Pubdate: Thu, 25 Oct 2001
Source: State, The (SC)
Copyright: 2001 The State
Contact:  http://www.thestate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/426
Author: Dave Larsen

SNOOP DOGG CHASES TALE OF TERROR AS URBAN LEGEND TAKES ON THAT OLD DEVIL 
CRACK COCAINE

Snoop Dogg is in the haunted hiz-ouse. The rap performer stars as a 
pimp-stylin' vengeful spirit in "Bones," an urban horror thriller with a 
retro-funk twist. The role of a supernatural mack daddy is a perfect fit 
for Snoop, ne Calvin Broadus, who has made sinister appearances in such 
films as "Baby Boy" and "Training Day." The blaxploitation-inspired 
character suits his rap persona. It also recalls "Candyman," another 
wronged soul who terrorized an inner-city neighborhood. However, "Bones" is 
more of a traditional haunted house thriller, set in a decrepit brownstone 
with a skull-like facade.

Big floppy hats aside, the film's most clever notion is to demonize crack 
cocaine, as opposed to Snoop's Jimmy Bones. While alive, Bones was the 
benevolent patron and protector of the neighborhood. In the wake of his 
untimely death, drugs turned the 'hood into a living hell, where the people 
are walking ghosts. Stirred by a group of teens who foolishly disregard 
urban legend and attempt to restore his spooky old home as a dance club, 
Bones rises from the grave to exact his bloody revenge on those responsible.

The crack theme makes "Bones" more engaging than similar, recent films such 
as "The Haunting" and "House on Haunted Hill," for a time at least. Sadly, 
the low-budget horror flick ultimately resorts to genre conventions and 
falls apart during the gory final act.

A modern-day prologue sequence finds Bones' decaying manor guarded by a 
large black dogg (--) er, dog (--) with glowing red eyes. The hellhound 
mauls two rich white kids who make the mistake of hiding in the house while 
fleeing police during a drug deal.

Soon thereafter, a group of young entrepreneurs buy the building with plans 
to turn it into a club for their DJ act, the Resurrection Brothers. The 
teens are undaunted by the cobwebs and rats, never mind the bloody claw 
marks on the stoop or the human jawbone in the foyer. The place has serious 
potential, Patrick (Khalil Kain) says.

"Yeah, the potential to leave me seriously injured," replies Maurice (Sean 
Amsing), all too presciently.

While fixing up the building, the teens do all the stupid things teens in 
these types of films do, including befriending the big bad dog and 
disturbing Jimmy Bones' shallow basement grave. Patrick and his brother 
Bill (Merwin Mondesir) also incur the wrath of their father, Jeremiah 
(Clifton Powell), who escaped the neighborhood years before to make a 
better life for his sons in the suburbs (--) among other reasons.

Director Ernest Dickerson ("Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight") peppers 
the film with flashbacks to 1979, in which we gradually learn the truth 
about Bones and his relationships with the neighborhood regulars, including 
fortune teller Pearl (Pam Grier), drug dealer Eddie Mack (Ricky Harris) and 
slovenly Det. Lupovitch (Michael T. Weiss).

But once their secrets are revealed, the film devolves into Western-style 
retribution dressed up for Halloween with buckets of blood and torrents of 
maggots. The special effects vary between convincing and schlocky, but none 
of it is all that scary.

The most frightening thing about "Bones" is the apparent prospect of a sequel.

Review: 2 stars

'Bones'
Rated (R) (--)Gory violence, drugs

Playing (--) Dutch Square, Wynnsong
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MAP posted-by: Beth