Boz
Published writer
Posts: 1,451
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Post by Boz on Jan 21, 2007 22:29:59 GMT
New Jack City Mario Van Peebles 1991 US 1st time; DVD"New Jack City ranked above Eraserhead?!?!?!?!?!??!!? WTFFFFFFFFFFFF" I loved this film simply for how purely cinematic it was, working off basic cop/criminal movie cliches, with some laughable performances and tired storylines, but there's just such a drive here, such an ambitious push to create on the part of the whole cast and director. I feel as though I almost like it more because of how much it meant to the black community to have a self-produced, poltically significant, and ultimately succesful film. My viewing happened to coincide with a resurgance of my love for 2pac as well, which didn't hurt.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 29, 2007 6:13:44 GMT
Ranking NEW JACK CITY over ERASERHEAD is silly.
But that is another thread, for another time.
Thing is, digging NEW JACK CITY isn't a bad thing.
NEW JACK CITY I've always liked. While Mario Van Pebbles is uninspiring as a director and scriptwriter (not to mention ACTOR), but there is a spirited attitude to NEW JACK CITY that can't be ignored, it oozes out of the narrative.
Pebbles wanted to make a honest to God blaxploitation movie for the 1990s, albeit without the nostalgic parody or meaningless reverence that similar efforts have faced. No, NEW JACK CITY feels very much like the blaxploitation B-pictures that Corman and American International Pictures popped out in the 1970s.
NEW JACK CITY's basic story is one that was relevant in the 1970s, and one thats sadly still resonate in today's time. Checking up on Larry Cohen's BLACK CAESAR from the early '70s with Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, its plot is almost directly the same as Wesley Snipes' tale in CITY: Both are long-tortured black urbanites of New York City who get trashed by the unfair racist system, and use crime to advance in wealth and power.
Funny how despite 20 years in difference of productions, both movies still have Williamson and Snipes take on the Italian-American mafia and their monopoly control over narcotics. While both pictures plays on black nationalistic feelings on their rise to power, Snipes though is a villain that is worth cheering, and jeering.
Really, a pity that Snipes became a washed-up action star, instead of a promising drama actor that he displayed in NEW JACK CITY and KING OF NEW YORK. Sad too that instead of being a really good blaxploitation crime movie, its more known now for Chris Rock's crackhead part.
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Boz
Published writer
Posts: 1,451
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Post by Boz on Jan 29, 2007 6:20:34 GMT
Yeah, Rock was decent but clearly not the best part of the film.
Glad there's another fan out there.
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Post by ronnierocketago on Jan 29, 2007 8:23:01 GMT
Rock is nice, but his presence is overrated.
Actually, besides Snipes, I was very impressed with Ice T. Too bad Hollywood has offered him jobs in either crappy action movies, or Television. Still, working with the fun Richard Belzer can't be a terrible thing.
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