putting the wild in idlewild

last night i went to a screening of idlewild.

i saw big boi on TV saying how it was more purple rain than singing in the rain, meaning that most of the songs are in the context of the nightclub stage, instead of people just bursting into song... which is only sort of true. but it's really very entertaining. silly, colorful, vibrant, fast-paced. some may find it lurid and noisy. but it was action-packed and fun without taking itself too seriously, and managed to have a plot, with characters in danger and lessons to be learned, instead of just being an extended music video.

but something happened to me during the screening of idlewild that hasn't happened in a long time in my new york movie-going experience: during the climax of the film, when there was a brawl in the nightclub on the screen, there was a brawl in the movie theater.

punches were being thrown on screen and off. and when i heard gunshots, i wasn't sure if they were in the film or in front of me. seriously.

it turned out to be a weapon-free scuffle over seat kicking... but sort of ruined the most dramatic part of the film for me.

in any case, i think bryan barber has vision and a clear point of view, and did a great job of creating a world.