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Some pundits called it a flawed, exploitative action film that glamorized drug dealing and the luxury of a lucrative criminal lifestyle, spawning a trend of films that attracted youth gangs and provoked violence in theaters. Others hailed it as a breakthrough movie that depicted drug dealers as ruthless, corrupt, and evil, leading dead-end lives that no rational youth would want to emulate. However you interpret it, New Jack City is still one of the first and best films of the 1990s to crack open the underworld of cocaine and peer inside with its eyes wide open.It's also the film that established Wesley Snipes as an actor to watch, with enough charisma to bring an insidious quality of seduction to his role as coke-lord Nino Brown, and enough intelligence to portray a character deluded by his own sense of indestructible power. Director Mario Van Peebles stretched his otherwise-limited talent to bring vivid authenticity and urgency to this crime story, and subplots involving a pair of tenacious cops (Ice-T, Judd Nelson) and a recovering coke addict (Chris Rock) provide additional dramatic tension. Although some critics may hesitate to admit it, New Jack City deserves mention in any serious discussion about African American filmmakers and influential films. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Violent movie, but worth watching
Great performances by Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown, drug lord, and Chris Rock as Pookie the crackhead...Ice-T wasn't very convincing to me as a cop, but I still liked the film. It had its humorous moments...plus some disturbingly violent ones as well. It put me in the mind of "Good Fellas", another crime-themed movie that is hard not to watch. The ending was somewhat predictable but all around worth checking out.

This move isnt nearly as great as people make it out to be..
I love hood movies and as far as acting, writing, characters and sheer believeability go, this movie ranks way below films such as Boyz n the Hood, Juice, Clockers, ect.

Besides Ice T's (Scotty) and Snipes (Nino), all the other characters seemed so false. Even though those are the two main characters, if all your other characters arent believeable, the whole movie falls apart. The chief of police is like someone out of a cartoon. Chris Rock (Pookie) isnt funny and does his part no justice. Mario Van Peebles is a joke

Apparently a drug syndicate is able to take over and entire apartment building in NYC...for years!! Its amazing isnt it. They can ride up in a drop top jeep and shoot people point blank in the head in broad daylight and not get caught. The story is just so hard to swallow.

Also the cinematography is really sub par. There is no artistry in any of the shots even in the dialogue. It also seems like the entire movie moves too fast for the events that are supposedly taking place. There are no subtle nuances at all in this film. I would say dont waste your time, the movie isnt really exciting at all, the performances are boring as is the plot. Go watch Juice.

Are you your brutha's keepa??
Fool, this film be the bomb, and I don't mean it bombed. Few movies touch me, but in New Jack City, the message was loud and clear, 'Keep it real and don't get caught'. Nino Brown had it all, and I mean he ruled the school. The problem was he got greedy. He makes deals with undercover cops, he wants to take down the mob, and his gang is falling apart. Plus he drops a decent looking ho for a real skanky looking ho.

It funny to see the size of cell phones back then, but the hair styles were pretty ridiculous too. Ice T is no Slash, but he can wear a top hat in the rain just as easily. Judd Nelson has a race problem in this movie, He can't tell the difference between himself, a white cop, and Pookie, a black crackhead. He finally settle the matter buy proclaiming he is 'Poor White Trash Pookie'.

In the end though, the message is clear. "If you've lost everything, you might as well cut loose and run. You never know, the libraian you shot may have a son coming to take you down." Or another moral of the story is "Avoid crazy old men on the stairs when you leave the courtroom."

Good movie
I know some people did not like this movie, but I loved it. The film had me hating some characters and loving others. Ice-T played his role well in this film. The scene that still gets me to this day is when he gets Pookie from that crack house. The other scene is when he is with the drug lord, and finds out HE is the man responsible for his mothers death. That scene was deep. The film has a good cast, Mario Van Peebles, Wesley Snipes, Bill Nunn, Allen Payne, Vanessa Williams, Micheal Michaels and some other folks. The film really hipped you to how bad the drug scene is in the inner city.

this is a good movie.
I like the pace at which the story in this movie was told. It's not blazing fast so you pick up on all the little things. The acting from all is done very well. Ice Tee is a beliable cop, I appericated how he wasn't shown as some perfect cop, but he wasn't bad either. He was human, which added to the realism. Westly Snipes delivers a stunning performance as Nino Brown. I think everyone should watch this movie and Sugar Hill back to back. Westly is great in both, and it's amazing how oppisite the drug king pin character he plays really are in those 2 movies. New Jack City is gritty and real. And much like Scarface, you'll be left with a feeling of just how crazy life can be. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Thrilling, best in it's genre...
This movie is among the the best and most thrilling of the post Harry Callihan, 1980's genre of cop movies. As Nico Toscani, a naturally macho yet morally upright and skilled cop (who is also ex-CIA and former Aikido instructor), Seagal is impressive and yet so refreshingly believable. The short martial arts action sequences are first rate - no drawn out Hong Kong formula stuff. The cafe jazz music score is memorable and rightly paced for the exciting car tailing sequences through downtown Chicago.

