Straight Outta Compton shot its way to the top of the box office last weekend, but had to stop through a few security checks on its way there. Certain theatres in the U.S. implemented security guards at screens showing the N.W.A. biopic. Metal detectors and bag checks were in place for the movie about how Dr. Dre and Ice Cube made their name by yelling “Fuck tha Police”.
Theatre reps seemed concerned about what a story tackling gang violence, police aggression and the L.A. riots might inspire in today’s Ferguson-era audience. The L.A.P.D. actually increased details at theatres in South Central locations sensitive to the topic. The irony is obvious.
The fear has spread to Canada. Cineplex Cinemas Courtney Park in Mississauga posted security guards at the door to check tickets and identification for the 18A-rated film – an unusual procedure. The Scarborough Coliseum also played host to guards, while theatre-goers at the Morningside location had their bags checked. Locations in Edmonton and Windsor posted security guards while, according to the CBC, Saskatoon threw in a cop.
Selma director Ava DuVernay tweeted (and then deleted) some concern over the situation, which smelled racist since such heightened security measures are never present in movies starring a caucasian cast. Actor Jesse Lipscombe was at that screening in Edmonton, with the security guard joining the audience.
“I couldn’t help but have a sick feeling in my gut about the blatantly racist statement Cineplex was making,” says Lipscombe. He sent a letter to that theatre’s general manager whose response deflecting discrimination didn’t jive with what the staff was telling Lipscombe. “They too mentioned feeling that this was wrong. One woman claimed it to be institutionalized racism.”
There have been fatal shootings in the U.S. in recent years perpetrated by white men during The Dark Knight Rises, Lone Survivor and Trainwreck (not to mention the hatchet-wielder at Mad Max: Fury Road). The frequency has been increasing. But Lipscombe is not alone in wondering why audiences for Straight Outta Compton are getting profiled for crimes committed by caucasian men.
The situation is pretty complicated. Universal Pictures, the studio behind Compton and Trainwreck, sought to quell the concerns of theatre reps by offering to compensate for additional security. Some theatres clearly couldn’t refuse such an offer because god knows what those crowds in Saskatoon might do.
I actually sympathize with Universal’s play and don’t doubt for a minute their enthusiasm for the movie, which they backed fearlessly in production, marketing and, yes, security details. Like Sony, which succumbed to concerns during the terrorist threat over The Interview, Universal is dealing with theatre owners across America who fear rampaging black audiences. To sell a movie to America, you have to anticipate the prejudice.
Some may have legitimate concerns, even if the precedent is as dated as your cassette player. Back when Boyz N the Hood was released in 1991, the convergence of rival gang members at movie theatres stirred shootings across the country, 20 incidents in total. Since Straight Outta Compton revisits that time and deals directly with the Bloods and the Crips, the slim possibility of a standoff is not to be discounted in affected areas. That would be tragic, since the film’s most compelling image stars red and blue bandanas tied together in protest during the Los Angeles riots.
And then of course there’s the fatal hit-and-run incident involving Suge Knight, the film’s villain, which occurred during a promotional shoot for Straight Outta Compton. The Death Row co-founder was said to not be happy with his depiction in the movie and, allegedly, committed murder.
Given that background, the last thing Universal needed is one isolated incident to create media frenzy, steering audiences across America away from the film. So they offered compensation for security, offering an alternative to reducing the screen count in areas like South Central. The move paid off at the box office. If anything, the added security might have comforted and intrigued audiences.
Unfortunately, it also offended, especially when theatres in Edmonton, where the Bloods and the Crips don’t have much reach, take advantage of the situation.
“At first, the presence of the guard was funny,” says Lipscombe. “Then that reality and what it represented turned into a feeling of inequity.”
Julia LeConte is NOW’s former music editor and Lipscombe’s wife. She attended that screening in Edmonton and felt Cineplex sent a clear message: hip-hop equals violence. “It comes down to reinforcing the institutionalized fear of black violence that was invented to justify slavery.”
LeConte recalls Questlove’s heartbreaking essay on being a large black male and living life with most of the world afraid of him.
“Straight Outta Compton is very much about these themes,” she says. “So it was very disappointing to see Cineplex reinforcing those stereotypes with the extra security. In the movie, we laugh at how the news anchors are talking about hip-hop. They don’t understand it. They think it’s going to incite riots. The security measures at these theatres prove that nothing’s changed. People still think that hip-hop is violent. People still think going to a hip-hop concert is dangerous. Hip-hop crowds are very chill. I’ve been to hundreds of hip-hop events and never felt unsafe.”
Yet, the violence in hip-hop is often what sells to the broader audience, and perhaps the stereotypes go with it. Gangsta rap has always outperformed less aggressive styles of hip-hop while also appealing to Hollywood. To date, we have biopics for N.W.A., Notorious B.I.G. and 50 Cent, with 2pac’s still in the works. Yet there’s nothing for peaceful pioneers Public Enemy, De La Soul, Rakim or even Grand Master Flash.
It seems if you’re a rapper and want a biopic you better have guns or drugs on your resume. Otherwise, you’re Eminem.
movies@nowtoronto.com | @FreshAndFrowsy
