may find hard to believe. The fact that everyday could be your last for little more than walking out the door is a hard reality to face and an even harder one to live with. His realistic look at life in the gang shows that there's more to it than red or blue clothing and a need for power and money.

Video: Filmed with a high-end digital camcorder, the video doesn't have the polished feel of a feature film and it would suffer if it did. Part of the power of the film comes from its slightly grainy and washed video and unsteady camera angels. To analyze the quality would be counterproductive to the whole process and idea of the film.

Audio: The audio is a good stereo track that works perfectly in the context of the film. At times, the audio is hard to hear based on the limitations of the camera, but it's never an irritating problem. The music included in the film booms from the speakers and is mix well.

Extras: Typical to Lions Gate, this single disc release is pack with several features. The most interesting would be the documentary that details the making of the film. More than a confirmation that it is a film, it shows the attention to detail and willingness to work with the community that allowed Ripp to work his way inside this little seen world. From the screen tests to the rewriting of the script in street lingo, it's all detailed here. There are numerous audio tracks included on the disc. Ripp has said that the music played an important part in the film and much of it is included here. A full-length music video is featured as well.

A commentary track is available with Ripp, writer Steven Wolfson and producer David Goodman. It's an interesting track that reveals the dangers of working in such a highly volatile area. After shooting a death scene, the cast and crew are shaken when they learn that one of the actor's cousins has been killed just a short distance away. It also serves as an introduction and explanation for some of the gang terms that are used throughout the film. Definitely one of the more interesting commentary tracks to come along.

Overall: Gang Tapes is a highly original and innovative film that missed its audience upon its initial release due the controversy that it might have caused. Despite that fact, Lions Gate has given it an appropriate DVD release that will hopefully allow this film to find the audience it so deserves. The violent and sometimes shocking look at gang culture is definitely not for everyone, but it should not be overlooked.

I would describe this film as awful. The fact that all the film is shot through a camcorder makes one feel he is part of the furniture. The dialogues are somewhat tedious, but thats reality i guess. Possibility more could have been done when it comes to credibility. However, something fresh all the same!