Speaker: 00:00:00

Idlewild.

00:00:00,833 --> 00:00:10,125

I think a lot of people missed out on this one because they want to see like a Menace II

Society or Boyz n the Hood type movie in ATL, but this is not that.

00:00:10,125 --> 00:00:15,541

It didn't really achieve the commercial success that other hip hop films had,

but it was a bold experiment.

00:00:15,541 --> 00:00:17,625

I think more people should reconsider it.

00:00:17,708 --> 00:00:19,833

On this episode of Hip Hop Movie Club, we'll tell you why you should reconsider this bold

film experiment by OutKast, where Idlewild fits in hip hop canon, why it signaled the

00:00:19,833 --> 00:00:23,583

we'll tell you why you should reconsider this bold film experiment by OutKast,

00:00:23,583 --> 00:00:25,833

where Idlewild fits in hip hop canon,

00:00:25,833 --> 00:00:26,666

why it signaled the

00:00:26,666 --> 00:00:28,083

end of this legendary rap group,

00:00:28,083 --> 00:00:29,958

and a contrary opinion about the film.

00:00:29,958 --> 00:00:33,083

I'm DynoWright, filmmaker, designer, longtime hip hop fan.

00:00:33,083 --> 00:00:36,666

I'm JB, 80s and 90s nostalgia junkie, longtime hip hop fan.

00:00:36,666 --> 00:00:39,208

I'm Boogie, a DJ, longtime hip hop fan.

00:00:39,958 --> 00:00:47,125

Set in Prohibition-era Georgia in the 1930s, Idlewild portrays a story of two childhood

friends going in completely different directions.

00:00:47,166 --> 00:00:49,833

It showcased how artists were expanding

00:00:49,833 --> 00:00:57,208

traditional street narratives and your traditional urban plot lines, which we saw so many of those and we covered them and it gets a little repetitive, you know, see like New Jack

00:00:57,208 --> 00:00:57,875

City and...

00:00:57,875 --> 00:01:05,916

so many others, Menace II Society, all this stuff, same type of theme. Coming of age story, people get caught up in the wrong thing and yeah, it does reflect a lot

00:01:05,916 --> 00:01:06,916

of real life.

00:01:07,083 --> 00:01:15,708

So this just stands out as like, wow, they told a story, a period piece and showcase their

rapping talents mixed with the jazz of the time.

00:01:15,708 --> 00:01:16,041

Yeah.

00:01:16,041 --> 00:01:21,125

This blends the Jazz Age aesthetics with the hip hop sensibilities, stylized Prohibition era.

00:01:21,125 --> 00:01:25,083

fantasy, which it's kind of like that Cotton Club, Moulin Rouge type feel.

00:01:25,083 --> 00:01:27,791

So I got some good vibes out of it.

00:01:27,791 --> 00:01:29,041

I was really, really into it.

00:01:29,041 --> 00:01:30,041

Captured my attention.

00:01:30,041 --> 00:01:34,208

So it's a definitely a musical showcase of OutKast, they provide the entire soundtrack as

well.

00:01:34,250 --> 00:01:37,625

I didn't know what to expect, but I was thoroughly entertained with it.

00:01:37,625 --> 00:01:42,833

But the guys from OutKast just shows their creativity and their ambition in film,

00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:43,833

their artistic vision.

00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:44,458

Yeah.

00:01:44,458 --> 00:01:47,916

I think the costumes were up to par as well, like some flapper dresses.

00:01:47,916 --> 00:01:49,500

Because I know, I remember when it came out.

00:01:49,625 --> 00:01:58,250

And I immediately bought the soundtrack thinking I was going to hear, Elevators or, you know, something along those lines, Southernplayalistacadillacmuzik and listening to the

00:01:58,250 --> 00:01:58,666

soundtrack.

00:01:58,666 --> 00:01:59,791

And I didn't get it at first.

00:01:59,791 --> 00:02:00,625

I really didn't get it.

00:02:00,666 --> 00:02:04,541

So I didn't really listen to it often because it was just like, okay, they're not rapping really.

00:02:04,541 --> 00:02:08,250

When they are rapping, they're rapping over, different music.

00:02:08,250 --> 00:02:10,041

I'm like, I don't get this.

00:02:10,041 --> 00:02:12,500

Years later now, it's on cable a lot.

00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:13,666

It would always be on.

00:02:13,666 --> 00:02:18,125

And that's when it sparked my interest and I’m like, wait a minute, this is actually a really good movie.

00:02:18,125 --> 00:02:19,791

And it's thoroughly entertaining.

00:02:19,791 --> 00:02:20,750

It’s got all the elements.

00:02:20,750 --> 00:02:21,875

It's got character development.

00:02:21,875 --> 00:02:25,125

It's got drama, action, love story.

00:02:25,125 --> 00:02:25,708

Yeah.

00:02:26,166 --> 00:02:28,125

All those elements work really well together.

00:02:28,125 --> 00:02:30,833

And the period piece is, it's great visual.

00:02:31,666 --> 00:02:38,833

So when you're talking about where does it fit in the hip hop canon, it's a hip hop period

musical, which is unusual territory for the genre.

