6
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2005
In terrible flick, 50 Cent dies trying
BY WILLIAM FONVIELLE
STAFF WRITER
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s
new film “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”
isn’t so much a movie as it is
factory-produced merchandise
designed to make more money
off the rapper’s already tired
mythology.
Don’t be surprised if the studio
releases 50 Cent action figures
with detachable bullet holes.
This paragraph was about to
make some snide comment about
how the film’s plot will be familiar
to fans of 50 Cent, but let’s get a
little snider: It will also be famil
iar to anyone who has ever seen a
rags-to-riches story before.
The screenplay by Terence
Winter is completely and utterly
paint-by-numbers, and no one
has the courage to draw outside
the lines.
It’s not helped by the fact
that it’s released in the shadow
of “Hustle & Flow,” an infinitely
better hip-hop film with a similar
plot.
The difference is that film took
the standard formula and infused
genuine intelligence and charm
into its main character, played by
Terrence Howard, who has a sup
porting role in the 50 Cent flick.
That allowed Howard’s character
to become a hopeful soul with
whom the audience could iden
YEP ROC
FROM PAGE 5
It’s amazing that we’re working
with some of our favorite artists
growing up,” he added.
The established fan bases of
those iconic figures helped to add
credibility to the label and to bol
ster sales as well.
“These people have great sales
history and Nick Lowe was one of
the first artists to really legitimize
the label,” said Dicker. “That sort
of opened up a lot of doors for us;
you’re only as good as the artists
on your label are.”
Pumping younger blood
Dicker said the sales from
established artists allowed the
label to support records from
newer developing artists that
carry less guaranteed success.
Growing support for artist
development has led to what in
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“Get Rich or Die Tryin’” never
brings 50 Cent down from his pla
teau of vanity, always reminding
us that he’s more gangster than
anyone else could ever dream to
be.
It takes that technique one
step too far, however, when 50
Cent gets shot and is taken to the
hospital.
The surgeon peers over his
body and remarks something
like, “You know, a four-year-old
gets shot once and dies. This guy’s
riddled with nine bullets, and he’s
gonna make it.”
So if you take nothing else from
the movie, just remember: In the
event of gang warfare, 50 Cent so
owns that 4-year-old.
Common sense dictates that
the project was doomed from
the beginning, but there was
always the hope that director Jim
Sheridan would bring a fresh take
to the film’s stale formula. After
all, this is the guy behind such
wonderful and memorable films
as “In America” and “My Left
Foot.”
Apart from a few pretty shots
of the sunset, Sheridan comes
across as bored and uninspired,
never elevating the story from
level one.
He’s a gifted filmmaker who
will no doubt be good again. Here,
many ways seems a change of
direction for the label.
Collins Kilgore, lead guitarist
and vocalist for the recently signed
American Princes, said he feels that
a change is evident at Yep Roc.
“I think that they’re clearly try
ing to launch a separate direction
for the label with different kinds
of bands,” he said.
“I think they’re happy working
with indie or punk music icons.
They’re very good at doing that.
They’ve grown a whole lot. They’re
using the successes of doing that
to get more into artist develop
ment, and that’s W'hy they’re sign
ing bands like us and Cities.”
Rob Mackey, guitarist for
Cities, said he thinks that the
label should do its best to support
upcoming artists as well as his
torically important ones.
“Hopefully Yep Roc can get to the
point where they can develop these
young bands and young artists and
also keep doing music by these large
News
MOVIE
‘GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN"
irk
he’s nothing more than hired tal
ent brought on to steer the 50
Cent masculinity train.
This isn’t the first film to
chronicle the rise of a famous rap
per, and it certainly isn’t the first
in which a rapper crosses over to
acting.
But 50 Cent should stick to
music actually, he shouldn’t
even stick to that, but that’s
another review.
Considering that the film just
asks him to play himself, he’s
astonishingly flat.
There’s no soul in his eyes and
no spark in his voice he’s just a
guy reading his lines and collect
ing his salary.
To be fair, “Get Rich or Die
Tryin’” does have two saving grac
es. One is Howard, who has found
himself in solid performance after
solid performance this year. He
actually manages to rise above
the overblown, awkward dialogue
and render it quasi-bearable. This
is a feat in and of itself.
Also, credit Sheridan and
Winter for not completely glori
fying the gang lifestyle.
