Bones Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Bones Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 14, 2020

There was a point in the year 2000 where someone, somewhere wanted to turn rapper Snoop Dogg into a horror icon, delivering a new Freddy for fatigued genre fans, freshening up the roster of screen villains. 2001’s “Bones” was meant to be the first of many movies starring Snoop Dogg as the undead pimp Jimmy Bones, but the feature failed to do any business during its initial theatrical run, condemning the endeavor to a life of cult appreciation. What was underwhelming two decades ago remains so today, with director Ernest Dickerson trying to work up a Euro-style nightmare with a screenplay by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, and he makes a pretty picture, but not an appealing effort, losing “Bones” to noise and narrative disjointedness as he struggles to conjure an expressionistic viewing experience while managing decidedly literal material that doesn’t have enough ferocity or imagination.

In 1979, Jimmy Bones (Snoop Dogg) was a pimp with a heart of gold, keeping his community under control as he denies outsiders, such as Eddie (Ricky Harris), the chance to bring crack into the neighborhood. Crossing Eddie, crooked cop Lupovich (Michael T. Weiss), and associate Jeremiah (Clifton Powell), Jimmy is murdered in front of his girlfriend, Pearl (Pam Grier), and buried in the basement of his brownstone. Decades later, Jeremiah’s son, Patrick (Khalil Kain), gets an amazing deal on Jimmy’s abandoned home, planning to turn the dwelling into a club. When Patrick and his partners disturb Jimmy’s grave during their remodeling, they resurrect the kindly crook, allowing him to seek revenge on those who betrayed him.

“Bones” is a bit puzzling overall, but its weirdest move is to push Jimmy as some type of hero for his community, transformed into a budget Godfather tasked with keeping the streets clear of crime…except his own business, which is ill-defined in the movie. Jimmy’s okay with drugs flooding his streets, but not crack, refusing to introduce such poison, soon murdered for his nobility. Jimmy’s not exactly a dreamer, but the writing likes to keep him approachable, offering a vague love interest in Pearl and a revenge story, allowing the audience to root for the criminal as he takes out other criminals. A defined sense of right and wrong isn’t of the utmost importance to Simon and Metcalfe, avoiding a true dive into motivation to play up Jimmy as the new boogeyman on the scene. And Dickerson pays very little attention to storytelling, with “Bones” jumping carelessly around in time, while acting leaves much to be desired, including Snoop Dogg, who basically stands straight and recites lines, showing little monster movie flair.

More impressive about “Bones” is its attention to practical effects. There’s plenty of CGI in the feature, crude stuff too, dealing with budgetary limitations and 2000 technology, working to give Jimmy a little more fluidity when it comes to portioning out pain. Flying shards of glass has its flashiness, but timeless is a shower of maggots, with Jimmy’s canine spirit container barfing larva all over Jeremiah’s club, giving Dickerson a chance to show off his love of Italian cinema. He also scores with a bedtime bath of blood for Pearl’s daughter, Cynthia (Bianca Lawson), who’s the focus of a nightmare freak-out while falling asleep. There’s more concerning a wall of dead bodies and another realm inside Jimmy’s home, and these sequences are the most interesting in the endeavor, showing off technical hustle and genre creativity, with cinematographer Flavio Labiano soaking the effort in bold lighting, aiming to communicate unreality in a striking manner.

Bones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a sharp look at the particulars of "Bones." Detail is strong all around (period tours are softer), finding facial surfaces clear, preserving make-up achievements and gory events. Costuming is fibrous, digging into the polyester varieties of yesterday and the hip, cottony gear of 2001, while Jimmy's pimp outfits handle with a leathery look. Neighborhood distances and house rooms are dimensional. Colors are distinct, keeping up with cinematographic efforts to inject as much extreme lighting into the feature as possible. Bold reds and blues are common, along with a yellowish push for the 1979 sequences. Skintones are natural. Delineation is adequate with some mild solidification. Source is in good condition.

Bones Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix presents the world of "Bones" with some circular engagement, finding ghostly happenings offering panning effects and atmospherics tended to, creating an immersive understanding of haunted house visits and neighborhood tours. Dialogue exchanges are sharp and true, preserving thespian ability and emotional escalation. Scoring is supportive, with satisfactory instrumentation, and soundtrack selections are agreeable, offering some heavier beats.

