To me Ziggy was very real. In fact, reminded me of me. At some points in the show you are wondering why does anyone even talk to this guy? Then he walks into the bar with a duck, and understand why.
My Ziggy moment: 1974, senior year high school (Walter Johnson). Suburbs of DC. I weighed under 100lbs, closer to 90.
My buddy and I had $120.00 and decided to selling pot. These nice guys in Northern VA had lbs for sale. We pulled out the trash, cut them into 29gr Oz, and sold them for $15.00. Money rolled in. Soon we were buying 2 kilos at a time. We decided it was time to move up and buy 5lbs.
We asked our supplier if we could buy from their supplier. "You don't want to deal with those guys, they carry guns." "Haha, no really, we want to." "Those guys are serious, you don't want to mess with them." "That's cool, we just want to buy more quantity." "OK, I'll get you a number."
So I call the guy tell him what we want. Arrange a meet at a parking lot near Tyson Corners. They tell me, "Don't bring a scale, we already have a scale." Talk to them right before to confirm, "Don't bring a scale, we already have a scale." Our friend drives Buddy and me. Parks next to their car. My buddy and I get in the back seat of the suppliers 2 door car. Friend walks over to the sandwich shop.
The suppliers freak out! They pull their guns. They want to know what Friend is doing. He's getting something to eat, that's what he does, eats. "If he goes near a phone we will kill him." "Don't worry, he's harmless, he's our friend."
So we smoke a bowl.
"Ok, you guys got the scale?" "No. You told us you would bring the scale." All angry and pissed off, "No we told you to bring the scale." Whatever.
Don't worry, we can estimated, we will make it heavy, so you wont feel ripped off.
Now here we are, stuck in the back seat of the car, with these 2 psychos, waving their gun, threatening to kill someone, lied to us about the scale. Do we walk? No.
As far as we are concerned, every things jake, we will guess at the weight, why would these guys want to rip us off, we could be good customers.
So were guessing at the weight, "What do you think, is this a pound?" "Little light, how bout now?" "OK, thats one, how about this for number 2?" "That should be more than 5lbs, but if it's under just call us and we will make it up." And so on.
Get home, not only is it underwight (duh) it also is cut with sand to make it heavier.
We survived. Unlike Ziggy, that was enough for us. I don't need your stinking respect.
I'm just glad I didn't make like Orland. Dude made 2 deals, got busted the first time and killed the second.
But the plot/story/script are based on true stories.
in the dvd "game over" the sister of one of the dudes tells the whole story about sonny getting kidnapped by the uncle and dude at the store.
Yeah, perhaps dude wasn't aware that it's based on actual events (although with some obvious dramatic license).
Nope, I was aware, although I wonder how much of the true story is left in there, as it's a re-write of a previously optioned screen play. I also found the similarities to, and use of Scarface, incredibly labored.
I found watching it frustrating because it had some great actors and there is great potential in the story, and that period of time/place, but it never delivered. Judging it purely on its merits as a film, I stand by what I said.
Not that this will mean much to theStrut but it only gets 53% over on rottentomatoes.
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**Spoiler Alert**
The ending where Ace (Avon) sets up Cam'ron and he shoots the undercover FBI dudes, then later you see him in custody, saying that he wont give up anyone local cause he's going to "Still be the king when he gets out". The dude had just shot, probably killed, 2 cops, and they're all standing around 'begging' him to roll up on someone, unlikely. And he's playing it tight, even though it must have been obvious that Ace, (the guy the FBI are really after) was the one who just set him up, and dude is going down forever for that shit.
Compare that to how a similar situation is dealt with in The Wire, and Paid in Full come across as some sugar coated, fairy tale nonsense.
That's your critique?
The movie's not sufficiently realistic?
Those guys are like living folk legends (expect for Rich Porter, who's dead, obviously). The point of the movie is to burnish the legend. Who cares if the film makers smoothed over some details.
Those guys are like living folk legends (expect for Rich Porter, who's dead, obviously). The point of the movie is to burnish the legend. Who cares if the film makers smoothed over some details.
I wasn't really trying to critique it at all. I said I didn't like it. You said it's essential, but failed explain why. I'm still cramming to understand.
I wasn't the one that brought up the fact it's based on a true story, to lend the movie validity.
Over all my biggest problem with it, as a piece of cinema, was that it was just bland and formulaic. I mean, who cares that 'those guys are like living folk legends' when their story was told so badly.
Those guys are like living folk legends (expect for Rich Porter, who's dead, obviously). The point of the movie is to burnish the legend. Who cares if the film makers smoothed over some details.
