8 Mile is the 113th episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Erica Russell, Mike Holmes, Mike Bridenstine, and Andy Signore. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It parodies the 2002 drama film 8 Mile. The video was published on August 11, 2015, to coincide with the theatrical release of music biopic Straight Outta Compton. It is 5 minutes and 31 seconds long. It has been viewed over 5.4 million times.
Watch Honest Trailers - 8 Mile on YouTube
"Journey to Detroit, a depression-hit city where no one is safe...from spontaneous freestyle rapping." ~ Honest Trailers - 8 Mile
Script[]
From the guy who always raps about his crazy mom, a little girl named Hailie, and the city of Detroit (Eminem), comes a film about a rapper with a crazy mom and a little girl named Lily, set in the city of Detroit. But he's got brown hair instead of blond hair, so it's totally not Eminem. 8 Mile.
You've seen pop stars make terrible vanity projects like Glitter, Crossroads, and Cool as Ice. Now, watch Eminem, of all people, do a respectful, understated job in the story of a man struggling against a world that judges him based on the color of his skin. It's kinda like Rosa Parks in reverse.
Jimmy (rapping in front of a crowd of African-Americans): You don't know what the f*ck I been through!
Um, pretty sure they might have an idea.
Journey to Detroit, a depression-hit city where no one is safe...from spontaneous freestyle rapping. Stuck in a dead-end job at the up-down button-pressing factory (Detroit New Stamping plant), Eminem will have one shot to rap battle his way out...okay, maybe two...three if you count this rap battle right here (shows Jimmy rapping by a lunch truck). (shows Jimmy rapping in a parking lot) Wait, does this one qualify as a shot? I guess, technically, he has at least 52 shots a year, since I'm pretty sure they hold that rap battle, like, every weekend.
You've already seen Marshall Mathers take on the role of Eminem (in Entourage), Eminem (in Funny People), and Gay Eminem (in The Interview). Now, he'll take on the role of his own lifetime as Jimmy "Bunny Rabbit" Smith, Jr., an Eminem-ish white rapper who's so poor, he can only afford one sheet of paper (shows Jimmy holding a sheet of paper with many notes scrawled on it). Watch as he flips a coin to decide which emotion he'll have in the next scene, none of them (shows clips of Jimmy speaking unemotionally) or all of them (shows clips of Jimmy speaking heatedly). Man, I have no idea why anybody puts up with you.
Armed with only a Walkman and the world's largest pair of sweatpants, ride along as this underdog struggles to defeat the Cobra Kai of rap, get the girl, and form a reliable carpool (shows clips of characters asking for or offering car rides). Follow along on Eminem's rags-to-slightly-more-confident-rags story that'll have you bobbing your head to the incredible rap lyrics and forgetting all the not-so-incredible ones (Jimmy: You worked at this plant so long, you're a plant.), as Eminem proves once and for all no one is better at making a crowd say "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (shows clips of crowds of people saying "ohhhhhhhh!").
So throw on your beanie, put up your hood, and sing along to the Oscar-winning end credits song about Eminem's life that's been at the top of your workout mix since 2002 ("Lose Yourself"), even though the only words you know are...(plays a loop of Eminem saying "Mom's spaghetti").
Starring Rappy Balboa (Eminem as Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr.); Judge Dreads (Mekhi Phifer as Future)...get it? 'Cause he's a judge and he has...dreadlocks...never mind; Trailer Park Zod (Michael Shannon as Greg Buehl); The Crying Spaghetti Momster (Kim Basinger as Stephanie); Hailie (Chloe Greenfield as Lily); Angry Bird (Anthony Mackie as Papa Doc); Yo, Dawg, I Heard You Like Cameos (Xzibit as Mike); Middle Fingers (shows clips of characters flipping the bird); and Clap-Clap-Hug-Snaps (shows clips of pairs of characters slapping hands together twice, then hugging and slapping each other's backs).
Eminem: The Movie
Aw, man, can't wait for the Drake movie about making it out of that wheelchair on Degrassi, right?
Ashley Kerwin: Jimmy...you can walk.
Jimmy Brooks: Yeah, I guess I can.
That's gonna be tight.
Trivia[]
- Screen Junkies have produced Honest Trailers for several other films about performers including Pitch Perfect, La La Land, Magic Mike, Showgirls and The Greatest Showman. See list of Honest Trailers for more.
- An Honest Trailer Commentary for this episode was recorded and was available on the Screen Junkies Plus until the website/app was discontinued. Screen Junkies don't currently have any way of releasing the video.
Reception []
Honest Trailers - 8 Mile has an 97.4% approval rating from YouTube viewers. JOE said the Honest Trailer was "hilarious." CW Detroit noted that "being roasted by the Honest Trailer team is a sign that you’ve made it to the Zeitgeist of popular cinema." Nerdist remarked that the Honest Trailer "points out several of the movie’s absurdities, including the fact that Jimmy apparently only owns one piece of paper, and the way that the film presents Jimmy as the victim of racial adversity. However, the HT team does give Eminem credit for a mostly understated performance. Although it is noted that his emotional range in 8 Mile has only two gears: every emotion or no emotion."
Production credits[]
Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey
Title design by Robert Holtby
Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner
Episode Written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Erica Russell, Mike Holmes, Mike Bridenstine, and Andy Signore
Edited by Anthony Falleroni and Dan Murrell
External links []
- Video: The 8 Mile honest trailer is here and it's hilarious - JOE article
- 8 Mile's Honest Trailer Rips Eminem's Film Apart - CinemaBlend article
- Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ Gets Lampooned By Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailer - DW Detroit article
- HONEST TRAILER LOSES ITSELF WITHIN EMINEM’S 8 MILE - Nerdist article
- Honest Trailer: ‘8 Mile’ | Screen Junkies - Geeks of Doom article
- Eminem’s 8 Mile gets an Honest Trailer - Flickering Myth article
- Honest Trailer For Eminem's 8 MILE - Geek Tyrant article