Consider the facts from the director's commentary: this was shot by a first time filmmaker on digital video with a shooting budget of $400, using comedians who've never acted before found in a local club in Los Angeles and allowing them to improvise based on a skeletal plot structure... And yet, despite all the places where this film can go SO wrong and remain ignored at the video store, it would be a crime not to check it out. There is A LOT of surprisingly funny moments here. The foul mouthed grade schooler bullying adults out of money. The barber who can't focus on cutting hair for want of running Yo Momma jokes on a customer. The Crazy Uncle with Vietnam flashbacks... More... And the chemistry between the two leads is startlingly rich and natural-- they work well together. Because the moments of physical comedy here are at times so broad, so slapstick, so vaudevillian, it made the film feel old fashioned-- that this could just as well been an Abbott and Costello flick remade by John Singleton. With all comedies, not all the jokes work (the crabs subplot? eh!) and this isn't one of the Greatest Films Ever... But it really charmed me and had several moments that I kept going back to over and over. It ain't worth an Oscar, but its well worth renting!
6 Reviews
wow. just, wow.
ciarafribble14 March 2005
my friends and i watched this movie last night. it was pretty incredible. by all means, this was probably the worst movie i have ever seen. at first, it was tolerable. it stunk of BAD IMPROV but it was pretty friggin hilarious, despite the scenes being too long & drawn out and the terrible quality (i read $400 budget above... sounds about right) of the film itself.
the biggest problem came from the lack of a script; with a background in improv, i know how hard it can be to keep scenes short & efficient. what happened in this film was that the actors were left to improvise the scenes and they didn't know when to stop, they just kept going for ages on stupid topics. at first i thought this was because the movie was short and they needed long, useless scenes to flesh it out. as the movie progressed, i realized it was just a really bad movie.
there were a lot of parts where i could see that the film maker had a really good idea for a shot but not the resources (or talent!?) to pull it off effectively. a lot of the scenes were taken from a single shot (cause, you know, improv) for what felt like a really long time. so boring! if you can stand to put up with and hour and a half of terrible improv, watch it. it's really funny at parts but also really stupid and annoying. the acting ranges from alright to absolutely terrible. it seemed like the only good parts were the parts that really had nothing to do with the main plot; the ballsy kid who swore lots, the barbershop, etc etc.
but yeah. painfully bad. like, i was literally hurting. after an hour or so, my friends and i just got bored and left.
the biggest problem came from the lack of a script; with a background in improv, i know how hard it can be to keep scenes short & efficient. what happened in this film was that the actors were left to improvise the scenes and they didn't know when to stop, they just kept going for ages on stupid topics. at first i thought this was because the movie was short and they needed long, useless scenes to flesh it out. as the movie progressed, i realized it was just a really bad movie.
there were a lot of parts where i could see that the film maker had a really good idea for a shot but not the resources (or talent!?) to pull it off effectively. a lot of the scenes were taken from a single shot (cause, you know, improv) for what felt like a really long time. so boring! if you can stand to put up with and hour and a half of terrible improv, watch it. it's really funny at parts but also really stupid and annoying. the acting ranges from alright to absolutely terrible. it seemed like the only good parts were the parts that really had nothing to do with the main plot; the ballsy kid who swore lots, the barbershop, etc etc.
but yeah. painfully bad. like, i was literally hurting. after an hour or so, my friends and i just got bored and left.
It has one or two moments
evan-richards8 February 2007
Given the budget and the inexperience of everyone involved, Livin' tha Life could have been worse. Jamal wants to be Chris Tucker (whom I've always found very annoying), as a previous commentator has noted, but Peanut (Edward D. Smith), while some of his (over)reactions go on way too long (a director's problem), has some comparatively subtle and funny moments, such as when he is trying to instruct Jamal on the proper method of smoking a joint with a buddy. Throughout, he is usually more poised and self-possessed than Jamal, which could have been the germ of a nice exploration of the contrasts in the relationship but wasn't developed very far.
But the inexperience of the writer/director/cinematographer/etc. is no excuse for his inattention. Has he ever seen a movie? Faces are important! Has he ever heard of a closeup? Even Ed Wood could do a closeup. I don't think it's much of a budget issue. I could only give a general description of what any of the actors look like, and not just because of no closeups, but the lighting ...! Lights for outdoor shooting may cost too much, but you can make a reflector with pieces of paper! That would have required moving the camera closer to keep the reflector out of the shot, helping to solve the closeup problem at the same time. If that's too technical you can turn the actors around so they are not in shadow, or you can expose for the shadows, and if it hadn't been shot in L.A. I'd say take advantage of cloudy days. It goes without saying that the movies this one steals from are all, with the possible exception of Weekend at Bernie's, better than this one, but Livin' tha Life would have left a much better impression if it hadn't made the viewer squint all the way through just to catch a glimpse of whatever the human element might have been.
