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‘king of the dancehall’: film review | tiff 2016.

Nick Cannon wrote, directed and stars in 'King of the Dancehall,' a musical drama woven around the influential Jamaican dance scene, which also features Busta Rhymes.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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King of the Dancehall Still 1 - Publicity - H 2016

Even if you don’t know your Dutty Wine from your Hottie Hottie Bogle , your Pop Di Collar from your Row Di Boat, or your Wave from your Wacky Dip, chances are you’ll recognize the pulsating moves and sounds in King of the Dancehall as the frequent inspiration for artists like Beyonce and Rihanna. As writer, director and star, Nick Cannon immerses himself in the vibrant Jamaican dance scene to return those bold syncopated beats and motorized bumps and grinds to their Kingston street-culture origins. If his raggedy storytelling skills don’t match his affection for the subject, the unpolished craftsmanship is as much a part of the movie’s kick as its humor and hot rhythms.

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What it is, basically, is an entertaining mess that benefits from Cannon’s relaxed charisma as well as from the extensive exhibition of his sculpted physique. Tank tops are tossed with abandon, including one hilarious nude-look mesh number in rasta colors that comes off to showcase the rippling muscles of his character Tarzan Brixton in triplicate, as multiple images of him are shown practicing dance moves on the Jamaican shore. Call it a vanity project if you will, but there’s something inherently likeable about Cannon’s chutzpah, both in front of and behind the camera.

The Bottom Line More sweat than style or substance.

Among his inspirations, Cannon has cited City of God , which is reflected in the restless energy and saturated tropical colors; as well as Saturday Night Fever and Dirty Dancing . Unfortunately, it’s more the latter film’s contrived 2004 ersatz sequel, Havana Nights , that this formulaic string of clichés evokes. But hey, who doesn’t love a dance-off? Clearly not Cannon, for whom the element of competition has been a unifying career thread, from his breakout role in Drumline to his comedy improv battle series, Wild ‘n Out , to his 2014 directing debut, School Dance .

The film is based on a true story and, not that the plotting-by-numbers supplies much authenticity, it’s punctuated throughout by documentary-style commentary from Moses “ Beenie Man” Davis, who also provides some soundtrack tunes.

The story begins with Tarzan’s release after five years in prison. Returning home to his ailing mother ( Whoopi Goldberg , barely awake) in Brooklyn, he learns that she spent everything she had on his legal fees and is unable to afford healthcare. Having stashed away $5,000 before he went inside, Tarzan travels to Jamaica to team up with his cousin Allestar , aka “All Star Toast” ( Busta Rhymes), to move high-grade low-cost ganja at huge profits.

The veteran hip-hop star’s flair for broad comedy in helpfully subtitled thick patois is the best thing about this early section, and the blast of a time he appears to be having is quite infectious. In the midst of a spat with his lady, Allestar has temporarily moved back in with his no-nonsense mother (Dorothy Cunningham, hilarious) — “It was Christmas 1979 the last time she smiled,” says Tarzan in one of his too-frequent voiceover notes — so the two grown cousins sleep on bunk beds like outsize kids.

A local stunner named Maya instantly catches Tarzan’s eye, played by Kimberly Patterson, who applied to the makeup department but was recruited instead to be Cannon’s leading lady. She’s the daughter of a stern holy man (Louis Gossett Jr .), but her wild sensuality on the dancefloor suggests anything but prayer.

We learn that dancehall originated in the 1970s but has roots as far back as the ‘ 40s , and as dancers of all colors, shapes and sizes shimmy and pop and limbo and leap, Tarzan observes, “Down here, they put the ‘nasty’ in gymnastics.” It’s one of the cardinal rules of filming dance that the camera should never forget the feet, but cinematographer Luis Perez more often opts for the bouncing booty shot, a choice pretty much dictated by the sexually provocative moves. The dance scenes become somewhat repetitive but the athleticism on display is off the charts.

Maya explains to Tarzan that dancehall prowess is an essential part of bad-boy currency in Kingston, and that if he wants to make headway with her he had better learn to feel the beat. She gives him lessons in Daddy’s church, of all places, but keeps it strictly terpsichorean. “I consider myself a queen,” she tells him. “A man has to be a king before he can enter the castle.” To prepare him for that inevitable coronation, she hooks him up with the best underground dance crew in town, the All-Star Blazers.

Tarzan spends months refining his dance skills, while also building up his weed operation. But he ruffles the feathers of Young Dada (Colin “Collie Buddz ” Harper), the white son of a crime kingpin, by intruding on his turf and getting mixed up with Dada’s sizzling half-sister, Lady Kaydeen ( Kreesha Turner). She and Maya are old enemies, and their rivalry is played out on the dancefloor as their respective crews, the Dutty Gyals and the Ladyeez , do battle.

Dada’s goons and the corrupt cops on his payroll put a serious crimp in Tarzan’s operations, and things look grim until Maya’s father uses his connections to help. Determined to go straight and honor a promise made to his mother, Tarzan sees the cash prize in a dance clash as his key to a fresh start. But while things get serious with Maya, Kaydeen doesn’t take rejection lightly, calling in her sociopathic gangster father (Peter Stormare , in a bonkers performance) to dole out punishment.

