Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (film, 2008)

A DVD review from Death Ray 13.

2006/109mins

Director: Stacy Title

Writers: Jacob Hair, Tim Sullivan, Chris Kobin, Jonathan McHugh

Starring: Lin Shaye, Billy Dee Williams, Ernie Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Danny Trejo

 As if living in da ghetto weren’t bad enough, now those homies got a demon Dogg to contend with…

Gangsta rapper Snoopy dog dog doggy dog, or whatever he’s called, has made a move in recent years into fronting his own films. Mostly these consist of laydeez fondling each other in swimming pools, but this is something different. Snoop’s made a three-part portmanteau horror film.

A lot of horror is cautionary, but as you’d expect from the film’s ambiguous frontman, the morals here are somewhat twisted, a skew-whiff look at right and wrong through the lens of the semi-criminal side of rap that waters down the lesson.

Still, it’s entertaining enough, and though never scary, it’s often bloodily silly. It opens with a stylish Animatrix style cartoon (probably to cover Dogg’s limited abilities as an actor), and closes with a rap by the Dogg himself (with which has plenty of ability). But though you can only feel respect for Snoop’s facility with rhyme, as with everything to do with the gangstas of American music, the film leaves you feeling slightly soiled by association.

Did you know?

Snoop Dogg’s real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jnr. His nickname comes from his childhood love of Peanuts.