Nico Toscani's Sicilian background adds to the color of the drama. There are even hints of his family background being not too far removed from the wiseguys. I mentioned Nico being macho. I'd like to qualify this by saying that he's not devoid of charm and his role is less one-dimentional than one would expect. The tough-guy persona is just a facade for an individual with strong convictions and a democratic political outlook. Equally competent is Nico's partner, Delores Jackson, played candidly by the veteran Pam Grier. The main villain, the pure evil CIA doctor Zagon, is played by the veteran villain actor Henry Silva.

Don't expect any critics' choice awards for this movie, because the script does have its share of cliches. Seagal plays a cop who is on to something very big, defies higher authority and, as expected, is taken off the case - like in so many other cop movies of the genre. The outcome is predictable. You know that good is going to triumph over evil in this movie. Despite it's predictability, the plot is fresh and to a great extent realistic. Most importantly it's entertaining.

There are surprisingly bold political statements made in this movie about the dubious role played by the CIA in the affairs of many a third world country. These statements are not too far fetched and must never be underplayed when you consider the "blowback" - CIA jargon for repercussions - being felt to this day. There are far too few movies being made these days that hold the government accountable. Unfortunately it's usually the ordinary citizen who becomes the indirect victim to the follies of an agency whose modus operandii includes criminal conduct and whose agents operate "Above the Law".

The impressive and ship-shape Seagal in this movie inspires you to ditch your six-pack of beer for a six-pack of Gatorade. He inspires you to reach into your closet for your old karate uniform or gym gear and to whip yourself back into physical and mental shape. Too bad Seagal has physically floundered since then. He does have the potential to stay there. One would hope that he would take his cues from Eastwood and Bronson, both of whose careers have had them stay in shape and play lead roles well into their sixties and seventies.

First and (easily) Best Seagal Movie
Once upon a time, an ex-CIA martial arts master quit the CIA and wrote a movie with a new plot but a character that seemed a lot like the writer

Steven Seagal is best known for his action movies, in particular the parts where he does his hand to hand thing. In his case, he's an aikido expert, and that's hard to explain. Most martial arts movies talk about Kung Fu and Tae Kwan Do where people punch and kick and you can generally tell what's going on. Aikido, on the other hand, is about redirecting an opponent, making him basically want to fall down. In the movie, it looks a lot like a bad guy rushes as Seagal, he touches them with his little finger and then they decide to throw themselves in the air in ways you thought were impossible. The moves take, oh, about two seconds to perform, with Seagal's part being only about 2 microseconds. If you want to watch Seagal in classic aikido action, be prepared to pause, slow motion and rewind. It's amazing looking and absolutley bizzare (since being marveled by the movie, i have gone out and studied aikido, and it seems even more impressive, although realistic, now)

The movie's about an ex-CIA officer turned Chicago cop (and, in my opinion, an extremely unlikeable one; that macho Italian family man thing to me just looks like a dull-witted bully control freak). He runs into some old CIA friends from 'nam who are doing naughty things

This movie has a plot, and a darn good one at that. It's a very, very interesting movie, much unlike, say, all the big budget movies he did after this one. While his later movies are bad jokes, new age mantras and B-movies, this one is really, really good. There are only a realistic number of fight scenes (gosh, i wish there were more, but that would have changed it from a drama to an action film, which this really isn't), but they are wonderful

Bottom line, this movie is awesome. i don't know if Seagal wrote and directed the later films he did (he was close to a one man production company on this one), but i wish he'd turn down those big budget formula films he's been doing and go back to doing the realistic, semi-autobiographical films like this one. He's mostly considered a joke now, but when this movie came out, when he was Seagal the writer and not Seagal the action hero, he was revered, and for good reason

Seagals explodes into cinema!!!
Great score, great story, great action. This is Seagals best film next to Under Seige. Too bad he fizzeled out after a coupla good ones. Charles Bronson remains King of the genre. Check out The Mechanic and Death Wish 2 and 4....

