Crooked: The Movie/The Soundtrack
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DVD details
Artist: Artist Not ProvidedDVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-05-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Wordsound
DVD Reviews of Crooked: The Movie/The Soundtrack
DVD Review: Cult Classic Status
Summary: 5 Stars
Seven years ago, music journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. (AKA "Skiz"), frustrated with the corporate hijacking of the music scene, founded WordSound Recordings, a self-described "guerilla think-tank" dedicated to continuous creation and experimentation. The label aimed at providing an arena for artists operating outside the mainstream as well as a true alternative to the formulaic and hype-driven status-quo, which at the time was being marketed as "alternative" rock, "underground" hip-hop, and "electronica." Forty full-length albums and numerous singles later, WordSound and its subsidiary, vinyl-only imprint Black Hoodz, have carved out an international reputation as one of the preeminent laboratories of muscial innovation. With releases spanning such genres as dub, hip-hop, electronic, world, and just plain weird, the label has managed to elevate the game with its no-comprise D.I.Y. attitude, bucketloads of originality, and a serious commitment to upliftment through sound.
But in the music industry as a whole, not much has changed. The current trend toward prefabricated teen idols, carbon-copy rockers, and the minstrel show that characterizes mainstream rap illustrates more than ever before the extent to which big money has co-opted pop culture, elevating style over substance. Many have even noted that this mass-marketing of pop-culture--bolstered by such new technologies as the internet--has lead to the "dumbing-down" of American society. As this shopping-mall mentality steamrolls across the country and across the world, the independent voice has been summarily squeezed out.
On the visual front, independent film has become as much a misnomer as "independent" or "alternative" music. In fact, the impetus behind Crooked was to challenge the boundaries of this realm as well. With so-called "indie" film budgets reaching into the millions of dollars, and enlisting A-list talent, Fernando wanted to prove that the essence of good filmmaking lay in a telling a compelling story--and one which illuminated certain universal truths. "Some of the best films I've seen were made for less money than they probably spent on one day's catering on the set of Titanic" he says. "And I'm talking 35mm epics like Sergio Leone's Fistful of Dollars."
From his extensive travels along the paths of rhythm, Fernando had amassed a long list of characters he describes as "natural stars,"-- people whose innate charisma and energy manifests in everything they do. Take, for example, Sensational, one of Crooked's co-stars. "Sensational already knows he's the king," says Fernando, "he's just waiting for you to recognize that fact and give him his weight in gold."
So without a big budget or big names (and, in fact, no real actors, just real people playing themselves), Fernando set out to make a movie. As an artist and independent label head, his frustrations with promoting his music and having an impact in an industry dominated by money and hype was a natural launching point for Crooked. As a journalist, the twin pillars of truth and reality, were paramount. Thus, everything that transpires in the movie--except the ending--actually happened. In this unique docu-drama, the premise is simple: how does a true talent emerging from nowhere get exposed?
Armed with only his personal experiences in the music industry Fernando travelled to his native land, Sri Lanka, in January 2000, where he began writing Crooked. Staying at the same hotel where Arthur C. Clarke penned 2001: A Space Odyssey and far removed from the tough Brooklyn streets where the narrative takes place, Fernando gained valuable perspective and was able to generate a rough draft in only two months. This original manuscript went through about 12 serious re-writes and revisions before Crooked was ready to shoot in April 2001.
By this time, Fernando had moved to Baltimore, MD to cut his living expenses, focus, and remove himself from the swirling chaos that is New York. From his southern outpost, he mobilized an army of fellow artists and friends as his cast and crew; raised money through record sales and from his brother, Sid, who deals in thoroughbred horses; and bought two Sony PD-150 digital cameras. Fernando commenced shooting in New York City on April 2nd and wrapped on the 29th (a total of 25 shooting days). Despite various mishaps--his car (the production vehicle) was towed on the first day, his second camerman quit on the third day, and his special effects team cancelled on him the day before they were to shoot all the scenes involving guns and exploding squibs--the shoot went incredibly smoothly.
Armed with 70 hours of footage, Fernando took a night off (to see a movie) before returning to Baltimore where he began the tedious job of logging tapes. During the week he recorded time-code numbers and on weekends transferred the appropriate selects to beta at Jump, a commercial editing house in Manhattan, where editor David Bryen works. After a month, all the footage was logged and ready to edit. Working only on weekends throughout the summer, they assembled a two-hour rough cut by August. Fernando shot all second unit material and pick-up scenes himself during September and October. In November and December, the music and sound design were added. Amoeba Proteus, the company responsible for the titles to such films as Pi and Requiem For A Dream , contributed the stylish opening to complete the final picture.
"It's been a tremendous amount of work and an incredible journey from conception to final cut," says Fernando, "but I can't imagine having spent these last couple years in any other way. The only thing I would do differently next time is to not spend any of my own money." He chuckles, "Sometimes you've got to put your money where your mouth is though."
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