Slam (1998) User Reviews

2/3 of a really good character study, results may vary

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 14 June 2004]

In Marc Levin's Slam, perhaps the greatest asset he and cinematographer Mark Benjamin bring is the documentary-style to this urban-based drama. For the first few minutes of the film, I thought this would be a documentary. In a sense, when I realized when it wasn't it was a letdown, because even though this is a close-to-life depiction story of a kid in the ghettos of Washington DC, somehow if it really was a documentary it might've been even more compelling. As it is, Slam is a very naturalistic first-person drama, and the film deals with a protagonist that isn't hard to identify with, even when things seem a little over-done or even when it's a little naïve.

Basic story in two sentences – Raymond Joshua (Saul Williams, also one of the film's co-writers) is set up to go to prison for pot, and while in prison he meets a few people that recognize his skills as a writer and poet.

When he gets out he wants to hold on to the freedom he knows he can attain, but he doesn't know how. With this conflict, Raymond is a character that is recognizable and identifiable with the audience. And with this, Williams creates a constantly believable performance even when his character may not sound entirely believable or realistic.

Although the performances are a plus for the film's success, such as Bonz Malone as Hopha, and Sonja Sohn as the writing teacher/poet Lauren, for me the style over-passed the substance. Though the poetry was inspired and the poets in the film who spoke them were very good, some of the story elements were not as effective as they could've been. For example, there's a blind-men analogy when Raymond gets out of jail and sees that his pot-dealer friend, who got shot, is now blind. Raymond is morally in the right in their final scene together, but it's a little too thick of a message for my taste when Raymond says, 'I once was blind too, now I can see.' Williams' poetry (which I assume he wrote himself) is interesting, although it's his delivery that catches my ear over the content. In a pivotal scene his poetry saves him from a beating in the prison yard, yet somehow it doesn't feel as real as some of the other scenes, like with him and Malone's character.

As I said, the style was what held the film, especially for such a low budget. I loved the use of the hand-held, shaky mis-en-scene, as though someone was allowed to peek into the atmosphere of DC. And from a psychological standpoint, Levin seems to extract what the essence is of Raymond and his neighborhood. Through his usage grainy color and then to a 8mm camcorder for flashbacks from Raymond, I felt the emotional impact that Levin was going for, the mix of disorientation and of being in a free-fallin' kind of society where you don't know what can happen next. I just wished that I saw more of that with the characters and the story. Cool ending though. B

A cut above the usual black thug flick

[=G= · 6/10 · 4 June 2001]

"Slam" tells of a young black rapper, poet, and project street punk who's busted for possession and may have to do time. A cut about your usual Afro-Am street crime flicks in its humanness, "Slam" weaves slam poetry and rap into its drama creating a sense of hope through sublimation. An okay watch, especially for those into Slammin', rappin' or just contemporary poetry and issues.

Slam vs. Bamboozled

[politic1983 · 7/10 · 25 January 2014]

Now, here are two films I remember watching many moons ago, and for some strange reason was compelled to watch again. Of both, I remember slightly unusual techniques and styles, feeling more like home movies than big-budget films. But, neither is particularly big-budget; both controversial in their own way and quite experimental, designed to create emotion more than they are to entertain. Both, therefore, are not great films, but interesting ones nonetheless, perhaps not fully getting their ideas across, but based on good ideas.

Starting with 'Slam', we see young Raymond Joshua living in D.C., working as a small-time drug dealer, occasionally writing the odd verse of poetry. Caught in a gang-land shooting, he sees himself arrested and trapped with the choice of going to prison or going to prison on a drug possession charge. Angered and frustrated, he again finds himself trapped in the middle of a gang dispute in prison resulting in him letting out his grievances in the form of poetry in the prison yard.

If you like, 'Slam' is a musical; not so much a film, but a vehicle to showcase the talents of the cast as poets and emcees. Much of the cast are poets and/or rappers appearing in a debut acting role, or one of their few and had a big hand in the writing. Saul Williams plays the lead role, with Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone and Beau Sia taking up supporting roles, among others. The acting and story, therefore, are never fully polished, with writer/director Mark Levin known more for his documentaries than feature films.