SEAGAL'S FIRST MOVIE IS NOT TO BE MISSED!
A COP [STEVEN SEAGAL] BATTLES POLICE CORRUPTION AND DRUG DEALING. THIS WAS SEAGAL'S FIRST MOVIE. IT HAS SOME VERY GOOD ACTION SCENES. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL MOVIE FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES TO COLLECT SEAGAL MOVIES OR ACTION MOVIES IN GENERAL. THIS MOVIE IS ALSO GOOD FOR ANOTHER THING, IT SHOWS US THE OLD STEVEN SEAGAL WHO LOOKED TOUGHER AND WAS IN BETTER SHAPE, UNLIKE TODAY.
I ADVISE ALL ACTION FANS TO ADD THIS TO THEIR COLLECTION NOW!

typical but decent
It's always fun to watch Steven Seagal beat [up] 10 people at once, then start running like a 5 year old girl. Yes this is a cheesey action movie with all the usual formulas, but Seagal seems to be a better actor than people like Chuck Norris, Vann Damme, Arnold, and Sly. His wisecracking remarks are definitely better than all the stupid one-liners in those other guys' movies. This was Seagal's first movie. If you've never seen one of his movies, this would probably be the best one to star with. Also a great supporting cast like Henry Silva (what a suprise, he's the lead villian!) Chelcie Ross (Harris from Major League) Pam Grier, Sharon Stone (she can't act, but she's okay here), and those same 2 cops that are in all the other movies filmed in Chicago. (The Fugitive, Code Of Silence, etc) ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Warning: Never Visit New York!
I loved this film! I very seldom disagree with one of Leonard Maltin's reviews. But I sure did on this one. He claims this movie is "excruciating". Well...yes, I think so too. Excruciatingly funny, that is! I think that Jack Lemmon is wonderfully "over the top" in this picture. His character (as far as I see it) is obviously written to be played way, way over the top! That's what makes it funny. Realistically, we have to know that all 64 (or so) crises and maladies that befall this poor midwestern couple could not ALL happen at once in a million years! So, therefore, I think the viewer must look upon Lemmon as more of a "caricature" than a "character" in this film. Most of this movie was filmed outdoors, and there's a nice "Big Apple" flavor here. Some of my favorite lines from "The Out-Of-Towners" ..... Lemmon (upon hearing his luggage didn't arrive): "Well you flew ME through the fog! How come you're now worried about two leather valises?!" .... Lemmon (after frisking little boy searching for funds): "...Explain to the police? What I was doing in the woods with a little boy...with my hands in his pockets?!? They'd give me twenty years!"

George and Gwen go to the big bad city of New York
I met Sandy Dennis backstage at a play once and wanting to say something more than the usual remarks of admiration I told her that my father stayed up one night to watch "The Out-of-Towners," which was of some import because my father never stayed up to watch anything. She said her father liked that one too and I got an autograph in which she spelled by first name correctly.

This 1970 film, the original version of "The Out-of-Towners" for those who say the recent version that is part of Steve Martin's attempt to be in more remakes than any other living actor, is my favorite Neil Simon script, which is rather ironic when you consider that he is primarily a comic playwright. However this script takes the hapless couple of George (Jack Lemmon) and Gwen Kellerman (Dennis) from their home in Ohio to New York City, where he has a job interview. However, their plans for a nice dinner at the Four Seasons are dashed when the plan circles the airport for hours before being diverted to Boston. Instead of eating at one of the best restaurants in the world they end up with her eating peanut butter on white bread and him eating crackers and olives with no drinks. This actually ends up being the best thing that happens to George and Gwen the rest of that night, which involves a train ride to New York, no room at the inn, a garbage strike, a mugger, and being kidnapped while in the back of a police car. This is without even mentioning the lost eyelash, the broken heel, and the chipped tooth that resulted from a bad encounter with the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks.

Throughout it all, George and Gwen keep up a running dialogue as he gets angrier and take more names while she tries to be the voice of reason and attests that she can verify everything her husband says in his growing list of complaints against the city is true. Everybody always talks about Lemmon's comic partnership with Walter Matthau, but Dennis comes across as the more perfect foil. Eventually her pessimism is turned into paranoia as the city takes the out of town couple for everything they have and keeps on grinding them into the rain soaked streets where the garbage is piling up to the sky. Eventually the idea of being Vice President in a company that has something to do with plastics does not seem like a step up in the world if this is the world in which they have to live.

