Snow on tha Bluff

Last updated
Snow on tha Bluff
Snow on tha bluff.jpg
Directed by Damon Russell
Produced byChris Knittel
StarringCurtis Snow
Edited byTakashi Doscher
Production
company
Fuzzy Logic Pictures
Release date
June 19, 2012
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Snow on tha Bluff is a 2012 American found footage-style drama film directed by Damon Russell. It stars Curtis Snow, a real-life Atlanta "robbery boy" and drug dealer, playing a fictionalized version of himself, as he gets into various dangerous and criminal situations. The film's title refers to protagonist Snow and to Atlanta's neighborhood The Bluff, which is infamous for crime and drug dealing.

Contents

The film gained a following within the hip hop community due to its verisimilitude. Actor Michael K. Williams, who was an executive producer on the film, stated, "everything that is wrong with the hood, is in this movie". [1] An unauthorized sequel, Snow on tha Bluff 2, starring Snow and Snoop Dogg, was released direct-to-video in 2015.

Synopsis

Three college students drive to the Bluff, a westside Atlanta neighborhood, intending to buy some drugs from a dealer. Clearly naive, they joke about flirting in hopes of getting free drugs, and reassure one another that they have nothing to fear. One of the students holds a camera with the hope of filming the encounter. They find a dealer named Curtis Snow, who asks them to drive him to his house in order to fulfill their order.

Once they arrive, Curtis pulls out a gun, robs them of their purses and camera, and makes a hasty escape. Recognizing the quality of the camera, he hands it to one of his friends, telling him to continue filming no matter what in order to capture their day-to-day life as it occurs.

Curtis soon learns that another group of drug dealers have encroached on his territory, selling drugs not far from his street. He recruits his friends and robs the rivals of their drug supply. When a friend tips him off to another gang selling drugs nearby, he invades their house with the help of his friend and robs them of their supply as well.

While playing at a pool hall, Curtis recognizes a rival drug dealer with his familiar white hat, who likewise takes note of Curtis. The man in the white hat follows Curtis into his territory, asking the locals about him, but the surface threat doesn't faze Curtis and he continues to hustle. On his way back home after cutting the latest stolen product with his crew, Curtis is ambushed in a backyard alleyway by a gunman seconds after looking "white hat" in the eye. Luckily the bullet wounds are not fatal and the ambusher's gun jams right as he comes close to Curtis, allowing him to flee. He collapses in the street nearby, where he is found by a police patrol and subsequently arrested in connection with a prior robbery, and spends four months in jail.

After his release from jail, Curtis is enthusiastically welcomed back by his neighborhood, and is clearly anxious to get right back into the drug dealing game. He attempts to get revenge by ambushing "white hat's" girlfriend, but in retaliation, they kill his girlfriend and mother of his child. Her death causes Curtis to sink into depression, as he now has to take care of his young son while continuing to deal drugs. In one scene, as he cuts and bags up crack to sell, he explains how he watched his uncle do exactly the same thing when he was a kid, and comments that his son is the same age he was and watching him engage in the same behavior.

Soon after, however, Curtis meets a friend to discuss up-to-date information on a mark. En route to shake down this dealer, the car that they're in is once again ambushed by rival gang members. Curtis and his crew return fire then give chase only to be intercepted by the police, causing everyone to bail on foot. Returning home after losing the police, Curtis is enraged by the turn of events and wrecks a room, then quietly smokes pot and watches his son play in the debris.

The movie ends with Curtis calling a number from an ad he found about movie editing. He tells them he has a movie for them and makes a meeting. It's obvious that his movie idea is for "Snow on tha Bluff."

Cast and crew

The film was directed by Damon Russell and stars Curtis Snow (playing himself). The film was produced by Chris Knittel.

Exhibition at festivals and awards

Snow on tha Bluff has been shown at film festivals:

Production and marketing

Actor Michael K. Williams executive produced the film under his company, Freedome Production; it was Williams' first executive producer credit.

Producer Chris Knittel utilized a series of unorthodox guerrilla marketing techniques. He revealed to Filmmaker magazine, "I would buy a couple hundred blank VHS tapes, copy a scene from the movie on it, throw the tape in the dirt, put some blood on it and seal it in a manilla envelope. From there, I would send out the tapes with no return address to politicians, conservative groups, police stations and various factions in the media. Operation 'stir up shit,' was now in progress." [6]

Distribution

In early 2012, Screen Media Films purchased Snow on tha Bluff for a 2012 release. [7] The release date was June 19, 2012.

UK distributor Showbox Media Group announced that Snow on tha Bluff would be released on Blu-ray November 12, 2012. [8] [9]

Impact

An attempt on Curtis Snow's life occurred in December 2011. He survived a grisly box-cutter knife attack. [10]

A melee broke out at the film's showing at the Atlanta Film Festival, as some audience members were unsure of the authenticity of a scene in which a child puts his hands into a pile of crack cocaine with a razor blade in it.

