Straight Outta Compton (2015)

The group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers:

Jonathan Herman (screenplay), Andrea Berloff (screenplay)

Stars:

O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 28 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
O'Shea Jackson Jr.	...	Ice Cube
Corey Hawkins	...	Dr. Dre
Jason Mitchell	...	Eazy-E
Neil Brown Jr.	...	DJ Yella
Aldis Hodge	...	MC Ren
Marlon Yates Jr.	...	D.O.C.
R. Marcos Taylor	...	Suge Knight (as R. Marcus Taylor)
Carra Patterson	...	Tomica
Alexandra Shipp	...	Kim
Paul Giamatti	...	Jerry Heller
Elena Goode	...	Nicole
Keith Powers	...	Tyree
Joshua Brockington	...	Young Warren G
Sheldon A. Smith	...	Warren G
LaKeith Stanfield	...	Snoop (as Lakeith Lee Stanfield)

Storyline

In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Taking us back to where it all began, Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of how these cultural rebels-armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent-stood up to the authorities that meant to keep them down and formed the world's most dangerous group, N.W.A. And as they spoke the truth that no one had before and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today.

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Plot Keywords:

hip hop | gangsta rap | rap music | gangsta | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

The group that defined a generation becomes a movie of our time.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Straight Outta Compton

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$56,100,000, 16 August 2015, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$161,197,785

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$201,634,991

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Legendary Entertainment, New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

147 min 167 min (unrated director's cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eazy-E released Dr. Dre from his contract after the beating he received from Marion 'Suge' Knight. Afterwards, he sued for breach of contract, citing the beating as duress. He and Dre settled by giving E a cut of the profits from each of his records. E would later say in both his own rap lyrics, and a guest appearance on Arsenio Halls talk show, "Dre's day is Eazy's payday."

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Goofs

When Ice Cube destroys the Priority Records office, the cameraman is reflected on a few of the record awards.

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Quotes

Suge Knight: [Dre meets up with Suge in the hospital to visit The D.O.C. who had just been in a car accident] DOC shouldn't even be alive. Got thrown out of a car, hit a tree.
Dr. Dre: Is he paralyzed?
Suge Knight: Nah. But his throat got crushed. He could lose his career over this. Where your people? Where Eazy and Jerry?
Dr. Dre: How the fuck should I know?
Suge Knight: Come here.
[in the hallway]
Suge Knight: What you know about Jerry? What you think about him?
Dr. Dre: He all right. I guess.
Suge Knight: What about your paperwork? You cool with that?
Dr. Dre: [pause] I think.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The only opening credits are graffiti writings of the main characters and their actors.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 2 February 2016 (2016)

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Soundtracks

8 Ball
Written by Ice Cube (as O'Shea Jackson), Dr. Dre (as Andre Young), Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman
Performed by NWA (as N.W.A)
Courtesy of Priority Records/Ruthless Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Intense and compelling

This is a great film. The detail and the effort that been put in here is superb and it's wonderful to see.

Each of the actors is well chosen, credible and presents their chosen character in convincing manner.

The actors that play Dre and Ice-Cube are particularly compelling, but it seems wrong to overlook the portrayal of Easy-E.

This is explosive stuff straight out of the blocks and it never feels slow. It's a long film too, but it keeps you right there. I went to see it in the cinema with my wife and she'd just worked a night shift - she didn't fall asleep and she thought she probably would. That is a pretty good test for a movie.

The menacing figure of Shug Knight comes right off the screen too. The drama is both incredible but so real.

Laced within this film are real messages too - freedom of speech messages, racial discrimination messages, police brutality messages - which are really important because they were and are part of our times.

The big message is though - these five guys came from nowhere, a place where there is less than nothing to share - but with their own gifts, their creativity, their musicality - they left their mark on the world. It just shows that, it's always there waiting to happen, something new and unexpected, out of nowhere. The political elite can't ever stop that, it can't be smothered.

This is a great film that holds the torch for the power of creativity and self belief - the ability to over come it all.

Final mention - easy to overlook - this film is bringing NWA to a whole new generation who don't know about them. After the film was over I was waiting for my wife (bathroom) and I asked this young guy if he remembered any of the events he'd seen on the screen. He shook his head and said 'No, I'm only 16'.

Great film. RIP EASY-E.