I am surprised that this movie is only 98 minutes long, but I suppose it is because of all those commercials with late night television and the way Simon keeps pouring one misery after another on George and Gwen that makes "The Out-of-Towners" seem a lot longer, but not in a bad way. The pacing is pretty brisk for a story about two people who have a hard time getting to where they are going, and there are a lot of patented Neil Simon one liners, most of which are true to character and context, although Dennis gets maximum mileage out of repeating the phrase "Oh my, God!" and getting big laughs.

Simon won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for this script, which was originally going to be one segment of "Plaza Suite," which came out the next year. But freeing it from the setting of a hotel room or even a hotel, into the wider expanse of New York City and the surrounding environs was what made this black comedy really work. Keep your eye out for lots of familiar faces who were relatively unknowns when this film came out: Anne Meara, Graham Jarvis, Ron Carey, Robert Walden, Richard Libertini, Paul Dooley, and Billy Dee Williams. Final thought: If you want to see a film that takes the exact opposite approach to New York City then that would have to be Woody Allen's "Manhattan," which would come out at the end of this same decade.

Get Out of Town
Probably in its initial release, THE OUT OF TOWNERS was considered a great comedy. However, today's audiences might find it trite and annoying...especially native New Yorkers or even the New York City travel bureau. It does capture a moment in time just before New York City was on the verge of urban decay in the late 70's, so it has its merits for being a time capsule. Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis are husband and wife George and Gwen Kellerman, mid-westerners who are about to relocate to New York City for a job promotion. Their business trip becomes a "Murphy's Law" film as anything that can go wrong...does go wrong. From lost luggage, missed trains, long waits,a garbage and transportation strike, being rained on, muggings, a kidnapping, an unintentional cancelled hotel reservation, an unintentional mugging of hispanic child, etc., the couple suffer every conceivable mishap Neil Simon (screenwriter) can bestow upon his hapless characters. 'George' is a typical Jack Lemmon character. The performance is not exactly "phoned-in",but it is a familiar Lemmon persona. At first, this viewer sympathizes with George Kellerman. However, with each mishap, he becomes (understandably) mean, irritating, and illogical. The one comic gem about the character is that he writes down every person's name he feels has not given the proper customer service (i.e. airport personnel, hotels clerks) or courtesy after each plan on his itinerary has failed. Then he threatens them that they're going to hear from his lawyer. Sandy Dennis has perfect comic timing as the patient and supportive wife of Lemmon and the location shots of New York City play a major "support character" in the film. Overall, the film should be viewed with caution depending on one's disposition at a given moment meaning it can be hilarious or annoying. Lastly, the film is a showcase of a couple of future stars and well-known character actors. A young Billy Dee Williams (STAR WARS:THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) shows up in an airport sequence. Note: Look for actor Sandy Baron as the "TV-man in church". He played the recurring character Mr. Klompus on TV's SEINFELD and had a very funny role in the comedy film IF IT'S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM.

Good, but you just want to shoot the both of them.
Having successfully avoided the apparent train wreck of a remake of this starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, I thought I'd rent the original Neil Simon film starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis to see what caused such a fuss as to remake it after such a short period of time.
Jack and Sandy are on their way to New York city from the suburbs, to see about Jack taking a big job there. Suffice it to say, everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and the two are trapped in hell, trying to survive the night before his interview in the morning.
This is considered to be classic dark comedy, that will be annoying to some and funny as heck to others. I think I fell in between the two. Jack Lemmon is such an ass, and his wife such a dunderhead, that it's hard to have much sympathy for either one. As their problems pile up, it's all too obvious that the cause is mainly his own agonizing egotism, being thrown as the small fish into the huge pond. New York chews up and spits out idiots like this daily, and rightly so. Beyond this criticism (coming from a city boy, admittedly), there are some genuinely funny moments here and chuckle worthy constant prattle back and forth between the always talented Lemmon and the creepy huge-gummed Dennis. Still, I felt the "lost in NY hell" story was much better and sympathetically told, as well as more funny in Martin Scorscese's superior "After Hours".

