User reviews

I'm too old to know (or care) exactly what the difference between rap and hip-hop is. And, being Canadian, it's likely that I've never actually seen MTV, but I'm not certain.

But I thought this film was very funny when I saw it, a bright little satire. Hip-hop culture is so pervasive these days that it's difficult not to keep hearing about it over and over. (If only we could say the same about bagpipe music.) I got most of the jokes (at least I think I did). Sure, it's derived from Spinal Tap, but there are lots of targets that could stand a Tap treatment. Just not the Carpenters, they're sacred.

If you like rap or hip-hop, watch this movie, although it's funny if you don't get the references, as a straight comedy.

Haven't seen much of the much hyped CB4, but what I did see didn't have the heart that this little stormer has.

Haven't heard from the people involved since, which is a surprise. The film is very similar to Spinal Tap, which is no bad thing, and I think a lot of the dialogue, while priceless in Tap is funnier here, probably because I'm more into rap than rock theses days, so my own judgment does cloud that point.

The rap songs are funny as hell, and it's basically spot the reference for most of the film, not all of them are in-your-face, which means the physical comedy and the one-liners get priority over the take-offs.

Great fun, one to watch twice if there ever was a movie.

Well I don't personally like rap, but I still found Fear of a Black Hat hilarious. I'm sure I didn't get some inside jokes, but some I knew, and it was funny enough to make me laugh just after I'd stopped laughing. I'm a big fan of Spinal tap, so naturally I had to check this out. It was deriviative from This Is Spinal Tap, sometimes blatantly, but this film still stood on it's own as an original, intelligent, and funny satire. My personal favorite: "Back in the time of slaves, they didn't have hats to protect them from the sun, so at the end of the day they were too tired to revolt. Now we have hats."

C'mon...how can you be against a rap-mockumentary that features the line:

"I want to make you mine, slap yo fat behind, tie you down and make you whine. I want you to scratch my itch and be my b***h....cause I luv you girl."

One of the most consistently funny movies I've ever seen.

Filmmaker Nina Blackburn is doing this documentary as a thesis for her doctorate in sociology. She chooses the rap group N. W. H. ("Niggaz With Hats") for her subject.

Sure, this is Spinal Tap... for rap. It may not be completely original, but it is opening a different avenue for satire. It has some low key fun and a few big laughs. The three characters do need to be dumber and it would help for them to be played by better comedians. Larry B. Scott is probably the best and I wouldn't mind keeping him. I remember him from Revenge of the Nerds. This is a good concept with mostly fine indie execution.

Rated R for Strong Language,Violent Content and Some Nudity. Quebec Rating:13+ Canadian Home Video Rating:14A

Fear Of A Black Hat is one of the funniest, most original comedies I have ever seen.Its basically a gangsta rap version of the film This Is Spinal Tap.Its a shame not many people have heard of this gem of a film.If you manage to find this film anywhere don't hesitate to buy it even if you don't like rap music.There are not too many comedy films that I give a perfect 10/10 to.The only ones I can think of at the moment are this film,Clerks,The World According To Garp,The 40 Year Old Virgin and Chasing Amy.This film is a hilarious stereotype of the gangsta rap culture.The movie is about a woman named Nina Blackburn who is making a documentary about the fictional rap group N.W.H(N****z with hats).They are basically the stereotype of a rap group making many controversial rap songs about killing and being a gangsta.Fear Of A Black Hat is an excellent comedic film and I recommend it even if you are not a fan of the gangsta rap scene.Its a shame this film is not in the Top 250.

Runtime:88min

10/10

FEAR OF A BLACK HAT (3 outta 5 stars)

Nice try at making a spoof documentary (a la Spinal Tap) but directed at the world of "gangsta rap". The film tells the story of N.W.H. (N*gg*s With Hats) and of their rise from obscurity to... even more obscurity. The movie is really fun to watch... the characters are well thought out and the music is great. The only trouble is... it isn't really all that funny. Sure, they are tons of jokes (mostly in-jokes about the rap world that are going to be pretty hard for future viewers to figure out)... but they tend to be more funny-clever than funny-hahaha, y'know? Of course, I laughed at "Jike Spingleton" but you almost need to be a hardcore movie buff to get the joke.

