Hyper-edgy Movies

I recently watched two really hyper-edgy movies on Netfilx. You might like them if you’re into radical, cutting edge filmmaking. The first was Child of God.

Child of God is based on Cormak McCarthy’s novel of the same name and was directed by James Franco. Child of God revolves around degenerating Appalachian character Lester, played by Scott Haze, who loses everything but his rifle. Lester is not a sympathetic character. He squats in a backwoods shack and things rapidly go downhill from there. Actors Tim Blake Nelson and Jim Parrack add color and chemistry to the film. This film is dark and backwoods, one hundred percent.

You will see a lot of Scott Haze in the future. Guaranteed.

James Franco is maligned to a degree as a director. I believe he’s a great talent, reveres literature and strives toward art.

Check out Child of God here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951095/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The second was Snow on Tha Bluff. Radically different from Child of God but pushes the edge of filmmaking.

Snow on Tha Bluff revolves around real life armed robber and crack dealer Curtis Snow who stars in the movie. He steals a video camera from college kids looking to score a dope deal and gives the camera to one of his homies to documents his life; dope deals, robbery, gunfights and hanging on the street. The hyper-documentary style film is shot on location in “The Bluff”, one of Atlanta’s most poverty ridden and violent neighborhoods.

What’s interesting about Snow on tha Bluff is that it’s impossible to differentiate between what’s scripted and what’s not. It’s the most realistic film that’s come out in years.

Another interesting fact about Snow on the Bluff is how it was marketed. Chris Knittel, the producer, copied scenes on a few hundred blank VHS tapes. He then kicked the tapes around in the dirt and smeared blood on them. He then sent them without a return address to politicians, police stations and media outlets to get a buzz going. He called it “Operation Stir Up Shit.”

This film is loaded with ghetto warfare and is fascinating to watch.

Check out Snow on Tha Bluff here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1719634/