Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10004 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2007-01-02
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.com

In the tradition of Scarface and The Harder They Come, Shottas is an unapologetic raw urban drama about two friends raised on the dangerous streets of Kingston, Jamaica. Biggs (Kymani Marley) and Wayne (Spragga Benz) take on the "shotta" (Jamaican term for gangster) way of life to survive. As young boys, they begin a life of crime, eventually moving to the U.S., where they begin a ruthless climb from the bottom to the glittering top of a criminal enterprise in a Miami filled with fast cars and gorgeous women. The two men remain fiercely bound by their shottas loyalty as they aggressively take control of the Jamaican underworld.

Beyond Shottas at Amazon.com

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Stills from Shottas (click for larger image)

Amazon.com
In Jamaican patois, a gangster is a "shotta" or "shot-caller." Like The Harder They Come and Third World Cop, Cess Silvera choreographs his crime drama to a reggae beat. Bob Marley’s son Stephen provides the music, while Wyclef Jean drops by as a dealer. The saga begins in late-1970s Kingston. Teenagers Biggs (J.R. Silvera) and Wayne (Carlton Grant Jr.) have had their fill of poverty, so they get a gun and start looting and shooting like the shottas they idolize. Flash forward 20 years and Biggs (Stephen’s actor/musician brother, Kymani Marley) has just been deported from the States. He picks up where he left off, joining Wayne (DJ Spragga Benz) and the psychopathic Mad Max (Paul Campbell, Dancehall Queen) in the thug life. As with Pacino's Tony Montana, Miami is their ultimate port of call. Silvera acknowledges the debt to Brian De Palma's Scarface, but there isn't as much drama here--just a lot of violence (spurting blood is a running motif). Cinematographer Cliff Charles uses all manner of visual trickery to lively up the joint, like grainy black and white, slow motion, and jump cuts. The soundtrack also helps to keep things moving, but it's hard to feel sympathy for those who feel no sympathy for anyone but themselves. Vicious as he was, Montana still had a smidgen of sensitivity. As with The Harder They Come, this English-language production is subtitled due to strong accents and pervasive slang. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

A Good Independent Film!!!!!!
This was Cess Silva's 1st film and it was a very good movie, it explores the life of two Jamaican childhood best friends who grew up dirt poor & raggedy in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica. The friends (Biggs & Wayne)shared common goals, and each wanted to be rich with money, power & respect and wouldn't stop until they got to the top and had the best life possible. The movie takes you on a roller coaster ride while it explores friendship, loyalty, ambition, crime, pain, love, deceit/betrayal and teaches you a lessons. The loyalty, love and respect Wayne, Biggs & Mad Max have for one another as friends is almost farfetched nowadays, no one got jealous of the other one, no hating or backstabbing, just true brotherly love. They were down for each other and fearless. At the end Biggs learned a painful lesson when his demons finally catch up to him and he has to pay in many ways that money nor fine luxuries can't buy. I'll admit it was an underground movie and leaves alot to be desired which may come if there's a sequel, but being this is the director's first movie, I give him 5 stars for effort and for the delectable eye candy (Kymani Marley & Spragga Benz). In his next effort I'm sure he'll have a plot and other essentials in a good movie.
This is a good movie and anyone from the hood, the Caribbean and born African American can definately relate, I feel as though this movie is just as good as Scarface, The Godfather and Belly for that much, these rappers and artists that have no formal acting coaching did a superb job!

Amazing Movie
I'm an American Woman who absolutely fell in love with this movie. I bought the movie at the suggestion of a friend, who said this movie would show a true depiction of life in Jamaica.

My boss was not too happy that I viewed this movie because she always has something negative to say about American blacks as she calls us, like the black youths stand out on the streets doing nothing then go to jail. I asked her who fills the jails of Jamaica? Jamaicans...Who fills the jails in China? Chinese, so why is it so frowned upon that Blacks are in American Jails?

When young people or people in general are not giving the right opportunities, they will find a way to survive whether it's on the mean streets of America, Jamaica, or Africa.

I am looking forward to the sequel to Shottas!!! And hope many more movies come out that celebrate the rich heritage of Jamaica!!!

SHOTTAS "Definately a classical film"
The authenticity of this film is outstanding and gives you a perfect look of a Shotta's life in Jamica. Shottas keeps the full attention of the viewer with intense scenes that will certainly leave you talking to your friends about for months.

This film is recommended for any 'Gangsta' or 'Shotta' movie lover. Even people who would like an inside look of life in the ghetto and what is necessary to elevate from the slums to the american dream. This movie is similar to scarface.