Plus, the thing about the song parodies is... most of the so-called "joke" lyrics aren't all that different from what rappers are singing *for real*. Ditto for the videos... if you showed the "funny" videos side by side with some actual rap videos... well, you'd have a hard time telling which was the joke. Still, you have to admire the energy and style that writer/director/star Rusty Cundieff put intro this movie. I like it a lot... I just don't think that it's quite up there with "Spinal Tap" or "The Rutles".

"Fear Of A Black Hat" is everything the (much weaker) "CB-4" SHOULD have been. Rusty Cundieff's satirical eye is ruthless, as he folds, spindles, and mutilates every aspect of hip-hop trends and culture. Does "FoaBH" resemble Spinal Tap? Yes, a bit. Is it derivative of Spinal Tap? No, not really. The aim is more focused, the satire is better focused, and to be honest, it's funnier.

It's obvious that the makers of "Fear Of The Black Hat" had a HipHop-version of "This Is Spinal Tap!" in mind. The only difference is, Rob Reiner & Christopher Guest invented not only the mockumentary-genre, but also pointed out metal's silliness when it hadn't been that obvious, yet. In 1982 metal was relatively new, and the makers of "Spinal Tap" had already recognized its stupid side. They practically predicted every metal cliché that was about to come.

Now, by 1994 the type of HipHop that's parodied in this movie was already on its way out again. All the jokes here about guns, censorship, racial slurs, Spike Lee etc. are amusing, but nothing out of left field. Just not very original or unexpected. What's worse is that a lot of jokes are directly lifted from "Spinal Tap". (One example: Spinal Tap have problems with their drummers always dying in freak accidents. In "Fear Of A Black Hat" the main group's managers tend to get killed "by accident".)

So, "Fear Of A Black Hat" is to "This Is Spinal Tap!" what "Hot Shots" is to "Airplane!". It's got its moments, but it's nowhere near as funny or inventive as the original.

After a big tip of the hat to Spinal Tap, this movie is hilarious. Anyone who grew up watching MTV will love it and if you didn't, rent it anyway,the "My Peanuts" and "A Gangster's life" videos are worth the three bucks alone.

Rusty Condieff wrote, directed and co-starred in this funny mock documentary about a rap trio, who brandish and fire a lot of guns, but only kill their managers. The rise to stardom is followed by the inevitable decline, caused, of course, by the interference of one of their women.

Condieff sails close to the wind, with the characters named Tone Def, Tasty Taste, and Ice Cold, which are close enough to the real life artists that even some like me can identify them. Rap has continued to grow more ubiquitous in the three decades since this was made, but the fondness for the music and the satire of its excesses both come through.

This is a really funny film, especially the second, third and fourth time you watch it. It's a pretty short film, and i definitely recommend watching it more than once, you will 'get it' more the second time.

It's like spinal tap but the rap version. It has a lot of attitude in it which can be a negative thing in rap influenced films, but it's just a total p**s take and isn't a problem because of the irony it creates.

Plenty of stand-out bits, one of those types of films which you will find yourself quoting lines with your mates, and it WILL raise laughter.

My personal favourite part is the 'guerrillas in the midst' section. Great video, superb!

I really wanted to like this movie, but it never gave me a chance. It's basically meant to be Spinal Tap with a hip hop theme, but it fails miserably. It consistently feels like it was written and acted by high-school kids for some school project, and that's also the level the humor seems to be aimed at. There is no subtlety and, more damningly for a mockumentary, it never once feels like a documentary. And while the lines aren't funny in the first place, an attempt at dead-pan delivery would have helped -- certainly, anything would be better than the shrill overacting we are subjected to.

