iTunes Exclusive Episode Crown Heights

🎼 🎼 🎼 Greetings, Empire member and or members. If you are hearing the sound of my voice, it means the following conditions have been met at least once in your life. You have checked out the Clubhouse Podcast.

Every Sunday night, seven Easter and four Pacific, your one-stop shop for all things pop culture. But it also means you subscribe to this show and your favorite podcast app because it's time for another iTunes exclusive, the 316th one of these things that we've done. We're not stopping.

You can't stop, but you don't know how to contain us. My name is Rob, I'm the executive producer of the Clubhouse Podcast and boy we've got a doozy for you in this episode. But I'm not alone.

Joining me across the desk as he does from time to time is the official fact checker of this show. And a man who may not have seen this yet, but it's on his agenda. You may know him as fun, don go, but his mom and name him, Don Ford, I'm going to come down forward.

Welcome, sir. I got the screener link today, so I'll probably watch it tonight. So my written review will be up at www.clubhousepodcast.com.

That tends to be our website. Whatever we do one of these, it is to review something this is no exception today or tonight. I don't know when you're listening to this, I'm not here to judge you outwardly.

We are reviewing the brand new film, oh goodness gracious. What's going on here? It's not doing what I wanted to do.

From director Matt Ruskin, it is called Crown Heights. Before we start this whole thing. Yes, sir.

You ready to sing? I am. Allied Integrated Marketing.

Some of our favorite people, you know, we got to listen everybody up to Allied, they're our best friends. Thank you so much for everything you guys do for us. This Crown Heights film is based on a true story about Colin Warner in 1980 in New York City.

He was arrested and accused of a crime he did not commit. So while this happens, his best friend who he also refers to as his brother, commits himself to helping prove his innocence. That's as deep as I want to go.

This is just over an hour and a half long. It is rated R. For many, many reasons, there's a lot going on here, do not bring the kiddies.

Let's just get right into it. Let's hear it. I'm not even going to bury the lead, we're just going to put it out there right now.

This is the best film of its ilk. I have seen in almost a decade. What do you mean by its ilk?

The story of the wrongly accused person and the attempting of clearing of their name, type story. This is the best of its kind since 2010's conviction, in my opinion. This film, first of all shout out Amazon Studios, I think they're finally getting the wheels under the thing because they are out there killing it.

If I'm not mistaken, this did win the audience award at Sundance. Ooh, that's big. This is a film that, once you see it, it's going to be with you for a while.

This is not the kind of film that you're just like, oh, that was a thing and then you're going to go home. This film will stick with you for a while. Okay.

I was actually with our friends at the movie brothers, they were there with us, Kevin Ant, make sure you check out their YouTube channel, look up the movie brothers, B-R-U-T-H-A-S. That's their website. Well, dot com, yes.

And Kevin and I worked together. So we see each other a lot. And I actually was witness to Kevin getting emotional during this film because I know Kevin really well.

I can kind of, I know the vibes that he puts out. He and I have been friends for years and years and years. He got very emotional towards the end of this film.

This movie is powerful. It's well written. It's well acted.

I mean, you look at a Lequith Stanfield who plays the lead role. He was, you might remember him from Get Out. He was also when he played Snoop Dogg and Straight Out of Compton.

He also was in short term 12, a film that we very much enjoyed a few years ago. He plays Colin Warner and the emotional journey that he takes himself on. You're like you're riding right next to him the whole time.

When he's up, you're up, when he's down, you're down. It is an emotional rollercoaster. And then you want to look at Namandi Asumaga, who plays his best friend slash brother.

He refers to him as his brother. I refer to him as his brother Carl King. And also Natalie Paul, who plays Antoinette, who is kind of his love interest, a little bit there.

I felt like I was watching a documentary at certain points. So how long was he in jail for? A long time.

A long time. I don't want to give anything away. A long time.

All right. So. And this comes from a documentary episode of television from PBS that was called DIY.

DIY. Yes. Now, question, uh-huh, this film is it the time he's in jail trying to get out and then flashback or the way it starts, the way it starts, it's told chronologically, let's be clear on that.

Okay. The way it starts is with the murder itself. You don't see the way it's done.

You don't actually see who commits it, but you are introduced to him. He's from Trinidad. He's trying to make his own way.

