One part futuristic gang movie, one part tribute to Konami's hot-stepping rhythm game Dance Dance Revolution, The FP is a movie that's goofy and gritty enough to make it a must-see.
This is a movie that uses Dance Dance Revolution (renamed Beat-Beat Revolution) as a life or death contest between rival gangs. Everyone in it seems to speak only in "Yo!" and "Shit, bro." There's bad language and maybe an exposed nipple or two, so consider it NSFW.
Co-directed by the Trost Bros., The FP recently had its official debut at the SXSW Film Festival, bearing this description that somehow feels mundane in comparison to watching this cinematic powerhouse in action:
Accompanied by his brother JTRO, Beat-Beat Revelation champion BTRO must compete for the pride of their hometown, Frazier Park (The FP). His opponent: ruthless fighter and trash talker, L Dubba E. L Dub not only defeats BTRO, he sends him to an early grave. L Dub's instant climb to power has forced The FP to fall into disarray. Crazed with anger, JTRO vows revenge. After a crash course in the ancient techniques of Beat-Beat from master BLT, JTRO challenges L Dubba E. Their battle to the finish, born of lust, power and revenge, will leave only one man standing.
The film's creators, Brandon Trost and Jason Trost, say of The FP: "We wanted it to take itself so seriously that that was what became funny. Taking it way too seriously. How ridiculous is it to have life and death come down to a dancing video game?"
Jason Trost explains the film's genesis in an interview about The FP, saying "When I was in high school I started playing Dance Dance Revolution for some goddamn reason. This game was so addicting, it was so ridiculous. I started getting good at it, and I saw the way people looked at me when I played it and I thought, ‘Holy shit, there's something here.' At the same time I was playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and was watching a lot of The OC for some reason. I thought, ‘What if we melded these worlds of extreme hip hop with the ridiculousness of a CW television show?' That's where it started – the original shorts were knock offs of The OC, all weirdly dramatic for no reason. But the core of this world was Dance Dance Revolution."
You can read an extended interview with the creators of the bizarre The FP at Bad Ass Digest.
Video via Gus Mastrapa.