_Over Da Rainbow_: The _Heeb_ Review

Courtesy of "The Pearl"

If you want to watch a 20-minute hip-hoppy short film that finds itself somewhere between John Cameron Mitchell’s first (and completely nelly) attempt at making Hedwig and the Angry Inch that tips its glittery hat to Michael Jackson, look no further than Jared Lapidus’ Over Da Rainbow.

As far as amateur titles go, it is well produced and composed with a surprisingly capable cast and, most importantly, a brilliantly asinine plot: Terrier, a homophobic rapper, has a hit single ("Kill Faggots"), which has made him an instant controversial celebrity. For his next hit, he attempts to sample an 80s hair metal band song, but in order to attain the rights for the song, he must perform one task for the widowed owner of the song–to reunite her with her son Christopher and Terrier’s secret ex-boyfriend.

Within a melange of phenomenal musical numbers, Lapidus cleverly infuses fart jokes, gay jokes and campy special effects with an underlying message of tolerance. Rainbow highlights the rampant homophobia that has permeated hip-pop culture and gives the film that extra bump needed to get the activists, non-profits and human rights people drooling all over the place.

This film could easily become an underground cult classic in gay cinema; hopefully enough moviegoers will hit up the film’s website for a copy of their own ($10 each). Though if you’re short on the scrilla, watch the music videos featured in the film—hands-down, ass-up the best part of Rainbow anyway.

What do you think?