Movie review: Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
Where to even begin with this week’s film? Everything you need to know can be summed up in the title, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror. My first thought was that I’d need the patience of a saint to attempt this fusion of low-budget horror and bad acting. Yet for those of you who may be intrigued by rap star Snoop’s latest endeavor, here’s a quick synopsis.
Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror is a trilogy of urban horror shorts reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Hood. Snoop Dogg plays the resident crib-keeper, a former gang-banger named Devon who sells his soul in exchange for bringing back the little sister he accidentally killed in a drive by shooting. As a part of his penance, Devon becomes a Hound of Hell and is charged with telling moralistic horror stories to the damned.
The first short story follows a young graffiti artist named Posie (actress Daniella Alonso) who is endowed with the power to take the lives of others simply by spray painting her own tag over theirs. The second story follows a Texas couple, Tex and Tiffany (actor Anson Mount and actress Brande Roderick), who inherit a residential building inhabited by Tex’s late father’s Vietnam War buddies. The third story revolves around an up-and-coming rapper named Sod (actor Pooch Hall) who is willing to go to any lengths to get famous. In each of the three stories, the main characters are abusive and cruel to others. For their indiscretions, they pay dearly in a variety of gore-filled, nausea-inducing ways.
The tales are gruesome, gory, disgusting, and (as much as I hate to admit it) a tad bit amusing in that over-the-top, grindhouse movie manner. The first tale has a faster pace and more of an anything-can-happen feel than the two that follow it, but each is absurdly implausible and, as such, amusing in their B-movie atrociousness. The stories are connected by Devon and his demonic posse. Devon not only narrates the action, but also makes cameo appearances in each of the tales.
The film itself is a mix of crude animation and live action. The blood and guts are over the top. The death scenes are certainly unique. The only good points of the film, though, are those that give it its B-movie, cult horror movie appeal. The acting is horrible, the storylines are neither well written nor completely developed, and the cinematography has the same feel as a cheaply made rap video.
Is this a great movie? No. Is it a good movie? Not really. But I defy anyone who says a film that features a gangsta falling and impaling himself on his own 40 is without merit. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, if you are a fan of unrealistic, grindhouse style horror movies, than this is one film you just may enjoy.