Bones Blu-ray Review

In 1979, Jimmy Bones was a beloved figure in the community who served as a sort of protector of the neighborhood. He had money, respect and the love of a beautiful woman named Pearl. When he refused to bring in hard drugs and the lottery, Jimmy was betrayed and murdered by a corrupt cop who forced those around him to participate in the killing. His body was hidden in the basement of his brownstone and in his absence the neighborhood quickly went to hell.

Twenty-two years later, four ambitious young adults plan to renovate the building into a night club. Patrick, his brother Maurice, their sister Tia and friend Bill set about the cleanup effort and Tia finds a large black dog in one of the rooms, which she promptly feeds and cares for. Other notable discoveries include a human jawbone in the parlor, bleeding pipes and a skeleton in the basement, but they are more worried about losing a pending permit than calling the police. They meet the lovely Cynthia and her mother Pearl, who warns them to stay away from the building and don’t feed that dog. Before long, Jimmy’s spirit is awakened and his skeleton slowly rejuvenates, sparking a series of supernatural events as he assumes his deadly revenge on those who crossed him, and anyone else who gets in his way.

There is a long history of producers trying to make movie stars out of musicians. It worked well for Elvis Presley (Jailhouse Rock) and David Bowie (The Man Who Fell to Earth), not so much for Mariah Carey (Glitter) or Vanilla Ice (Cool as Ice). In 2001, it was Snoop Dogg’s turn in the spotlight in Bones, a horror film about a big-hearted hustler who returns from the dead as a spirit looking for payback. This movie takes its lead from the 1976 classic J.D.’s Revenge and puts a modern spin on the material. Snoop is clearly the reason to watch, appearing largely in a series of flashbacks intercut throughout the contemporary narrative with the teens in the house. So much emphasis is placed on his principles that it is a bit jarring when he comes back in the second half as a demon who kills indiscriminately.

Written by Adam Simon (Carnosaur) and Tim Metcalfe (Kalifornia), the script has the vibe of an old E.C. Horror comic, full of dark humor and social commentary. Jimmy Bones’ call for justice is fuzzy, as he frequently veers from his hit list and takes on innocent bystanders. His connection to this world is a Hellhound that resurrects its master by eating bad people, but only after waiting twenty years for some kids to disturb his skeletal remains. A scene involving Bones’ spirit messing with a girl in bed takes on a new level of creepiness when we later learn that she is related to him. Snoop gives a decent performance, particularly in the 1970s moments opposite the radiant Pam Grier (Coffy), but he never strikes me as particularly scary as an angry spirit.

Director Ernest Dickerson (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight) works closely with cinematographer Flavio Labiano (The Day of the Beast) to give the film a distinct visual style. The widescreen image is striking with its bold use of color and creative camera work playing with light and shadow. Dickerson is clearly influenced by the work of legendary Italian filmmakers Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace), Dario Argento (Suspiria) and Lucio Fulci (House by the Cemetery). This movie not only looks terrific, it also features some inspired practical effects, especially the wall of souls, the portal to the necropolis. There are a few dated CGI gags that stick out, but not enough to spoil the fun. Despite the many shortcomings in the script, there are some standout moments that keep things afloat.

Bones is far from being a good movie, but does entertain with its frequent stupidity. Characters repeatedly make dumb choices simply because the script orders them to. There is a giant missed opportunity with the Pearl/Bones dynamic, but Grier makes the best of the material provided. It is amazing how great she looks in the ‘70s threads and afro wig. It’s like time stops for this woman. If Snoop Dogg was hoping to step into the role of horror icon and start a franchise, audiences didn’t show him the same love and the film remains a solo venture. If you go in expecting nothing more than an urban horror story mixed with a dash of Blaxploitation cool, you will find a lot to like, but casual viewers will likely send this one to the dogs.