The story moves on a little too quickly in parts and character motivation is not always fully explored, beyond William's character. But with the low-budget feel, this has that trapped-in-time quality, feeling isolated from the rest of the world. There is nothing Earth-shattering here, but some interesting social comment and, at times, powerful performances.

Spike Lee's 'Bamboozled' is a satire of modern television and what those watching the 'idiot box' have come to expect on the small screen. Damon Wayans plays Pierre Delacroix, a sit-com writer criticised by a 'more black than black people' network executive for writing shows that are 'too white,' featuring 'white people with black faces.' Pushed to deny the existence of a middle-class African-American, Delacroix works to create a show so 'black' as to shock America into realising the stereotypes that are portrayed on every day television. Ticking-off every racial stereotype imaginable, he creates 'Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show'.

Amazingly, the show is a success, working only to further stereotypes rather than destroy them; leaving Delacroix viewed as a sell-out. Success and fame are predictably the downfall of those involved resulting in tragedy.

'Bamboozled' is an interesting film for Lee to have made at the time; rising in his career and choosing to make a film that is quite low on a number of things. To start, the cast is low on out-and-out actors – and you can include Damon Wayans and Jada Pinkett-Smith within that – using rappers and comedians in many roles. It is also a film low on any nice Hollywood gloss and sheen – an effect probably desired considering the subject matter. The one thing it is high on is camera numbers, using numerous handhelds to take shots from various angles, such as audience reactions to a new breed of minstrel show. This creates a claustrophobic and documentary-like feel to the film.

But being a satire, the film is more about the point it is trying to make; the use of footage from old television and film portrayals of African-Americans throughout and montaged at the end highlighting this. References are made to various moments where art and politics have collided, as well as using real-life figures vocal in such areas.

But ultimately, 'Bamboozled' ends up a little messy in final execution. The lack of any real acting talent leaves performances a little wooden, as well as the characters they portray a little too extreme, notably the Mau Mau, led by Mos Def, who feel a little unrealistic despite Mos Def's usually charismatic on screen performances. A little too much can be rammed down your throat at times, with all imagery and dialogue geared towards one thing.

Neither 'Slam' nor 'Bamboozled' will ever be regarded as great films, nor will they probably be remembered by many. But both are interesting examples of more creative film-making. Big budget effects, state-of-the- art camera-work and even actors are not required, as long as the film is based on a strong idea and purpose. They are portrayals of writers, trapped in different situations as they struggle to overcome stereotypes, relying on the talents of their non-acting casts. Well- executed at times or not, both still offer more than the endless big budget sequels and re-makes that make-up the majority of box office takings.

politic1983.blogspot.com

Powerful!

[BSide · 10/10 · 19 March 1999]

Fantastic performances, a good story and interesting photography make Slam a very good movie; realism makes it a great one. I was in awe of the utter authenticity of the people, the situations, the energies in this film. I was suitably impressed by the emotions expressed and how effective it all was, for essentially a minimalist message (the odds are stacked against young black males in the inner cities) but even more impressed once I listened to the commentary on the DVD. I highly recommend you get your hands on the disc, and listen to the commentary after watching the film. Sure, it's a bit too self-congratulatory ("what a beautiful shot!" [it was only "nice"]) but the insight on the people involved--the writers, actors, poets... adds an incredible amount of depth to the experience.

To quickly generalize: if you appreciate Spike Lee's work, you'll probably like Slam. Although Spike might be a little upset that a white Jewish director brought this to film :-)

Saul the poet

[kamy_22 · 13 December 2002]

A movie that will move you in every possible way. A 'black gangsta' movie that doesn't rely on mindless violence to give you the 'message'.

The 'message' from this movie is beautiful and the poetry is mindblowing (especially the last poem). The acting is excellent throughout and the funny thing is that all the acting is natural and it seems like you are a watching a gritty documentary. (Look out for the jail riot and you will understand what I mean).

A highly recommended movie, do not miss it.

Above the Violence

[brianda2007 · 6/10 · 2 June 2010]

The movie "Slam" directed by Marc Levin is a moving story about a young man who rises to be above the violence. Ray Joshua played by Saul Williams is an average black man who is trying to survive in the streets of Dodge City by selling drugs. Unfortunately, one day Ray was arrested when his drug dealer was shot. When arrested the police found on Ray 1/4 pound of marijuana. He is then sent to prison while he decides if he wants to plea himself guilty or not. In prison Ray decides instead of being involved in more gang conflicts he will be better than that. Instead of throwing punches he speaks up with powerful words. Like when he stopped a fight that was about to break out between two gangs in the prison, but he used his slam poem "Amethyst Rocks," and that immediately ended the soon to be disaster. He demonstrates that problems can be solved without violence.