P.S. The scene in the barbershop is just stupid.
But the inexperience of the writer/director/cinematographer/etc. is no excuse for his inattention. Has he ever seen a movie? Faces are important! Has he ever heard of a closeup? Even Ed Wood could do a closeup. I don't think it's much of a budget issue. I could only give a general description of what any of the actors look like, and not just because of no closeups, but the lighting ...! Lights for outdoor shooting may cost too much, but you can make a reflector with pieces of paper! That would have required moving the camera closer to keep the reflector out of the shot, helping to solve the closeup problem at the same time. If that's too technical you can turn the actors around so they are not in shadow, or you can expose for the shadows, and if it hadn't been shot in L.A. I'd say take advantage of cloudy days. It goes without saying that the movies this one steals from are all, with the possible exception of Weekend at Bernie's, better than this one, but Livin' tha Life would have left a much better impression if it hadn't made the viewer squint all the way through just to catch a glimpse of whatever the human element might have been.
P.S. The scene in the barbershop is just stupid.
Worst ever
IBICO3 July 2003
I have NEVER EVER seen such a bad movie before. The scene where they shoot some guy.. The pistol don`t even shoot. Damn that is baad. The scene with the boy is even not that good. no script, not any good sound, not anything good to say about this movie..
Jesus, where do I even begin??
RedlightKittens1 July 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Warning spoilers:
Normally I wouldn't even do this; a "movie" this bad shames itself on its own, and doesn't even require criticism. So this message isn't to warn the public, it's to notify the director. Hopefully, he will stumble upon these comments and learn what NOT to do when it comes to making a "movie."
You may notice I keep putting the word "movie" in quotes. That's because I use that term loosely; this isn't even a "movie," but yet a recording done by someone's personal home camcorder amongst obvious neighborhood friends. Which brings me to rule number one:
1.) Do NOT hire people simply because they are your friends. They cannot act! Hire actors!!! Please keep in mind people that I am not dissing this "movie" simply because of low production values. Low budget doesn't automatically mean a bad movie. I've seen plenty of great low budget films done for under a hundred grand (Clerks, Hollywood Shuffle, She's Gotta Have It.) No, I am dissing this "movie" because it is the worst piece of crap I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through in my life. Which brings me to rule number two...
2.) Do NOT try to replicate movies everyone is already familiar with-- in this case, the movie FRIDAY. The Jamal character in Livin' Tha Life wants to be Chris Tucker so bad, watching his over-acting performance is like fingernails on a blackboard.
3.) HAVE A PLOT!!! A "movie" about two whining, complaining, and arguing buddies is NOT funny! For 90 minutes all we hear is screaming, fighting, and whiny people talking over each other with muffled dialogue, repeated dialogue and pointless profanity. Profanity is not funny all on its own. The great comedians of the world always manage to throw some jokes around the cuss words.
4.) If you don't need it, get rid of it!!! Or as I like to say, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit! What's with all the pointless characters in this flick?? Let's start with Peanut's stripper girlfriend. The "movie" sets her up to be a cheating mate and potential lesbian, but we never see her again. Was she in the "movie" simply to show her great big booty to the camera? I think she was. (Sidenote to director: Gratuitous nudity only works if the woman on screen is GOOD LOOKING!) Secondly, what was with the endless barbershop scene? The fat guy was horribly unfunny, no one even got a haircut, and then we never even see the barber again. We won't even begin to talk about the gay penitentiary guy (stolen from Money Talks and Friday After Next) and we also won't begin to talk about the two "twin" hookers.
5.) Hire an EDITOR!! Why do the scenes in this movie continue for an eternity? The same lines are said over, and over, and over and NEVER end! Microphones are never used, so we are forced to try to "make out" what people are saying. One character even gets shot and there is no blood. The "movie" takes place in one day but the sun sets about 5 times. Also, get a script! An entirely improvised movie will only work with skilled and seasoned professionals! And get a soundtrack instead of a Casio SK-1. My God, this was bad!
