Life Is Hot in Cracktown (unedited version) |  | Director: Buddy Giovinazzo
Actors: Brandon Routh, Shannyn Sossamon, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kerry Washington, Ariel Winter
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.97
Buy New: $6.98
as of 3/21/2010 21:58 EDT details
You Save: $19.99 (74%)
New (13) Used (8) Collectible (1) from $3.91
Seller: inetvideo
Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 26615
Format: Color, Director's Cut, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 013137224294
UPC: 013137224294
EAN: 0013137224294
ASIN: B002BVYBEC
Theatrical Release Date: 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Marybeth (Kerry Washington) is a pre-op transsexual working as a prostitute and living with her lover, Benny, a small time burglar. In spite of their lines of work, they live a somewhat normal life as a married couple. Manny (Victor Rasuk) works two jobs: the late shift in an all night bodega surrounded by young junkies, drug dealers and prostitutes, and as a security guard in a Welfare hotel to p |
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Product Description
LIFE IS HOT IN CRACKTOWN (UNEDITED) (DVD)
Amazon.com
The damaged lives on view in Life Is Hot in Cracktown exist in a corner of urban purgatory, where disconnected stories slither through roach-infested streets. The different strands include a teenager (Evan Ross) climbing the ladder of the thug life; a transgender prostitute (Kerry Washington) and her sensitive beau (Desmond Harrington); two small kids being raised by a careless mother (Illeanna Douglas); and a couple (Victor Rasuk, Shannyn Sossamon) trying to make it honestly, and failing. Director Buddy Giovinazzi based his script on his own 1993 collection of stories, and he certainly doesn't skimp on the unpleasant detail--something like A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, another gritty drama based on its director's own literary work, looks positively happy-go-lucky by comparison. Unfortunately Cracktown also begs comparison to an array of TV treatments of similar subjects, where it comes up noticeably short. The cast is full of decent people, including Lara Flynn Boyle for a single puzzling scene. Whether you ever wanted to contemplate gorgeous Kerry Washington as a transsexual or not, she gives a typically committed performance, and her scenes with Harrington actually summon up some degree of tenderness. The rest of this grueling direct-to-DVD exercise requires a high level of tolerance for the grimier side of druggie existence, of which there is a great deal on display here. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
 Nice Movie! February 19, 2010
Robert V. Bessellieu (Sterling, VA)
This movie has it all and held my interest throughout. The cast of characters was well planned and the storyline was authentic. Nice acting and such.
 The Only Redemption Comes with Death January 24, 2010
Scott FS (Sacramento, CA United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie, based on a 1993 novel (really a collection of stories) by Buddy Giovinazzi, is a gritty and unpleasant look at life in the inner-city (New York's Lower East Side, supposedly). The loosely-connected stories share really only one thing: the descent into hell for those sad cases (and their families) who are addicted to drugs (the crack of the title) or the money it brings.
This is not a movie for those looking for anyone sympathetic (though we are supposed to be moved by the story of a young man who decides he wants to live as a woman and gets breast augmentation surgery. The 'transformation' is totally unbelievable complete with one terrible wig (why not grow your own hair out, guy?). He is having problems with his self-identity (no kidding) and depends on his few friends for moral support. His main friend is MaryBeth, a black woman who supposedly has undergone a more complete transition from male to female. We do not believe this for a minute, as MaryBeth is played by an actress, Kerry Washington, who, though talented, cannot make us think she was ever a man. (See Victor/Victoria for a similar lack of conviction on the part of Julie Andrews.) MaryBeth is hooked up with a 'small-time' criminal, slow-witted Benny.
Each one of the stories is downbeat. Even the male-to-female transsexual comes to an unhappy end. The other somewhat positive character is Victor Rasuk, who plays a guy trying to stay out of trouble and support his wife and ever-crying child. Of course, he fails.
The worst story involves a black gang led by the unpleasant and evil Romeo (Evan Ross), who support themselves by robbing, maiming, and dealing drugs. They terrorize a old, white guy in the welfare apartment (where much of the unpleasantness occurs) for his welfare check, finally beating and sodomizing him to death. There is, of course, no remorse. Luckily, Romeo runs afoul of a rival gang and gets what is coming to him, too late for this reviewer.
To me, this plays like a budget version of the much-superior 'The Wire.' I suppose the budget was much smaller here, and the writing snappier, but my main complaint is that every last one of these stories is in varying degrees, grim and disheartening.
For lovers of all that is disgusting in humans, this is your film. For the average film-goer, I'd say, stick with 'The Wire' or any of a number of other films dealing with complete losers. Way too downbeat for me. The only redemption comes with death.
Not recommended. I'm not going to watch it again, that's for sure.
What a waste of time...... January 24, 2010
M. Corey (Skagit Valley, Wa USA)
Lowlifes, junkies, nearly homeless kids? It's been done before, and done better. This movie made me want to just eject it, and watch Jeff Bridges and Edward Furlong in "American Heart", which I did.
 Under Rated Film of the Year January 17, 2010
T. E. Lawson (Rocky Mountain High)
As the director states, "like a car crash; you can't help but look." Disturbing yet compassionate look at life in the inner city.
 "CrackTown" Movie: NOT ALL IT IS CRACKED UP TO BE. Very Sad. DO NOT BUY. January 17, 2010
De Omnibus Dubitandum. (Latin America)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Hello!
This is the first time I was able to get a DVD to review. They are usually all gone. So I felt very lucky and I love MOVIES so I was anxious to see the film. I red the names of the actors and I recognized no one by name. However, i the course of the film I recognized an actor from "UGLY BETTY" (TV) and also an actress from "SIX FEET UNDER" (Cable). So this film had some very good actors available to it. It opens with a stupid rape scene - intended to shock but not believable. And you know what? That is the best discription of this movie, READY???
IT IS INTENDED TO SHOCK BUT IT IS NOT BELIEVABLE!
I would suggest that you buy: "NEW JACK CITY" with Chris Rock if you really want to understand drugs in the intercity. But "Life is hot in Cracktown" is at best a lousy "after school special" but frankly a total failure. No wonder Amazon had to give this DVD away to get anyone to watch it.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY NOR YOUR TIME!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
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