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Holla if I Kill You
USA 2003
produced by Jeff Carroll, Stanley Neron for Polonia Brothers, New Arena Pictures, RBG World Promotions
directed by John Polonia, Mark Polonia
starring Mike Troy Smith, Mike Yard, Wil Sylvince, Arnold Acevedo, Mia Amber Davis, Brad Lowery, Katrina Hill, Kareem Green, Pedro Orlando, Joey B., Stanley Neron, Leonard Smythe, Jay Phillips, Berthina Perez, Andre Murray, Jerry E.Ford, Harris Stanton, William Lewis Wexler F.O.B., Robert Stapleton, Kenny Williams, John Polonia, Tina Thomas, Jeff Carroll
written by Jeff Carroll, John Polonia, music by Romanieo Golphin, Jon McBride, Stan Smith, special effects makeup by J.K. Farlew
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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Holla (Mike Troy Smith) is pretty much the least talented comic on New
York's black standup comedian circuit, and if he gets a gig at all, it's
out of pity because usually his act falls flat within a minute or so. One
day at a club, Michael Africa (Kareem Green), for whom Holla has just been
opening, who is Holla's worst enemy and who has gotten into an argument
with Holla after the show, is found murdered. Holla himself was too drunk
at that time to remember what he has been doing at the time of the murder,
but nobody even suspects him anyways. The next day, the club opens
again, basically because its owner Fitz (Arnold Acevedo) thinks the murder
is great publicity, and he tells his comedians to weigh in on the murder.
Holla gets another chance to appear, but again he blows his act. Pretty
much all of the comics and employees at the club make fun of him (and
deservedly so), but then Holla is knocked out and somebody kills the
others, one by one. When Holla comes to, he finds himself on a virtual
battlefield, or in a slaughterhouse, and in the midst of it all sits his
wannabe-girlfriend Rose (Mia Amber Davis), still alive. She admits she has
killed all those people because she was afraid Holla was getting so big -
fat chance - he would forget her like all the others did, so she killed
everybody who she thought could help Holla on his way up ... but now when
Holla refuses to finally become her boyfriend, she just kills him as well
... A serialkiller murder mystery, made on a shoestring - and
quite honestly, the lack of budget shows here, as the Polonias simply
aren't capable enough filmmakers to gloss over their limited funds - but
that essentially makes Holla If I Kill You rather likeable, it's
got a charming raw, homemade quality to it that above everything else
feels very honest. On top of that, the film features some very nice
routines by black standup comedians, and Mike Troy Smith as Holla is
pretty good, acting-wise, while his performances as standup are so bad it's hilarious. That
all said, Holla If I Kill You is hardly the best film ever, but
rather an unpolished no budget gem that at least deserves some attention.
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