To his credit, Cannon chooses not to wrap it all up with an improbably happy ending, but instead to anoint Tarzan as a legend in a bittersweet conclusion that carries on his legacy. Even on the rare occasions when the story does take an unpredictable turn, however, there’s a rote feel to the proceedings, with the lack of shading in the characters and performances robbing the romantic thread of much depth. Some truly awkward closeups don’t help in that regard.

Cannon favors the busy cutting and frenetic pace of music videos, while handling dialogue scenes with more obligation than interest. That means the dramatic stakes never feel terribly real, even when Dada is out for blood. But the movie comes alive on the dancefloor , which is where it matters most, and the film partly compensates in scrappy charm for what it lacks in sophistication.

Production company: Ncredible Entertainment Cast: Nick Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes, Kimberly Patterson, Kreesha Turner, Louis Gossett Jr ., Moses “ Beenie Man” Davis, Colin “Collie Buddz ” Harper, Peter Stormare , Dorothy Cunningham, Screechie , Carl Bradshaw Director-screenwriter: Nick Cannon Producer: Nick Cannon, Roger Ubina Director of photography: Luis Perez Production designer: Khahil Deane Costume designer: Dexter Pottinger Editors: Harvey White, Erik C. Andersen Music: Salaam Remi Choreographer: Jae Blaze Casting directors: Odessa Chambers, Mellicent Dyane Venue: Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentation) Sales: ICM Partners

106 minutes.

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King of the dancehall, common sense media reviewers.

Gratuitous sex, violence mar glimpse at dancehall culture.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Any attempts at showing the rich culture and histo

Lead character wants to buy $5,000 worth of mariju

Shooting death. Fights between rival gangs. With a

Gratuitous sex scenes -- no nudity, strategically

"F--k" and variations frequently used. "P---y," "b

Marijuana smoking. Cigarette smoking. Drinking in

Parents need to know that King of the Dancehall is a 2017 movie in which Nick Cannon plays a man from Brooklyn who moves to Jamaica and becomes immersed in the life of dancehall music and culture. The movie is primarily spoken in Jamaican patois, with English subtitles. There's frequent profanity, including…

Positive Messages

Any attempts at showing the rich culture and history of Jamaica's dancehall music scene are overshadowed by the sex, drugs, and violence that most of the characters participate in throughout the movie.

Positive Role Models

Lead character wants to buy $5,000 worth of marijuana while in Jamaica. Characters resort to violence to settle disputes.

Violence & Scariness

Shooting death. Fights between rival gangs. With a switchblade, a man carves (presumably) the name of the gang into the back of his rival. Cars blown up. Fights with punches, kicks, bottles to the head. Lead character beat up while in jail. Talk of armed robbery. Gang members place bets as a cockfight begins, blood.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Gratuitous sex scenes -- no nudity, strategically placed long hair over breasts. Exposed female buttocks while dancing. Close-ups of twerking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k" and variations frequently used. "P---y," "bitch," "a--hole," "s--t," "piss" also regularly used.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Marijuana smoking. Cigarette smoking. Drinking in nightclub.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that King of the Dancehall is a 2017 movie in which Nick Cannon plays a man from Brooklyn who moves to Jamaica and becomes immersed in the life of dancehall music and culture. The movie is primarily spoken in Jamaican patois, with English subtitles. There's frequent profanity, including regular use of "f--k" and its variations. Other cursing includes "p---y," "bitch," "a--hole," and "s--t." Gratuitous sex scenes steer clear of showing nudity, with strategically placed long hair over breasts. There are lots of dance scenes in which the camera slows down while filming close-ups of female buttocks twerking. A character is shot and killed. Fight scenes include the lead character getting beaten up in jail, and a member of a gang carving the gang's logo into the back of a rival gang member with a switchblade. Characters smoke marijuana and cigarettes, and there's drinking in a dance club. The lead character tries to buy $5,000 worth of marijuana. Overall, the story of dancehall culture is overshadowed by the sex and violence of the lead character's immersion into gang life in Jamaica. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

to days world

What's the story.

Tarzan ( Nick Cannon ) has just been paroled after five years in prison for dealing drugs, and is back in Brooklyn. His mother ( Whoopi Goldberg ) is sick and trying to make ends meet; despite her asking Tarzan to live a righteous life, he instead goes to Jamaica with the intention of buying $5,000 worth of marijuana and using the profits to help cover his mother's medical expenses. Upon arrival in Jamaica, he hooks up with his cousin Toasta ( Busta Rhymes ), who introduces Tarzan to the dancehall scene, and by extension, the seedy underworld of a dance culture whose style has been copied by so many back in the States. Soon Tarzan meets Maya, the beautiful sister of Toasta's wife. As she teaches him how to dance the dancehall way, Tarzan's skills improve quickly, and a romance ensues. This arouses the ire of Dada, a white gangster leader whose father is a high-ranking official on the island, and also the ire of Maya's fire-and-brimstone preacher father ( Louis Gossett Jr. ). Soon Tarzan and his crew face retaliation at every turn, even landing Tarzan back in jail. Tarzan must find a way out of jail, be ready to compete in a $10 million dancehall dance competition, and cement his legend as the once and forever KING OF THE DANCEHALL.

Is It Any Good?

This movie attempts to show the traditions, dancing, and seedy underbelly of Jamaican dancehall culture. There's a lot to discover: the competitions, the dance gangs, and dancehall's pervasive influence on the choreography of pop singers in the States. It's a subculture worth exploring, one with plenty of characters and potential for excitement and conflict. While some of that is explored here, the plot spoils this potential with gratuitous sex and violence and the kind of self-indulgence in which director, writer, and lead actor Nick Cannon decides in various scenes to take his shirt off and reveal his six-pack abs.