Another Classic American Comedy.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS was written by Neil Simon and remains one of his best works, even though Simon is mainly a playwrite. The movie starts off fairly slow and uneventful as George and Gwen Kellerman, from Twin Oaks, Ohio, are flying to New York where George has an interview (just mere formality) for a vice presidency. They are expecting to eat dinner at 8:30pm at the Four Seasons, but they never see the inside of that famous eating establishment. Instead, the plane circles for hours and ends up going to Boston because of fog. Once in Boston their luggage is lost, they miss the train to New York, and catch the train to New York. Once in the Big Apple, they find that the city is in the middle of transit and garbage collectors strikes. In the pouring rain they walk to their hotel only to find that their room wasn't held and has been given away. Later the couple are mugged, kidnapped, and George is mugged in his sleep. Having not eaten for several hours and with no money they chase a stray dog for a breakfast of a half-eaten box of Cracker Jacks. More chases follow and they are even kicked out of praying in a church because of a televised special. George eventually does make his morning meeting, but by then has learned some very important lessons about family and the simple life back home in Twin Oaks, Ohio.

Jack Lemmon is great in this movie, but I find it's Sandy Dennis who really steals the film. She plays Gwen perfectly, brilliantly foiling Lemmon's performance as the loud and boistorous George. The "O, my God" line, which signals a major worry by Gwen, keeps me laughing every time I hear it.

THE-OUT-OF-TOWNERS is a very witty comedy and one of Neil Simon's finest pieces of writing. It's a great movie to watch alone or with family and friends. It's relatively short (around 90 minutes), too, so even if you don't enjoy it, you won't have wasted much time. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Good storyline with postive ending
It starts off stupid kind of cartoonish with that walk of his but the highlight is his ARCHENEMY in the movie that makes the movie very good. And the acting is better then some black explotation films,as they were called back in the 70'S but those were the only breaks they had was these movies and black america ate them up .Their were alot of good movies with some good acting alot of these movies didn't make it on video like this one which was better then alot black movies on video today their alot of them I am waiting for like HIT MAN,CLADINE,TOGETHER BROTHERS,to name some these are the best that I REMEMBER RENT IT OR BUY THIS ONE YOU WILL ENJOY IT CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE VISOOOOOOON ...PEACE OUT

Willie is Dynamite
The best Blaxploitation and fictional pimp narrative I've ever seen. Of course, that's all terribly relative to the genre and time period. A "good" Blaxploitation film means it has a solid ENOUGH storyline and that the producers spent a little money on it to make it seem like an actual film. This one scores high on both counts, and you find yourself trying to figure out what could possibly happen next. And for a film made in 1973, it's surprisingly fresh.

The story starts off with our anti-hero, Willie Dynamite (who was the bald Black guy on Sesame Street. You'll never look at Oscar the Grouch the same again) under seige from all sides, as he is set upon by an old flame-turned-social worker, the cops, and a wickedly funny pimp named "Bell" (played by Roger Robinson) who wants to take Willie's dynamite hoes because he won't join the newly formed pimp organized front.

And my God, the outfits.
Willie sports some of the most outlandish stuff you've ever seen, and when he walks down a set of courthouse stairs, prepare to be rewinding the tape a few times.

To top it all off, it has a moralty play woven throughout that you both admire and despise: you dig it because it's cool to have a movie from that time with a moral, but without being preachy; you despise it because it can only mean the end of Willie, who, despite his lifestyle, you come to like. Or maybe it's the white fez with triple tassles. I'm not sure.

But while Willie is great, the character to watch for is Bell, who steals every scene he's in. He's the cat that does the speech that's clipped into "American Pimp" about vision, and it's even funnier when you have it in context.

A well-done farce that pushes all the right buttons, and a perfect movie to watch with a bunch of your wacky friends or REALLY cool family.

EUROPEAN VHS FORMAT TO BUY PLEASE,
I live in Europe and saw only saw AMERICAN PIMP, but not other pimp movies since they are in
"VHS Features:NTSC format (US and Canada only. This VHS will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about VHS formats.)"

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BUY THESE MOVIES IN EUROPEAN VHS FORMAT?

THANKS

MY FAVORITE, NEXT TO THE MACK!
THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE, NEXT TO THE MACK, AND THEN, SUPERFLY,AND HIT MAN, FEATURING PAMALA GRIER!(PAM)
I THINK, THIS MOVIE IS A WONDERFUL,PIMPISH FLICK!!!...
IF YOU EVER SEE THIS MOVIE, ON CABLE CALLED, DRIVE BY, YOU WILL SEE THAT WILLIE D(ROSCOE ORMAN)AND, THE WOMAN CALLED PASSION (JOYCE WALKER) PLAYS IN IT TOGETHER, IN 1997, THEY ARE STILL ALIVE AND WELL!

