Article By: Richelle Gemini / Photos By: Elliot Guidry
Houston is quickly becoming a bustling center for the film industry, and it shows no signs of slowing down. A new movie that highlights the city’s culture and features some of its biggest stars is set to hit the screens very soon. “Double Cup,” the movie, provides a hilarious take on the Houston culture and promises to be a classic in the making.
When you think of Houston, you think of the Astros, Texans, screwed and chopped music, Slim Thug, Propain, Z-Ro, Lil Keke, and, of course, double cups filled with purple stuff. “Double Cup” is Houston’s version of Friday, and it delivers a comical yet relatable story about two broke men who will stop at nothing to get rich.
I was fortunate enough to attend the sold-out private screening of the movie. The cast was dressed to the gills for the red carpet-affair. Fancy dresses and suites filled the large Town and County theater. Without giving too much away, Slim Thug and Propain gave a stellar performance as cousins in the soon-to-be classic movie. It’s a common tale of two men down on their finances trying to make it big “by any means necessary.” Yes, it’s “by any means” and not “by any leans.” We get to see their journey from small timing with dreams and aspirations to their come up and the problems their new financial stream causes.
“All That glitters is not gold. All Gold is not reality”
_ The Dells – Fonky Thang, Diamon’ Rang
The film takes place in modern times in the city of Houston. If you’re familiar with Houston culture, you know why we’re called the “Purple City.” In the film, Slim Thug and Propain get their hands on some promethazine, also known as syrup, lean, drank or more festively known as purple stuff. The preferred way to consume this mix is by pouring it into a “double cup” two stacked Styrofoam cups with the inside cup filled with ice. Lean is a highly concentrated cough syrup mixed with Sprite or any juice of your choice. This drink was made popular across the world of hip-hop after artists like Lil Wayne started speaking about their use of it in their lyrics. While the movie doesn’t touch much on the downside of this drug, it has claimed many lives of popular artists from Houston. Taking large portions can harm your health.
While the movie doesn’t focus on the dangers of lean, it does show the repercussions of selling drugs on the streets. You will see that they have to be careful while navigating the streets as they have people plotting against you. There are crooked cops, pimps, and women with ulterior motives. The story was written by Film Director Johnnard Harper, Slim Thug, and King Drè of Boss Life. The Director Shannon Washington managed to capture the essence of the film in an entertaining, provocative, yet authentic way. I enjoyed the movie and can’t wait for it to hit the screens. Houston is bursting with talent, and only we can tell our stories in a way that does them justice.
After the Premier Boss Life hosted an after-party at Tribeca in Houston’s Third Ward.