It's almost as if there's a lack of faith in the substance of King of the Dancehall , so Cannon decided to throw in stylized sex scenes and violence in case the dancing wasn't enough for everyone. And even with the dancing, the cameras never stay still long enough, and Cannon's incessant voice-overs don't stop long enough to just let the audience experience for themselves how good the dancing is. And the tropes to the story, such as the dying mother who needs money posthaste to pay for her medical bills, the beautiful woman whose father is a fire-and-brimstone preacher who doesn't like the lead character's sinful ways, and the outsider who can't dance at first but then suddenly excels, are clichés that clash with the moments when the movie works best. Those moments are when dancehall -- and Jamaica, period -- are given some space to speak in its patois (with very helpful English subtitles), its dancers are given the space to perform, and the scenery of Jamaica itself is allowed to shine. Unfortunately, these moments get overwhelmed by everything else.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Jamaica's dancehall culture. How is this subculture shown through the story, the characters, and the setting of King of the Dancehall ?

Did the sex and violence seem necessary to the movie, or did it feel gratuitous? Why?

How does this movie compare to other movies centered on dancing?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2017
• Cast : Nick Cannon , Whoopi Goldberg , Louis Gossett Jr.
• Director : Nick Cannon
• Inclusion Information : Black directors, Black actors, Female actors
• Studio : YouTubeRed
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 112 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 26, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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King of the Dancehall Reviews

Gratuitous sex, violence mar glimpse at dancehall culture.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 8, 2017

... presented in such a sloppy fashion as to be rendered nearly incoherent, and the movie itself is so clearly Cannon's love letter to himself that it's impossible to take this seriously as an actual movie.

Full Review | Oct 17, 2017

It would have been so easy to get this movie right. The vibrant culture, pulsating energy and talented dancers busting up the floor are all here. All Cannon had to do was let us enjoy them.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Sep 13, 2016

Hysterical, feverish, incredibly watchable ...

Full Review | Sep 13, 2016

Multi-hyphenate artist Nick Cannon adds another skill to his resume with his directorial debut.

Full Review | Sep 12, 2016

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Review: ‘king of the dancehall’ interpolates the worlds of caribbean dance and real life.

By Richy Rosario

Richy Rosario

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In King of the Dancehall , its executive producer, producer, screenwriter and main character Nick Cannon , has proven once again he’s a jack of all trades. The film, which was released on Aug. 2 through YouTube Red, aims to highlight Jamaica’s ubiquitous dancehall culture.

During the filming process, Cannon’s effort to showcase the island’s dance community was his main goal. “I felt like it’s a sub culture that hasn’t really been shared with mainstream media,” he explains over the phone to VIBE from Los Angeles. “It’s something the people have been borrowing for so long but no one has ever heard the true story of dancehall culture.”

Nick Cannon’s ‘Wild N’ Out’ Ratings Soar After Chance The Rapper Appearance

Through a coming of age tale he excels at exposing the essence of Caribbean culture. The 36 year-old stars in the film as Tarzan, a Brooklyn drug dealer who recently completed a five-year bid in prison. His ill bed ridden mother (played by Whoppi Goldberg) struggles to make ends meet, and simultaneously attempts to coax her son to stop the street life.

But as Tarzan sees his world defined by the struggle, he comes up with a scheme in Kingston to make some much-needed cash. Once he gets there, viewers get introduced to his cousin, Allestar, aka Toasta—magnificently played by a patois speaking Busta Rhymes . Cannon says Busta, who is of Jamaican descent, was already a brother figure to him before their time on set. Toasta, who recently gets kicked out of his house by his wife, is also trying to jump over some hurdles himself.

Interview: Busta Rhymes Thinks Swizz Beatz Will Overthrow Timbaland In Upcoming Beat Battle

He’s found in a territorial clash with Donovan “Dada” Davidson (played by dancehall artist, Collie Budz).The movie, which was shot in Jamaica has beautiful sceneries with the sun bathed picturesque views the island has to offer. There’s also outstanding footage of the gritty club scene. The dancing is phenomenal, and will easily make you dance all over your living room.

The True Winner Of Summer ’16 Was Caribbean Culture

Thematically, the film is reminiscent of a young Cannon on 2003’s Love Don’t Cost a Thing and 2002’s Drumline . While the plots of each these films are totally different, there’s something about Tarzan’s character that reminds you the other ones.

The Wild n’ Out host says he was inspired in creating the film, since the first time he went to Jamaica. Additionally, the script was based on a series of interviews he did with members of the dancehall community, which then led to him creating a fictitious account of all those real life vignettes.

Besides all the trouble, there are moments of laughter especially when it comes to Rhymes’ Jamaican accent. You can tell as he switches on and off in between Jamaican and American linguistics, he’s fighting against dissolving into a fit of giggles. King of the Dancehall has a tragic ending, but its creator aims to leave viewers with knowing, “the power of dancehall, and the history it has created.”

Watch the film on YouTube Red below.

Views From The Studio: 7 Producers On The Global Spread Of Afrobeats & Dancehall

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Repeating Islands

News and commentary on caribbean culture, literature, and the arts, review: ‘king of the dancehall’ interpolates the worlds of caribbean dance and real life.