Bones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Ernest Dickerson, writer Adam Simon, and star Snoop Dogg.

• "Building Bones" (20:21, HD) is a conversation with Dickerson, who shares his lifelong love for the horror genre, raised on nightmare cinema. "Bones" was intended to be a project for Snoop Dogg, with Dickerson drawn to the idea of a "gentleman gangster" to use in the picture. Casting is explored, with Pam Grier a big get for the team, and Dickerson met his future wife on the set, giving him fond memories of the work. Design elements are detailed, including the creation of the haunted house in Vancouver, while more technical achievements are celebrated, with the use of color important to the helmer, who was hoping to pay tribute to Italian cinema, specifically Dario Argento's "Suspiria." Practical effects are noted, sharing some tricks of the trade, and Snoop's fanbase is recalled, with the rapper (who was high for the entire production period save for one scene involving fire) attracting attention from local kids. Dickerson gets candid about New Line Cinema's growing disinterest in "Bones," launching a poor marketing campaign and taking the feature away from him, recutting it without his participation.

• "Bringing Out the Dead" (17:18, HD) sits down with Adam Simon, who explores his history in the film business, coming out of USC to work with Roger Corman, handling directing duties on "Carnosaur," "Body Chemistry II," and "Brain Dead." Tasked with creating a starring vehicle for Snoop Dogg, Simon was charmed by the rapper, who wanted to become the "new Freddy," while the writer softened such evil, finding the heroism in Jimmy Bones. Planning to direct the picture, Simon ultimately passed on the job due to a family issue, clearing the way for Dickerson to take the gig. The interviewee examines production design achievements and special effects work, and he's honest about the shortcomings of the script. Simon also details his disappointment that "Bones" didn't find its intended audience during its theatrical release.

• "Urban Underworld" (11:42, HD) is a brief chat with cinematographer Flavio Labiano, who recalls his upbringing in Madrid, managing to reach Hollywood with work on "Bones." The interviewee shares his technical achievements on the film, aiming to use color in a dynamic way and turn the haunted house into a character. Special effects are inspected, and Labiano fondly recalls the amount of time and consideration that went into the look of the movie, also lamenting its status as a box office bomb in 2001, with audiences not showing up to see his labor.

• "Blood 'N' Bones" (15:19, HD) catches up with special effects artist Tony Gardner, who shares memories of his creative relationship with Dickerson and Snoop Dogg, who had to sit for the creation of a life cast, testing his patience. Individual production triumphs are noted, including work on the fat suit for Lupovich, the manufacturing of a dog for evil purposes, and the assembly of the wall of bodies. Marketing issues are raised again, as Gardner fully blames New Line Cinema for the bombing of "Bones," killing the interviewee's hopes for a sequel.

• "Digging Up 'Bones'" (23:48, SD) is a 2001 featurette on the making of "Bones," with on-set interviews discussing story beats and creative intentions. BTS footage is enjoyable to see, but only sparingly used.

• "Urban Gothic" (18:57, SD) dissects "Bones," tracking its idea and influences from other horror features, with emphasis on Italian cinema. Film clips are common, along with film theory.

• Deleted Scenes (24:35, SD) provide more background information on the characters, and additional horror beats are offered. Neighborhood activity is restored as well. These scenes can be viewed with or without commentary by Dickerson.

• Music Video (7:24, SD) presents "Dogg Named Snoop," with Snoop Dogg performing at some sort of party for "Bones."

• Theatrical Press Kit (10:45, SD) delivers a small amount of B-roll from 2001, highlighting the production's labor while assembling scenes for "Bones."

• And a Teaser Trailer (:31, SD) and a Theatrical Trailer (2:08, SD) are included.

Bones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In his interview on the Blu-ray extras, Dickerson admits "Bones" was taken out of his hands, recut by New Line Cinema suits. Of course, who knows if this actually happened, but the feature certainly plays like a compromised movie, showing little concern for narrative flow and character while spending almost every scene trying to sell a soundtrack filled with rap offerings. The goal was a generate a new slasher icon in Jimmy Bones, but the actual result is a frustratingly tepid and misguided picture that's not scary or even all that suspenseful. "Bones" is best appreciated for its periodic absurdity and flashes of style.