Beating on someone else’s drum is a big no-no. It’s a big dis …
October 20, 2017 1:56 PM Subscribe
An oral history of the 2002 movie Drumline. Nick Cannon's greatest gift to popular culture (and arguably the 'most sports movie ever' despite not featuring any actual sports) was inspired by superstar music producer Dallas Austin's years in his high school band, but it ended up becoming about the culture of halftime events at HBCUs.
As well as Cannon and Orlando Jones, the cast included Zoe Saldana who had to adapt her ballet training to learn the cheerleading and dance routines.
A behind-the-scenes rivalry between the real-life Morris Brown drumline, who were so good they inspired an OutKast song, and the actors playing the onscreen Atlanta A&T band fed the epic final battle (YouTube): "You could feel the tension. Everyone on the crew was like, ‘Holy shit. Our boys are going to war right now, and we’re getting to watch it.’ There was this feeling in the air of do-or-die time."
The original trailer (YouTube). It made $57 million at the box office, spawned a touring stage show and a DTV sequel , starring future X-Men star Alexandra Shipp.
On release it was reviewed warmly by Roger Ebert: "It pays attention to its characters, gives them weight and reality, doesn't underline the morals but certainly has them... What a good-hearted film."
Drumlines on Mefi, previously: The Hot Scots, US Marines vs the Korean Army, Urban Drum Crew, Black Fire Percussion.
As well as Cannon and Orlando Jones, the cast included Zoe Saldana who had to adapt her ballet training to learn the cheerleading and dance routines.
A behind-the-scenes rivalry between the real-life Morris Brown drumline, who were so good they inspired an OutKast song, and the actors playing the onscreen Atlanta A&T band fed the epic final battle (YouTube): "You could feel the tension. Everyone on the crew was like, ‘Holy shit. Our boys are going to war right now, and we’re getting to watch it.’ There was this feeling in the air of do-or-die time."
The original trailer (YouTube). It made $57 million at the box office, spawned a touring stage show and a DTV sequel , starring future X-Men star Alexandra Shipp.
On release it was reviewed warmly by Roger Ebert: "It pays attention to its characters, gives them weight and reality, doesn't underline the morals but certainly has them... What a good-hearted film."
Drumlines on Mefi, previously: The Hot Scots, US Marines vs the Korean Army, Urban Drum Crew, Black Fire Percussion.
I will watch the last ten minutes of this movie no matter what else I'm supposed to be doing. I never, ever get tired of seeing the final battle.
posted by gladly at 2:01 PM on October 20, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by gladly at 2:01 PM on October 20, 2017 [10 favorites]
It's one of those types of movies that if I catch the middle of, I'm going to just watch the rest out.
posted by Fizz at 2:03 PM on October 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 2:03 PM on October 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
Charming movie.
posted by praemunire at 2:07 PM on October 20, 2017
posted by praemunire at 2:07 PM on October 20, 2017
>despite not featuring any actual sports
Marching band/winter guard/drumline - sport of the arts, my friend
posted by kcds at 2:15 PM on October 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
Marching band/winter guard/drumline - sport of the arts, my friend
posted by kcds at 2:15 PM on October 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
Yup me too, great movie. *refuses to talk about dumb TV sequel*
posted by Melismata at 2:16 PM on October 20, 2017
posted by Melismata at 2:16 PM on October 20, 2017
Love this movie: saw it in the theater twice and bought the DVD afterward. The only thing that ever bothered me is that the Morris Brown performance is so clearly inferior to the Atlanta A&T performance that it's hard to believe they actually had to go to a tie breaker. Ok, Morris Brown has Petey Pablo, but the band does is stand there in a square and rock back and forth while Petey Pablo sings. How would any judge think that was anywhere near A&T's performance?
Yeah, I know: because otherwise they wouldn't have had the final battle. But I just had to get that off my chest.
posted by holborne at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I know: because otherwise they wouldn't have had the final battle. But I just had to get that off my chest.
posted by holborne at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite movies, which led into some other drumline-type movies and step movies and krunk movies etc etc. I blame it for everything.
posted by MovableBookLady at 2:53 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by MovableBookLady at 2:53 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Love this movie. I love just about any sports movie's culminating duel.
