Michael Schultz

(On Cable TV, February 2022) Joining films such as Beat Street and Wild Style in chronicling the early days of hip-hop, Krush Groove takes us to early-1980s New York City to follow a music promoter (loosely inspired by Russell Simmons) trying to cope with increased attention. The featured acts here include Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and The Fat Boys (among others), with plenty of incidental period details to make it more interesting. The film is executed in a relatively unobtrusive fashion, with acceptable early-1980s technical credentials and an unobtrusive directing style from Michael Schultz, who wisely leaves the spotlight on the performers. The plot is not bad, but the film’s reason for existing is found in the various musical numbers that pepper the film, energetically showing a burgeoning scene and its participants. Fans of 1980s hip-hop are sure to love Krush Groove—for everyone else, it’s a document capturing a unique era in pop-culture history.