Things like growing up in the ghetto are what try to define Ray. People that grow up in the ghetto are known to be drug dealers and being in gangs. They are never seen as people that can do anything successful in life. In the prison there were two different kinds of gangs that try to recruit him. Since Ray grew up in the ghetto the gangs thought that he will accept their offer and become one of the members but they were wrong. Ray didn't want to become just another member. He doesn't want to be involved in the conflicts or violence that gangs create. He instead shows them with his poetry that he doesn't need to be in no gang to survive. As he says "So while your out there serving the time I'll be in sync with the sun while you run from the moon" (Slam) This means he will not be another gang member stuck in prison like the other ghetto folks he will instead be in harmony while they are running from problems.

One of the themes that I see in the movie is to accept consequences. When a person does something bad and gets caught they end up with a consequence. Some people accept it but others try to avoid it. In the movie Jay was caught with marijuana and he deserved a consequence because he knew what he posed was wrong. Selling drugs is a crime and Jay knew this but he did not want to face the consequences at first. But at the end no one can ever ran away from their destine consequences. It will eventually catch you. It's better to accept it at once and not try to run away.

The best parts of the movie I would say are when Ray would recite his slam poems. Both the lyrics and the way he recites them are very powerful. If you notice both his poems talk about the history in slavery. He shows how slaves were stolen and had to work hard and did not live easy lives. This shows that slaves were hard working and when he looks back at that history it inspires him to do better. Even now black people are sometimes judged and treated badly because all other people think that they will cause trouble. Ray doesn't want to be another statistic; he wants to exceed the standard. He doesn't have to settle with what society hands him but instead try to become something better. This is something that all people should know and try. Everyone should watch this movie because there are many things you can learn from it.

A Film Not Afraid to Tell the Truth

[drhym · 9/10 · 3 September 2001]

I happened upon Slam quite by coincidence one evening. I just got an updated cable system with all of these channels and movies and music. So I was surfing and I came upon Slam. I had no idea what it was. I had never heard of the movie before, but I was familiar with Saul Williams and his work. I had seen him on a documentary a few years ago. I thought the film was brilliant in the sense that it took a familiar topic and refreshed it. Slam was intense and real. It was preachy without being trite, redundant, cliche, or just plain corny. The actors were totally believable. I bought it. I bought it all, hook, line, and sinker. And in the end, that's all I can ask of a film, to take me somewhere I want to go, but haven't been before. This film was not afraid to tell the truth. And again, more importantly it was not afraid to also tell us that there are no easy solutions or easy roads out.

Pen Mightier Than Sword

[sol- · 6/10 · 28 April 2017]

Imprisoned on drug possession charges, a talented rapper is encouraged to use his gift with words to write poetry in this independent drama that won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in its day. Saul Williams is well cast as the flawed young protagonist who believes that racism and the fact that he was not prepared to rat out his friends was what led to him receiving such a long sentence. His rapping is very good too with the film's best scene being a part where he bonds with a nearby cellmate as they rap out a tune together. There is also a memorable (if unrealistic and improbable) segment in which an impromptu burst into emotional rap quells a riot about to break out between rival prison gangs. The key theme of the movie would seem to be that artistic expression can solve problems that violence simply cannot, however, the film has trouble finding focus in the post-jail scenes; Williams and Sonja Sohn (cast as the prison poetry teacher) certainly lack chemistry as potential lovers. The film is pretty interesting though in the jail section of the tale. The way Williams is treated upon arrival vividly brings 'A Clockwork Orange' to mind; scattered slow motion flashbacks with unusual audio effects also give the film a dreamy quality quite appropriate given how the prison experience wakens him up to the harsh realities of a world he has taken for granted.

