American Pimp
Urban auteur filmmakers, the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents) hitthe mean streets with an “incredibly entertaining and charismatic” (Shout) expose on real-life pimps. A “snappy, stylish documentary” (The New York Post) containing “blunt, raw power and stylistic energy” (The Hollywood Reporter), American Pimp is “a primer on pimp craftand culture” (Shout) that takes you into the shadowy world of prostitution, “putting on the screen everything you ever wanted to know about pimps” (Nuart). Cutting straight to the heart of the world’s oldest profession, this intimate portrait of infamous “mack-daddies” like Filmore Slim, C-Note, Gorgeous Dre and Rosebudd is eye-opening and shocking. From the dirty streets of New York, L.A. and San Francisco to the “Player’s Ball” in Milwaukee, you’ll walk the boulevard ofbroken dreams and hear every heart-wrenching story and hilarious anecdote. It’s an exclusive ride you’ve never experiencedand won’t soon forget.There’s a fascinating film to be made about the pimp culture and the myth of the outlaw sexual entrepreneur. American Pimp, a slick and entertaining but rather timid documentary by filmmaking brother act Allen and Albert Hughes (Menace 2 Society, Dead Presidents) isn’t quite it, but it’s a captivating document nonetheless. Flashy, garrulous real-life characters with names like Charm, Rosebudd, Too $hort, C-Note, and the “internationally known” Bishop Don Magic Juan take over their interviews with silver-tongued charm, spinning self-aggrandizing, often contradictory stories of life in the trade. The Hughes never challenge those contradictions and give only token representation to the women in the life (who have either bought into the myth or are too cowed to say differently). Apart from a few unguarded statements by less cagey subjects, the film avoids the seedy flip side to the so-called benevolent relationship between pimp and “ho.” More to the Hughes’ point is the fluid relationship between media image (as celebrated in such blaxploitation classics such as The Mack and Willie Dynamite) and street image. Simultaneously embracing and decrying their outlaw status, these pimps transform themselves into peacocklike fashion statements inspired by the very images they find so denigrating. They are undeniably dynamic characters playing out a bizarre fantasy of wealth, power, and swaggering sexuality, but if the film shows the cracks in their masks, it never manages to reveal the men under the money or expose the fallacy behind the fantasy. –Sean Axmaker
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(out of 41 reviews)
Review by Ed Trillo for American Pimp
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If this film can be summed up into one word, it’s “Edutainment”. Believe it or not, this film is not only immensely entertaining, but it is educational as well. All our lives we’ve seen images of pimps in TV shows and movies, dressed up in their purple snakeskin outfits and acting like clowns – but “American Pimp” illustrates what real-life pimps are really like.Ok, so some of the pimps ARE a bunch of guys dressed up in purple outfits acting like clowns, but this documentary shows the side of “pimpin’” that you’ve never seen. You’ll learn about “the game” and how pimps get “knocked” for not keeping tight reins on their “hoes.” You’ll also see how their girls work day and night making hundreds, even thousands of dollars, and then handing it all over to their pimps without even getting the slightest share in profits.Why do the girls do this? Why to pimps do what they do? WHAT exactly are pimps? Well watch “American Pimp” and you’ll be educated and entertained like never before on the age-old profession of “pimpin”.This documentary ranks up there with “When They Were Kings!” It’s a MUST HAVE for any DVD collection!
Review by J. Johnson for American Pimp
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Earlier this year,I happened to catch a HBO documentary on the lives of prostitutes in the Bronx area of Hunts’ Point and was blown away.It was a rare showcase of the pysche of a hooker.
Most of the time,those type of documentaries are filmed from the point of view of the pimp not the prostitutes.
Hence,this documentary from one of my favorite directors,Allen
& Albert Hughes entitled “American Pimp”.”American Pimp” is both fasanating and disturbing.Showcasing years worth of famous pimps.From the well-known Bishop Don Magic Juan(glamourized by rappers such as Ice-T,Snoop Dogg,
Jay-Z,and Ludacris) and Too $hort to lesser knowns such as Charm and Rosebudd.
