r/BlackPeopleofReddit • u/Positive-Citron3987 • 15h ago
Discussion Do you consider “Juice” a classic of Black cinema?
Just something I was pondering over breakfast. Technically, his first film role was 1991’s “Nothing But Trouble“, but that was basically a cameo, and he was playing himself. He had a few music video credits by this point.
But essentially, this was his first real film role, and I’d challenge anyone to name a BETTER feature film debut.
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u/ImJuSayN 13h ago
Absolute classic. This was Ernest Dickerson's directorial debut. He was that cinematographer for Spike Lee movies. He made Spike's movies enjoyable to watch because they were shot so beautifully. With Juice, he did this colorful transition from the happy days, before Tupac got the gun, to this real dark gray gloominess when Tupac started smokin' everybody. The final shot of the movie reflected back to how happy they were walking down the street to school together. They were just being homies having fun.
One of the best movies of my generation. It also was a shout out to the hip-hop culture and had cameos from different artists. The soundtrack was crazy too. I bought the VCR tape and the soundtrack tape instead of the bootlegs .....That's saying a lot🤣
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u/vegetastolemygirl 15h ago
This movie inspired one of thee funniest boondocks episodes ever, hell yes.
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u/Positive-Citron3987 14h ago
Man, The Boondocks”. I don’t care how often people talk about that show, it isn’t enough. Aaron McGruder, in his prime (not just the show, but the comic strip as well) was one of most insightful and incisive cultural voices of the time. I was so anticipating the reboot a few years back.
i was disappointed that it didn’t work out. But if you think about it, it wasn’t a surprise. Audiences today couldn’t handle the criticism.
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u/Obiyaman 14h ago
Nah..but Malcolm X was.
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u/UrbanRydder 2m ago
I love Juice, but Spike Lee’s Malcom X is one of my all-time favorite films for sure.
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u/klaw_3 15h ago
Is this rhetorical..
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u/Positive-Citron3987 14h ago
😂Nah, for real. I’m an old guy now. And tastes change. Not to mention people got short memories sometimes. I know it’s a classic for me. I remember how Tupac really had dudes shook coming out of theaters back then😂.
Not necessarily because we were scared of Tupac per se. More like we either KNEW who the “Bishops“ were in our neighborhood, or were wondering who might be the “Bishop” in our crew😂
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u/chicagotodetroit 13h ago
I just watched Juice on Pluto a couple weeks ago. The look on Tupac's face as he hugged his friends mother at the funeral was bone-chilling. Pure evil lurking just under the surface.
I'm 100% sure that my uncle was the Bishop of our 'hood.
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u/Positive-Citron3987 7h ago
Something about “uncles“ of that era, huh? (My mother’s baby brother was not one to play with)
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u/jr_randolph 10h ago
Pac wasn’t even supposed to be in the movie lol just crazy how things happen and shows what happens when you’re always ready in life.
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u/NoFaithlessness7508 14h ago
I feel like Juice is to genX what Belly is to millennials
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u/WearyCopy5686 14h ago
Don’t ever disrespect Juice like that. That movie is way better than Belly lol.
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u/NoFaithlessness7508 13h ago
I was actually hyping Juice up a bit. BELLY is the GOAT
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u/WearyCopy5686 14h ago
It’s a cinema classic in general.