A report by Richy Rosario for  Vibe .

In  King of the Dancehall , its executive producer, producer, screenwriter and main character Nick Cannon, has proven once again he’s a jack of all trades. The film, which was released on Aug. 2 through YouTube Red, aims to highlight Jamaica’s ubiquitous dancehall culture.

During the filming process, Cannon’s effort to showcase the island’s dance community was his main goal. “I felt like it’s a sub culture that hasn’t really been shared with mainstream media,” he explains over the phone to  VIBE  from Los Angeles. “It’s something the people have been borrowing for so long but no one has ever heard the true story of dancehall culture.”

Through a coming of age tale he excels at exposing the essence of Caribbean culture. The 36 year-old stars in the film as Tarzan, a Brooklyn drug dealer who recently completed a five-year bid in prison. His ill bed ridden mother (played by Whoppi Goldberg) struggles to make ends meet, and simultaneously attempts to coax her son to stop the street life.

But as Tarzan sees his world defined by the struggle, he comes up with a scheme in Kingston to make some much-needed cash. Once he gets there, viewers get introduced to his cousin, Allestar, aka Toasta—magnificently played by a patois speaking Busta Rhymes. Cannon says Busta, who is of Jamaican descent, was already a brother figure to him before their time on set. Toasta, who recently gets kicked out of his house by his wife, is also trying to jump over some hurdles himself.

He’s found in a territorial clash with Donovan “Dada” Davidson (played by dancehall artist, Collie Budz).The movie, which was shot in Jamaica has beautiful sceneries with the sun bathed picturesque views the island has to offer. There’s also outstanding footage of the gritty club scene. The dancing is phenomenal, and will easily make you dance all over your living room.

Thematically, the film is reminiscent of a young Cannon on 2003’s  Love Don’t Cost a Thing  and 2002’s  Drumline . While the plots of each these films are totally different, there’s something about Tarzan’s character that reminds you the other ones.

The  Wild n’ Out  host says he was inspired in creating the film, since the first time he went to Jamaica. Additionally, the script was based on a series of interviews he did with members of the dancehall community, which then led to him creating a fictitious account of all those real life vignettes.

Besides all the trouble, there are moments of laughter especially when it comes to Rhymes’ Jamaican accent. You can tell as he switches on and off in between Jamaican and American linguistics, he’s fighting against dissolving into a fit of giggles.  King of the Dancehall  has a tragic ending, but its creator aims to leave viewers with knowing, “the power of dancehall, and the history it has created.”

Watch the film on YouTube Red below.

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King of the Dancehall

Nick Cannon (Tarzan Brixton) Collie Buddz (Donovan 'Dada' Davidson) Camille Davis (Peta-Gaye) Whoopi Goldberg (Loretta Brixton) Louis Gossett Jr. (The Bishop) Barrington Levy (Man at the Airport) Rohan Lyttle (Raddy Rich) Beenie Man (Beenie Man) Ky-Mani Marley (Jungle Owner) Kimberly Patterson (Maya Fenster)

Nick Cannon

A young man from Brooklyn gets caught up in Jamaica's lively Dancehall music scene.

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'King of the Dancehall': Toronto Review

By Wendy Ide 2016-09-12T12:49:00+01:00

Dir: Nick Cannon. 2015. USA. Jamaica. 100 mins

Multi-hyphenate artist Nick Cannon adds another skill to his resume with his directorial debut. This lively Jamaica-set romance serves both as a showcase for the thriving dancehall scene, and as a kind of display cabinet for Cannon’s impressive six-pack. In addition to directing, Cannon wrote the picture and stars as Tarzan Brixton, a Brooklyn-born ex-con who decides to celebrate his release from prison by starting up a drug wholesale business based in Jamaica. Busta Rhymes is larger than life in the supporting role of Tarzan’s cousin Allestar, aka All Star Toasta, which allows him to demonstrate broad comic skills and an assortment of ill-advised T-shirts.

Cannon flings the camera into the heart of the dance floor, putting the audience at waist height among all the gyrating bodies.

Existing fans of Busta Rhymes and Nick Cannon, plus dancehall aficionados, will be the main audience for this film. For all its crackling energy and good humour, it lacks the technical polish and narrative accessibility to break out beyond a public which already has a degree of familiarity with the milieu and the music. Theatrical prospects are healthiest in the US and the Caribbean, where it could possibly enjoy The Harder The Come -style cult success.

Tarzan’s release from prison after five years reunites him with his beloved mother (Whoopi Goldberg). She is ailing, and after having to pay for his legal fees, she can’t afford proper healthcare. Tarzan’s plan – to import high grade drugs from Jamaica – soon brings him to the island, which glows with a popping tropical colour palette. There he meets Maya (Kimberly Patterson), the daughter of the local bishop and an exceptional proponent of the dancehall moves that Tarzan soon realises that he needs to learn.

In short order, Tarzan falls foul of Dada (Colin ‘Collie Buddz’ Harper), the son of a local billionaire businessman and the self-appointed gangster king of the island. Dada also has his own dance troupe, the Dada Posse, who rule the floors of the dancehall every night. With tutoring from Maya, Tarzan sets out to challenge Dada’s supremacy, fronting his team of dancers, the All Star Blazers. But then Dada’s half-sister, Kaydeen (Kreesha Turner), decides to put Tarzan on her to-do list.

