NARCO CULTURA
By: John ’Doc’ Strange
Directed by: Shaul Schwarz
MPAA Rating: R (for grisly graphic images of disturbing violent content, drug material, language and brief nudity)
Selig Rating: MATINEE
Runtime: 102 Min.
This is a hard hitting, down and dirty, hard to watch film about the problems in Mexico caused by the narcotics wars that have spilled onto the streets of the border towns. Shaul and his team split their time following a criminalist in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and a musician from LA.
The film talks about the drastic rise in murders in Juarez; 60,000 since 2006, and the inability of the police and other government agencies to get the troubles under control. The other thread in the film follows an up-and-coming narcocorrido singer/songwriter from LA who takes a trip to Mexico to immerse himself in the drug culture to make his music more “real.”
This is a really tough film to watch. There is the miasma of hopelessness that is so widespread throughout the Juarez area. You do not want to watch this film if you can’t handle seeing dead bodies and people doing drugs. My rating of MATINEE is not because the film isn’t well done. It is because it is extremely depressing. If you are interested in learning about the culture, watch Narco Cultura.
Movie Site: http://narcoculture.com/
The Selig Rating Scale:
FULL PRICE – Excellent movie, well worth the price
MATINEE – Good movie
DOLLAR – OK movie
CABLE – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
FREEBIE – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
COMMERCIAL TV – Commercials and cutting to the allotted time will not hurt this one.
FORGET IT! – Bad. If you see this one, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself.
GET YOUR TORCHES – BAD! – Burn the script, the writer, the director and maybe even the actors!
