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June 27, 2005

RIZE: Uh...

So my husband and my friend Gerry snuck into a theatre and saw this movie. They saw part of this movie, and then they tried to describe it to me.

They said the movie was about kids in LA getting dressed up in clown make-up and facepaint and there was some gospel music playing and they all danced to it. As clowns. Dressed up as clowns.

I was sort of hoping they were just kind of messing with me or they got something wrong or it was a mockumentary, but no. It's real. It's called RIZE. And I must be getting old, because this is kind of stupid.

There's a lot of talk about how it's not mainstream, which I guess is good, because mainstream hip-hop/rap sort of makes me want to kill myself. But there's a lot of talk about how original it is, too. Which it's not. Because this was lame back when Insane Clown Posse tried it, and it's still lame now. But at least I haven't heard anyone in RIZE try to sing. Yet.

I don't know. I kind of have that feeling people must have gotten back in the 60s when the toilet tissue companies started trying to sell everyone paper clothes. It's like... sure, The Beatles are wearing orange paper sportscoats, that's obvious. But you're never going to make this cool. Ever. I refuse to let that happen.

The link has a trailer. Please watch it and tell me if I'm being cranky. I really just don't even know anymore.

Posted by Spike at June 27, 2005 01:29 AM

Comments

Just saw it. I liked it. It walks that thin line between cool and completely outlandish, but the dancing *is* great, and the thought of rival clown gangs duking it out in a dance-off in South Central makes me feel a little better about humanity.

Of course, now that the movie is out, we've got about six months before clown dancing shows up on MTV and the whole thing is ruined for everyone.

Posted by Shaenon at June 27, 2005 03:08 AM
64.166.22.139

I was expecting a lot more clown action. When the two guys in clown suits were mentioned the guy providing the voice over seemed to be distancing himself from them. There was "Tommy(?) the Clown" but every documentary has to have some tragedy.

Posted by Tone at June 27, 2005 10:33 AM
69.104.156.216

I don't know. On one hand, I can see how it could be a good movie--it certainly looks visually stunning. On the other hand, I don't know how much of it I can take as uplifting when you've got this $$$ movie being made and these guys--were they paid? Did the dancers get anything out of it other than camera time?

I think the dancing is good, though for an "alternative" to the competitive angry lifestyle of gangs and drugs, it seems like a very competitive, angry and potentially dangerous sport. Particularly if they're poor. How can they afford to keep muscles like that? Maybe I'm being naive. But it doesn't (particularly the girl dancing) look that different from current hip-hop dancing to me. Then again, I'm not a dancer, so what the hell do I know?

Posted by twig_tea at June 27, 2005 10:53 AM
64.229.31.99

Oh my! I've been mentioned on the Internet!!!!

I can't help watching that trailer and laughing. I am sad that Cereal Man is not in the trailer. He is a clown with a cereal box for a backpack.

Posted by Gerry at June 28, 2005 07:57 PM
24.15.135.57

now tell me the one about the penguins.

Posted by Jenn at July 8, 2005 10:03 PM
69.4.137.173

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