8 Mile

(2002) ** 1/2 R
115 min. Universal. Director: Curtis Hanson. Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Evan Jones.

A lot of people ask me...what's up with 8 Mile?

A lot of people think that Eminem's infantile

Rap alarmist, an artist, he's rhyming it madly

Fistin', pistol-whippin', love-hating his fam'ly

You can't stop him or crop him

He's in widescreen and large

He ain't playing when he's baggin' Curtis Hanson for Sarge

Well, who's bagging who?

Wonder Boy feeling old?

F*** the QT, hush-hush, Confidential, he's sold

Wait! Give it up, he's got balls

In his sockets, admit it

Check the motor city griming, composition he hits it

Stoking moments of warmth in this cold Detroit story

Here's some laughs, there's some sex, sympathy for the poor, see?

Scott Silver's the scribe, and you losers take note

There's life after writing Mod Squad by rote

But the concession impression: Eminem be a Hessian

Singing to a tot and backing up gays

That last thing I said, Em, don't take it the wrong way

A sort-of biography, but who are you kidding?

I gotta hand it to ya, Silver's doing your bidding

Credit where it's due, if Em-man wants to,

He can make you feel something with each baby blue

He can make a go of acting--he's got credible focus

To couple with the buzz of the media locusts

Mekhi Phifer does the job, so does Brittany Murphy

Til the plot twistin' of her character hurt me

Work, play, home, all the characters jam in

Just coming alive when the poetry's slammin'

Call him Shady? Eminem? "Loner"'s hitting the mark

No riding into sunsets, just a walk in the dark

So if you love Curtis Hanson, go ahead and peep it

If you love Eminem, okay, it's a keeper

But if you're on the 8 Mile fence

Go back to your homes

There's nothing to see here

But Sylvester Stallone

In Rocky

Yeah, the critics all know it

But Marshall Mathers, Curtis Hanson, Scott Silver done showed it

No, you ain't bombing like its Nagasaki,

But was it too much to ask for a surprise party?

They called you aggro, homophobic,

Untalented whore

But the Eminem Show was never bo-ring before.

References to you being Elvis the next

Recall some lame-ass pop-star movies...there's the end of the text.

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Bluray

Aspect ratios: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Street date: 4/14/2009

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

In its Blu-ray debut, 8 Mile looks mighty fine. A clean print and spot-on conversion result in a transfer that doesn't show the film's age in the least. The image is detailed without sacrificing film grain, handles the film's many shadows with aplomb, and accurate renders the original color palette. Audio impresses with a very nice DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that sends the rap-battle lyrics and beats through loud and clear.

Bonus features are limited but welcome. First, there's "The Making of 8 Mile" (10:02, SD), a brief EPK featurette with Eminem, Curtis Hanson, Mekhi Pfifer, and producer Brian Grazer contributing interviews amidst behind-the-scenes interviews.

"Exclusive Rap Battles: Uncensored" (23:39, SD) includes interview clips of Hanson and Eminem prefacing auditions by Animal Chief, Nicholas Hunter, Marcus Luss, Cornelius Kirby, Louis Smith, Kamal Lukatta, Harmony Graham, Joaquilla Nevelshon, David Lee Wilson, Fahla Salan, Robin Person, Romel Willis, Big Keith, Matthew Alfonzie, Ryan Ransom, Travis Harper, Kilo Parker, Keith Wilson, Cricket, Billy Beemer. The twenty finalists are then put through a rap battle as a callback audition: these auditioners include Marvin O'Neal, Jasmine Thompson, Parker, Angie Davis, Wilson, Myron Johnson, Robert Falconer, Michael the Kid, Subliminal, Super MC, Samuel Grissom, Jiwad Mohammed, Kevin Bailey, Dapper Dan, T A S, Animal Chief, Robert Sommers, and Maurice Grant. Finally, we see the filming of rap battles with Eminem.

Last up is the Uncensored Music Video "Superman" (5:02, SD). Universal includes its My Scenes bookmarking feature, but the disc is not BD-Live enabled.

Review gear:
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer

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