I'd recommend this to people who think that words like "butt" are inherently hysterically funny. Other people should stay away and not waste their time.

Although it rips off SPINAL TAP scene-by-scene in some instances, FEAR OF A BLACK HAT offers up enough belly laughs -- some of them very large -- to make it worth a look. Rusty Cundieff, who did some hysterically funny segments for Michael Moore's TV Nation program, proves himself to be a solid director with an eye for biting satire. Unfortunately, some of the jokes are a little weak. That said, there are moments when this movie nails some of the hypocrisies of pop music (not just hip-hop). Pretty good performances all around, too.

This movie is hilarious and while the satire leans against material dated from the 80's and early 90's, if you know enough hip hop and pop culture then you'd find it funny, even today. The writing is excellent, the jokes are funny and well delivered and the songs are hilarious. Two 'videos' in the movie, one titled 'Booty Juice' and the other "A Gangstas life ain't fun" hit home today just as well as they did when this movie came out. It appears that much of the hip hop life style and creed hasn't changed much over the years. The movie is consistently funny from beginning to end, with many of the jokes dead panned and often subtly delivered. It's easy to miss a lot of the jokes during the film if you aren't familiar with the subjects that they are poking fun at. But again, much of what the director delivers is still funny and relevant even today. A must see satire!

I have zero interest rap and in ghetto culture, i'm white and like classic rock, however, that did not stop me from appreciating this fantastic comedy. Its pretty much a sequel of This Is Spinal Tap in the sense that it is the same movie, just about rap instead or rock. Yet it's hilarious. There are many funny jokes but not without a few jokes that just fall flat. The characters are all very funny and believable. I watched just because it made me laugh at 3 a.m., and any movie that can do that warrants at least a test screening. One of the reasons why this movies was so funny was that it makes fun of rap from a different. Rap today is concerned with the wrong things and get by with studio noise and little talent. This movie comes from a time where rappers deserved more credit. Overall, it's a funny movie with many jokes about racism, sex and music culture among the more obvious themes of humor. This is highly recommend for any fan of This is Spinal Tap. They are essentially the same movie, just about different worlds, and yes, the same jokes work in both movies.

I recently watched Fear of the Black Hat (1993) on Tubi. The film's plot revolves around a rap group trying to establish their identity and reputation in the music industry. As they gain fame and notoriety, they face various pressures from romantic interests, alternative career paths and hangers-on. The question is, can the group overcome these pressures, stay united, and continue to succeed, or will everything unravel?

Written, directed by, and starring Rusty Cundieff, known for The Chappelle Show, and featuring Larry B. Scott (Revenge of the Nerds), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Terminator 2), Kasi Lemmons (The Silence of the Lambs) and G. Smokey Campbell (Devil in a Blue Dress).

This movie strongly reminded me of CB4, but with a more limited budget. The cast surpassed my expectations and delivered strong performances, given the content. Larry B. Scott is consistently excellent again. However, the writing is somewhat inconsistent. While I enjoyed the clever song titles, the incorporation of MTV, and the gun range sequence, many lines and jokes haven't aged well and missed the mark. Nevertheless, the underlying premise is intelligent, and if you're looking for a dose of early '90s nostalgia, this film delivers. I would rate this a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

You don't have to know a thing about rap music to love this screamingly funny satire about culture clash, the media, fame, hypocrisy and a lot more.

A black woman (college-educated, oh-so-serious public TV type) is filming a documentary on a three-man rap group from the streets. Calling their mean selves Niggas With Hats (NWH), they're very concerned, at least while on camera (which is all we see) with maintaining their `hood' persona.

All their managers are mysteriously shot dead while NWH are `out of town' (wink, nudge). Early on they switch from using family members as managers to employing Jewish white boys. Before the film ends, they go through six of these poor fellows.

