New Jack City (1991)

Director:

Mario Van Peebles

Writers (WGA):

Thomas Lee Wright (story)
Thomas Lee Wright (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

They're a new breed of gangster. The new public enemy. The new family of crime.

Plot:

A crime lord ascends to power and becomes megalomaniacal while a maverick police detective vows to stop him.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Drugs | Police | Power | New York City

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Wesley Snipes	...	Nino Brown
Ice-T	...	Scotty Appleton (as Ice T)
Allen Payne	...	Gee Money
Chris Rock	...	Pookie
Mario Van Peebles	...	Stone
Michael Michele	...	Selina
Bill Nunn	...	Duh Duh Duh Man
Russell Wong	...	Park
Bill Cobbs	...	Old Man
Christopher Williams	...	Kareem Akbar
Judd Nelson	...	Nick Peretti
Vanessa Williams	...	Keisha
Tracy Camilla Johns	...	Uniqua
Anthony DeSando	...	Frankie Needles
Nick Ashford	...	Reverend Oates
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney	...	Prosecuting Attorney Hawkins
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Police Commissioner
John Aprea	...	Don Armeteo
Fab 5 Freddy	...	Master of Ceremonies
Flavor Flav	...	D.J.
Clebert Ford	...	Frazier
Laverne Hart	...	Prom Queen
Eek-A-Mouse	...	Fat Smitty
Gregg Smrz	...	Biff
Erica McFarquhar	...	Teacher
Keith Sweat	...	Singer at Wedding
Max Rabinowitz	...	Gigantor
Marcella Lowery	...	Woman in Hallway
Manuel E. Santiago	...	Judge
Ben Gotlieb	...	Prosecuting Attorney
Thelma Louise Carter	...	Reporter
Linda Froehlich	...	Reporter
Christopher Michael	...	Bailiff
Tiger Frederick	...	Basketball Player
Rynel Johnson	...	Basketball Player
Kelly Jo Minter	...	Recovering Addict
Tina Lifford	...	Recovering Addict
Paul Raczkowski	...	Recovering Addict
Erik Kilpatrick	...	Recovering Addict
Harold Baines	...	Kid on Stoop
Sekou Campbell	...	Kid on Stoop
David Michael Golson	...	Kid on Stoop
Garvin Holder	...	Kid on Stoop
Leo O'Brien	...	Kid on Stoop
Bobby Stancil	...	Kid on Stoop
Teddy Riley	...	New Year's Eve Band - (Guy)
Aaron Hall	...	New Year's Eve Band - (Guy)
Damien Hall	...	New Year's Eve Band - (Guy)
Rodney Benford	...	Singers - Spring - (Troop)
John Harreld	...	Singers - Spring - (Troop)
Allen McNeil	...	Singers - Spring - (Troop)
Steve Russell	...	Singers - Spring - (Troop)
Reggie Warren	...	Singers - Spring - (Troop)
Gerald Levert	...	Singers - Winter - (Levert)
Sean Levert	...	Singers - Winter - (Levert)
Marc Gordon	...	Singers - Winter - (Levert)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Akosua Busia	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Lia Chang	...	Scotty's Girl (uncredited)
Larry M. Cherry	...	Barber (uncredited)
Toni Ann Johnson	...	Girl in the Window (uncredited)
Cinti Laird	...	Brides Maid of Honor at Wedding Reception (uncredited)
Ron Millkie	...	Assistant District Attorney (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Van Peebles

Writing credits (WGA)
Thomas Lee Wright		(story)
Thomas Lee Wright		(screenplay) and
Barry Michael Cooper		(screenplay)

Produced by
James Bigwood	....	associate producer
Suzanne Broderick	....	associate producer
Fab 5 Freddy	....	associate producer
Preston L. Holmes	....	co-producer
George Jackson	....	producer
Doug McHenry	....	producer
Dwight Williams	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Vassal Benford		(original score composer)
Michel Colombier

Cinematography by
Francis Kenny		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Steven Kemper

Casting by
Pat Golden
John McCabe

Production Design by
Charles C. Bennett

Art Direction by
Laura Brock
Barbra Matis

Set Decoration by
Elaine O'Donnell

Costume Design by
Bernard Johnson

Makeup Department
Larry M. Cherry	....	hair stylist (as Larry Max Cherry)
Tim Davis	....	special makeup effects artist
Diane Hammond	....	makeup artist
Aaron F. Quarles	....	hair stylist (as Aaron Quarles)
Ellie Winslow	....	assistant makeup artist
Yuseff	....	hair stylist: Ice T