Cannon flings the camera into the heart of the dance floor, putting the audience at waist height among all the gyrating bodies. The dynamic effect is somewhat marred by a tendency to underlight scenes, plus the excitable editing that makes it quite difficult to follow the dancing. Still, the sexually charged athleticism of dancehall scene is electrifying.

Elsewhere, Cannon resorts to a fair few hoary old cliches. The sex scene in which Maya and Tarzan consummate their love is a little heavy on wafting net curtains and shots of glistening sweat. That said, there is a natural and very palpable chemistry between Cannon and newcomer Patterson, who applied to the film as a makeup artist but was discovered as a performer.

The technical package is a little rough around the edges. The sound mix means that some dialogue is hard to follow. The Jamaican accents are all subtitled, which helps immensely, however Cannon’s own lines frequently get lost in the mix. There is a weakness for music video editing. And a scene featuring Peter Stormare, as the billionaire father of Dada and Kaydeen, is so bizarre and incomprehensible, you can only conclude that everyone working on it overdid it on Jamaica’s finest homegrown product.

Production company: Ncredible Entertainment

International sales: ICM partners

Producers: Roger Ubina

Screenplay: Nick Cannon

Cinematography: Luis Perez

Editor: Erik C. Andersen, Harvey White

Production design: Khalil Deane

Original score: DJ Buddha, Salaam Remi

Main cast: Nick Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes, Peter Stormare, Kimberly Patterson, Lou Gossett Jr., Kreesha Turner, Ky Mani Marley, Collie Buddz, Killer Bean, Beenie Man

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‘King Of The Dancehall’ Review: Nick Cannon’s Love Letter To Contemporary Jamaica Can’t Stay On The Beat — TIFF 2016

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One part treatise on the power of dance, one part paint-by-the-numbers rom-com, one part crime drama and entirely, unexpectedly bonkers, Nick Cannon ‘s latest directorial outing “King of the Dancehall” giddily and greedily blends tropes and tricks into an amusing if deeply uneven romp set to the throbbing tones of Jamaican dancehall music. Cannon pulls quadruple duty on the film, serving as director, screenwriter, producer and star in a feature that happily blends together plotting that wouldn’t be out of place in either a “Step Up” feature or a shoddy “Scarface” knockoff. And while the sum of its parts are never as energetic as its base components, there’s an unmistakable charm to whatever the hell it is Cannon is trying to do here.

As Tarzan Brixton (don’t worry about the name, it will be endlessly mocked and never explained), Cannon stars as a Brooklyn boy only recently out of prison — five years for attempted robbery — and while he promises his mother (an initially unrecognizable Whoopi Goldberg) that things will change now that he’s out of the clink, he soon launches a plan to make some cash that involves getting on the wrong side of the law all over again. Tarzan is unapologetic about his work as a “hustler,” and Cannon’s charisma is often just  enough to keep Tarzan likable enough for audiences.

READ MORE: TIFF 2016: 9 Breakthrough Names To Look Out For At The Festival

Tarzan sets off for Jamaica with a stack of American money in his pocket, determined to turn it into Jamaican marijuana and make a pretty penny while doing so. It’s a fine enough plan, but one thrown into almost immediate disarray when his cousin (a wonderful Busta Rhymes, nailing Jamaican Patois with so much ease that the film requires subtitles when most of its Jamaican characters are speaking), a local DJ, introduces him to the dancehall ecosystem that fuels so much of the island’s contemporary culture. Initially dismissive of the dancing — what kind of gangster dances? in Jamaica, it’s all of them — Tarzan soon falls for both the lifestyle and the literally able-bodied Maya (Kimberly Patterson, a breakout talent in her first on-screen role).

“Asses are everywhere,” Tarzan tells us in one of the film’s many voiceovers, breaking down the most prevalent appeal of the dancehall during one of the film’s most energetic (and likely its best) sequences. The film excels when focused on the dancehall and its social strata, and Cannon’s story would do well to stay focused on the colorful, wild and aurally pleasing world that Kingston’s dancehall culture offers, but the budding filmmaker insists on packing his feature ever tighter with dueling interests and elements.

Stylishly slick and in possession of more than a few stunning shots (Jamaica certainly makes it easy enough, but Cannon and cinematographer Luis Panch Perez find real gems throughout the feature’s run), the film keeps up high energy even as things go increasingly flat-footed.

Despite his new love for dancing — one that the film glosses oddly over, thanks to a single montage dedicated to teaching the newbie how to move and a time jump that picks up six months later, after Tarzan has started ostensibly ruling his new universe, completing with perhaps the year’s most eye-popping sartorial makeover — Tarzan can’t stay away from his love of hustling. (As a related aside, if there’s one problem with his filmmaking that Cannon could and should fix ASAP is a loose grasp on the passage of time, whole chunks of the film slip by with little regard for keeping a coherent timeline in effect.)

READ MORE: TIFF 2016: 9 Hot Acquisition Titles at Festival

As his dancing stock increases, so does his stake in the drug dealing underbelly of this newly adopted home. By its second half, Cannon’s seemingly straightforward rom-com dance movie veers wildly (and jarringly) into unexpected territory, awkwardly trying add in psychological horror and crime drama to its already very fun formula. The result is a film that, in hokey dance metaphor parlance, simply can’t stay on the beat. Cannon’s charm is real, as his affection for Jamaica and its dancehall culture, but in trying to pack his own cinematic trunk with all sorts of entertaining junk, his bouncing film simply can’t keep with a once-gyrating pace.