For reference, here's a real Morris Brown drumline number which HOLY MOLY
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:08 PM on October 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
For reference, here's a real Morris Brown drumline number which HOLY MOLY
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:08 PM on October 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
The marching band and drumline at my school used to perform the instrumental part of Spottieottiedopaliscious, which is what I thought the Outkast link was gonna be. Good memories.
posted by penduluum at 4:48 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by penduluum at 4:48 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
www.bestdrumlines.com
(sure do wish Morris Brown would tune their drum heads better. Tone is often thumpy and limp.)
posted by LooseFilter at 4:58 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
(sure do wish Morris Brown would tune their drum heads better. Tone is often thumpy and limp.)
posted by LooseFilter at 4:58 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Tangentially, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College are all in the middle of Homecoming Week. Their collective Homecoming Parade is tomorrow, so if you are in Atlanta and want to see multiple HBCU bands play, march and perform then that's probably your best bet.
(The next best bet would be the 2018 Honda Battle of the Bands, which is also taking place in Atlanta. As of today, voting for the 8 competing teams is still open!)
Morris Brown's Homecoming was last week too: the school is still open and running, you know!
posted by tyro urge at 7:17 PM on October 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
(The next best bet would be the 2018 Honda Battle of the Bands, which is also taking place in Atlanta. As of today, voting for the 8 competing teams is still open!)
Morris Brown's Homecoming was last week too: the school is still open and running, you know!
posted by tyro urge at 7:17 PM on October 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Ugggggggh I love this movie now I'm going to lose two hours to reading this and watching infinite clips.
">despite not featuring any actual sports
Marching band/winter guard/drumline - sport of the arts, my friend"
Yeah, I got my varsity letter in Marching Band (not kidding, you even get out of state-required PE because you're participating in a sport!).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:29 PM on October 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
">despite not featuring any actual sports
Marching band/winter guard/drumline - sport of the arts, my friend"
Yeah, I got my varsity letter in Marching Band (not kidding, you even get out of state-required PE because you're participating in a sport!).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:29 PM on October 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
"So, eternal youth, wealth and fame? What's the catch, Mr. Satan, sir?"
"You have to introduce Tape Face to Simon, Howard and Howie, live on national TV. Forever."
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:32 PM on October 20, 2017
"You have to introduce Tape Face to Simon, Howard and Howie, live on national TV. Forever."
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:32 PM on October 20, 2017
On a related note, the bottom of the oral history mentions Q Brothers, who... "We like to take classic works and translate them into modern contexts, while staying true to the original stories. In this way, we believe we pay homage to the original authors, and make their timeless stories more accessible to modern day audiences. Our plays are in rhyme, and performed over original music spun by a live deejay. We call them “Add-Rap-Tations”.
I love stuff like that.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:09 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I love stuff like that.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:09 PM on October 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
While we're talking about Q Brothers.... I laughed when I reached GQ's comment in the article that "I get recognized more now than I did in the years right after it came out": I will confess, I have not seen Drumline, I vaguely remembered that it existed, but two weeks ago GQ led a performance workshop in my Intro to Performance Studies class, and as things wound down one of my students insisted that she recognized him from somewhere. His collaborator for the workshop, Jackson Doran, outed him: "Maybe from the movie Drumline?" "Oh yeah, you're the white dude in Drumline!" my student exclaimed. GQ's workshop was one of the best I've had in the three semesters I've taught the course. In a 75 minute class he and Jackson Doran got my 25 students to improvise rhymes, collectively adapt the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet into a series of 21st century rhyming couplets, and perform it for their peers.
I guess I really need to rent the movie Drumline now.
posted by jrb223 at 11:43 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I guess I really need to rent the movie Drumline now.
posted by jrb223 at 11:43 PM on October 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
and step movies
It's okay, I rep the thetas too!
posted by gladly at 11:07 AM on October 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's okay, I rep the thetas too!
posted by gladly at 11:07 AM on October 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
Oooh, y'all might like this: I don't even like BYU, but damn, Cosmo the Cougar has moves.
posted by TwoStride at 7:39 PM on October 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 7:39 PM on October 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by Fizz at 2:01 PM on October 20, 2017 [7 favorites]