USA: MAKERS OF "GRIDLOCK'D" SPEAK ABOUT THEIR FILM

Record ID: 665527

  • Title: USA: MAKERS OF "GRIDLOCK'D" SPEAK ABOUT THEIR FILM
  • Date: 11th January 1997
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 11, 1997) (REUTERS) TIM ROTH SAYING HOW ONE HAS TO GET CLOSE TO OTHER ACTORS IMMEDIATELY, THAT THERE IS NO SHORTCUT TO TAKE, HENCE, THE SHALLOWNESS OF ACTORS. BUT THEY BOTH UNDERSTOOD THEIR CHARACTERS, AND SPENT MOST OF THE DAY TRYING TO ONE UP ONE ANOTHER AND SET EACH OTHER UP FOR A FALL AND HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING IT (ENGLI
  • Embargoed: 26th January 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEXIM3RXRUKL4DJWW45XV9XVJI
  • Story Text: Slain rap musician-turned-actor Tupac Shakur makes his penultimate screen appearance in first-time director Vondie Curtis Hall's "Gridlock'd." The gritty urban black comedy revolves around the relationship of Shakur's character Spoon and Stretch and Cookie -- his cohorts in a hip-hop/spoken word trio played by Tim Roth and Thandie Newton.
    Set in contemporary Detroit, Michigan, "Gridlock'd" begins on New Year's Eve with the accidental overdose of Cookie.
    Her near-death experience allows Stretch and Spoon the opportunity to re-evaluate their own predilection for illegal substances.
    They spend the rest of the movie coming up against various petty bureaucracies in their attempt to come "clean" and find it's harder getting into trouble than a substance abuse program.
    In addition to directing "Gridlock'd", mainstay character actor Curtis Hall also wrote the screenplay.
    Initially, the roles of Shakur and Roth were reversed -- it was only after rehearsals that Curtis Hall decided to cast against type.
    Shakur's Spoon is the logical, level-headed, responsible one while Roth's Stretch is the nutcase -- the unpredictable, schizoid half of the duo.
    Because the three central characters are performance artists, music played a key role in the film and it was a part of the filmmaking process to which Shakur contributed greatly, writing and performing songs for the soundtrack.
    In addition to Shakur's input, Curtis Hall wrote the first song in the film, which is performed by Thandie Newton.
    "Gridlock'd" provides a revealing look at Tupac Shakur to those who only know him as a young casualty of the more dire consequences of gangster rap.
    Shakur was killed in September last year after his car was sprayed with bullets. Shot four times, he died in hopsital six days later.
    The 25-year-old was one of the most notorious performers of hardcore "Gangsta" rap. His raw lyrics were laced with violence, sex and profanity, a reflection of his often troubled life.
    Shakur will also be seen in the upcoming film, "Gang Related." Tim Roth is fast becoming the grand-old-man of independent film actors.
    He gained international recognition for his roles in two Quentin Tarantino films, "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs." Roth made his studio debut in "Rob Roy," opposite Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange. His performance earned him both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
    Thandie Newton came to the attention of audiences in 1990 with her performance in the Australian movie "Flirting." Her other feature film credits include starring roles in "The Young Americans," and "Jefferson In Paris."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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