• Straight to Video
• Director: Timothy Wayne Folsome
• Written by: Timothy Wayne Folsome
• Running Time: 95 minutes
• Language: English
• MPAA Rating: R - Restricted
• Cast: Cisco Reyes, Glenn Herman, Bizzy Bone, Stacy Arnell, Janice Palmer, Josh Watson, Mack 10, Jose Turner, Antonio Ramirez, Hadrian Hooks, Marquita Joyce, Khalida Outlaw, Damon Chandler, William Engram, Clabron Hinkles, Fatal Instinct, Relm, Tonya Jeanaye, Cam Montgomery, Benard Montgomery, Joseph Sanfora, Kira Madallo Sesay, Timothy Wayne Folsome, Norman DeBuck, Kiki Haynes

Talk about being pleasantly surprised, well that’s exactly what happened when I put in a copy of Timothy Wayne Folsome’s “Cutthroat Alley” after avoiding it for several weeks. To put it in perspective, I’ve got a stack of low budget urban street movies piling up in the corner of my small screening room (aka my living room) - gifts from a friend desperate for me to share in his joy that is these films. It’s been about two years since I received my first movie from him, and now, the list of titles acquired is quite extensive. Up until last week, it included “Cutthroat Alley” but that all changed when I decided to alter my viewing habits a bit and actually give the movie a shot. Like the rest of those DVDs taking up space in the corner of my room, it came highly recommended by my friend, who hypes them the we way a film snob might hype Goddard and Truffaut, and is honestly shocked that the American Film Institute, and other such institutions, don’t recognize them on their top 100 Greatest Films lists. Personally, my interest varies and I rarely feel compelled enough to even acknowledge them, let alone watch them. I realize that generalizing the worth of a certain genre of movies the way Goddard film snobs do, certainly doesn’t bode well for someone who deems himself a true movie enthusiast.

“Cutthroat Alley” definitely has the attitude of one of those cheaply produced urban thrillers, and most notably, it has the seriousness, but with a slight twist, that being it is a sharply crafted, moderately intelligent mystery 'who-dunit' wrapped up in some well-worn slasher attire. On the surface this film smells like an amalgam of an urban gangster flick and a post-"Scream" hiccup, with all the usual gangsta stereotypes, but deeper inspection reveals something much more exciting and worthy of your time. While reading up on the film I discovered that Timothy Wayne Folsome, the director and writer, despite having a somewhat successful career with films like "Jacked", "Hidden Blessings" and "An Invited Guest", never made another film after "Cutthroat Alley". It’s disheartening for sure because this film is a fine example of an artist who knows his craft. 

Robinson 'Rob' Jacobs (Cisco Reyes) has only a week to go before he leaves his home in South Central, Los Angeles to begin his first semester at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. All of his friends have gathered in the backyard of his home to celebrate and say their goodbyes, including members of his gang-banging street crew; Chetty (Bizzy Bone), Bones (Jose Turner), Brian Stokes (Mack 10), Chauncey (Hadrian Hooks), Half Pint (Antonio Ramirez) and Rome (Glenn Herman), who arrive fashionably late. Is there any other way for gang bangers to arrive? Rob’s mother (Janice Palmer) doesn’t much care for them, especially since trouble seems to follow them wherever they go. Judging from their litigious meeting, these guys aren’t much proud of their friend, rather they seem to regard him as some sort of sell-out. Big shocker when later that afternoon one of the more unpleasant guys in the crew, Brian Stokes (Mack 10), decides to pick a fight with Winston (Josh Watson), Jacobs’ tutor, who also just happens to be the only white guy at the party. This sends Jacobs into a tizzy and the two “friends” spend a couple of minutes duking it out on the front lawn until his mom steps in to break things up. In a strange follow-up scene, Stokes is stalked and brutally murdered in broad daylight, during what amounts to the third killing of the film (two were murdered the night before). The next day, Jacobs and his boys begin to suspect that somebody is offing them, however one thing sticks in their craw and it’s that the killer is using a knife to do it, something that goes against the fundamental etiquette of the streets. “When somebody wants to kill you, they just shoot you in the head,” Jacobs says during a particularly reflective narration.

