Considering that "Rapturious" is a horror film about a white rapper that is directed by Kamal Ahmed (of Jerky Boys fame),I assumed it was going to be a low-budget goof-fest of Tromatic proportions. I couldn't be more wrong. It's a film that is very serious in tone and the only joke I recall is the pun in the title. The film opens with an old Western setting, where a remorseless murderer is being condemned by officials and the local priest. The monster is hanged. The film then flashes to the present day, with the story surrounding a young up-and-coming rap star named Raptorious. His days are booked with interviews and meetings with his pushy yet caring agent (played by indie horror queen Debbie Rochon.) When his aggressive drug dealer gives him a new street drug, Rap starts having bizarre hallucinations and dreams about demons that are after him. They become so heavy that it threatens his career and soon his life. Is it the new drugs? Or is he a paranoid schizophrenic? Or is he really being chased by demons? The film explores each of these angles and is mostly successful. The cast is surprisingly good, especially Robert Oppel as the lead and none other than Joe Bob Briggs as a doctor that he's unsure if he can trust. Debbie's good too, though not always believable as a big-time talent agent. While the film did create an effective feeling of paranoia, it's too ambitious for its budget. It's never as scary as it should be. There's a sequence (that may be a dream or a flashback or reality) where Rap is in Hell, and Hell doesn't look particularly threatening or difficult to escape. This scene leads to a controversial set-piece that had me giggling instead of shocked. While there are some delicious gore sequences, the demon masks mostly look like something out of a Halloween chain store. All in all, "Rapturious" is an interesting watch. It's got a neat concept going for it, but it doesn't always deliver.

My quick rating - 3,4/10. Well that was just plain dumb. Good points? OK, that is done, bad points? Horrible acting, the lead does nothing, literally. I read he is a pretentious a-hole and I believe it. The story is stupid and MIGHT be trying to push a "Don't do drugs" meaning, but if so, it failed. Every stereotype is glorified for no reason, and the only reason I can think this is horror (aside from wanting to dig out my own eyeballs) is the supposed plot of a kid may or may not be killing people at random throughout the movie. Oh, for good measure, he also may or may not be possessed by some dude that is trying to escape hell. Anyway, you get the point. Tell the Jerky Boys (if you know who they are) to stick with prank phone calls and leave movie making alone.

Although I found this flick not exactly in the horror or hip hop genre,the fact that it wasn't the typical fare you normally see for this kind of straight to DVD movie. Was it amazing? Not really. Was it weird and interesting? It sure was. Can I recommend it? Depends on the person,but it has a mind-game quality that I personally enjoy. Robert Oppel,who stars as Rapturious,isn't exactly the kind of personality you root for (he can act,but has a somewhat unlikeable persona)does well,as well as Debbie Rochon (who plays his manager),but the real star in my opinion is Rapturious' drug dealer Hoya Guerra (from the rock group Madball) He steals the scenes being an obnoxious,bugged out homey. Also,director Kamal Ahmed's demented visuals round out this interesting indie.