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Amazon.com
Top 50 African-American Bestseller
From DISILGOLDSOUL!
DVD Review by Heather Covington.
Train Ride, one of the best movies around, has EVERYTHING that comprises
what stellar award winning films are made of from a great beginning, talented
cast, dangerous deception, taboo twists, lies and unsuspecting psycho-induced
suicide or murder (you decide) to enticing layers of authentic imagery
and scenes to keep viewers engaged in the surprise hit of the year directed
and written by Rel Dowdell. Great movies are made from great writing,
and Train Ride is magnificent!
There are lessons to learn that will pinch at viewer's nerves second-by-second,
especially every parent who sends their child away to college. The greatest
lesson to learn will trigger emotions in every college student who may
encounter peer pressure and be faced with some of the toughest decisions
as the cast of actors in some of the most pivotal roles had to face. Train
Ride takes film direction to the limit and challenges each actor to make
a split decision where one wrong move, can alter each of their lives forever.
The movie begins with a flash forward scene of a rifle aimed at Will,
the college student with a bright future ahead of him, but has risked
all by slipping a toxic drug in a college girl's drink which immobilizes
her body.
This scene smoothly transitions to the college campus grounds ofÂ
Saunder’s University where Will, Ellis and Ron are
navigating the premises to find college girls to invite to their gathering.
Katrina, played by M.C. Lyte is confronted by Will who despite her wanting
to focus on her studies, convinces her to take his number with that macho-like
talk, and she obliges by bringing 2 of her college peers along, Stephanie
and Tandy.
The naivete of all the girls allows the fellows to play a grown folks
version of Spin the Bottle, but there isn't a bottle to spin, just promiscuous
peer pressure driven dares from performing lap dances, touching private
parts and sipping straight shots of vodka. It's a scene all too familiar
for campus life travesties that begin with these kind of dares.
Will manages to woo M.C. Lyte with more charm then the other fellows.
As soon as the other friends leave, Katrina is left behind with the fellows.
She winds up following Will up to his bedroom, and hasn't a clue that
he has spiked her drink with a drug that immobilizes her body and zaps
her memory of all that happens next.
Will tricks his friends, Ellis and Ron, to perform a TRAIN RIDE while
she is immobile. Only Ellis has an idea that he has administered a drug,
but not Ron. What appears to look like Katrina is the lady who invited
aTrain Ride, turns out to be rape against her will. Meanwhile, Will cleverly
videotapes his friends in the act of unknowingly raping Katrina.
The next day, Katrina returns to her dorm room and acts erratic. Her own
friend, Stephanie believes some rumors she has heard that Katrina allowed
the guys to film her and the guys doing the do. Will has shown the video
to all of his friends in college, but lied and told Ellis and Ron that
the video tapes were destroyed.
Things heat up when the fellows find out that there is a tape circulating
around campus and so, they visit Will's dorm to steal and trash the tape
in not wanting to be accused of rape or drugging Katrina. Katrina finally
lets Stephanie know the truth about having a drink, but she can't remember
anything after the drink was administered to her. The only signs she knows
that something happened is when her college peers leave art depictions
of video tapes in a college classroom and snicker while she is in class.
M.C. Lyte's performance as Katrina is beyond exceptional and worthy of
an Oscar.
What happens to Katrina is sad, dehumanizing and pitiful, but now that
the fellows have been snitched on for doing the unthinkable, they have
a score to settle with Will who leaked out the tapes, but realize that
they need to stick together now that authorities know what happened. Ron
wants to confess and changes their course to devastation.
Viewers will question why didn't Katrina's father just listen and let
her come back home when she cried out to him on the phone without really
revealing what went down, and if the ladies would have been better off
not going to the PARTY. These scenes leave a lot for every women to ponder
and ask, is one night of fun really worth it?
Rel Dowdell makes a very brief appearance in the movie and wears a shirt
that clearly is labeled, Danger, Intelligent Man on Board, and very much
unlike the charactes roles which no man today should ever portray unless
they want the circumstances to follow.
Train Ride is an explosive, high impact A+ production and a masterfully
produced and directed and a MUST SEE movie of the year. Rel Dowdell has
created a masterpiece to be commended and celebrated. Disilgold Soul honors
Rel Dowdell.
DISILGOLD SOUL MAGAZINE HONORS REL DOWDELL AS THE
"YOUnity Guild Director of the Year Award Recipient"
Heather Covington
(Editor-in-Chief: Disilgold Soul Literary Review)
P.O. BOX 652 Baychester Station
Bronx, NY 10469
Vox: 1.718.547.0499
Website Home: www. Disilgold. Com
Read Weekly Column on www. EURweb.com- The Literary Dish |
GET
ON BOARD!
Rel with the late, great Civil Rights leader and icon Ms. Rosa
Parks.
***
Check out the great cover story done on Rel in this month's
popular African-American entertainment publication "Disilgold"
right here:
http://www.disilgold.com/images/Magazine-_20April_202006-FINAL2.pdf
***
R.I.P. Gordon Parks, Sr.- filmmaker,
visonary, and artist extraordinare
(1912-2006)
Check out this
link for a press release for a radio interview Rel did with host Sharon
Kay and Gordon Parks remaining son, David on WFSK 88.1 FM.
***
Rel and noted film historian/critic Irv Slifkin. Mr. Slifkin
gave "Train Ride" high praise in his best-selling book,
"Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City's Movies."
***
Rel with the greatest M.C. in hip-hop history, "Blastmaster"
KRS-One.