I wasn't really trying to critique it at all. I said I didn't like it. You said it's essential, but failed explain why. I'm still cramming to understand.
I wasn't the one that brought up the fact it's based on a true story, to lend the movie validity.
No, not to lend it validity. You said you didn't care for the plot. My point was that the plot was based on things that actually happened--it wasn't just a writer's flight of fantasy.
Those guys are like living folk legends (expect for Rich Porter, who's dead, obviously). The point of the movie is to burnish the legend. Who cares if the film makers smoothed over some details.
I wasn't really trying to critique it at all. I said I didn't like it. You said it's essential, but failed explain why. I'm still cramming to understand.
I wasn't the one that brought up the fact it's based on a true story, to lend the movie validity.
No, not to lend it validity. You said you didn't care for the plot. My point was that the plot was based on things that actually happened--it wasn't just a writer's flight of fantasy.
Ok. Based yes. But then they borrow a bit from Goodfellas, and then a bit from Scarface, throw in the popular broken timeline narrative, and what was obviously an important, interesting and true story, begins to get lost.
Comments
To me Ziggy was very real.
In fact, reminded me of me.
At some points in the show you are wondering why does anyone even talk to this guy?
Then he walks into the bar with a duck, and understand why.
My Ziggy moment:
1974, senior year high school (Walter Johnson).
Suburbs of DC.
I weighed under 100lbs, closer to 90.
My buddy and I had $120.00 and decided to selling pot.
These nice guys in Northern VA had lbs for sale.
We pulled out the trash, cut them into 29gr Oz, and sold them for $15.00.
Money rolled in.
Soon we were buying 2 kilos at a time.
We decided it was time to move up and buy 5lbs.
We asked our supplier if we could buy from their supplier.
"You don't want to deal with those guys, they carry guns."
"Haha, no really, we want to."
"Those guys are serious, you don't want to mess with them."
"That's cool, we just want to buy more quantity."
"OK, I'll get you a number."
So I call the guy tell him what we want.
Arrange a meet at a parking lot near Tyson Corners.
They tell me, "Don't bring a scale, we already have a scale."
Talk to them right before to confirm, "Don't bring a scale, we already have a scale."
Our friend drives Buddy and me.
Parks next to their car.
My buddy and I get in the back seat of the suppliers 2 door car.
Friend walks over to the sandwich shop.
The suppliers freak out!
They pull their guns.
They want to know what Friend is doing.
He's getting something to eat, that's what he does, eats.
"If he goes near a phone we will kill him."
"Don't worry, he's harmless, he's our friend."
So we smoke a bowl.
"Ok, you guys got the scale?"
"No. You told us you would bring the scale."
All angry and pissed off, "No we told you to bring the scale."
Whatever.
Don't worry, we can estimated, we will make it heavy, so you wont feel ripped off.
Now here we are, stuck in the back seat of the car, with these 2 psychos, waving their gun, threatening to kill someone, lied to us about the scale.
Do we walk?
No.
As far as we are concerned, every things jake, we will guess at the weight, why would these guys want to rip us off, we could be good customers.
So were guessing at the weight, "What do you think, is this a pound?"
"Little light, how bout now?"
"OK, thats one, how about this for number 2?"
"That should be more than 5lbs, but if it's under just call us and we will make it up."
And so on.
Get home, not only is it underwight (duh) it also is cut with sand to make it heavier.
We survived.
Unlike Ziggy, that was enough for us.
I don't need your stinking respect.
I'm just glad I didn't make like Orland.
Dude made 2 deals, got busted the first time and killed the second.
That's your critique?
The movie's not sufficiently realistic?
Those guys are like living folk legends (expect for Rich Porter, who's dead, obviously). The point of the movie is to burnish the legend. Who cares if the film makers smoothed over some details.
I wasn't really trying to critique it at all. I said I didn't like it. You said it's essential, but failed explain why. I'm still cramming to understand.
I wasn't the one that brought up the fact it's based on a true story, to lend the movie validity.
Over all my biggest problem with it, as a piece of cinema, was that it was just bland and formulaic. I mean, who cares that 'those guys are like living folk legends' when their story was told so badly.
No, not to lend it validity. You said you didn't care for the plot. My point was that the plot was based on things that actually happened--it wasn't just a writer's flight of fantasy.
Ok. Based yes. But then they borrow a bit from Goodfellas, and then a bit from Scarface, throw in the popular broken timeline narrative, and what was obviously an important, interesting and true story, begins to get lost.