I found Bishop Don Magic Juan the most intresting pimp because
he seemed proud of his success.He even compares his wealth(courtsey of pimping) as “The American Dream”.Which is a VERY intresting view.I also found it intresting when his mother and sister were featured and they were proud of his success as well.Juan-like the other pimps featured-has a strange mix of charm,wit,self-assureness of dubious effects.You know that these men aren’t to be exactly idolized yet they’re charming and somewhat likeable.
Also noteworthy was the montage of the mainstream media’s images of pimps.A lot of which borders on the offensive.
Blaxplotation films such as “Willie Dynamite”,”Superfly”,and
“The Mack” glorified pimping.And rap artists have always adopted pimp tatics in their music and/or image to be cool.
Again,this is eyebrow raising stuff.The Hughes Brothers pulled off this documentary well,I must say.
They didn’t rely on tired sterotypes or cartoonish protrayals.
Altough I would’ve liked to have seen more commentary from the female/prostitute’s prespective,”American Pimp” is a very intresting documentary that can’t be missed.
Review by Derrick A. Cameron for American Pimp
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Excellent depiction of the life of pimping from the Hughes Brothers, who are immensely talented filmmakers and earn their documentary stripes with this work. The life is a little glorified in this movie more than it should be, but I think the Hughes Brothers do a wonderful job of trying to show all of the aspects and dimensions of pimp life across the nation, not just one city. The pimps, and whatever you might think about them, have charisma, and although you might not care about them, they are very interesting to watch, which is all you can ask of a movie with this kind of subject. Wonderful effort and it is too bad that it wasn’t widely distributed.
Review by Doem for American Pimp
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Your opinion of this movie should not be influnced by the people it represents
Pimps suck, thats true but this documentary does not
It is a lot of spittin game, which sometimes comes out looking like the pimps are being glorified. But this is what these pimps are like, this is how they con and make their money, its a 24/7 thing for them.
Are they always telling the truth? of course not, but the documentary is an accurate representation of what some pimps are like (albiet on a superficial level) and the philosophy they preach
Review by christopher b. banks for American Pimp
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I loved Pimps up Ho’s Down. American Pimp is in direct competition with the Brent Owens’ HBO directed documentary. American Pimp has the edge for two reasons. The Hughes brothers examined the gamut of pimpology from it’s inception, explaining the nature of the game and it’s complex nuances. Also, there is a wide range of pimps described in this movie. We are introduced to “Fillmore Slim” a seventy-plus mack, who’s had more than 9,000 hookers during his career as a pimp. Slim, described affectionatly by Hollywood ex-pimp, Rosebud as having his turn-out at age fifteen, giving Slim more than 60 years invested in the game. Superstar pimp, “Bishop Magic Don Juan” re-explains the pimp ho game he so eloquently described in “Pimps UP”. We are even shown a legitmate pimp, who runs the bunny farm/ranch out in the Nevada desert. The legitmate pimp does not knock the street pimps, he gives them credit for keeping the game strong.To the Hughes Bros. credit, they show the underside of pimping when a New Orleans pimp is arrested for various crimes. The pimp doesn’t cower against the system, he simply holds his head high and saves the regrets. Danny Boy, explains the origin of “macking” and how the modern era of pimping evolved. He explains how during the reconstruction era, “post civil-war” the pimps were undiscovered until they began to compile large sums of money, due to the “pimping”. Rosebud, explains how Hollywood distorts the image of the pimp, creating a clownish, cowardly figure. Kenny Red puts the game down in D.C. Charm, explains how the track works in Honolulu…These are real dudes, doing some real stuff!!Sex sells and it’s a billion dollar bizness….I don’t admire pimps, but I think they lead an intruiging life style filled with amusing stories……Curious to know if the Hughes Bros. will stick to documentaries? Or continue to make full length feature films…. Great Job? Only drawback on the DVD is the terrible interview given, where they react extremely immature….