He's trying to earn a, you know, he's getting trained to be an auto mechanic, but he's also a bit of a two bit thief. Yeah. So he already has a record.

Yeah. So he's not an angel, but no, okay. But not on the level that these cops point him, uh, paying him out to be.

Yeah. Now, as, as the story goes on, you get there are flashbacks that, that fill in the holes for you. When Kevin and I were talking about this after the film, the way I put it was this is the way that Detroit should have been done.

Yeah. I got one question out the sidetrack, but you know, Detroit, I think had an agenda. Maybe.

Yeah. Let's see how you can say that. Yeah.

This doesn't have that protocol. No, no. I mean, it's telling you how this guy was treated and how he was wronged.

But the way they tell the story is the way I wish Detroit would have done it. It would have been Detroit, a better film for me person about everybody. Yeah.

I have a gentleman on that. It's, it's kind of like the way they tell the story a little bit in bomb city where they give you little pieces here and there, but it all comes together. Watch gauge on this.

I will say the watch gauge on this is a little, a little deceiving, okay. And it was, and the honest, full disclosure, watch gauge was 15 minutes, but it was just because I happened to stick my arm up and I saw my watch. It was like I was looking for a second watch gauge 35 minutes.

Okay. This film is amazing. This film, there were people clapping at the end of it.

I was absolutely blown away. And again, I'm not even going to bury the lead right now. As of the day we are recording this, the 31st of August.

This is number 10 on my list. Wow. Okay.

So it can get bumped out of the top 10, but it's going to be tough to bump it real much farther out of it. Yeah. Because this movie is that good.

Probably an honorable mention, possibly. It at worst. Yeah.

I mean, it's going to be very highly ranked on my films of the year. And this is an all a film that I think people need to stand up and pay attention to. It's not from a major studio, although Amazon films is really kind of working their way up here.

This is a film that people need to see and people need to notice. The performances, the direction, the cinematography, the entire nine. There are certain aspects of it.

I wish they would have gone into a little bit deeper. I mean, if this film was 20 minutes longer, I'd have been fine. If there were certain aspects that I was going to perform.

How long is it? How long is it? Hour 35.

Okay. Not too long. Right.

So you could still be under the two hour mark and it would have been okay by me. Because there are certain things that Kevin and I actually talked about this the day after the screening, that there are certain aspects of the film I wish they would have gone into deeper, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this film. It's one of those, you do see some of the real footage towards the end of the film.

There's nothing about this film that's not brilliant. Where did this take place at New York City? New York again.

And when did it start taking place? 1980. 1980.

Okay. Till who knows when. You can go see the film if you want to find out.

But yeah, I don't want to give too much away because I really, if you don't know the story, I really want people to be able to go into this very, very cold if they can. Kind of like bomb city because if you go in cold, it may be, it may kind of not on that level. Yeah.

But you don't talk about it. Yeah. No, and I know what you're saying, but not on the level of bomb city.

But right now they're book, they're book ending my top 10 here. So, but like I said, this is the best film of its kind that I've seen since conviction. And if you haven't seen conviction, do yourself a song.

Oh, yeah, I've seen Hillary Swank in Julia Lewis, excellent, excellent, excellent film. Yeah. Would you put it up there also with something like the hurricane?

Denzel Washington? Pretty good. It's a good film.

It's been a while since I've seen the hurricane. I'd have to revisit it before I could compare and contrast. But this film, okay, name of the father and the name of the father, I've been even longer since I've seen that film.

I know, man, you can't forget that one. It's a great film, but again, it's been 25 years since I've seen in the name of the father. I worked at the movie theater.

That's how long ago that film was. Yeah. Daniel Day Lewis.

I mean, the guys, the guys, would you put it up there and that ranking close to? I could. Yeah.

I'd never revisit it so I could compare and contrast, but this film is a film that people need to see, again, not for the kids. There's a lot of adult material in this. It's very true to what it is.

Let me ask one, you know, minor spoiler, three, two, don't say the one. What was the crime he has convicted for? Murder.

Murder. We said that. I'm sorry.

How many? It was just one murder? One person.

Okay. No, that happens within the first 30 seconds of the film. I mean, you know, there, you know, something has gone on, but you don't know exactly what has gone on.

