DVD Review HTF REVIEW: "DrumLine" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Jordan_E]

Rented this tonight was found it very entertaining! Although the only quibble I have is the somewhat abrupt ending. Orlando Jones really proved he's more than a goofball in this movie! Seriously thinking of buying it.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Watched it twice already, great movie. But since my wife picked it up, she said, this one is for me, and I want fullscreen., nothing I can do about it now. Still a great movie, watched it upstairs in the bedroom, I'll play it downstairs tonight just to really hear it.

 

[Nathan*W]

So, Jerome I gues you'll have to get used to seeing only 2/3 of the band or drumline at any given time.

If they pan away any of Cannon's screentime, I might have to buy the fullscreen edition, too!!

 

[Richard Gilmore]

My take on the main character.

For those who didn't like the cockiness of Devon, at least there were consequences for his actions. He got much more humble after the disciplinary actions.Despite his contributions to the contest he was still off the band for the season.


I was shocked at Orlando Jones' performance. The man can act - I thought he was strictly a comic.

Thanks Ron - you did sell a disc here.

 

[LaMarcus]

Jerome, OH MY GOD MAN!! I feel so sorry for you. I can't even imagine what the fullscreen version of this movie looks like. There's so many wide shots of this film, especially at the end when the bands are facing each other, I wonder how much of the bands are cut off. This is one movie where the fullscreen version would really butcher the film, there's entirely too much info on the screen.

If you liked the film man, you owe it to yourself to rent the widescreen version just to see how much you are missing. I KNOW this one would have to look like a different movie. For fun if you could you should rent it and show your wife the difference if you can have 2 dvd players running at the same time. I did this before with my playstation and my dvd player to see the difference.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Richard, I agree with your spoiler, in fact if the results were different, I would have written off the movie. Well Nathan, I guess as long as I get 2/3s of those hot looking dancers, I can live with that, but don't tell the wife she thinks I'm compromising

 

[Malcolm R]

Orlando Jones was pretty good, but I hated most everything else about the flick. Best compliment I can give it is that the layer change was well done.

Thank heavens this was only a $1.99 rental.

 

[JohnS]

I went ahead and rented this the other day.
I was really impressed with the movie.
And The "Orlando Jones spell" has been broken, he was finally in a good movie.

I really wished they advertised this differently.
I just got a big Bring it On! type of feeling.

 

[WilliamG]

I can see where, on the outside, that the character of Devon may seem unbearable to some. However, take a look at Devon's background.

His father wasn't around to raise him. Absolutely no help from the guy. Plus other deep-rooted problems. He learned his music by ear;no training. OK, so he may have been lazy. Or do we really know that? He had to progress the best way he could. Not counting other unknowns.


Unless you've actually been around someone like that, it IS really hard to crack the shell and get beneath the surface. So he *may* not have learned anything ... I actually think he did. I really rooted for him when
Orlando Jones' character asked him to go out and show the other line what they had to look forward to next year.


And, yes,
as was stated in another post earlier: don't forget that he was out of the band completely for that one whole year!


If that doesn't teach a guy something, he's REALLY hard-headed

 

[Angel Pagan]

This is why I'm gonna miss Ron's reviews. I picked this title up after reading his review and finally got around to seeing it. Wife and I loved the movie.

 

[WilliamG]

Angel-
Exactly! After we saw it(based on Ron's review),my wife, herself a high school choir director who works closely with our band director, had one of her students come in the next day raving about this 'cool new movie that you just gotta see!'

 

[Joseph S]

Finally, got around to watching this. I enjoyed the film a great deal. The music was key here as the acting outside of "Devon/Nick Cannon," his girlfriend, and his group leader was not very good. I didn't care for Orlando Jones' performance or that of the opposing band leader. Perhaps, that's because I'm the the group that enjoys the "up yours" ad campaign.

Cannon played a cocky SOB and did a fantastic job at it, but his character was also able to see when he went over the line and took his punishments rather than desert the band.

Aside: What's the story behind the white actor named "GQ?"

 

[John_Lee]

Much like any other 'cookie cutter' movie, the time spent on the actual locus of the film, that is the drumming and the bugling, was pretty good in spots.

