A fine documentary can be distinguished from a mediocre one by the better film's ability to make its subject interesting to those who aren't part of its supposed target audience. Judging by those standards, "Scratch" is a pretty decent little documentary.

The film's main subject matter — hip-hop music — is definitely not to all tastes. But this look at its history and possible future just might convince some who have questioned its status as a "valid" musical style.

The movie is not without its problems, however. For one thing, it's a little long (at 90 minutes, it might play better at 75 or so). And it doesn't answer some of the questions most of us wish would be answered — especially about damage to turntables and records, as well as equipment repairs and costs.

Still, it does excel in its coherent, simplified version of hip-hop's rather complicated history. It could be argued that hip-hop started nearly 30 years ago with the advent of the Zulu Nation, which was pioneered by Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Jazzy Jay. But the movie's contention is that the style really began to flourish with the mainstream success of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," a crossover musical hit that featured the scratching of GrandMixer DXT.

"Scratch" also looks at the growing schism between competitive scratchers, or "turntablists," and those trying to push the form further, such as Mix Master Mike (known to many for his musical contributions to several Beastie Boys records) and Qbert (probably the king of modern-day scratching).

In his first film, 1996's "Hype," director/editor Doug Pray examined the growing popularity and eventual death of grunge music. This time he experiments with gimmicks — such as film splices and cuts that mimic the "breaks" the DJs are using on screen — that enhance the material.

Credit should also go to cinematographer Robert Bennett, whose camera work captures several "how'd-they-do-that?" scratching routines, as well as the charismatic performers (including Jurassic 5 member Cut Chemist, who is shown making the best use of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" since Fritz Lang's expressionistic 1931 thriller "M").

"Scratch" is rated R for occasional use of strong, sexually related profanity and racial epithets, some mildly vulgar humor (musical "gags"), brief drug use (marijuana) and brief glimpses of nude artwork. Running time: 90 minutes.

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