The dialog between the group and their middle-aged Caucasian record company owner is sidesplitting. With misplaced confidence, the businessman feels compelled to speak street talk in a doomed attempt to bond with his artists. We watch the astonished faces of our rappers as they listen to his ludicrous slang, which dates back to Malcolm X's time.

NWH even puts out a Christmas album called `Ho, Ho, Ho's.' A rival rap group dogs their rise to fame, each outfit trying to destroy the other. NWH finally prevails, however, when it's discovered that the opposition's lead singer went to a prep school and even edited its yearbook. His career ruined, the antagonist and his crew are banished in shame.

There's an angry Spike Lee wannabe and an opening act, Vanilla Sherbet, a bouncy white rapper who insists he was raised by a black family. The concert audiences are pimply white youth who ape the group's moves, clothing and speech mannerisms and for whom the rappers can barely disguise their utter contempt.

Relating these details in no way spoils the fun, for it's the telling of the tale and the facial expressions of those to whom all of this happens that make the movie.

No matter what your age or background, you'll be howling out loud through many parts of this parody. See it soon.

I don't remember when I first heard about this movie, but I rented it about six years ago, and it still remains one of my favorite comedies. I will admit, you probably will despise this movie if you know nothing about rap music. But if you are a rap fan, even a casual one, you will love the inside jokes and references. One of the best lines in the movie is about the difference between a b**** and a h**; I still use this line today and get lots of laughs with it. One of the best performances comes from Larry Scott, who played nerd Lamar in `Revenge of the Nerds'. It is unfortunate that this movie will likely never get a DVD release.

I saw it in a posh movie theater where the audience is usually white, educated, and urban. The showing I attended had a sprinkling of African-Americans, and it made the difference in audience-reaction between the two groups a wonderful social commentary on the state of race relations in this country. Basically, the white folks were AFRAID to laugh or laughed nervously at the funny bits --and there are many! -- because they'd be "laughting at Blacks", while the Blacks also stayed pretty silent because many couldn't laugh at themselves in front of the whites.

I, on the other hand, being Asian (and thus belonging to neither group), had a great time viewing this satire of rap culture and its egos/trappings/values/pseudo-philosophies. The cast is talented and does at great job becoming the characters portrayed. The songs are too funny to be believed.

This film is one of the best pseudo-documentaries to come along, including "A Mighty Wind"

its too bad that no one knows anything about this movie, and it gets old telling people it's rap's version of spinal tap. and you know, im sorry i dont have any better comments, but damnit, go get the movie and watch it, and then make all your friends watch it too, just like im gonna.

I first saw this movie on some movie channel (HBO?) some time ago. I was a fan of Public Enemy, NWA and other early rap and had seen CB4 in theaters. Anyway, the promo for it caught my eye, and I wanted to see what it was all about. Well, right off the bat I knew it was going to be good (WARNING!) and I was right. The parody songs alone make this movie worth watching over and over (My Peanuts), but the overall flow and delivery of the movie was great. You've got to love the satire of rap groups (obviously NWA), certain rappers (Eazy E, Flava Flav, Ice Cube), and the humor of the three members of NWH. Who can forget Tone Deaf scratching with his ass? It's too bad this movie didn't get the credit it deserved, as it was overshadowed by CB4 during their releases, but in my opinion is a much better film. If you know and like 90's 'gangster' rap, you'll be watching and laughing with this movie for a long time. If you aren't into or don't like 'rap', you'll enjoy the jokes at the expense of the genre.

This is by far one of the funniest and most creative mockumentary's ever made and for whatever reason, it is not as popular as it should be! If you are a fan of early 90s hip hop you will understand the satire in this film and it will make you scream laughing! It is the embodiment of early political / gangsta hip-hop groups like NWA and Public Enemy and how they tried to explain how their lyrics had deeper political meanings. This is film gold! CB4 totally ripped this movie off and is not as good! Highly recommend!