Juice

Ernest R. Dickerson made his reputation as Spike Lee's cinematographer before his 1992 directorial debut Juice, a hip-hop crime drama centered on four teenage friends living in Harlem—a veritable war zone of crime and gangs. Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur (both making their feature film acting debuts) star as best friends heading in opposite directions. Q (Epps) is a scratch DJ who wants to break out of the neighborhood with music. Bishop (Shakur) idolizes tough guys (he cheers James Cagney in White Heat on TV) and believes that the only way to earn respect in the neighborhood is through crime and violence. Tupac was a rising hip-hop star when he made the film and his intensity helps define Bishop, a young man who feels so disenfranchised that violence is all that empowers him. The juice of the title refers in part to the feeling Bishop gets when he starts killing, an adrenaline rush that makes him more cold-blooded as he starts murdering friends and enemies alike. A provocative drama about the experience of growing up a young black man surrounded by violence and crime, Juice remains one of the best of the new urban dramas, one that also captures the DJ culture of the moment (as seen in the musical battle hosted by Queen Latifah). And it's a fine showcase for the acting talent of Shakur, who was killed four years later. Presented in a 25th anniversary edition, extras include a director's audio commentary, retrospective behind-the-scene featurettes, and a vintage interview with the actors. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)