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Poster for The L.A. Riot Spectacular

The L.A. Riot Spectacular

2005 · 1h 20m · R Comedy
Directed by Marc Klasfeld

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Overview

The controversial satire The LA Riot Spectacular plays for mordent laughs the events that consumed L.A. in 1992, after the police officers on trial for beating motorist Rodney King were found innocent. The city was engulfed by a massive riot, but the film plays these moments for laughs. In addition to recreating some of the images seen on television, the film skewers a variety of figures including the police, the media, and the citizens of the city.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
38%
Tomatometer
Fresh

[The] pic feels overlong because once it's established that this is going to be a tasteless, if occasionally hilarious, exercise in social criticism, the movie needs to constantly accelerate the level of hilarity, which is impossible to do.

John Anderson, Variety
Rotten

A veteran director of music videos, [Marc] Klasfeld has for his feature film debut churned out a lifeless series of sketch-comedy ideas that presumably would make even the Wayans brothers blanch at their broadness.

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Rotten

The gags are mortally unfunny.

Steven Mikulan, L.A. Weekly

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