The audience is reminded of an
interesting tidbit that most gang
figures from the past,” said Mackey.
“Hopefully they can do double duty
like that and offer stuff from both
ends of the spectrum.”
The passion for music within
the label and its artist-friendly
atmosphere has made Yep Roc an
enticing home for up-and-coming
bands.
“What interested us with Yep
Roc was what we’d heard from
other people,” said Kilgore.
“We were actually talking to
Yep Roc as well as a few of other
labels and we asked some friends
and they said they were a really
artist friendly label. They were
really personable and were like,
We want to enable you guys to do
what you want to do,’” he said.
Dicker said the label is always
thrilled to be working with devel
oping bands.
“We still are motivated by our
passion in the music and the peo
ple that are in these bands. We’re
very excited and are looking for-
... M
COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Curtis 'SO Cent’ Jackson shuffles a rap career and armed robbery in
'Get Rich or Die Tryin'/ a movie based on his life (pre-fame, that is).
films gloss over: After dividing
the amount of time he spends
standing on the street by the
money he earns, a drug dealer
makes only minimum wage. It’s
a sobering reality in movie that
more often borders on the ridicu
lous.
Subtract the time 50 Cent
spends in prison, and he makes
even less than that.
“Get Rich or Die Tryin’” is a
disappointment of the highest
ward to continuing challenges
with working with young bands,”
said Dicker.
Identified with greatness
With recent releases from the
Comas and Robyn Hitchcock
receiving major critical acclaim
and a wealth of buzz surrounding
recent signings, Yep Roc seems
poised for something greater.
“I can see 2006 being a really
big year for them. I think they’re
trying to make more of a name
for themselves in the indie world,”
said Kilgore. “People have heard of
Merge and Matador and Sub-Pop,
and if Yep Roc keeps doing what
they’re doing, they’re going to be
one of those labels.”
Clarque Blomquist, bassist and
drummer for the Kingsbury Manx,
another recently signed band, said
he feels that the label already has
garnered some of that notoriety.
“Yep Roc has all kinds of stuff,
indie kind of stuff, spacey kind of
stuff; there isn’t so much of a prod
uct identity, but I don’t think that’s
what they’re going for,” he said.
“It’s not like buying a record from
Dischord or Thrill Jockey where
you kind of know what to expect.
I think people will more and more
start to identify them with quality
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order, a film with proven talent
both behind and in front of the
camera that still manages to fall
on its face.
It doesn’t take more than nine
bullets to kill this flick 5O Cent
is enough.
He dropped a verse. His act
ing’s worse. And now his movie’s
in the hearse.
Contact theA&E Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.
music,” Blomquist added.
Dicker said he feels that the
most important aspect of running
a record label is drawing support
from an established audience and
gaining new fans by releasing
worthwhile music.
“I think that the thing about it
is that with every release hopefully
we’re making new fans and con
necting with new people. Not just
the consumers but people behind
the DJ booth or behind the desk
writing reviews,” he said.
“Whatever it is we feel with
every record we’re taking a step
forward and building on it one
small step at a time. The important
thing for us is to continue putting
out quality music and have people
recognize that and help spread the
word with us.”
Contact the AdE Editor
at artsdesk@ unc.edu.
STAR
★ POOR
★★ FAIR
★★★ GOOD
kkirk EXCELLENT
★★★★★ CLASSIC
(Dip Wy (Tor Mppl
THE QUICK
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dive recommends
[ANNIE —DJ KICKS]
The Norwegian songstress puts
up her microphone and grabs her
turntables on this release in K7!’s
popular DJ series.
The set is full of danceable bub
blegum tunes as well as some more
obscure tracks that are loaded with
kitsch appeal and hip-shaking
grooves.
Also included, two nonalbum
cuts from Annie herself.
[ FLOWER TRAVELIN' BAND
SATORI ]
This was Japan’s answer to Black
Sabbath during the ’7os. They only
released two albums, but this one is
a monster.
The album is a six-part epic with
two of the tracks coming in at more
than 10 minutes.
Gigantic guitar riffs and a vocal
ist jhat sounds like a Japanese
Robert Plant make for an intense
foray into the world of heavy psy
chedelic rock.
Anyone into this type of music
should definitely check out Satori.
Contact Ben Pittard
atjbenton@email.unc.edu.