Black Snake Moan [HD] DVD

Black Snake Moan
When a weathered, God-fearing ex-Blues musician finds the town nymphomaniac severely beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, he vows to cure her of her wicked ways in Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer's raw and unflinching follow-up. Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a hard-living ex-Blues guitarist for whom the troubled days are beginning to outnumber the good. Rae (Christina Ricci) is a 22-year-old sex addict whose wild ways are finally about to catch up with her. When Lazarus discovers Rae covered in dust and clinging to life on the side of the road, he takes her in and nurses her back to health; but Lazarus isn't your typical caregiver, he's more concerned for Rae's immortal soul than he is for her physical well-being. Now, after chaining Rae down and employing the power of the Good Book to curb the salacious seductress' hedonistic ways, Lazarus will be forced to confront his own darkest demons in order to save the soul of a woman whose one-way ticket to hell has already been paid in full. Now, as Lazarus wages a righteous struggle to redeem the soul of the fallen Rae while simultaneously ensuring that his own life hasn't been lived in vain, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's possessive boyfriend, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) -- a roughneck Guardsman currently preparing for a tour of duty in Iraq -- comes searching for his missing lover. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus Woods Christina Ricci as Rae Justin Timberlake as Ronnie S. Epatha Merkerson as Angela John Cothran, Jr. as Reverend R.L. David Banner as Tehronne Michael Raymond-James as Gill Adriane Lenox as Rose Woods Kim Richards as Sandy (Rae's Mother) Neimus K. Williams as Lincoln Son House as Himself Leonard Thomas as Deke Woods Ruby Wilson as Mayella Claude Phillips as Bojo Amy Lavere as Jesse Clare Grant as Kell Jeff Pope as Batson Charles Skip Pitts as Charlie Willie Hall as Pinetop John Malloy as Gene T.C. Sharpe as Archie John Still as Herman Jared Hopkins as Auto Worker Tosh Newman as Conner Cody Block as Bryan Benjamin Rednour as Guardsman Carnell Pepper as Melvin David Chapman as Red Jolynne Palmer as Ella Mae Raymond Neal as Herschel John Pickle as Arty Kim Justis as Waitress Cedric Burnside as Himself Kenny Brown as Himself

Crew Liba Daniels - Art Director Winsome Sinclair - Casting Kimberly Hardin - Casting Marc Franklin - Conductor Paul A. Simmons - Costume Designer James Alan Hensz - First Assistant Director Craig Brewer - Director Billy Fox - Editor Ron Schmidt - Executive Producer Joani Yarbrough - Hair Styles Phillip Ivey - Hair Styles Martin Lane - Location Manager Scott Bomar - Composer (Music Score) Scott Bomar - Musical Arrangement Tina Kerwin Roesler - Makeup Jeff Greely - Camera Operator Paul Sanchez - Camera Operator Keith Brian Burns - Production Designer Amelia Allain - Cinematographer Amy Vincent - Cinematographer Stephanie Allain - Producer John Singleton - Producer Adele Plauche - Set Designer Andy Black - Sound/Sound Designer Dane A. Davis - Sound/Sound Designer Steve M. Davison - Stunts Coordinator Kiante Elam - Stunts Coordinator Ron Schmidt - Unit Production Manager Craig Brewer - Screenwriter Scott Bomar - Executive Music Producer Jim Dickinson - Musical Performer Jonathan Kirkscey - Musical Performer Roy Brewer - Musical Performer Otha Andre Evans - Musical Performer Willie Wilson - Musical Performer Jesse Allen - Musical Performer Jason Freeman - Musical Performer Cody Dickinson - Musical Performer Luther Dickinson - Musical Performer Melvin Mosley - Musical Performer Percy Cole - Musical Performer Jimmie Allen, Sr. - Musical Performer Terra Mair Abroms - Post Production Supervisor Darian Corley - Properties Master David E. Fluhr - Re-Recording Mixer Kevin E. Carpenter - Re-Recording Mixer Ilene Pickus - Script Supervisor Mike Weesner - Special Effects Coordinator Colin Hudson - Steadicam Operator Frank T. Smathers - Supervising Sound Editor Dan Cornwall - Chief Lighting Technician Brian Markey - Construction Coordinator Omar Simmons - Costumes Supervisor Donna Premick - Key Make-up Meg Everist - Set Decorator Haley B. Sweet - Supervising Producer Heather Grierson - Assistant Director

Black Snake Moan
You have to hand it to Craig Brewer -- not only is he a filmmaker who isn't afraid to court controversy, but he's also a director who possesses the ability to coax incredibly fearless performances out of his actors as well. Love it or hate, Black Snake Moan isn't quite the slice of neo-backwoods exploitation that the lurid-looking trailers would suggest -- yet upon viewing the film, it's plain to see how Paramount Vantage would be at a loss as to how to market such a defiantly unique film. Equal parts pulpy guilty pleasure and soulful meditation on the pain of lost love, Black Snake Moan opens with two characters reeling from heartbreak and carefully moves forward to detail how they ultimately find the strength in one another to move beyond their suffocating setbacks. At its core, the film is a surprisingly tender two-piece character study that may surprise viewers who came in expecting a raunchy piece of unrepentant sleaze. Though no one who sees the film is likely to deny that it is by turns brutally funny, intentionally over-the-top, and playfully controversial, Black Snake Moan is also disarmingly endearing. From the tenuous romance that develops between Samuel L. Jackson's God-fearing bluesman and the town pharmacist (memorably played by S. Epatha Merkerson) to the dysfunctional bond between Christina Ricci's afflicted nymphomaniac and her anxiety-prone boyfriend (a woefully miscast but reluctantly tolerable Justin Timberlake) and the thunder-and-lightning musical exorcism that serves as the film's electrifying centerpiece, writer/director Brewer consistently impresses by allowing his characters to define themselves through their actions as well as their words. While any other actor spouting lines about redemption and wickedness would likely come off as merely laughable, one-time weary Pulp Fiction hitman Jackson delivers them with a conviction that, while undeniably humorous at times, also conveys an unexpected measure of gravity. It's almost impossible to imagine anyone else playing Jackson's role, and with Black Snake Moan, his fans are truly in for a treat. The same goes for Ricci as well, who becomes practically unrecognizable as the wickedness of her character's past clashes violently with the righteousness of her well-intending captor. Likewise, John Cothran Jr., Michael Raymond-James, and hip-hop producer-turned-actor David Banner all turn in memorable supporting performances as the large-hearted town preacher, the deceptive best friend, and the straight-shooting local drug-dealer. Though the plot itself isn't entirely unpredictable as the gears get into motion, it's a testament to Brewer's skill as a writer that one is never truly sure of precisely how the events will unfold as the pieces of the story gradually fall into place. For those who were curious just what Brewer would come up with next as the credits to Hustle & Flow began to roll, Black Snake Moan proves a satisfying follow-up that may prove to be far too original and unconventional for its own good. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
 

Southeastern Film Critics Award, Wyatt Award (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: Commentary by writer/director Craig Brewer "Conflicted: The Making of Black Snake Moan" "Rooted in the Blues" "The Black Snake Moan" Deleted Scenes HD MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 115 min