Entertainment

Death stalks movie actors

By TEINO EVANS, Staff Reporter

Vybz Kartel - file

THE DEATHS OF at least five of the cast members of a low budget locally produced movie, Thug Life, which stars deejay Vybz Kartel, has left many persons wondering if it could be just mere coincidence.

The movie was produced by Garfield 'Gary Maniac' Bloise between 1999/2000 and has been shown on a few local cable channels including Allied and JACS.

However since the film was shot at least five of the actors have died violently by the gun, the latest case being that of an upcoming deejay, 'Dugsy Ranks', who played the role of a ..... in the film.

Not coincidence

Bloise told THE STAR he believes the deaths are not coincidence but the results of the life that they lead.

"Mi feel seh a jus di type a life weh dem live, as it look like dem did under di wrong influence from start," he said.

Bloise says the reason for making the film was to encourage the youths in his community to 'make good of their life' and to show them that there were other options in life than the use of the gun.

"At the time when we did our movie, it wasn't to make any money, it was actually a 'no-budget' movie, but our intention was more of an upliftment ting fi di youths dem inna di community (Waterford). We wanted the youts in the community to focus on other means of utilising their time and talent, rather than just focusing on violence. Now, wi a license our ting and even other youts a follow suit an a utilise dem skills," he said.

Inspired

He says he now has his own videography company called Video Maniac Productions and in light of the shooting deaths of many of his cast members from Thug Life he is inspired to produce another film. He is also working on a project that is based on the life of Vybz Kartel.

THE STAR was unable to reach Vybz Kartel, the main actor, for comments as he was said to be recording in the studio however his road manager, Patrick Samuels, said he was aware of the deaths of several of the actors in the film.

"A bout Kartel an two odda man still alive now, is not a joke ting. One a dem was a nex deejay too weh use to spar wid wi, name 'Dugsy Ranks'. A jus earth, an wi feel a way, an wi sorry seh a suh it a run, but mi feel seh a jus mere coincidence," Roach said.

The movie was shot in the Portmore community of Waterford, St. Catherine, and the plot was based on the selling of illegal drugs in an inner city community, where Vybz Kartel played the role as a deejay on the rise who was not in support of it.

In Thug Life, Kartel was shot and his sister killed because of his objections to the drug trade and the subsequent retaliation of the traffickers. In the end, however, Kartel managed to destroy the clubhouse where the drugs was being sold and brought down the main person behind the operation, 'Mickey Pelpa'.