Beautiful

[mkw-5 · 10/10 · 12 February 2006]

Really good and believable script, atmosphere and flow, very well acted. It doesn't even matter if the camera crew is totally visible in many pictures in one guys mirror-sun glasses. This is definitely one of the best "hood" movies of the nineties. It's also shows you a different kind of hood that you're used to: OK there's some drug selling and rapping, but that's the reality, and reality is what these movies are about. But that's only the beginning: This film grows to be really deep and interesting story about generations, art making (=self-expression), life goals, and the Tragedy of the contemporary world. In this film, for example the rapping thing is portrayed quite funnily; It's more real, in other words also more sad and also more serious, than in the other movies. This film shows what rap, and any kind of art and self-expression is: It's about salvation, it's about ideals, it's about dreaming, it's about rising above. It's about creating your OWN world inside or outside, or above, the world which you don't like and don't wanna support. It's about prisons of the mind that you or some other people have created in your mind which you gotta grow out of to be free. It's a story of courage. It's about miracle of life. This film really shows what it's all about, if someone already don't know. It's a PEOPLE's culture. The MTV and money sh** don't have and will never have anything to do with it. It's a people's way of expressing themselves in their communities. And this film shows it all real beautifully. One of the best movies about artist's life too. It also grows to be a beautiful love story. In all ways it's better than all it's parts combined and all hopes imagined.

It's not the best acted film in the world, like some reviewer said, but it might at the top level among the other best. The film is also very nicely shot. It doesn't actually feel like a documentary, but more like what it really is: Quite cheaply and simply (=that means freely) made self-expression. You can feel the joy of the making. I don't have to even mention that the soundtrack is great: One of the best. The world needs this kind of movies. (Or does it?...) At least somebody's world does. Somebody else's world might need movies that glorify violence. This is not that kind of movie. This is not 50 cent. This is not death. This is life.

SLAM Review

[Jjuan333 · 6/10 · 23 May 2010]

Many give in to the pressures of their surroundings but some are just stronger. The movie "SLAM" by Mark Levin is another typical story of a young man who gets into trouble and by doing so finds who he is. The issue isn't hard to identify making the audience put less thought into what is going on. A shooting while making an exchange of drugs puts Ray Joshua (played by Saul Williams) in jail where everyone wants a piece of him. Violence and drugs make him decide on different roles in his surrounds but he tries to stick to his own beliefs. When threatened in the prison yard instead of fighting he retaliates with words to also try to open up everyone's eyes to the real enemy that is holding them down instead of each other.

In this film society is showing the idea that when a problem arises people can be torn apart and start to fight each other instead of going after what the real cause of the problem is. The law is trying to make Ray accept his punishment for possession of pot and even for a crime he did not commit, shooting his close friend. He is forced to choose sides in prison on the current situation just like everyone else has. One side believes that Ray set his close friend up while the other knows he did not. By expressing his talents in the prison yard with a poetic rap he tries to define himself with his own views on the situation at hand and makes no attempt on joining anyone. His rap got him out of trouble that day as well as convincing the leader of one of the side to bail him out to reunite with his close friend who happened to have only become blind. He did this so he would make the others understand that the fighting need to stop to end the cycle. The retaliation from the shooting stopped when his close friend understood that he didn't want anyone else to get hurt or to even lose him.

My least favorite part of the film even though it may have been inspirational to some would have been anytime there was rapping going on. I honestly could not follow or understand what they would be saying when they did. With all of the drugs, violence, and jail time going on I could not relate to this story in any way that I could think of. I don't even think there was an exact time in my life that I could say that I "found myself". The film sends out the message that you need to accept the consequences for your actions and move on. I would only recommend this film to people who can relate to it. As for the people like me who can't or don't think they can relate to it will not find it interesting. The film would have been better if Ray would have been more of a bad guy in the beginning to show even more how he has changed.

No accounting for taste?

[mtnv79 · 1/10 · 24 August 2006]

I'm shocked to hear all the glowing commentary about this film. It's unfortunate that i'm limited to a thousand words to describe how bad it truly is. The basic plot is a character named Raymond Joshua, a rapping drug dealer played by Saul Williams, gets arrested for drug possession, then bailed out by a fellow prisoner - SERIOUSLY - then must decide whether to go back to prison. For starters the quality of the film is poor, a good twenty minutes could be cut out removing these slow motion flashbacks that are just time killers. Yes it was low budget, but many other small films don't look this ridiculous. In particular the chase seen in which Joshua picks an arbitrary point to climb up a white picket fence, despite being chased by overweight 50 something detectives that randomly burst into song, literally.

