Bowling Balls Explained

Bowling Balls
Type:single
Artist:Insane Clown Posse
Album:Hell's Pit
Released:2004
Genre:Alternative hip hop, horrorcore
Label:Psychopathic
Producer:Mike Puwal, Insane Clown Posse
Prev Title:Hell's Forecast
Prev Title2:Murder Rap
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:I Do This!
Next Year:2006

"Bowling Balls" is a song written by Esham and Joseph Bruce for Insane Clown Posse's 2004 album Hell's Pit, and the fourth single released by the group that was not produced by Mike E. Clark. The song's lyrics describe decapitation and murder. A short film of the same name was produced in association with the album, appearing on a special edition. Bowling Balls was the first 3-D film shot in high-definition video.

Music and lyricism

As with the rest of the album, "Bowling Balls" features a hip hop oriented sound and features none of the rock influence of . As opposed to The Wraith: Shangri-La, which focused on the positive aspects of life and death, Hell's Pit focuses on darker subject matter such as hell, murder and psychosis.[1] As produced by Esham, "Bowling Balls" was intended as a throwback to the latter half of Carnival of Carnage, which featured a dark, modest sound.[1] "Bowling Balls" samples the drum beat of Madonna's "Justify My Love," which was based upon Public Enemy's instrumental "Security of the First World",[2] [3] which was in turn based on the end drum break of James Brown's "Funky Drummer".[4] A remix of the song was produced by Monoxide of Twiztid; it appeared on the remix album .[5]

Film

Bowling Balls
Director:Paul Andresen
Producer:Alex Abbiss
Paul Andresen
Steven R. Stone
Starring:Joseph Bruce
Joseph Utsler
Music:Jim Manzie, Pat Regan
Cinematography:Joe VanDalsem
Distributor:Psychopathic
Runtime:22 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Italic Title:no

In promotion of the song and album, Psychopathic Video produced a short film of the same name based around the song, directed by Paul Andresen. A long form music video and comedy horror film,[6] Bowling Balls was the first 3-D film to be shot in high-definition video.[7] The film's cast includes Mark Jury, who later appeared prominently in the Psychopathic film Big Money Rustlas.

The film was released as part of an alternate special edition of Hell's Pit, packaged with a pair of 3-D glasses. 3-D and standard versions of the film were featured on the DVD.[8] The standard version of the film was reissued as part of the compilation .

Plot

Two girls are driving to Daytona when their car breaks down. Rather than sit in an old broken down truck in the middle of nowhere while they wait for their friends to come pick them up, they decide to go with J (Violent J), a clown, who invites them to his bed and breakfast. However, J's ulterior motives are revealed when his retarded hunchback brother, Shaggy (Shaggy 2 Dope), decapitates one of the girls. The girl's friends head to pick them up, and each are murdered by the clowns.

Cast

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Weekly Freekly: Number 669 . 2008-08-17 . Bruce . Joseph . June 25, 2004 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20040820062709/http://www.insaneclownposse.com/page.php?page_id=icp_wf_20040426 . 2004-08-20 .
  2. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r705775|pure_url=yes}} Review of ''Hell's Pit'' ]. 2008-06-30 . Jeffries . David . Allmusic.
  3. News: She Bop . 2008-06-30 . Thomas . Lindsey . March 8, 2006 . City Pages .
  4. Justify My Claim . Entertainment Weekly . Jeffrey . Ressner . 1991-08-16 . 2012-11-19 . 2013-10-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131012022817/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315180,00.html . dead .
  5. Web site: Listen to the Wraith: Remix Albums by Insane Clown Posse - Album Reviews, Credits, and Awards - AllRovi . 2011-11-13 . dead . https://archive.today/20120731144109/http://www.allrovi.com/music/album/the-wraith-remix-albums-mw0000564209 . 2012-07-31 .
  6. Web site: Psychopathic Records and Juggalo Ringmasters the Insane Clown Posse Team with Short Dog, Inc. To produce "BIG MONEY RUSTLAS!" Film Currently Shooting on Location in Los Angeles, California. https://web.archive.org/web/20090306183809/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2022194.htm. dead. March 6, 2009.
  7. News: John . Anderson . 3-D not an alien concept in Hollywood . . March 26, 2009 . 4 April 2009 .
  8. Web site: Roanoke.com High School Sports . www1.roanoke.com . 6 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040110162339/http://www1.roanoke.com/sports/highschool/11169.html . 10 January 2004 . dead.