Willie oh Willie D
Willie Dynamite is one of the best movies about Pimpin I have ever seen. I don't know if it is meant to be funny, but it is hilarious. The outfits, the hats, the car, and the walk all make Willie D one of the funniest characters I have ever seen. Two scenes in particular stick out. When he gets all seven of his girls out of jail and is leaving the court to his theme song, with the girls walking behind him. His strutt, and suit make it classic. Second when he "Pimp Jogs" down the stairs of the court house in his green suit with big fur, and fur hat to match. This movie is one of the best, when can I get it on dvd? ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great movie!!!
This movie stands the test of time. I remember seeing this movie on the big screen when I was little.I was so moved by young Larry Fishburn performance that I found myself crying right along with him during the big tearjerking scene. So much talent even at that young age of 12. It's hard to believe that the sweet kid in "Cornbread Earl and Me" grew up to be the mean Ike Turner in "What's Love Got To Do With It"! One of my favorite movies as a child, "Cornbread Earl and Me" is now one of my children's favorite. The teenagers love it for the violence( angry mob attacks cops,woman gets 'pimp slap' in the face by crooked cop, ... etc.) but I like it because of the beautiful touching story. Buy it, you wont be disappointed.

I've seen this movie years ago,and i luv it !!
This movie was so touching, to where its not even funny,and whats so sad about it is that,the same things that happened in the movie is happening in real life as i speak..its funny people can change..but not the polices..

Superb !!!!!!
I remember when I had saw this movie when I was a little girl and I had saw it on BET last year this is a great movie it is sad but it is still good I enjoyed this movie and I would recommend anyone who enjoys blaxploitation movies would enjoy this movie this is a great film about a little boy and his friend Cornbread he was a great basketball player and he had just recieved a scholarship to go to a college to play basketball and had dreams of becoming a pro- basketball player and one day a white cop accidentally shoots him and he dies and a big contorversy stirs in this small towm and causes havoc and trouble for everyone and really takes a toll on his friend and
makes it hard for him to cope with his loss but eventually things get better and then he goes on with his life but he never forget about his friend "Cornbread" . This is a touching heartwarming film that would make you just want to cry so therefore when you watch this movie be sure to have some tissue on hand. I would recommend anyone who is fond of dramas to purchse this video!!!!

Good film about the importance of friendship and manhood
Aw later for you, Leonard Maltin! This movie is GREAT! This is an important story about friendship and manhood. Young Larry Fishburne's admiration of "Cornbread" rings true with any child who had an older friend to admire as a role model. But the outstanding part is where Fish's mother (Rosalind Cash) tells Fishburne to go to the courtroom stand and BE A MAN and not to be intimidated into giving false testimony of Cornbread's death at the hands of the police as the other witnesses were! This scene borught tears to my eyes and a "standing-o" from the audience I saw it with. This scene alone, with the message it gives to young people about integrity, is worth the price of admission alone!

Classic Film
you can't ever say enough about a film that captures everything you want&hope in a film.Strong Cast&Acting,Solid Directing&great Music.it's a Feel Good Film.it is a Film that is still strong to this day.Check it out. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Set the night on fire!
Lambada had potential, but the cheesy production values, PG rating, and dated music all but ruin it. It's a fun movie, but the plot, a rehash of every inspirational teacher movie out there, is not suitable for the dirty dancing movie it strives to be. It should have stuck to one or the other. The Forbidden Dance, another movie about the Lambada dance craze, released the same day in theaters, fared slighlty better because of the more adult story. While this is purely enjoyable fluff, I never once believed that the actors were high school students, which ruined it for me. And the dancing is just not seductive enough. However, I was engrossed in the story and loved the cheesiness to it all. Recommended for an early 90's reminisce.

Fabulous Pick!
Grab It - A chance of Lifetime to Pick up Lambada Dance Pick - My choice 'Golden collection' & 5 Stars! I was gifted this DVD by my sis long ago and since then, it stands best setting fire in my room as I click on to watch it sometimes on special occassions. My hubby is too awe struck to see the swings and we even tried out the steps but ugh oh, its not cup of tea for all to dance 'Lambada'. The movie is simply superb but as far as my collection goes, I gotta Lambada Dance track exclusive too. Another nice movie was Dance with me which had some great dancing on floor apart from other movies like footloose, Dirty Dancing & Saturday Night Fever. Pick up if you really like Dancing, any day-any time, the unique Lambada tip toeing.