“King of the Dancehall” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking distribution.

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Toronto Film Review: ‘King of the Dancehall’

A vanity project on at least two levels, Nick Cannon ’s “ King of the Dancehall ” sees the actor and TV host serve as star, director, screenwriter, producer, and executive producer on his maiden voyage behind the camera — which is certainly one way to make sure the extensive footage he’s shot of himself dancing shirtless in slow-motion, his image projected in triplicate across the screen, makes it past final cut. As an auteur, Cannon quickly ends up way over his head, unable to wrangle a film that careens off in a dozen directions at once. Yet the director makes two smart decisions that help turn what could have easily been an unwatchable mess into a hysterical, feverish, incredibly watchable one.

The first is his choice to shoot the film on location in Jamaica, deep in the country’s dancehall scene. Though the music itself is not entirely mainstream in the U.S., Stateside audiences will surely recognize some of the countless dancehall beats and dance moves that American pop stars have been ripping off for years. Yet no amount of VMA twerking can compare to the wild, hypersexualized abandon of the real deal, and Cannon captures some of its flavor here.

The second wise move is the decision to cast Jamaican first-time actress Kimberly Patterson , previously employed as a makeup artist on film shoots, as his romantic lead. It’s not hard to guess what initially caught Cannon’s eye — the actress is traffic-haltingly beautiful — but luckily for us, she also turns out to be a natural, possessing a cool ease on camera and an immediate magnetism that will hopefully see her land future roles with dialogue that’s actually worth speaking.

Clearly inspired by the way “The Harder They Come” used genre film conventions to introduce much of America to reggae, “King of the Dancehall” interweaves documentary-style footage of the island’s native music scene with a quarter-baked crime plot, and Cannon plops himself right in the middle of both. Here he plays Tarzan, a Brooklyn drug dealer fresh out of prison, whose mother (Whoopi Goldberg) is ill and unable to pay her medical bills. Thinking of ways to raise cash, Tarzan decides to take his $5,000 nest egg and head to Kingston, where he hopes to strike up a new hustle exporting the island’s finest weed back to the heart of Babylon.

In Jamaica, he hooks up with his cousin, Allestar, aka All Star Toasta, aka Toasta ( Busta Rhymes ), an ebullient selector whose long-suffering wife just threw him out of the house. Toasta introduces Tarzan to the island’s nightclub scene, its vast network of fearsome gangsters, and his wife’s virginal sister Maya (Patterson), whose suspicious bishop father (Lou Gossett Jr.) keeps her under a watchful eye.

As a protagonist, Tarzan’s primary characteristics are incredible luck and unbelievable stupidity. Thanks to the first, he somehow piques the interest of Maya — who, despite all her virtuousness, is a dancehall queen of some renown. Due to the latter, he makes an immediate enemy of Donovan “Dada” Davidson (Collie “Collie Buddz” Harper), a vicious white-Jamaican gang boss. And yet Tarzan manages to become one of Jamaica’s most successful drug traffickers within a few weeks; within a few months, thanks to Maya’s intimate tutelage, he has also learned how to dance with the best of them.

Shot in actual Jamaican outdoor dancehall venues, the film’s nightlife scenes are clearly meant to be its highlights. The dance moves are appropriately outrageous, but it’s here that Cannon’s inexperience as a director proves most frustrating: Even though this is essentially a dance film, so many of the dance sequences are so darkly-lit and frantically edited that it’s difficult to get a good look at the action. Nonetheless, the energy is there, and it powers the film’s first half well enough.

The second half, however, sees the film go from enjoyably all-over-the-place to unintentionally hysterical. As Tarzan becomes the leader of Kingston’s hottest dance crew — to reiterate, this is supposed to be just a few months after he first started dancing — he reawakens the ire of Dada, who steals his money and has him thrown in prison. Once out, he’s seduced by Dada’s sister (Kreesha Turner) in hilarious fashion, and resolves to go straight by winning the year’s biggest dance contest. It’s here that the film loses its already loose grip on reality, veering off into a few scenes of deep, deep nonsense that simply must be seen to be believed.

As Tarzan, Cannon makes sure to paint as glamorous and shirtless a picture of himself as possible, and his constant voiceover narration produces several laugh-out-loud moments. (Over a montage of jiggling butts, he seriously intones, “asses were everywhere.”) But he does deserve credit for assembling a largely Jamaican cast — as well as splicing in interstitial interviews with Beenie Man, whose song gives the film its title — their dialogue presented with subtitles. Hilariously, it’s the Brooklyn-born Busta Rhymes whose patois requires the most explication. The son of Jamaican parents, Busta appears to be stifling a giggle for most of his scenes, clearly having the time of his life laying the accent on in double-thick coats, and trying to see how many “bloodclots” he can cram into a single sentence. Viewers would be advised to approach this film with the same sort of attitude.

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KING OF THE DANCEHALL

A young man from Brooklyn who gets caught up in Jamaica’s lively Dancehall music scene.

King of the Dancehall (2017)

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King of the Dancehall

1h 40m | Drama, Musical

Nick Cannon directs and stars in King of the Dancehall , a musical drama about a New Yorker who visits his family in Jamaica, and ends up falling in love with its music and culture. The film mirrors Nick’s own experiences, after he visited Jamaica in December 2014.

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Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.