00:02:38,833 --> 00:02:42,083

This is like Hamilton, but not in the Revolutionary era.

00:02:42,125 --> 00:02:43,875

It occupies a unique space.

00:02:43,875 --> 00:02:52,750

A lot of those other films, the cautionary tale from the modern day standpoint, there’s always crack epidemic or gang violence.

00:02:52,750 --> 00:02:54,708

Like you said, it does get to be repetitive.

00:02:54,708 --> 00:02:57,125

What I definitely appreciated the most.

00:02:57,125 --> 00:03:03,666

the Cotton Club-esque club scenes and I like the style, the dress, the cars.

00:03:03,666 --> 00:03:07,333

The visuals and the choreography, like the dance scenes, they were having like

00:03:07,333 --> 00:03:11,958

small, like almost like little dance cyphers, while Big Boi was performing on stage. The dancing

00:03:11,958 --> 00:03:13,000

was nice.

00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:16,458

This film, it is somewhat of a cautionary tale.

00:03:16,458 --> 00:03:21,333

You do see some of the negatives that were going on at the time, but

00:03:21,333 --> 00:03:25,791

the period is, like you said, untapped from this perspective.

00:03:25,791 --> 00:03:31,875

If you want to dive a little bit into the soundtrack, I thought that Chronomentrophobia was

catchy.

00:03:31,875 --> 00:03:33,416

It was a really catchy song with all the...

00:03:33,416 --> 00:03:33,708

yeah.

00:03:33,708 --> 00:03:38,500

birds, yeah the cuckoo birds and he's in the bathtub and it was catchy.

00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:42,250

I was definitely nodding my head to most of the songs.

00:03:42,250 --> 00:03:46,125

I like that Bowtie song and that Rooster song.

00:03:46,125 --> 00:03:48,375

I thought the IdleWild soundtrack was gonna be like

00:03:48,375 --> 00:03:50,458

that Speakerboxx/The Love Below album.

00:03:50,458 --> 00:04:00,125

Each one of them just showcasing themselves. I thought this was gonna be like similar but them together you know but it wasn't really you know yeah it was like wow what is what what is

00:04:00,125 --> 00:04:07,083

this it's not a hip-hop album per se it's like I can't nod my head I can't get jiggy with

this

00:04:10,416 --> 00:04:14,166

This sort of prefigures his, André 3000s flute album he put out.

00:04:14,166 --> 00:04:15,875

Yeah.

00:04:15,916 --> 00:04:17,208

there were some anachronisms.

00:04:17,208 --> 00:04:23,750

I noticed I was, actually had the captioning and the one song mentioned Luther Vandross and I'm like, that doesn't play, it doesn't play the 30s.

00:04:23,833 --> 00:04:25,000

That was one thing I saw, but it was, it was anachronist on purpose because you did have

hip hop.

00:04:25,083 --> 00:04:26,583

Luther is timeless but not that timeless.

00:04:27,833 --> 00:04:31,916

It was anachronist on purpose because you did have hip hop.

00:04:31,916 --> 00:04:40,166

Like it had the piano mixed with 808s and there's some of their signature stylings along

with the jazz, which was, which is neat.

00:04:41,083 --> 00:04:42,666

I think this is like their breakup movie.

00:04:42,666 --> 00:04:45,208

You can kind of tell they're going in different directions.

00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:52,000

Well, this came out of Speakerboxx/Love Below, which was like their double solo albums as

an OutKast album.

00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:53,833

Their swan song album.

00:04:54,375 --> 00:04:57,250

They weren't much long for the earth after this movie come out.

00:04:57,250 --> 00:04:58,166

You can see it happening.

00:04:58,166 --> 00:05:01,416

Oh! They were on divergent paths.

00:05:01,416 --> 00:05:03,375

Yeah, you're right.

00:05:04,208 --> 00:05:06,791

I didn't enjoy it as much as you guys did.

00:05:09,208 --> 00:05:12,416

I thought Andre 3000 was a little flat acting in this movie.

00:05:12,416 --> 00:05:14,208

But I do appreciate that

00:05:14,208 --> 00:05:17,333

they really swung for the fences on this and they didn't hit a home run,

00:05:17,333 --> 00:05:24,791

I don't think. They had a solid double. Standup double, but I don't know, the pieces it

threw into this gumbo didn't hang together.

00:05:24,958 --> 00:05:27,416

I think Terrence Howard just ate them alive.

00:05:28,083 --> 00:05:29,916

Terrence Howard is a legend.

00:05:29,916 --> 00:05:32,916

He's a darn good actor.

00:05:32,916 --> 00:05:37,750

yeah, he's definitely the best part of this for me in this film.

00:05:37,750 --> 00:05:38,416

The rest of it?

100

00:05:38,416 --> 00:05:40,875

Yeah, I just thought, is this over yet?

101

00:05:41,708 --> 00:05:43,375

Man. Oh man.

102

00:05:43,666 --> 00:05:45,125

It didn't really have a great plot.

103

00:05:45,166 --> 00:05:48,708

We got these musical numbers, but they're not like OutKast songs.