So if you had, what would you be your biggest complaint? Would it be that they should have gone into a couple more areas, just a couple of small plot points that I wish they would go into a little bit deeper. And if anybody wants to know what I'm talking about, you can send me an email at Robert the clubhousepodcast.com or you can catch me on social media.

I'll be more than happy to discuss it with you. But again, I don't want to give away too much. The performances in this are incredibly powerful.

Do you see possible nods nominations next year? Stand field that wouldn't surprise me. Asamaga, who's also a producer on the film, Paul, it would be, she could get in, but it would be tough for her.

It would be a great performance, but I don't know, it would be as a supporting actress because she's not in it a ton, but she's in it enough to make an impact. So what about like best picture, do you think it could possibly get a best picture? Right now it's in my top 10 of the year.

So do you think this would be an Academy style film? There would be Academy Darling, which I wouldn't say it darling, but it's one the Academy would notice if they've got half a brain amongst them. Okay.

I mean, I'm telling you, this movie isn't that good. And I'll be interested to see after you go home and watch this this evening or whenever you get to watch it and get to put your written review up right next to mine at www.theclubhousepodcast.com. Which is still our website.

I'll be interested to see what your thoughts are. I mean, this movie is a may zing. It is, I think Kevin and I both agreed that this is one of those, I mean, I, saying this to you, it probably won't have as much impact because we're talking about it right now, but this movie is a wonderful surprise for people going in because I didn't really know much about it.

I just wanted to go in and watch the film and I, it really was just, it just, wow, I mean, that's all I can say is wow. Okay. I'm interested.

I'll be seeing it. All right. Well, then let's get to the final analysis.

The way we do the final analysis on the show is not we're not going to give you thumbs up, thumbs down. We're not going to give you letter grades, numbers, anything like that. We're going to ask two questions.

Question number one is, would I see this film again if the answers know that we're done here? If the answer is yes, then it's going to be how far am I willing to go to see it? On the best of the best of the worst of the best, here's the spectrum.

Full price at the theater, twilight, matinee, early morning on a weekend, second run at the dollar theater, actually leaving my doma style to go get it from red box, streaming it on that flicks or on cable. Well, first off, I will see this film. Okay.

There you go. Get that going for you, which is nice. But Rob, would you see this film again?

Absolutely. Okay. What level?

All the way up. Well, it's in my top 10 right now. It has to be that.

It has to be that right now because it's in my top 10. This film is absolutely amazing. High school kids?

Yes. High school kids could see this because it's about our justice system and it's a powerful enough film. What about junior high?

What do you think? I don't know that junior high. It's a little too intense, but I think high school kids could get something out of this.

And do you think, here's a good question. Would you recommend this as a law professor to show this film in law school? There's a lot of films that you can put that in the category of.

I think if you wanted to do something recent, then yes. But I don't know because it doesn't really deal a lot with the law system itself. It's just more about his journey.

All right. But it is writer, director, Matt Ruskin. The film is called Crown Heights.

For when this thing you're ready to sing? I am. And I did a great marketing.

I think the whole crew, Melissa, we love them all. All right. Let's do the plugs.

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Find out everything you need to know and some stuff you don't. You can follow us on social media. Twitter is at ClubhouseShow.

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Everything is yes to that Rob Urban that is both ERVIN. My normal co-hosts for this show is Chad Womack. You can follow him at ChadNPG69.

And I'm at FanDongo and you can email me at Don at clubhousepodcast.com. Email Don for information on how we can come do a live remote show. We love doing live remote shows and hanging out with the Empire.

So let us know. You can email me, questions, comments, concerns, tell me to go pound sand. I am Rob at theclubhousepodcast.com.

Chad is Chad at theclubhousepodcast.com. Charlotte Parker is on Pinterest because we are morally obligated to say that. Jules Womack probably wherever Chad is because that's kind of how that works.

Faith Ford is at the house waiting for Don to get home. She'll probably watch this with me. I'll let you know what you got.

Excellent. We look out for Don's written review as well. Our normal show every Sunday night, 7 Eastern, 4 Pacific is your one stop shop or all things pop culture.

Or just keep subscribing on your favorite podcast to happen to get all the cool stuff. So until next time for Don and the Empire, I'm Rob. Clubhouse is closed.