Review of Latin Thugs Wild And Chronic

Introduction

"The Latin Thugs started as a group of homeboys hanging out in South Gate, Cali and has grown to be an international movement, including music, clothing and a lifestyle. The movement includes bands like Cypress Hill, The Kottonmouth Kings, The Deftones, Fear Factory and grows each day as the word spreads around the world. Look out for Latin Thug records, bringing the best in Latin Hip Hop to the streets". This documentary style DVD takes you backstage and into the lifestyle of The Latin Thugs, following them on rehearsals, gigs, video shoots and basically enjoying the experience of "hanging with the homies, man".

Video

There is a bit of a variety in the style and presentation of the DVD, the way it is laid out using transitions between scenes and other effects to make it look a little interesting. Sometimes footage is shown from two angles at the same time during a scene or switches to other footage in between, not concentrating too long on one part. Some of the visual transitional effects between shots include; picture peel-offs, left to right spins, water ripples, checkers etc. Sometimes a frame jumping technique is used to add more variety. Character and performer`s names are displayed on screen as scrolling titles also identifying the various Hip Hop tunes featured.

The screen format is in 4:3 which is suitable for the documentary style DVD, the footage is split between colours and black and white, the black and white parts are a little amateur looking with a fuzzy, degraded visual look. The colour sections of the footage are clear and grain free but in certain chapters the visual look can be very foggy, amateur and fuzzy the worst one to mind is the gig with `The Kottonmouth Kings`. The way the DVD has been filmed is in the way of the `amateur drunken cameraman` (as I call it) swaying all over the place and erratically zooming in and out.

The locations and sets aren`t too glitzy and are basically mobile trailers, gig venues, interior shots, studios, backstage shots and poolside villas. The poolside location for the featured girls has lush, colourful greenery in the frame and resembles a very Spanish, Latin looking scene with glorious hot sun and shadows. The world of the Latin Thugs brings names like `The Bishop` and `The Godfather` on screen along side artists like `Busta Rhymes` and `Cypress Hill` who feature while on a video shoot.

One of the most attractive visual features to Latin Thugs is the array of extreme and stylish women included, some modelling just their `Thug ware` bikinis. Strippers, porn stars and pole dancers are the kind of categories these women fall into, all of them hardly dressed plenty of close-ups and slow moving bodies though as they pose for the camera, it`s almost erotic but they do break up the mundane interview shots. There are a few cheeky bits in the sun included, hence the `parental advisory warning` on the sleeve, and also a squeamish shot of nipples getting pierced, ouch!

Audio

Although the DVD only has a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track, it features a lot of Hip Hop tracks all sounding very clear and impressive, even better, if you can switch on a sub woofer to accompany the audio you will notice that the tunes are `beefed up` loads and with it being a Hip Hop style, sounds pretty smart indeed and does get your foot tapping or head nodding even if this isn`t your cake! The tracks play over the feature presentation throughout the DVD sometimes at low or higher volume levels.

Apart from the Hip Hop tunes there is a little of the hard rock style, Sen Dog is seen rehearsing such a tune with its crazy banging beats, making it a little different to the majority of audio on the DVD. `The Kottonmouth Kings` gig audio isn`t great quality and sounds too live and not cleaned up similar to raw footage or audio before it is treated at a studio. The Big Boy DJ interview seems filtered and although it`s clear it`s slightly different to the other dialogue, maybe done this way for effect perhaps. Poor audio quality also features during the scene with Mellowman Ace who is showing off his in-car audio system, the dialogue is really quiet and of poor quality causing some crackles before actually clearing itself up shortly after.

The dialogue on the whole is clear although it is a lot of that `homeboys` type speech, stereotypical of these gangster type performers or characters. Plenty of explicit language throughout, pre warned by the `parental advisory warning` on the sleeve. "Know what a mean maan"?

Features

The static menu screen is stylish and vibrant with colours, a distorted picture fills the background and the title lies at the top centre. A Hip Hop style track plays over the top of everything. The options accessible are:

Play: plays the DVD from beginning to end.

Chapter Selection: split into twenty-eight chapters and presented in a list similar to tracks on a CD, a couple of pictures lie to the left. Another Hip Hop tune plays over the lot.

Music Menu: six tracks can be played individually that feature in the actual DVD itself. Clicking on one displays and gives information about the title and performer etc.

Sen Dog Live: takes you directly to the live performance of Sen Dog that features in the DVD itself.

Photo Gallery: is a selection of static shots of performers and sexy women from the DVD itself.

Latin Thug Story: gives information to what this is all about and how Latin Thugs was started. Appropriate websites feature at the bottom for links in regards to the Latin Thug lifestyle. Hip Hop tunes plays over the top.

Conclusion

An interesting look into the gangster type life of the Latin Thug movement, the music, characters, styles, bad language, hats and top gear clothing, thick gold chains and rapper style hand movements on a daily basis. It is a documentary type DVD and therefore doesn`t really have an A-B movement to the plot and is just a collection of footage some good and some bad to look at. Filmed by what looks like handheld camera, the DVD as already stated feels a little on the amateur side but is what`s expected I guess with types of DVDs like this in this style. What sets this package off I would say is the Hip Hop tunes, some are very catchy and although I don`t personally follow the Hip Hop movement in music it did sound great to my ears, especially with a sub helping out and the volume cranked up. The lovely ladies and their bits and bobs were the most pleasurable of all the chapters to watch!!