The biggest problem with the movie is the unrealistic character of Joshua, amongst other problems. He is not a typical drug dealer or rapper despite whatever the poor black men have no chance message this film is going for. When asked if was guilty of the possession of the marijuana Joshua responds "I mean I don't know", yet throughout the film he breaks into poems/raps that clearly display his tremendous vocabulary, you aren't just born knowing these words. It's clear that he was well educated, yet not very educated in basic laws, or the principals of using your education to get a legal job.

While in prison, Joshua breaks up a inmate riot by yelling a poem. The poem is pretty entertaining, it goes on to blame whitey for everything and his inspiring words stop everyone from stabbing each other. He then meets a female poetry teacher who happens to see the riot stopping poem, a foolish plot device an indie film fan would never forgive in another situation, but hey THIS IS REAL. In the one poetry class Joshua goes to, which is the last one due to budget cuts of course, his instructor goes on a whiny diatribe about how good the people in the prison are. This despite the previous poem by an inmate being titled "I shot three mother" you can guess the next word "and I don't know why".

A very interesting and entertaining character named Hopha, a prisoner who goes around in a lab coat for some reason, then bails Joshua out. Joshua then goes and hooks up with the poetry instructor, and has a week to decide whether accept his guilt, or flee or something. The films climax is him performing a poem to a small club that goes wild afterward. Once again the bad editing is at work here as he rattles off 20 seconds of poem, then starts over, I'm fairly sure it wasn't meant to be that way they just didn't feel like doing another take. Then a member of the audience yells an expletive that clearly should have been deleted because it makes the whole scene look ridiculous.

I really worry about people being inspired by this film or wanting it shown in public schools, the latter a possible sign of the apocalypse. It seems a lot of commentary's from outside the U.S. like the film, I really hope this isn't the only vision of America you have. Film is not reality, the best it can do is present a situation that might have some truth in it, something this film does very little of. If you want a better film about prison injustice try Brubaker, it cuts to the heart of matters more and is of much better quality. I could go on about other errors in the film. A first time offender getting ten years for a small amount of weed. The screaming character Jimmy Huang who is billed high on the credits for yelling briefly, to his credit his scene is worth watching. The abundance of over and underacting. The intentional, yet not clever, cameo of Marion Berry. I could go on for hours but lets just say my rating for this film is ONE ONE ONE. . .ONE ONE ONE.

Something Old is New Again

[BeirutWedding1 · 10/10 · 30 June 2005]

This movie is responsible for a lot of things and after finally seeing it I now know why. What it lacks in polished film making it more than makes up for in honesty, passion and ambition. From the performances through to the writing and cinematography everything is raw and beautiful and vibrant with life in a way that we never see in Hollywood films. And I'll be damned if the subject isn't poetry and how it exists in and what it makes of real life. How it is real life. In many aboriginal cultures there is no separate category for art that differentiates it from the rest of life and this movie hearkens back to that cultural tradition. A young Saul Williams defines his life, takes action, heals himself and saves others through his poetry. All of the acting is fresh and real but Saul Williams and Sonia Sohn especially shine, as they should. There is something real going on that is being captured here and the rest of America better know what it is.

Good intentions, but subtle as a elephant's ass

[dnaeye · 6/10 · 8 July 1999]

My friends and I had a bitter dispute about this movie with me against all of them. I had some expectations about this movie that it didn't meet at all. The dialogue and script of this movie was amazingly melodramatic and unbelievable. Maybe in a kid's comic book, but in a supposedly critical film, this movie was just utter boredom and an eyesore for my eyes, taste, mind, and soul. I can't believe that this is the best an intellectual "urban" film can be. None of the characters had any character or soul (except for Muggs or whatever the convict/friend's name is that befriends the main character in jail). The filming was awful and pretentious. It's good if you want to showcase your talent for MTV with all the grainy blitz-and-shake documentary-style footage but it feels too much like a cheap commercial. The symbolism at the end of the "quick" sequences and at the 3 or 4 critical points in the movie were so cheesy I could make fifty double-double hamburgers with it.

Altogether, a pathetic excuse for an independent flick. Watch "Fresh" instead.