One positive note I can say for Livin' Tha Life: There is a scene of a little boy in a grocery store arguing with a Japanese woman behind the counter. This is the funniest scene in the "movie," but even this scene is repeated too often and the little boy quickly loses his value. The "filmmakers" know this is the "movie's" strongest scene, because this clip has been floating around the internet as a download. I guess they figure that with no marketing, and no trailers, they can show the flick's best scene, float it around the internet by word of mouth, and wait for suckers like me to be tricked into renting the "movie." Well, they got me once, but never again. I don't even know why I am wasting my time even writing this review. Just thinking about the whole experience is making my stomach hurt all over again.
Normally I wouldn't even do this; a "movie" this bad shames itself on its own, and doesn't even require criticism. So this message isn't to warn the public, it's to notify the director. Hopefully, he will stumble upon these comments and learn what NOT to do when it comes to making a "movie."
You may notice I keep putting the word "movie" in quotes. That's because I use that term loosely; this isn't even a "movie," but yet a recording done by someone's personal home camcorder amongst obvious neighborhood friends. Which brings me to rule number one:
1.) Do NOT hire people simply because they are your friends. They cannot act! Hire actors!!! Please keep in mind people that I am not dissing this "movie" simply because of low production values. Low budget doesn't automatically mean a bad movie. I've seen plenty of great low budget films done for under a hundred grand (Clerks, Hollywood Shuffle, She's Gotta Have It.) No, I am dissing this "movie" because it is the worst piece of crap I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through in my life. Which brings me to rule number two...
2.) Do NOT try to replicate movies everyone is already familiar with-- in this case, the movie FRIDAY. The Jamal character in Livin' Tha Life wants to be Chris Tucker so bad, watching his over-acting performance is like fingernails on a blackboard.
3.) HAVE A PLOT!!! A "movie" about two whining, complaining, and arguing buddies is NOT funny! For 90 minutes all we hear is screaming, fighting, and whiny people talking over each other with muffled dialogue, repeated dialogue and pointless profanity. Profanity is not funny all on its own. The great comedians of the world always manage to throw some jokes around the cuss words.
4.) If you don't need it, get rid of it!!! Or as I like to say, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit! What's with all the pointless characters in this flick?? Let's start with Peanut's stripper girlfriend. The "movie" sets her up to be a cheating mate and potential lesbian, but we never see her again. Was she in the "movie" simply to show her great big booty to the camera? I think she was. (Sidenote to director: Gratuitous nudity only works if the woman on screen is GOOD LOOKING!) Secondly, what was with the endless barbershop scene? The fat guy was horribly unfunny, no one even got a haircut, and then we never even see the barber again. We won't even begin to talk about the gay penitentiary guy (stolen from Money Talks and Friday After Next) and we also won't begin to talk about the two "twin" hookers.
5.) Hire an EDITOR!! Why do the scenes in this movie continue for an eternity? The same lines are said over, and over, and over and NEVER end! Microphones are never used, so we are forced to try to "make out" what people are saying. One character even gets shot and there is no blood. The "movie" takes place in one day but the sun sets about 5 times. Also, get a script! An entirely improvised movie will only work with skilled and seasoned professionals! And get a soundtrack instead of a Casio SK-1. My God, this was bad!
One positive note I can say for Livin' Tha Life: There is a scene of a little boy in a grocery store arguing with a Japanese woman behind the counter. This is the funniest scene in the "movie," but even this scene is repeated too often and the little boy quickly loses his value. The "filmmakers" know this is the "movie's" strongest scene, because this clip has been floating around the internet as a download. I guess they figure that with no marketing, and no trailers, they can show the flick's best scene, float it around the internet by word of mouth, and wait for suckers like me to be tricked into renting the "movie." Well, they got me once, but never again. I don't even know why I am wasting my time even writing this review. Just thinking about the whole experience is making my stomach hurt all over again.
Wow, funny and real
reggiejackson15 December 2004
This little independent video was one of the funniest rentals I have ever seen. It is very rare that comedy is used as cinema verity, but this project fits the genre perfectly. If you're bored with the on-slaught of "Ghetto Comedies", check this out. Filmed in an almost "reality-TV" setting, the viewer seems to be the third-eye in the character's mishaps. The scene with the little boy in the Korean market is a film gem. I accidentally saw that small clip before I saw the video and was quite surprised to see it in its entirety. There is dialogue in this movie that could potentially become standard slang phrases. I wonder what the director could've done with more money. He definitely needs another chance. It also reminds me of a modern day colorized Charlie Chaplin movie with a dash of Cheech and Chong and a little Richard Pryor on the side. If you're tired of the big screen flops like "Soul Plane", etc. this should give you hope that a better product in on the horizon.
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