As a result of officers seeing part of the film, the Atlanta Police Department contacted the filmmakers in connection with an investigation into a string of home invasions. [11]

Rapper B.o.B.'s 2012 mixtape Fuck 'Em We Ball is named after a quote from Snow on tha Bluff. B.o.B. said of the film, "I put it up there with movies like Slumdog Millionaire , City of God , and Shottas . You don’t know what’s real and what’s fake. One of the characters says 'Fuck em, we ball' and it really just stuck with me. That's where I'm at right now in my career, ‘Fuck em, I’m doing what I wanna do.’ I'm not conforming." [12]

Rapper T.I. put Curtis Snow in his music video for "Trap Back Jumpin".

Rapper Killer Mike released a 2013 song inspired by the movie called "Snowin' in the Bluff". [13]

Rapper Gucci Mane makes reference to Curtis Snow in his songs "Dope Show" and "Dead Man". [14]

Rapper Kevin Gates mentions the film in his song "Mexico". [15]

J. Cole titled his 2020 single “Snow on tha Bluff” in reference to the film.

Curtis Snow was arrested after a three hour long stand off with a SWAT team in an Atlanta funeral home in May 2016. After locking himself inside the women's bathroom, police extracted him using tear gas. He was arrested on an unrelated Aggravated Assault warrant. [16]

Unauthorized sequel

An unauthorized low-budget sequel, Snow on tha Bluff 2, was released direct-to-video in 2015; it starred Snow and Snoop Dogg, and was directed by JT the Bigga Figga. The filmmakers did not get the permission from Fuzzy Logic Pictures, resulting in the production company suing Snoop Dogg and his company Trapflix in federal court for multiple counts of copyright infringement in August 2015. [17] In July 2016, a California federal judge awarded Fuzzy Logic damages and entered a permanent injunction ordering another entity and its owner from ever using the company's movie trademark again. Fuzzy Logic settled with Snoop Dogg for contributory copyright infringement after their lawyers came to a mutual agreement for closure. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

Snoop Dogg American rapper, actor, and media personality (born 1971)

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, media personality, and actor. His fame dates to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.

<i>Doggystyle</i> 1993 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg, then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's appearances on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.

Robin Yvette Allen, known professionally as the Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with several other Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the seminal albums, The Chronic and Doggystyle. The Lady of Rage has been described as "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard-core lyrics".

Death Row Records American record label

Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and 2Pac during the 1990s. At its peak, Death Row was making over US$100 million a year.

Daz Dillinger American rapper and record producer from California

Delmar Drew Arnaud, known professionally as Daz Dillinger, is an American rapper and record producer. In the 1990s at Death Row Records, aided the catapult of West Coast rap and gangsta rap into the mainstream. He is one half of the rap duo tha Dogg Pound, along with Kurupt.

Tha Dogg Pound American hip hop duo

Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip hop duo made up of rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success.

Priest Joseph Brooks, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.

<i>Tha Doggfather</i> 1996 studio album by Snoop Doggy Dogg

Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg, known then as Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row Records trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.

<i>Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss</i> 2002 album by Snoop Dogg

Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss is the sixth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 26, 2002, by his Doggystyle label, alongside Priority and Capitol Records. Following his departure from the No Limit Records, he later signed a recording contract to Capitol through Priority Records. The album was supported by two singles, both featuring Pharrell: "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", the latter also featuring Charlie Wilson.

<i>Tha Blue Carpet Treatment</i> 2006 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 21, 2006, by Doggystyle Records and Geffen Records. It is also the final album to have Nate Dogg featured on it during his lifetime. Recording sessions took place from November 2005 to September 2006 in several recording studios and artists such as Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, DJ Battlecat, DJ Pooh, Timbaland, Danja, Mark Batson, Terrace Martin, and Mr. Porter appear on the album, among others.

<i>Cali Iz Active</i> 2006 studio album by Tha Dogg Pound

Cali Iz Active is the fourth studio album by rap group Tha Dogg Pound and is also the name of the album's title track and lead single. It was released through Koch and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle Records on June 27, 2006.

Kurupt American rapper (born 1972)

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo tha Dogg Pound, along with Daz. His first solo album arrived in 1998. After feuding, the duo reunited in 2005. Kurupt has been in rap supergroups such as the DPGC.

I Wanna Love You (Akon song) 2006 single by Akon

"I Wanna Love You" is a song written and recorded by singer Akon featuring Snoop Dogg. It was released in October 2006 as the second single from his second studio album, Konvicted. It is also featured on Snoop Dogg's eighth album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment. This song was Akon's first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also Snoop's second #1 on the same chart. It also reached a peak of #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The track originally had Akon as a featured artist and was performed by rapper Plies from Fort Myers, Florida, but his verse was replaced by Snoop's and his name has been left out from the writers' credits. This song was #88 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008.