THE DVD SETS MY NIGHT ON FIRE!
I was surprised to hear that 'Lambada' was getting released on DVD out of all the many movies that are out there, but I'm soooooooooooooooo glad because this is one of those films I just LOVE. I already have it on video and have watched it many times.This movie isn't just some silly, ... try-hard dancing movie, It's really entertaining, funny, I love the actors, the music just makes me want to jump out of my seat and Set the Night On Fire. J.Eddie Peck, Melora Hardin, Ricky Paull Goldin etc are all fantastic and entertaining. The film has a good message about the importance of education what Blade is trying to teach the kids. The DVD quality is good, it's presented in full frame but I'm not complaining, I'll take 'Lambada' any way I can get it- I'm just happy it's on DVD. YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
By Justine Ryan

A Must See Underrated Dance Movie!!
The movie Lambada is a sexy,sensuous must see Dancing movie that should be watched.It's a must see.The sexy,sensuous Melora Hardin is particularily breathtakingly beautiful in this film!!

Set the Night on Fire!!!
Lambada--The Movie! I LOVE IT!!!

From a Lambada standpoint, the film falls far, far short of Lambada dancing expectations. I surmise that the producers of this film merely attached the "Lambada" title to the film in order to capitalize on the Lambada dance craze.

This film follows the clandestine educational hijinx of a man called "Blade," aka Carlos Gutierrez and Mr. ( ). By day Blade teaches at an upscale Beverly Hills high school (Stonewood High) and by night he teaches ghetto kids at a nightclub (which only serves Pepsi) called "No Man's Land."

Blade teaches the kids who frequent "No Man's Land" a number of subjects; history, grammar, but primarily math. And his teaching methods are cutting edge: he teaches one young man math by using a protractor on the pool table. But his lessons often last a mere two to three minutes because Blade needs to get some dancing in before he goes home to his wife!

Why Blade can't simply teach the educationally deprived ghetto youth in the late afternoon or early evening is anyone's guess, and the charm of the film. Blade's mission in life is to give these poor kids hope. For, as we learn midway through the film, as Blade struggles to gain street credibility, he is "a homie!"

The protractor is a recurring theme and a symbol that is present throughout the film. We see the protractor used in a number of highly creative ways and at interesting times. (Instead of studying at home, Ramon sits in the corner of No Man's Land using his protractor to do his homework).

All in all this is a highly recommended film. Love it for what it is, instead of what it isn't-- I've seen this movie about five or six times now and LOVE IT! The reason is that it was so horribly produced, completely predictable and in it's strange but familiar (to all of the "dance movies" of the 80s) way offers a very condescending view of urban minority youth and the problems they face.

But how can you miss seeing the "Galaxy High" bus? Graffiti spray painted rolling through the rich neighborhoods? Or Blade on his Harley? Or the dancing? (Which isn't even Lambada dancing!!!)

It's a must see movie. If you rent it you'll buy it. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Would be a disaster if not for Pam
Pam Grier's magnetic personality and spunky character pretty much save this otherwise outrageously stupid and trashy film. Yaphet Kotto is pretty good too, in a low-key way. Other than that, it has all the stuff that keeps Blaxploitation films form being taken seriously (if they were ever meant to be in the first place). Horrbile acting, atrocious dialogue, cornball story, poorly staged fight scenes, ad nauseum. My parents forbade me from seeing this when it first came out (I was 11 at the time). Now I see why.

Yaphet Kotot does Comedy!?!
"Friday Foster"... Not as good as "Coffy" or "Foxy Brown", but better than "Sheeba, Baby". Pam is good as always, with lots of fairly gratuitous nudity (always a way to turn a bad movie to fair :-)

My big surprise was Yaphet Koto, who gets most of the best lines, and is funny throughout the film. I am always used to him as the stone-faced cop, a la "Across 110th Street" and "Homicide". If I remeber correctly, he gets off the "I'm getting too old for this sh!t," line years before "Lethal Weapon" made it a cliché.

Definitely worth watching for Blaxploitation or Pam Grier fans. If you are not familiar with Pam's earlier work, "Coffy" or "Foxy Brown" should definitely come first.

Pam Grier in Her Lighter Mood
Pam Grier of the 70s will be remembered as Coffy, tough, sexy, no-nonsense heroine who blows her enemy's head away with a shotgun, but as a movie, for all its good, funky soundtrack, "Coffy" was dark and violent. Then, it is a welcome opportunity for her fans to see lighter side of her in "Foxy Brown," in which Pam Grier plays an assistant camera artist who finds some conspiracy going on.

