Bowling Balls#Film

{{About|the song|the ball|Bowling ball}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{notability|Music|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Bowling Balls

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Insane Clown Posse

| album = Hell's Pit

| released = 2004

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Alternative hip hop, horrorcore

| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=30}}

| label = Psychopathic

| writer = Joseph Bruce, Mike Puwal

| 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 The Wraith: Shangri-La. 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.insaneclownposse.com/page.php?page_id=icp_wf_20040426 |title=Weekly Freekly: Number 669 |accessdate=2008-08-17 |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |date=June 25, 2004 |publisher=Psychopathic Records |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820062709/http://www.insaneclownposse.com/page.php?page_id=icp_wf_20040426 |archivedate=2004-08-20 }} 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. "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",{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r705775|pure_url=yes}} |title=Review of Hell's Pit |accessdate=2008-06-30 |last=Jeffries |first=David |website=Allmusic}}{{cite news|url=http://www.citypages.com/2006-03-08/news/she-bop/6 |title=She Bop |accessdate=2008-06-30 |last=Thomas |first=Lindsey |date=March 8, 2006 |newspaper=City Pages }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} which was in turn based on the end drum break of James Brown's "Funky Drummer".{{cite magazine | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315180,00.html | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | first=Jeffrey | last=Ressner | title=Justify My Claim | date=1991-08-16 | access-date=2012-11-19 | archive-date=2013-10-12 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012022817/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315180,00.html | url-status=dead }} A remix of the song was produced by Monoxide of Twiztid; it appeared on the remix album The Wraith: Remix Albums.{{cite web |url=http://www.allrovi.com/music/album/the-wraith-remix-albums-mw0000564209 |title=Listen to the Wraith: Remix Albums by Insane Clown Posse - Album Reviews, Credits, and Awards - AllRovi |accessdate=2011-11-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120731144109/http://www.allrovi.com/music/album/the-wraith-remix-albums-mw0000564209 |archivedate=2012-07-31 }}

Film

{{Infobox film

| name = Bowling Balls

| image =

| caption =

| director = Paul Andresen

| producer = Alex Abbiss
Paul Andresen
Steven R. Stone

| writer = Joseph Bruce
Paul Andressen
Mark Jury

| narrator =

| starring = Joseph Bruce
Joseph Utsler

| music = Jim Manzie, Pat Regan

| cinematography = Joe VanDalsem

| editing =

| distributor = Psychopathic

| released = {{Film date|2004|8|31}}

| runtime = 22 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

|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,{{Cite web|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2022194.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306183809/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2022194.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 6, 2009|title=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}} Bowling Balls was the first 3-D film to be shot in high-definition video.{{cite news |first=John |last=Anderson |title=3-D not an alien concept in Hollywood |url=http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/movies/articles/2009/03/26/20090326danimation0326.html |newspaper=Newsday |date=March 26, 2009 |accessdate=4 April 2009 }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www1.roanoke.com/sports/highschool/11169.html |title=Roanoke.com High School Sports |website=www1.roanoke.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040110162339/http://www1.roanoke.com/sports/highschool/11169.html |archive-date=10 January 2004 |url-status=dead}} The standard version of the film was reissued as part of the compilation Psychopathic: The Videos.

= 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 =

  • Violent J as J
  • Shaggy 2 Dope as Shaggy
  • Krista Kalmus as Amy
  • Lindsay Ballew as Stacy
  • Kathlyne Pham as Tiffany
  • Damian Lea as Brad
  • Sabin Rich as Carl
  • Mark Jury as Guy in Car
  • Roxxi Dolt as Girl in Car

References

{{reflist}}