Otherwise, I was woefully disappointed. I looks through the credits for Donald Kaufmann to be credited for the screenplay.
We're "one band, one voice" but the section leaders are playing musical chairs with assigned parts, and passing off solos in hopes that they'll fail!!!??
The president of the University drops in on practices [on the main field, evidently the football team doesn't practice] to talk about individual musicians??
Rather than learn cadences, music, and formations, their 'boot camp' is a mini-GI Jane, complete with pouring rain?? Again, I kept listening for the infamous "Steers and queers" speech from days past.
And hey!! the committed forthright white dude immersed in black culture thing worked well in Barbershop, let's plug it in here.
I think the kicker was when the section leader gave Devon the new cadences, and it was written in melodic form. At least the computer spat out percussion notation later.
And all the sudden melodic form musical notation is crucial to the most talented drummer staying on the team. That's like saying, if Julia Childs can't read, she can't cook.
This is a movie that is spoof proof. It already plays the laugh lines for straight lines at the outset.

 

[TheLongshot]

[on the main field, evidently the football team doesn't practice]

Just as a note, football teams don't practice on the main field, mainly because they don't want to tear up the field when they aren't playing a game. That's what they have practice fields for.

Jason

 

[Ken Lemons]

And hey!! the committed forthright white dude immersed in black culture thing worked well in Barbershop, let's plug it in here.

Another note, the comic possibilities of a token white character in a predominantly black movie seem fairly obvious. In this particular case, both Drumline and Barbershop premiered on August 7, 2002 at the Urbanworld Film Festival, so I hardly think Drumline ripped Barbershop off.

 

[Martice]

And hey!! the committed forthright white dude immersed in black culture thing worked well in Barbershop, let's plug it in here.

I don't agree that the lone white member was "immersed" in the black culture at all. Infact, he said that he grew up right outside of the school and always heard the school practicing outside and hense fell in love with the band. If he were "immersed in the black culture" I'm pretty sure that Hollywood could have outfitted his character with all of the other stereotypical nuances that the majority of black actors portray on film.

 

[John_Lee]

Another note, the comic possibilities of a token white character in a predominantly black movie seem fairly obvious.

Of course it's obvious. That was my gripe, everything in this movie was obvious, rife with exposition, and mostly just plain wrong. They should've just called it 'Drums of Thunder.'
To it's credit, this kind of movie makes the satire in 'Adaptation' all the more biting.

 

[Robert Crawford]

John,
Football teams do not practice on their game field while marching bands do practice in their home stadiums. There is a big difference wearing football cleats versus sneakers as far as damaging a grass field.

 

[John_Lee]

John,
Football teams do not practice on their game field while marching bands do practice in their home stadiums. There is a big difference wearing football cleats versus sneakers as far as damaging a grass field.

I marched 4 years in HS and 5 in college, and the only times we got near the 'varsity' field was the morning of run through and game time. Not that this picayune point was exactly the crux of my beef with this movie.

 

[Diallo B]

Hi John,

I was actually browsing around here looking for a new dvd to watch when I ran across this thread and I had to reply.

Beef or not with Drumline, in Southern Historically Black Colleges and Universities also known as HBCUs the marching band is all of that, a bag of chips, some dip, 18 skittles and a grape crush to go with it. Football teams do not hold 0.10 candle power to marching bands in most HBCUs. When someone says somebody plays something they are usually referring to a musical instrument.

I am not sure if you have ever been to a HBCU football game let alone a HBCU homecoming. Just in case you have not I will let you know what happens. The first half of the game is packed with people jockying for position to see the half time show. The half time show comes on and the crowd goes wild. The show can last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes and maybe longer depending on the rivlary.

The second half starts and a penalty is called on the home team for delay of game for the length of the halftime show. The away team customarily declines the penalty and the second half of the football game begins as the stands begin to empty. By the 4th quarter the stands are 50% full, if that, and everyone is out in the parking lot tailgaiting.

Also, at many HBCUs the band practices on the playing field not the practice field. It is all about the band at most HBCUs.

On a side note:

I attended The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and of course none of this applied. At UofM it was all about the football team. Period. Everything and I mean Everything else is 2nd class at Michigan.

Also John, Drumline, outside of the story, was the most accurate portrayal of joining a HBCU band that has ever been put on film. At many HBCUs band members must 'pledge' or 'rush' to be a member of the band and undergo whatever customary practices apply for that particular band to be considered a real band member. Much of the same can be said for traditional bands and college organizations in general.

I am not even going to touch the token 'white' person comment. John have you watched MTV lately???:frowning: You gon' make me write a book.:frowning:

Apparently, you had a real bone to pick with Drumline. I understand that no movie pleases all folks but it seems to me that you are basing your opinion of this movie solely on what your life experiences have told you are supposed to happen concerning certain situations. John, free your mind and research the history of bands at HBCUs. Also be on the lookout for a great number of non-minority bands to be doing Drumline type cadences this football season. With the popularity of this movie it is innevitable. I refer to my comment above, 'have you watched MTV lately?' :frowning:

djb