Oh yeah, I might be biased 'cuz I hate spoken word nonsense. And I didn't click with the showy references to hip-hop vocabulary. The main character was like a lame English-major freshman in college trying to show how cool he was.

...............

[Embley · 4/10 · 24 April 2000]

i was pretty captivated by the story - i think i especially liked the end of the film. it made me want to know what happened afterwards to this poor fellow. it is a terrible story and one that has not been told enough i think. it is very nicely shot as well.

Awesome

[cofemug · 10/10 · 16 October 1999]

I really liked this movie. I didn't know anything about this movie except it had poetry and was about urban african-americans. I enjoyed this movie alot. I loved the poetry in the movie too. It shows that people can change and have many different sides to them.

Plot: A poet, Ray, is put into jail for possession of 1/4 pound of weed. He can compromise, plea for 2-3 years, or fight and get 9-10. However, the movie is really about his struggle with himself and what he knows. He changes and wants to change. He does not want to end up like everybody else, and will change the world.

Acting: I really liked the acting. I especially lied the poetry that went into this movie. I think that the movie is great for its poetry alone, although the rest of the movie rocks as well. Ray is especially good, but that is in my opinion.

Presentation: A documentary-like film. This is a good style for its content. I think that the topic and its style are both ultra-realist, so the melt together perfectly.

All in all, this is a great, thought-provoking movie that contains a lot of good poetry. There isn't much to talk about without giving the film away. I like the inner struggles. All of the characters are shown to have histories and presents. The film tries to show how they got from start to present. It doesn't imply how everything will end, and I don't want to know. I like to keep guessing..............10

Spike Look Out!

[etai · 5 November 2000]

Without Saul Williams this film could not have been made. Its as if it was tailor made for William's awesome rapping talents without which the film would be pointless.

This film is definitely a milestone in black cinema. Its fresh, breathtaking, original, powerful and 'takes no prisoners' (mind the pun).

And a couple of word about the soundtrack - the ever excellent DJ Spooky takes the credits combining the most powerful hip hop outfits around, to create an intensive soundtrack which completes this film and leaves you open jawed.

Bangin' Poetry

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 27 November 2020]

"Slam" is a breaking-the-cycle story with a heavy usage of rap and poetry to deliver its message. The word "slam" itself is just a shortening of the term poetry slam.

The main character is Ray Joshua (Saul Williams) and the movie takes place in D.C. Joshua is a small time weed dealer who gets popped with a quarter pound of marijuana on his person. While in jail he's faced with two warring gangs and the decision of joining one or the other. With the help of a language arts teacher in the jail named Lauren Bell (Sonja Sohn), Joshua comes to the realization that the thugging he and his folks are doing is the real prison and someone has to be the first one to stop.

This movie has a greater appeal to those into rap and, more specifically, into poetry. It seems that Ray and others use almost any opportunity to convey a message, a feeling, or a state of being in poetry form. The film has a realness to it that you won't see in many Hollywood movies. It is an indie flick filmed with low-grade cameras in unaltered urban and prison terrain. I appreciate the message of the movie, and even though I'm not a poetry buff, a lot of the verses were bangin'.

Awesome

[sliman · 10/10 · 10 June 1999]

Slam was almost perfect. Some of the scenes in the prison were awesome (The rap scene in the cell or the outburst in the courtyard) and everyone I watched it with (and I) insisted we rewind it a few times (Same thing was true about some of the poetry scenes). Saul Williams rules. The one imperfect thing, I thought, was the female character's little spiel about "knowing what it is to be blah blah blah." Truth is, Ray doesn't have anything to reproach himself, he's right. And her little diatribe is misguided at best. I'll be looking for Saul Williams. The shortcoming of this movie is far overshadowed by its great great scenes

Absolutely Goes There !

[stickdemup · 10/10 · 16 January 2024]

Slam is the type of Film that should be played in English class and dissected by young minds intent on making sense of modern urban life and the struggle to express oneself in a society intent on destroying individualism. More than that though. The film is highly entertaing with Saul Williams making rhyme and reason a weapon perhaps naievely yet truly inspirationally. After watching this i looked for then I heard Saul Williams self titled Album and was very very impressed Poignant lyrics delivered in genre bending beatific beauty.. Sonya Sohn as usual was fantastic, this role set her up nicely for THE WIRE. Bravo.