As members of Jacobs’ crew get sliced into hamburger with more frequency, the list of suspects also increases at a steadier pace. Jacob aside, the list of could-be-killers consists of the few surviving members of the crew, at least one dirty cop, Winston, a rival group of thugs and even Jacobs’ own mom. Yes, his mom. The plot here is fairly tight and seems to lack any real holes that you could readily point out, so the idea that the killer could be anyone is amplified and made more flagrant. Before long everybody is suspecting everybody and a genuine sense of paranoia starts to set in, creating a wonderfully murky atmosphere that harkens back to the good old days of film noir. Folsome is such a craftsman that his ability to divert attention away from the real killer must be admired. I was slightly surprised during the reveal, and, in hindsight, I just want to kick myself for being so daft. Watching as Jacobs plays detective, sifting through the clues and trying to make sense of out of the senseless, all the while being dogged by a couple of racist cops (Kira Madallo Sesay and Joseph Sanfora), is as exciting as it gets, and the last thing I expected from a low-rent urban slasher transplant. Another thing that I really liked about the film was the way Folsome presented the disillusionment of the folks down in the ghetto, something hardly original in an urban genre movie but what was original was the way he infused the characters, especially Jacobs' crew, with a certain amount of humanity. These are good people who simply lack hope. So many movies of this type are quick to present everyone as hardcore thugs without dimension but these guys feel real. They are people you might strike up a conversation with while waiting in a check-out line.

To be fair, some aspects of the film feel rushed and could have been handled better, namely the scene involving Jacobs’ father (Damon Chandler). His brief sequence, where he naively borrows his son’s car with some deadly consequences, comes out of nowhere and lacks the framework to make it work as the tragedy that it is. The whole scene comes off as a strange and almost comical moment. Considering how important a person he is in Jacobs’ life, supposedly, to relegate him to a one-minute flashback-dream sequence is bizarre. Also, at times I was quite throttled by the inconsistency in dialogue; there’s long stretches where it’s very good and others where it’s just plain awful. Some very intense sequences are left so awash in racist overtones that whatever dramatic angle the scene is going for is immediately lost. The scene where Jacobs confronts Winston about whether or not he’s the killer sticks out in my mind as the most egregious moment. The dramatic outcome this scene is aiming for is spoiled by some juvenile racist banter, veering the whole sequence into Chris Rock stand-up comedy territory.

As Robinson Jacobs actor Cisco Reyes (2004’s “Homeland Security”) is allowed to shine. Having only appeared in bit parts in the past, here, in his first lead role, he carves out a character that is sympathetic enough but with a very sharp edge. Jacobs is truly the ying and yang, the intelligent student mamma’s boy, on one hand, and the brutal street thug gang-banger, on the other. This is a complex character, reeking of family values but with a hint of muck -- defiled by the harshness of the ghetto. It’s his solid work here that holds the film together. Glenn Herman (1995’s “Die Hard: With a Vengeance”) as Rome, the leader of this motley crew of thugs, is amazing. This is a study in subtle character work, for sure. Rome is the perfect leader, quietly observing and always keeping his boys in check. He’s both reassuring and menacing at the same time. I loved his performance. The remainder of the cast are simply putting in face time in an effort to build up acting portfolios or help out a friend, and it shows. The cameos from rappers Bizzy Bone and Mack 10, who are both quite good in their smallish parts, do help liven things up but were probably unnecessary in the overall. This is a strong film regardless of who did or who didn’t show up, and for how long.

As I stated earlier, Timothy Wayne Folsome (2001's "Jacked") never made another film and it’s quite disheartening when you consider what a talent he is. All I can say is that if you stumble across this film in a pile somebody gave you, please dig it out and give it a chance. I promise Jay, I'll make an effort to watch more of these movies.