BONES (2001) Reviews and overview

  

Bones-Snoop-Dogg-poster

‘This dogg’s got a bone to pick’
Bones is a 2001 American supernatural horror film directed by Ernest Dickerson (Demon Knight; Masters of Horror; The Walking Dead) from a screenplay written by Adam Simon (Brain Dead; Carnosaur; Salem) and Tim Metcalfe (Fright Night Part 2; The Haunting in Connecticut).

The movie stars Snoop Dogg (Hood of Horror; Scary Movie 5), Pam Grier (Ghosts of Mars; Mars Attacks!; Twilight People), Michael T. Weiss, Clifton Powell, Ricky Harris, Bianca Lawson, Khalil Kain, Merwin Mondesir.

still-of-snoop-dogg-in-bones-2001

Plot:
In 1979, Jimmy Bones (Snoop Dogg) is a numbers runner who is loved in his neighbourhood as its respected member and protector. When he is betrayed and brutally murdered by corrupt white cop Lupovich (Michael T. Weiss) and drug pusher Eddie Mack (Ricky Harris), Bones’ elegant brownstone building becomes his own tomb and is closed.

Bones.2001-Snoop-Dogg-drug-dealpng

The timeline flashes forward to 2001, where the neighbourhood has become a black ghetto and Jimmy’s brownstone building is a condemned ruin. Four teens, Patrick (Khalil Kain), his brother Bill (Merwin Mondesir), their white step-sister Tia (Katharine Isabelle) and their best friend Maurice (Sean Amsing), buy the property and they want to renovate it as a nightclub. In the process, Tia finds a black dog who is actually the spiritual manifestation of Jimmy’s tortured spirit. As the dog starts to eat, Jimmy is slowly resurrected…

New Blu-ray:
Audio Commentary with Actor Snoop Dogg, Director Ernest Dickerson and Screenwriter Adam Simon
Building Bones: Interview With Director Ernest Dickerson – (20:21)
Bringing Out the Dead: Interview With Co-Screenwriter Adam Simon – (17:18)
Urban Underworld: Interview with Director of Photography Flavio Labiano – (11:42)
Blood ’N’ Bones: Interview With Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tony Gardner – (15:19)
Digging up Bones – (23:48)
Urban Gothic – Bones And Its Influences – (18:57)
Deleted Scenes – (24:35)
Dogg Named Snoop Music Videos – (7:24)
Theatrical Press Kit With Behind-the-Scenes Footage – (10:45)
Theatrical Trailer – (2:08)
Teaser Trailer – (00:31)

Scream Factory released Bones on March 31st, 2020. Buy from Amazon.com

Reviews:
” … the people behind Bones wanted to give us something special and I sometimes caught glimpses of those intentions throughout the movie. Yes, the film’s script is far from novel, yes, the film doesn’t always take the right path and yes, the ending goes too far. But the flick still gave me razor atmosphere, wet gore and a hip villain to bite into.” Arrow in the Head

bones-2000-Pam-Grier

” … the movie’s kill scenes are quick and lack originality. The bodycount is way too low for a slasher film, and Dickerson and crew seems to think throwing gallons and gallons of fake-looking blood at us will help drown out (pun intended) the movie’s obvious lack of entertainment value. And is it me, or did those blood look…pink?” Beyond Hollywood

“The picture isn’t particularly well-constructed, but Ernest Dickerson’s direction is stylish and the performances are solid, making it very watchable — even though overall, Bones lacks many genuine thrills. Or brains. The weakest part of the film is, unfortunately, the most important: Bones himself. That is, Snoop as Bones. Snoop just isn’t a good actor, even for a rapper.” BlackHorrorMovies.com

bones2.jpg

“From the spraying, raining maggots of Italian cinema to the bright red Kensington gore of Hammer, the director manages to weave in numerous influences into his film, even throwing in a fun nod to Hellraiser while he’s at it. It’s an excellent effort, even if the impressive practical effects and fantastic set-pieces awash in nightmarish imagery are occasionally undermined by some dodgy CG and ineffective jump scares.” Bloody Disgusting

“The much less interesting visuals in Bones are low-rent-looking long-fingered shadows on the wall, the silly swirling mists, flames that are obviously licking no one, and the jet-black wolf-dog who serves as Bones’ earthly familiar, and whose red eyes make him look like a battery-powered toy.” Pop Matters

snoop-dogg-in-bones-2001-large-picture-850x560

“Snoop’s character is a complete joke of total silliness, but this was not a bad thing for the most part.  Additionally, most of the cast actually impressed me, especially the younger characters.  The movie is filled with both intentional and unintentional comedy that will keep you in a good enough mood to no complain about the shitty flaws in the second half of the plot.” Awful Horror Movies

Buy: Amazon.com

Cast and characters:

Snoop Dogg as Jimmy Bones
Pam Grier as Pearl
Michael T. Weiss as Lupovich
Clifton Powell as Jeremiah Peet
Ricky Harris as Eddie Mack
Bianca Lawson as Cynthia
Khalil Kain as Patrick Peet
Merwin Mondesir as Bill Peet
Sean Amsing as Maurice
Katharine Isabelle as Tia Peet
Ronald Selmour as Shotgun
Deezer D as Stank
Garikayi Mutambirwa as Weaze
Erin Wright as Snowflake
Josh Byer as Jason
Kirby Morrow as Palmer
Ellen Stephenovna Ewusie as The Death Lady
Lynda Boyd as Nancy Peet

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Filming locations:
Vancouver, Canada

Release:

Bones bombed at the box office, earning just $8,378,853, falling way short of its $16 million budget.

MOVIES & MANIA provides previews, our own film reviews and ratings, plus links to other online reviews from a wide variety of trusted sources in one handy web location. This is a genuinely independent website and we rely solely on the minor income generated by internet ads to pay for web costs and cover yet more movies. Please support us by not blocking ads. Thank you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.    
What do you think of this movie? Click on a star to rate it