Slam is excrement in the form of film and needs to be properly wiped and flushed FOREVER!!!

[SandmanX82 · 1/10 · 25 March 2004]

I cannot believe that all the people on this comment section are actually praising this grotesque piece of horrid cinema! Where do I start? What the hell was the plot of this movie? The main character, Raymond Joshua, is an amateur poet and drug dealer who gets sent to prail(prison and jail, which I'll talk about later) after making the moronic mistake of attempting to jump a fence instead of running away from the fifty year old "doo-wop" cops. He then gets in the patty wagon with arguably the best character of the movie, an unknown convict named Jimmy Huang or some sort of phallic name like that. He screams, yells, gets beaten, and earns the third credit in the film for his three seconds of brilliance. Mr. Joshua then meets with his la la la lawyer who is obviously smoking some of the drugs that our "star" was caught with. Comprehending what the hell the lawyer was saying is like "trying to throw a snowball into an elephants mouth at a hundred feet..." Now he is sent to jail, which for some reason is made out to be like a prison, "you might make it out of here...you might not." Dying for a quarter pound of weed seems a little excessive for a jail, however, if only that had happened the suffering could have turned to slight laughter with mild nausea. He meets another street pharmacist in "jail," the for some reason free roaming Hopha, who is aloud to have his cell door open, maybe he has appointments with some of the bigger prisoners for conjugal visits or something, they don't really explain that. Raymond then meets a disgusting woman teaching poetry (go figure) to the troubled murderers and rapists with artsy souls dying to get out. I'm not going to say any more, I wouldn't want to spoil the filth for you entirely. Let's just say this movie is wonderful. In the way that having a catheter and an enema at the exact same time your limbs are being sawed off one at a time with a piece of looseleaf paper is pleasant. Do yourself a favor and watch Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, the Mountain Men, and Slam, and then try not to kill yourself, I dare you.

Powerful

[Kelvin · 9/10 · 20 November 1998]

Slam is an excellent movie and an intriguing character study. Ray is a young black man who deals marijuana and writes "slam" poetry. His life changes when a tragic event occurs right in front of him and he is caught with a packet of marijuana. He faces jail time and there is where the movie draws it's amazing strength.

The movie does not blink at the violence, factionalism, and bureaucraticness of today's prison system. Ray is just a man trying to survive and be left alone. Though he finds that to be nearly impossible. An all too quick to develop romance develops and Ray has to figure out how to deal with finding a new love in the very brief time between his being bailed out and the beginning of his sentence.

It is a fascinating story with excellent performances. The major criticism I have with it is when it tries to stretch itself out to become a non-violence message to all black people instead of sticking with its strength which is the poetry, the romance, and the utter desperation felt by Ray. It is in Ray's utter desperation that the film's manic energy is truly felt.

A young man gets caught up in the war zone of gang life and uses the power of slam poetry to set himself free

[acmason92 · 5/10 · 23 May 2010]

"Words make sense for a world that won't"- (SLAM) In the movie "SLAM", written by Marc Levin, Richard Stratton, Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Bonz Malone, directed by Marc Levin, a man named Ray Joshua, played by Saul Williams, is arrested after a drive by shooting for being assumed as the shooter and for having marijuana. Throughout the movie we learn that Ray Joshua is a talented poet that uses his words instead of muscles and guns to make a point. While he is in jail, Ray is faced with a decision to make. Two gangs are trying to force Ray to pick a side, but Ray will not hear of it. Publicly, Ray makes his point by reciting a poem, "Amethyst Rocks", and stating, "So while you're out there serving the time I'll be in sync with the sun while you run from the moon". Ray's poem not only baffles the other inmates but it makes the leader of one of the gangs realize that life is too short to keep playing "the game".

When Ray is released from prison, he gets a shocking surprise. His friend, Big Mike, who was shot during the drive by, is alive. However, returning from the grave isn't so sweet. Big Mike is blind from the gunshot wounds and wants revenge. But with Ray's newfound aspect on life, he declines Big Mike's plea. Instead he persuades Big Mike to end the gang and explains to him and the other people within the gang that the war zone-like environment they live in is dangerous and needs to stop. By changing the views of his friends I find that Ray Joshua is a force that defines himself. Although he falls for one character, Lauren Bell, he does not let anyone, even her, influence his ways.