The story has been already told elsewhere, so I won't repeat it here. All I can say is, it is not particularly original, but good enough to keep us interested. But what we should notice in "Friday Foster" is a group of well-cast, talented actors. In addition to Pam Grier, who this time round goes with less tears and nudity, and more smile, is helped by Yaphet Kotto (Michael Clarke Duncan of the 70s) but it is Eartha Kitt as "madame" who steals the show with her flamboyant speech at fashion show. Actions are done in a rather bland way, but still watchable, and watch out Pam Grier steal a black hearse to chase the hitman; she later hits another guy in the head with a bottle full of milk!! Especially recommended to beginners of the genre as starting point of blaxploitaion films.

Slam, Bam, Thank You, Pam!
There are only two special features on this DVD, and they both belong to Pam Grier. And that's reason enough to buy it! She has two nude scenes in this lackluster blaxploitation thriller that largely fails to thrill, and her sparkle is the only spark here. A good cast, including Jim Backus, Earha Kitt, Carl Weathers, Scatman Crothers, and Yaphet Kotto, is wasted here, but they try their best with what they're given. The movie is in widescreen and the image quality is excellent. There's the movie trailer and a scene and language selector, and that's it. For '70s blaxploitation genre fans and Pam Grier fans only, but that's quite a large audience!

Good Solid Film
Pam Grier Is Solid in this Film&She Looks as Fine as Always.This Film Captures The 70's Vibe Really well.ALot OF Action&Laughs through out.Godfrey Cambridge had me Rolling.After watching Him in Watermellon MAn or Cotton Comes To Harlem this is a Real Interesting Role.Carl Weathers went on to do Rocky 1,2&3.Yaphet Kotto a Great Actor who Has Done well in Both T.V.&Film.&Ted Lange who Played Issac on The Love Boat.it was a Very Important Time Period For Black Films.FOrget what The Critics Say these Films Kept Hollywood Rolling&Paved The Way for The Future.Worth Seeking Out.Their has Never Been Another Actress Like PAM GRIER.SHE IS ONE OF A KIND. ... Read more

Description

Three young men journey to Finland on one last grand adventure before taking on adulthood in this explosive, nail-biting thriller directed by action film veteran Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea, Die Hard 2). After the friends sneak across the Russian border, their carefree lives quickly turn into nightmares. They are pursued and captured by Russian soldiers, interrogated by the KGB and imprisoned. Their only option left--a highly dangerous and nearly impossible escape. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very intense and provocative
Your milage may vary; but I found this movie white-knuckle intense and extremely provocative. There is little danger of giving away the plot; it is not particularly complex. Three stupid, arrogant American teenagers tempt fate by crossing an unguarded gate from Finland to the former USSR, which at the time was very much the USSR and a Very Bad Place for Americans. They make photographs of themselves on the wrong side of the gate. So far so good, but then they get lost and go the wrong way right into the hands of the Russians who mistake them for spies. Some interesting subplots are also happening that keep things moving, that I'll keep a secret for ya. I can promise you one thing: If you are American, after seeing this, you'll salute the flag, think real hard before traveling overseas and I'll bet you never photograph yourself on the wrong side of an international border!

"JÄÄTÄVÄ POLTE"
Well, absolutely the film of the year 1986! Real masterpiece in it's own genre. Nice casting, including lot of well known Finnish actors like: Vesa Vierikko, Ismo Kallio and Sari Havas. Renny Harlin and Markus Selin really made the film, which still make conversation and sometimes even headlines in the papers.

After fifteen years on it's theatrical premiere "Born American" is now available on DVD video format. I think that's first time when audience around the world has possibility to see that Cold War epic adventure on it's real form: Uncut and the kind of, what Harlin and Selin meant it to be shown! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This middling but entirely watchable blaxploitation thriller from 1975 stars football-legend-turned-actor Fred Williamson as the brother of a murdered bar owner in a racially divided town. After bringing in a gaggle of tough street buddies from the old neighborhood to help break up a corrupt police force, Williamson's character figures he can settle into domestic bliss with Pam Grier. But there's a snag: the hero's restless posse decides to take over the white cops' graft operation, forcing a bloody finale of retribution. In the '70s genre of reactionary revenge movies, Bucktown is a minor entry, and Grier's rather passive performance is certainly anomalous in the blaxploitation vein. But it is worth a visit, especially for cult film completists. --Tom Keogh ... Read more