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‘Queen of the Deuce’ Review: A Fun Footnote About a Behind-The-Scenes Mogul of the Sexual Revolution

Valerie Kontakos’ documentary entertainingly relates the saga of a refugee from Nazi Europe whose American Dream was realized via 42nd St. raunch.

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Over half a century ago, movies were changing at warp speed, with censorship boundaries falling and artistic ones expanding, as remembered from such game-changers as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “I Am Curious (Yellow)” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” You probably do not remember the likes of “Whip’s Women,” “Come Ride the Wild Pink Horse,” “Once Upon a Body” or “Scare Their Pants Off!” — and good luck finding them now, since many such disposable late-1960s “adults only” features are assumed lost now. But they, too, made the ’60s “swing,” while making fortunes for individuals like the subject of “ Queen of the Deuce .”

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But she also reigned over an ever-shifting cast of live-in gofers, lesbians lovers, employees and friends (including a husband), in addition to visits from her relatives. Now-grown grandkids are interviewed here, recalling how intrigued and mystified they were by the living-room banks of surveillance-camera monitors showing patron hijinks at her various XXX holdings around town.

Aggressively climbing a multi-career ladder (at first to send money home), Wilson initially dipped a toe in the seventh art by importing and exhibiting films from her homeland for New York’s Greek community. By the mid-’60s, however, there was much more money to be made in showing racier stuff, and she did not hesitate. Soon she’d acquired half a dozen downtown theaters in which to titillate “the raincoat crowd,” as mild as those less-than-graphic “nudies” and “roughies” may look now. In order to meet demand (and further maximize profit), she then also went into production and distribution, bankrolling such luridly titled cheapies as “Scarf of Mist, Thigh of Satin” and “Shootout at Beaver Falls.” Clips are shown from an assortment of these, though scant attention is paid toward the talent involved, including low-budget sexploitation maestro Joe Sarno. 

The home videos, photos and other memorabilia glimpsed give little indication how Wilson felt about the industry she was in, beyond that she lived life entirely on her own terms, and suffered no moral qualms, save perhaps survivor’s guilt over having outlived so much of her family. Sheer force of personality attracted kin, mobsters, gays and more to her hearth. While her explosive temper often ignited, no one else was allowed to quarrel. For some years she delegated some film-related responsibilities to others while preoccupied with Mykonos, an ethnic restaurant whose success drew myriad celebrity patrons. 

Her primary trade was already on the wane by the time Mayor Giuliani’s aggressive cleanup of Times Square ended its heyday as a mecca for adult entertainment. But Chelly’s real estate holdings kept her in good stead for the rest of her life — and it seems unlike everyone else who made bank from 42nd St. sleaze, she never had the least desire to ditch the neighborhood for more upscale surroundings herself. 

Psychotronic cinema fans may wish “Queen of the Deuce” spent more time on her celluloid stomping ground, and a bit less on family ties. Still, she did have a fascinating backstory, and surviving relatives’ (as well as some colleagues’) reminiscences are colorful. If the lady remains something of a cipher, one suspects that is exactly as she would have preferred it.

Director Kontakos’ smartly paced feature deploys animation (by Abhilasha Dewan) in various styles to illustrate some of the subject’s off-camera episodes. Ken Myhr’s original score likewise runs a stylistic gamut from traditional Greek sounds to disco in limning the times Chelly Wilson kept changing with. 

Reviewed online, May 20, 2024. Running time: 75 MIN.

• Production: (Documentary – Canada-Greece) A Greenwich Entertainment release of an Exile Films, Storyline Entertainment production, in co-production with ERT, in association with Channel 8, RTS, Documentary Channel. Producers: Ed Barreveld, Valerie Kontakos, Despina Pavlaki. Executive producers: Ed Barreveld, Valerie Kontakos, Don Walters, Bondi Wilson Walters.
• Crew: Director: Valerie Kontakos. Writers: Valerie Kontakos, Despina Pavlaki, Christos Asteriou. Camera: Patrick McGowan, Martina Radwan. Editor: Rob Ruzic. Music: Ken Myhr. 
• With: Bondi Wilson Walters, Don Walters, Paulette Pomeranz, David Bourla, Dina Pomeranz, Kosmas Sklifas, John Colasanti, Arthur Morowitz, Jeffrey Escoffier, Efrain Gonzalez, Barbara Nitke, Efrain Gonzalez. (English, Greek dialogue) 

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The Author Started as a Skeptic. He Came Out a Believer in Pure Evil.

“The Devil’s Best Trick,” Randall Sullivan’s in-depth occult investigation, is not for the easily frightened.

By Clancy Martin

Clancy Martin’s most recent book is “How Not to Kill Yourself.”

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THE DEVIL’S BEST TRICK: How the Face of Evil Disappeared, by Randall Sullivan

When I was 12 years old, my family went on vacation and, at my request, left me behind. My mother told me that I could sleep in her and my stepdad’s bedroom — normally strictly off limits to kids — and watch their TV. The first night they were away, I made a horrifying mistake: “The Exorcist” was debuting on Canadian television. It came on around sunset. I turned on the TV and climbed into my parents’ bed. You know what happened next.

I wanted to go turn off the TV, but I didn’t dare for fear of what might be waiting in the darkness. I tried hiding under the covers but that only made it worse. I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I do know that every time I closed my eyes I could see the ravaged, green, grinning face of Linda Blair. As Randall Sullivan would say, the face of evil.