***
Check out this new 4 star review of "Train Ride" by J.C. Macek...
"The World's Greatest Critic!"
http://worldsgreatestcritic.com/trainride.html
******
Check out the first international review of "Train Ride" by Ms. Monica Meijer
on one of the top international (Netherlands) film review websites in the world,
"Redactie Movie 2 Movie!"
http://www.movie2movie.nl/index.php?item=190&film=70827
******
Check out these great pics from when Rel was at Prairie View Univeristy in Prairie
View, Tx for a screening/discsussion of "Train Ride"
http://www.pvamu.edu/pages/2284.asp
Also, check out this very poignant poem entitled "Wash Away" by Prairie View U.
student, Ms. Adrienne Quickley, that was inspired by the film.
http://www.pvamu.edu/pages/2285.asp
******
Check out Rel's recent interview on Reelblack TV here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fPgRJiil1AQ
*****
Rel and one of the most successful producers in Hollywood,
Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure).
Rel with Hollywood female royalty Beverly Todd (l.) and
Lynn Whitfield (r.)
Rel with President of Women Organized Against Rape Carole
Johnson.
***
Rel with celebrated actor Glynn Turman ("Cooley High").
Mr. Turman is in town doing a play that's been getting high praise about
South Africa.
***
Rel with legendary writer Eric Monte ("Good Times,"
"Cooley High") at the 1st Annual Black Film and Media Conference
in Philadelphia. Check out Mr. Monte's website to see his amazing contributions to African-American television and film.
http://awpublisher.com/
Rel Dowdell
Exclusive Interview: Young hit filmmaker Rel Dowdell discusses with
radio personality Monica "Superma" Peters.
Rel discusses DATE RAPE, THE INFAMOUS DATE RAPE DRUG, STEREOTYPICAL BLACK CINEMA and his critically-acclaimed, best-selling
film "Train Ride" starring Wood Harris, M.C. Lyte, Russell Hornsby, Thomas Braxton, Nicole Prescott, Anika Hawkins, Guru, Joe Clair, and the late, great, Emmy-award winnng actress Esther Rolle.
Rel also opens up about working
with legendary actress Esther Rolle whose last starring role was in his
film. LISTEN HERE
Rel with Reelblack.com's Michael Dennis and Sharon Pinkenson,
Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.
Rel with fans and supporters at the Philly premiere.
The sold-out crowd gathers before the Philly Premiere of "Train
Ride" hosted by Reelblack.com at International House on February
25, 2005.
Rel with students from Historic Black College Lemoyne-Owen
after a recent screening in Memphis, TN.
Rel with Train Ride co-star
Thomas Braxton at Roxbury Film Festival.
***
Rel with Best Actor Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker (l.) and
Robert Guillaume (r.)
Rel with Fisk University President Dr. Hazel O'Leary at
the Carlton Moss Film Festival in Nashville, TN.
***
Rel with 2006 Academy Award Best Actor nominee for "Hustle
and Flow" Terrence Howard.
***
Our first major review! And man, was it worth the wait.
It's a doozy! Gerald Peary has been reviewing films for over 30 years
and is one of Boston's most influential and revered film critics. He writes
for the Boston Phoenix. He says TRAIN RIDE is "One
of the best American movies so far this year, on screen or on video."
You can read the entire review at:
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/movies/film/documents/04755903.asp
***
Please read noted film critic Michael Dequina's ***1/2
review at
Mr. Brown's Movie Report
http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/filmflam/62.html
***
Be sure to check out Rel's interview with Ray Colbert
of Video To Edit at:
http://video2edit.com/Archives/RelDowdellTrainRide.pdf
***
Legendary actor/director Tim Reid and Rel in Nashville
at the Carlton Moss Film Festival, hosted by Fisk University.
***
Here's Rel and Ms. Cherra Lee (artist) from the Nashville
screening. Check out this interview
with Rel done for Everything Underground reporting on the screening at
his alma mater, Fisk University. http://www.everythingunderground.com/masters_of_the_universe_filmmake.htm
***
 
Here is Rel with TRAIN RIDE cast members M.C. Lyte &
Nicole Prescott (l.) and with Guru (r.)
Here's an
interview MC Lyte did with Rolling Stone Magazine where "Train
Ride" was discussed.
***
The Train Ride Special Edition DVD
is OUT NOW from Sony/Ruffnation Films. Look for it at Netflix, Barnes and Noble.com, Blockbuster.com,
and Movies Unlimited nationwide. It currently has a 5 star customer
rating at amazon.com.
Or click the link to the left to order your personally signed DVDs for
only $15 plus $5 shipping and handling directly from Rel.
TRAIN RIDE recently won the Audience
Award for favorite feature film at the Cultures
Collide Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY. Visit www.americantheatreofharlem.org
for a complete list of winners.
****
Thanks to everyone who helped to make February 25th's
WORLD PREMIERE such an massive success! Special thanks to Pam Moses,
CHS Alumni, Colby Colb, Kim Gallon, Philadelphia Film Office, Jerry Mondesire, President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP, Grace Baptist Church, All the writers at
all the major newspapers, CN8, WURD, 100.3 FM and Reelblack Presents for
helping us spread the word. Thanks to Renae and everyone at IHouse for
their gracious support of our endeavor. A Full
Photo gallery can be found HERE.
***
Train Ride is available for special festival and showcase
screenings. Contact Rel personally for booking information: rel@reldowdell.com.
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