I am drawn to films that seem to straddle the line between genius and disaster, so the trailer for Idlewild, a film starring OutKast (once known as My Life in Idlewild), has got me very excited. It’s a musical set in the Prohibition, with the band supplying the music – hip hop, but it sounds like it’s influenced by the jazz of the period. It has Andre 3000 and Big Boi as best friends from different sides of the tracks. Playing off their musical personas, Big Boi ends up a gangster while Andre becomes a musician. Throw in Terrence Howard (who was sort of robbed at the Golden Globes last night – although how much can you argue with Philip Seymour Hoffman?) and some wacky animation that seems wholly inappropriate to the film and you have my money.
Idlewild, by the way, was going to be released only on HBO, but apparently someone decided they could make a dollar and a penny on this thing. Whether that means it’s good or there’s a perceived automatic audience I couldn’t tell you.
Check out the trailer for Idlewild right here. The movie hits in March.