The Devil’s greatest trick, as the saying goes (attributed sometimes to Baudelaire and other times to “The Usual Suspects”), was to convince the world he doesn’t exist. Sullivan, an investigative journalist, goes out looking for him in our modern world. And “The Devil’s Best Trick” is a master class in the difficult art of first-person, narrative nonfiction.

At the start of his journey, Sullivan’s not sure if he believes in the Devil; by the end he is certain that Satan is real. Sullivan is never showy, and doesn’t insert himself into the story more than necessary, but we always feel he is there with us — which is often comforting and necessary, given his sinister subject.

The prose has wonderful momentum even when he’s writing about arcane debates in the early Christian church. Each chapter is a turn, a surprise. The writing is never clichéd, nor is the thinking. Sullivan knows a great lede, and he’s just as good with cliffhangers.

He tells us that he cut quite a bit of the murder and torture material, but parents should still skip Chapters 9 and 10. When he says, of the serial murderer Westley Allan Dodd, “I’m not going to describe the things Dodd did next; they’re too horrible,” we are grateful; what he has included is very difficult to read.

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Roger Corman, Legendary Filmmaker and King of B-Movies, Dies at 98

Corman helped launch the careers of jack nicholson, martin scorsese, robert deniro, and more..

Roger Corman, the legendary filmmaker and king of B-movies who also helped launch the careers of Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Robert DeNiro, and many more, has died at the age of 98.

As reported by Variety, Corman passed away on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, California, while being surrounded by his family.

"His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.

Roger Corman was born on April 5, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan, and he wasn't a person who grew up dreaming of making it big in Hollywood. He actually went to Stanford University and chose to study industrial engineering, but he discovered that field was not his passion.

After college, he spent a whole four days working at U.S. Electrical Motors and ended that run when he told his boss, "I've made a terrible mistake." With his future now in his hands and limitless, he chose to walk down the path of filmmaking since his brother, Gene Corman, was a working agent in the movie industry.

His first gig was in the mail room of 20th Century Fox and he would end up having a career that was the stuff of legend. However, he wasn't known for big budget blockbusters and instead found his niche in the world of low-budget films of many genres that could be made very quickly.

He helped spearhead hundreds of these films as the co-founder of New World Pictures, the founder of Concorde/New Horizons, and more, and he was given an Honorary Academy Award for his "rich engendering of films and filmmakers."

He was given such nicknames as "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema" as only a very few of his films failed to turn a profit in nearly six decades of making movies. While these films may not be the height of cinema, they helped lay the foundation for some of the greatest actors and directors that have ever lived.

In addition to the names listed in the intro, Corman was a key player in helping bolster the careers of Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Peter Bogdanovich, Gale Anne Hurd, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, and many more.

As previously mentioned, he worked with Ron Howard when he was directing his first feature film in Grand Theft Auto in 1977. Howard complained a bit about Corman not paying for any extras in the film, to which he responded, "Ron, if you do a good job for me on this picture, you'll never have to work for me again."

He's also somewhat responsible for the mega-franchise known as The Fast and the Furious as he produced a film with the same name back in 1955. Producer Neal Moritz approached Corman about the name when he was getting ready to launch the franchise, and the two agreed to make it happen.

Most of his credits were as a producer for movies that boasted a budget of just $5 million or under, but he also directed over 50 projects, including Machine Gun Kelly, I Mobster, The Wild Angels, Little Shop of Horrors, House of Usher, and The Intruder.

He kept up a relationship with many of the stars he worked with over the years, and a lot of them gave him cameo roles in their films, including Coppola's The Godfather: Part II, Howard's Apollo 13, Demme's Philadelphia, Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, and Dante's Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

Speaking of those he helped and worked with, people from all over the world have already begun sharing a few words about the impact of Roger Corman, and we'll share a few below;

"RIP Roger Corman. A great movie maker and mentor. When I was 23 he gave me my 1st shot at directing. He launched many careers & quietly lead our industry in important ways. He remained sharp, interested and active even at 98. Grateful to have known him," Ron Howard wrote on Twitter/X.

"Roger Corman was my very first boss, my lifetime mentor and my hero. Roger was one of the greatest visionaries in the history of cinema. I am absolutely devastated by his loss and send my love and deepest condolences to the Corman family," Gale Anne Hurd wrote on Twitter/X.

"Roger Corman, one of the most influential movie directors in my life, has passed away. It was my privilege to know him.He was a great friend. He shaped my childhood with science fiction movies and Edgar Allen Poe epics. I'll miss you, Roger," John Carpenter wrote on Twitter/X.

"We lost a true legend! In 1994, I was in a low budget film when @markhamill visited. Why is a superstar like Mark here? I was confused. Well, it was a #RogerCorman project. Everyone who was anyone loved visiting with Roger! Even a jedi! Last Dec, at the NAEJ awards, I met up w/ Mr. Corman again. He was energetic, joyful and still super passionate for filmmaking. Pure inspiration! One of a kind. Sad to know this special human is not with us anymore. TY for everything. RIP," Ming-Na Wen wrote on Twitter/X.

"So very sorry to hear of Roger Corman’s passing. Working with Roger in The Wild Angels was a highlight of my life. He was a such a lovely man. Sending condolences to his wife Julie and their children," Nancy Sinatra wrote on Twitter/X.

Corman is survived by his wife, Julie Corman, and his two daughters, Catherine and Mary.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

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