Ray Joshua is a character that uses slam poetry to express his emotions and let out years of anger that surpasses his time. For example in his poem, "Sha-clack-clack", Ray touches on the history of slavery and how it has continued to enslave all black men and women and that time is continually repeating itself. Instead of Ray ignoring his past, he confronts it head on, stating "I am that timeless nigga that swings on pendulums like vines through mines of booby trapped minds that are enslaved by time." By identifying himself with the past and elucidating how stereotypes have grown stronger through his poem, he enlightens the minds of the people around him, maybe even motivating a need for change within them.

The movie "SLAM" has struck me with its powerful poetry by Saul Williams, but has also left me shaking my head in disapproval of its cliché interpretation of The District of Columbia. I do not live in Washington DC, but it seems that whenever a movie wants to discuss the hard life of a black man, the stereotypical views are splayed across the screen. There is always a typical drug obsession, gang affiliation, jail sentences and sometimes the occasional complicated relationship. It is because of these aspects of the movie why I hate to admit I can relate to it. My life is not a drug bust waiting to happen, nor is it infected by gang violence, but I do share a love for words; words that can evoke emotion when written the right way just as Ray Joshua's character did. To me, this movie sends out the message that time repeats itself and that we cannot move forward unless we acknowledge its repetition or its history.

Time is something that cannot be erased and Ray Joshua makes that very clear, Ray Joshua also demonstrates how time repeats itself. His words convey the idea that time has not changed, it has only morphed itself to look different, but it is still the same. In his poem "Amethyst Rocks", he states, "STEALING US WAS THE SMARTEST THING THEY EVER DID." This line makes me wonder if in some metaphorical way, that the 276,000 males that are in the DC Jail were stolen; not because they weren't guilty, but because their ancestors were dragged here and forced to live a life they did not agree to, just like a prisoner is forced to live in an environment that they wish to be freed from. Overall, I would recommend this film for the poetic genius of Saul Williams, but would advise the viewer that they must get through the stereotypical movie magic first.

Pointed, Important

[Dave-243 · 10 December 1998]

I feel the need to comment after reading the glib and superior chat of a person who focuses on the technical aspects of filmmaking and completely misses the power of the whole piece.

Any American who has seriously thought about race relations, and more specifically the Black experience in this country, must take this movie to be a powerfully realistic portrait of one Black man's attempt to escape the negativity that surrounds him. There are high stakes, there is inescapable conflict, and there is no easy solution, only that greater negativity will not answer the question. As real as a film can be.

One of best acted movies ever.

[dewey22 · 9/10 · 2 February 2000]

When I started watching this movie, I expected it would be another of the "I don't stand a chance because I'm black" movies.Instead it dealt with the full breath of human feelings in situations where some are very much deprived. I have never seen a movie where the acting was better down to the most minor character. The director undoubtedly brought out the best in each. All the acting was great and especially the main character performed by Saul Williams. If anyone said that they enjoyed this movie I would conclude that they were mentally deficient. It is a movie that everyone would in discomfort, be glad they saw. The only fault I found, was during the only sex scene where for 7 seconds the director felt that he had to comply with what must be a Hollywood law in showing candles burning in the background during sex. Does Hollywood think this is necessary for romance?

Why get corny when the rest of the movie was so realistic?

Slam: One of few movies that can change your world view

[keneda76 · 10/10 · 20 May 2004]

This movie is amazing! If you haven't seen it yet, run to the video store and snag it. If they don't have it, demand that they carry the movie (call them ignorant and say things like, "don't you know this is one of the most important and poignant movies of our time, you uncultured @sswhole?). The movie, about a young, Washington DC native, black poet who sells marijuana to finance his writing, combines politically charged slam poetry, hip-hop, and slick cinematography to paint a compelling portrait of the struggles of poor black males and the United State's prison system. It does the best job of any movie I've seen at highlighting the racism and injustice of our country's prison system. Some may be discouraged from seeing this movie because they may find the double meaning of 'Slam' cheesy (slam poetry and the sound the prison doors). Don't be one of those people! If you're like me, "Slam" will move you, turn you into an instant fan of Slam poetry, and, most importantly, force you to think about issues bigger than yourself. It is one of the few movies that can change the way the viewer sees the world.