From tha Chuuuch to da Palace 2002 single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams

"From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" is a single that appeared on Snoop Dogg's sixth album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$. The song was produced by The Neptunes and features an uncredited Pharrell Williams. It contains re-sung elements from "Contagious" performed by The Isley Brothers. The song lyrics reference their lead singer Ron Isley. The music video was directed by Diane Martel and includes cameo appearances by Tony Cox, Tommy Davidson, Lauren London and rappers Soopafly, Goldie Loc, Uncle Junebug, Daz Dillinger and Warren G. The video includes Pharrell wearing make up to look like Bill Gates. The song was featured in the films Malibu's Most Wanted & 50 First Dates and video game MTV Music Generator 3.

<i>Malice n Wonderland</i> 2009 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Malice n Wonderland is the tenth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; it was released on December 8, 2009, by Doggystyle and Priority Records. Production for the album took place from January 2009 to September 2009 at several recording studios and the production was handled by Battlecat, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, The Neptunes, Teddy Riley, Lil Jon and Terrace Martin.

<i>Revenue Retrievin: Overtime Shift</i> 2011 studio album by E-40

Revenue Retrievin': Overtime Shift is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper E-40, it was released on March 29, 2011 simultaneously with his 14th album, Revenue Retrievin': Graveyard Shift, the same way that he released his 11th and 12th albums.

Damon Russell is a producer and director of television series and films. On June 29, 2016, Russell was inducted as a new member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

<i>Mac & Devin Go to High School</i> (soundtrack) 2011 soundtrack album by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa

Mac & Devin Go to High School is the collaborative soundtrack to the film of the same name, by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg and American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released on December 13, 2011, by Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Bruno Mars, Juicy J, Curren$y and Mike Posner. The album is supported by the lone hit single, "Young, Wild & Free". The album received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Snoop's and Khalifa's technical rapping abilities and production choices. The soundtrack debuted at number 29 on the US Billboard 200, and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Reincarnated</i> (film) 2012 British film

Reincarnated is a documentary film about the musician Snoop Dogg's explorations of reggae and Rastafari culture, and his transformation into Snoop Lion. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2012, and was released to theaters March 21, 2013. It is a companion film to his 12th studio album, Reincarnated. The film was shot by Andy Capper of Vice Magazine.

Snow on tha Bluff (song) 2020 single by J.Cole

"Snow on tha Bluff" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. Named after the 2012 drama film of the same name, the track addresses an unnamed woman, assumed to be fellow rapper and activist Noname, while touching on police brutality and race relations during the George Floyd protests. The track's critical reception was mixed, and albeit with some praise for Cole's lyricism, with most criticizing him for taking aim at Noname.

References

  1. ↑ "The Breakfast Club, May 16, 2012". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  2. ↑ "2011 Slamdance Film Festival (2011)". Slamdance.bside.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  3. ↑ ""2011 Winners", Brooklyn Film Festival". Brooklynfilmfestival.org. 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  4. ↑ "Brooklyn Film Festival". Brooklyn Film Festival. 2012-06-11. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  5. ↑ ""Sound on Sight", Grade A". Soundonsight.org. 2011-10-26. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  6. ↑ Knittel, Chris (26 July 2013). "Irregular Warfare: Marketing Snow On Tha Bluff". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Movies (January 18, 2012). "Screen Media Sets 2012 Slate". TheWrap . Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  8. ↑ "Snow on tha Bluff Gets Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  9. ↑ "'Snow On Tha Bluff' To Be Released In The U.K. On Blu-Ray". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  10. ↑ "Worldstarhiphop, "ATL, Worldstarhiphop, December 9th 2011". Worldstarhiphop.com. 2011-12-09. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  11. ↑ Wardell, Gabe (2011-01-21). "Gabe Wardell, "ATL @ Slamdance II: Snow on Tha Bluff", Creative Loafing, January 21, 2011". Clatl.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  12. ↑ "Vibe, "B.o.B. Talks 'Hip-Hop Dance Experience,' New Mixtape, Working With Taylor Swift, November 15th 2012". Vibe.com. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  13. ↑ "Killer Mike - "Snowin' in the Bluff"". hiphopwired.com. 14 January 2013.
  14. ↑ "World War 3 Lean". WW3. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
  15. ↑ "mexico". kevin gates. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  16. ↑ "Curtis Snow arrested after standoff in Atlanta funeral home bathroom". CNN . 8 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Filmmaker Sues Snoop Dogg for Knock Off Sequel". Court House News. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
  18. ↑ "Judge Awards Production Company $1.8 Million For Improper Use Of Movie Name". LexisLegalNews. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.