104

00:05:49,291 --> 00:05:51,125

I mean, they are, but they aren't.

105

00:05:51,125 --> 00:05:52,583

Yeah, I didn't it didn't really.

106

00:05:52,583 --> 00:05:55,375

like spoken word over the jazz.

107

00:05:55,666 --> 00:05:56,125

Yeah.

108

00:05:56,125 --> 00:05:56,708

I dug it.

109

00:05:57,416 --> 00:06:01,458

Yeah, I couldn't tell you any of the songs.

110

00:06:01,500 --> 00:06:02,916

Nothing like stuck with me.

111

00:06:02,916 --> 00:06:04,833

I'm like, oh, that was a really great song.

112

00:06:04,833 --> 00:06:10,416

They just sort of like, oh, here's a great like musical number and it's very well

choreographed, like Busby Berkeley would be proud.

113

00:06:10,416 --> 00:06:11,583

But it didn't really hang with me.

114

00:06:11,583 --> 00:06:12,875

I was like, kind of like looking at my watch.

115

00:06:13,041 --> 00:06:14,916

This meeting could have been an email.

116

00:06:19,750 --> 00:06:28,791

It is funny because that's probably the reaction a lot of people had to seeing it I think

I think I think a few people probably went out and Saw it and came back and were like,

117

00:06:28,791 --> 00:06:31,083

yeah, y'all don't bother.

118

00:06:31,125 --> 00:06:32,125

It's why people slept on it.

119

00:06:35,166 --> 00:06:38,291

Are you guys ready to go around and rate this film?

120

00:06:38,666 --> 00:06:45,041

Boogie, for Idlewild, would you bring this funky flick back or leave it in the vault?

121

00:06:45,041 --> 00:06:47,791

I’m-a quote the guys in this movie before I give my vote.

122

00:06:47,791 --> 00:06:50,000

God makes no mistakes.

123

00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,083

You ain’t said nothing slick to a can of oil.

124

00:06:53,250 --> 00:06:55,000

Bring that funky flick back.

125

00:06:56,500 --> 00:06:57,500

I like it.

126

00:06:57,500 --> 00:06:58,666

like it.

127

00:06:58,708 --> 00:07:00,708

DynoWright for Idlewild.

128

00:07:00,708 --> 00:07:03,250

Would you bring this funky flick back or leave it in the vault?

129

00:07:03,250 --> 00:07:10,708

Despite my many misgivings about this film, I'm gonna bring this funky flick back because

it is an important sort of piece of hip-hop cinema.

130

00:07:10,791 --> 00:07:14,041

And I do love bold experiments.

131

00:07:14,041 --> 00:07:15,416

I'm all about a bold experiment.

132

00:07:15,416 --> 00:07:17,125

So bring this funky flick back.

133

00:07:17,125 --> 00:07:18,875

All right, I'll make it unanimous.

134

00:07:18,875 --> 00:07:22,583

I will say for Idlewild, I will bring this funky flick back.

135

00:07:22,583 --> 00:07:24,666

I was vibing on it and enjoying it.

136

00:07:24,666 --> 00:07:29,375

I was thoroughly entertained and it is a bold experiment and I love these guys from

OutKast

137

00:07:29,375 --> 00:07:30,083

I rate it highly.

138

00:07:34,208 --> 00:07:36,541

Thanks for tuning into the Hip Hop Movie Club Show.

139

00:07:36,541 --> 00:07:39,666

I'm DynoWright, filmmaker, designer, longtime hip hop fan.

140

00:07:39,666 --> 00:07:45,166

And I'm glad to have seen Outkast live during the Smokin' Grooves Tour in 2002 with Lauryn

Hill.

141

00:07:45,166 --> 00:07:45,958

actually did perform.

142

00:07:46,083 --> 00:07:47,833

CeeLo Green and Jurassic Five.

143

00:07:48,041 --> 00:07:48,875

Nice.

144

00:07:48,875 --> 00:07:49,666

Mm, it's a lineup.

145

00:07:49,916 --> 00:07:57,666

I'm JB, 80s and 90s nostalgia junkie, long time hip hop fan, and I once wrote out all the

lyrics to Young MC's Fastest Rhyme.

146

00:07:57,666 --> 00:08:02,208

This was pre-internet, so took a lot of playing and rewinding back on the cassette.

147

00:08:04,416 --> 00:08:05,375

I remember them days.

148

00:08:05,375 --> 00:08:05,958

You remember?

149

00:08:05,958 --> 00:08:08,916

I remember having to do that. Oh man.

150

00:08:09,083 --> 00:08:15,916

Yeah, and I'm Boogie, a DJ, long time hip hop fan, and everyone talks about how nice Andre

3000 is.

151

00:08:16,083 --> 00:08:18,291

I like to call him Andre Three Stacks.

152

00:08:18,291 --> 00:08:22,291

But this movie right here shows just how nice Big Boi is.

153

00:08:22,291 --> 00:08:24,416

He's a lyrical heavyweight as well.

154

00:08:24,583 --> 00:08:26,458

And remember, don't hate, ideate.