Why So Blu?

Anuvahood (DVD Review)

Up next on DVD, we have Revolver Entertainment’s Anuvahood (Another Hood) which is a UK urban comedy film that may or may not bring to light how it goes down on the block aka the ghetto or the projects. Anuvahood is an interesting selection for coverage, because it hits closer to home. I am from the block, so you know how I do it. I don’t mince words and I don’t take any foolishness. Kind of like some of the characters in the film, but this is from the UK, bruv, so you know it’s going to go down a bit differently than your average American counterpart. Will Anuvahood sink or swim in the world of urban comedies? That notion is a bit vexing, innit though? 

 

Film 

Anuvahood is a UK urban comedy that focus on a young cat named Kenneth (you can call him K, though) who is hard as a rock and doesn’t take crap from anyone…unless they start swinging. Once they start swinging K goes straight down for the count. Okay, so Kenneth isn’t hard at all, but it’s funny to watch him think he is. He spends all his free time hanging out with his boys from the block at the block where they live. It also doesn’t help that K just got fired from his job at the local supermarket…wait, I take that back…he quit in a moment of rebellion. Down with the system! This doesn’t sit well with his mum, because she was counting on his paycheck to get the debt collectors off of their backs. And with K’s mix tape not having sold any, well, looks like the family is kind of screwed unless K finds a way to bring in some income.

That’s the main drive of the story in a Anuvahood. The rest of the story will focus on some of his friends and associates, along with some of the local drug dealers and a particular character that reminded me of Debo from Friday and Mike Tyson. It’s in that respect that Anuvahood is a lot like  Friday. Tyrone is this gentleman’s name and he constantly harasses K and his crew and jacks their gear. I’m no fan of theft, but watching Tyrone take their gear along with grabbing them in headlocks and threatening them took me back to Friday.

You may also have noticed that ultra high score I gave the film, but I assure you, it’s justified. Well, justified by my tastes, anyways. 😉 Some of the antics K and his crew pull off are hilarious. Some of the characters that get thrown into the mix are also hysterical as are the situations they are put in. In fact, I love Anuvahood so much that I was very close to giving it a five star for the film itself before I checked myself. The reason it does not get a five star for the film rating is due to the main man himself: KENNETH! He makes for a great underdog character that I wanted to root for, but most of the messed up stuff that happens to him and his crew is his own fault. That got kind of grating in the middle of the film. There’s a great scene where he busts some mad game on a female that happens to walk by in front of his friends – I was like, nice, but then he kept talking and wouldn’t shut up. I was like, “dude, you’re messing it up, STFU!” Things like that irritated me, but thankfully it all subsided by the third act.

If you’re down with hip urban comedies and films from the UK in general, then I think you will like Anuvahood. It really is the UK’s answer to Friday, and should be checked out by more people. It’s on DVD here in the states and if you want to go the extra mile and import the Blu-ray, you can do that to via Amazon UK. I think I will be importing the Blu-ray – I’m sure the Blu-ray will be even better than DVD. The DVD is no slouch either.

Oh, and please stay through the end credits for more hilarity.

If you want more information about Anuvahood then please visit the Anuvahood website at: http://anuvahoodusa.com/

Video

Anuvahood is presented in 480p (upscaled to 1080p), 16X9 – 2.35:1, widescreen. Wow, I know I’m spoiled by the Blu-ray format, so saying that Anuvahood is a reference DVD is kind of making me step out of my comfort zone. From the opening frames of the film you are catapulted into a colorful world of hijinx. Colors are rich and bold; pastel like, but with more slickness. Banding is not an issue. Black levels are deep and inky, and contrast never runs hot. There are bits of edge enhancement, but it’s not an issue, as you will see. In a nutshell, it’s the color palette that steals the show and will almost make you forget that you’re watching a film. Well done!

Audio

Anuvahood is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, 448kbps. Here’s a track that BUMPS! There are tons of music tracks that move the story along or that play in the background, and the 5.1 mix captures it all without a problem. Dialogue reigns supreme, and this being a comedy with many cockney accents, you need a soundtrack that can accommodate what’s being said. This one does just that. It’s a dialogue driven film, but all of the sound channels are used to great effect. Anuvahood has a very punchy and aggressive mix, and it comes off nicely! I wouldn’t be surprised if Director Adam Deacon wasn’t involved in the mixing of the film considering he’s a musician and has the background to cut it up in style. Awesome audio presentation, mates!

Final Thoughts 

Another thing that surprised the hell out of me was that star Adam Deacon, who plays Kenneth, co-wrote and co-directed the feature. It’s a pretty amazing feat considering that Anuvahood is an extremely great looking film. There’s talent behind the camera and it shows. Deacon comes from an acting and music background, so he already seems to know what’s up with regards to feature filmmaking. I expect great things from him the future, but for now, grab yourself a copy of Anuvahood on DVD and see what all of my fuss is about. The DVD has reference picture and reference sound, but scarce special features. Don’t let deter you. Anuvahood is legit.

 

 

 

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