Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff

Oftentimes documentaries are able take a subject which I might otherwise have never really thought twice about and manage to wrap me up in that world completely. "Kiss and Tail" is a movie like that. I rented this upon the advise of a friend who saw it at a premier screening and he was raving about how wild it was. He was right. I'm not particularly knowledgeable or even interested in Hip Hop video girls or groupies, and I've never read Karrine Steffans's books ( though I'm very familiar with her reputation, and I've seen a few of her very tasteless and annoying homemade video diaries on you tube), but this movie was so unique and irreverent that I just was utterly fascinated. The interviews are at the same time hilarious and truly illuminating (even if a bit surreal), with "experts" ranging from super-pimps, to porn stars, to academic journalists, to celebrities, to the video girls and groupies themselves (both current day groupies and old school groupies, featuring insight from the charming and incredibly "hip for her age" Pamela Debarres (SP?) who apparently banged members of The Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin and every other classic rock band back in the day). But the real draw of the film and the character at the heart of the story (if "heart" is the right word to use) is Karrine Steffans herself. This movie does her no favors in exploring every seedy facet of the grimy world she created for herself. It presents a pseudo-biography of her life, talking to the people who knew her, and some who screwed her (or got screwed over by her), along with interesting interviews with the woman herself. She comes across as very intelligent, very conniving, and more that just a little bit psychotic. I don't want to ruin anything except to say by the end of the movie I really felt that I understood what makes this woman tick, and it is really kind of sad. Ironically, it makes me want to read her books now, just to see more how her twisted mind works. the woman is sick and unstable, but again, that is a little bit fascinating, and what I love about this movie! I gave the movie 9, because as much as I love it, it's not trying to change the world or anything, so I can't justify a 10 just for entertainment value, but I will give the DVD itself a 10, because the special feature are amazing and plentiful. As I said, when it ended I was so wrapped up in these people and their stories and I wanted to know more about them, and the special features afford you that opportunity. there are special segments dedicated to almost all of the main interviewees, giving you a deeper and even funnier look into their bizarre worlds and extreme persona's. I especially recommend "The Principals of Pimping" and "The Tale of Nasty-Fat-Nasty." I'll say no more... you have to see it to believe it!

This has got to be one of the best documentaries I have seen to date. It is very entertaining and a nice rebuttal to Karrine's book. Thomas Gibson, the director, is clearly a black version of Michael Moore. The actors chosen for the film also did a great job of portraying the characters. One person who stands out to me in the film is "Suave". That guy needs his own television show. He kept it real all the way throughout the film. He seemed to have know Karrine and understood just what kind of person she really is. My other favorite person in the film was Ma Barker. She spoke on behalf of ladies everywhere when she broke it down about how Karrine really is versus how she likes to portray herself in the media. I wish Oprah would have Peter Spirer and Thomas Gibson on her show since she aired Karrine's side of the story just to keep things balanced and to show both sides of the coin.