Decius wrote:

] I'm fairly interested in seeing this movie. Making it out of a
] ghetto as a rapper is a difficult road, especially for a white
] guy. There is a very powerful story to tell here if they do it
] well. The thing is that Americans put so much focus on rock
] stars and basketball stars, and the fact is that most people
] who do get out of the ghetto are much more likely to come out
] of it as accountants then as rock stars, and the challenges
] associated with that are every bit as real. Focusing on talent
] based activities instead of skill based activities encourages
] people to focus on stuff that most people will never be good
] at no matter how hard they try.

I saw the movie yesterday, so I thought I'd chime in with the Do|emite system of ratings. My scale is the following:

Full Price
Matinee
Yank off the 'net
Wait for HBO
Wait for Free TV

'8 Mile' was interesting enough to watch as a matinee, but I think that the main reason it raked in $54 M this weekend is the star appeal of Eminem. The plot works just like every Spiderman comic - hero is kicked, beaten down and humiliated, then he gets the strength to fight back and wins. I was surprised that there really only seemed to be one Eminem song in the movie itself - "One Shot" - but the story really doesn't lend itself to more than that. Detroit in '95 is pictured as revolving around rap battles, a la Showtime at the Apollo. You either get booed off stage or you shred your opponent. Oh, and the women in B-Rabbit's life (just like in Eminem's) are viewed much the same way as Eugene O'Neil (great American playwright) sees them. Think "misogynism to the extreme."

Do|emite

RE: Detroit Shows Its True Grit in '8 Mile' - 11/6/02