Production Management
Preston L. Holmes	....	unit production manager
Brent Owens	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marlene Arvan	....	second second assistant director
Mark Croll	....	additional second assistant director
Ed Dessisso	....	first assistant director: second unit
William Jennings	....	dga trainee
Jeff Lengyel	....	second unit director
Ron Mitchell	....	additional second assistant director (as Ronnie Mitchell)
Joseph Ray	....	second assistant director
Dwight Williams	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John Alvin	....	poster artist
Tom Conway	....	set dresser
Jeffrey L. Glave	....	chargeman scenic artist (as Jeff Glave)
Bruce Lee Gross	....	key set dresser
Roberta J. Holinko	....	art department coordinator (as Roberta Holinka)
Kevin Ladson	....	assistant property master (as K.C. Ladson)
Octavio Molina	....	property master
Schavaria Reeves	....	prop intern
Raymond M. Samitz	....	construction coordinator (as Raymond Samitz)
Laura Jean West	....	assistant property master (as Laura West)
Byron K. Lovelace	....	props (uncredited)
Byron K. Lovelace	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Brick Mason	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	adr mixer
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Bub Asman	....	sound editor
Bob Brockman	....	sound mixer
Terry Burke	....	foley artist
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Robert Fitzgerald	....	sound editor
Keith Gardner	....	boom operator
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor
Rosa Howell-Thornhill	....	cable person
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor
Darrin Martin	....	assistant sound editor
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Jayme S. Parker	....	sound editor (as Jayme Parker)
Travis Powers	....	sound effects editor
Lise Richardson	....	sound editor (as Lisé Richardson)
John Rotondi	....	sound engineer: Y4
Robert L. Sephton	....	sound editor (as Robert Sephton)
Rachel Shaw	....	assistant sound editor
Janelle Showalter	....	assistant sound editor (as Janelle Showalta)
Frank Stettner	....	production sound mixer (as Franklin D. Stettner)
Karola Storr	....	sound editor
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Thirwell)
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brooke Henderson Ward	....	assistant sound editor (as Brooke H. Ward)
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Wilfred Caban	....	special effects coordinator
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects supervisor (as Steve Kirshoff)
Denis Zack	....	special effects technician

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunts
Danny Aiello III	....	stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
David Lamont Batiste	....	stunts
Paul Bucossi	....	stunts
Darrell Carey	....	stunts
Daniel Dod	....	stunts (as Danny Dod)
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Andy Duppin	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Lance Guecia	....	stunts (as Lance William Guecia)
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
David S. Lomax	....	stunts (as David Lomax)
Jalil Jay Lynch	....	stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
Elliot Santiago	....	stunts
Bruce Smolanoff	....	stunts
Brian Strickland	....	stunts
Jeff Ward	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Savas Alatis	....	assistant camera
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip (as Robert Andres)
Martin Andrews	....	rigging gaffer
Ted Churchill	....	Steadicam operator
Myra-Lee Cohen	....	second assistant camera
Lamont Crawford	....	grip trainee
Val DeSalvo	....	best boy electric (as Valerie DeSalvo)
Tom Grunke	....	underwater photographer
Ed Hershberger	....	additional camera operator
Charles Houston	....	gaffer
Gregory Irwin	....	first assistant camera
Michael Kelem	....	aerial camera operator
Tom Kudlek	....	dolly grip (as Thomas Kudlek)
Jacek Laskus	....	director of photography: second unit
Robert Levi	....	additional director of photography: second unit
Rick Marroquin	....	grip
John Newby	....	camera operator
John Sosenko	....	camera operator: second unit
Paul Wachter	....	best boy grip
Joel David Warren	....	still photographer (as Joel Warren)
Tom Zafian	....	video playback operator (as Thomas Zafian)
Joan Zierler	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Casting Department
Eileen Mack Knight	....	casting: Los Angeles (as Eileen Knight)
Monica Swann	....	casting: Los Angeles
Max Van Peebles	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jill E. Anderson	....	assistant wardrobe
George R. Bergeron	....	assistant to costume designer (as George Bergeron)
Barbara Hause	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Barbara J. Hause)
Beulah Jones-Black	....	assistant to costume designer
Jane E. Myers	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Wade Bartlett	....	assistant editor
J. Kathleen Gibson	....	first assistant editor
Jeff Gullo	....	assistant editor
Kevin Stitt	....	first assistant editor
Ray Watson	....	color timer

Music Department
George Jackson	....	music supervisor
Doug McHenry	....	music supervisor
Cassandra Mills	....	soundtrack executive producer
Carl Zittrer	....	supervising music editor
Abdul Malik Abbott	....	music playback (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Francis Connolly Jr.	....	transportation coordinator
Keenan Haight	....	production driver
James Patrick Whalen Jr.	....	transportation captain (as James P. Whalen Jr.)

Other crew
Michael Alatriste	....	production assistant
Flex Alexander	....	assistant choreographer (as Flex)
Kimberly Allen	....	production associate
Ellen Barrie Aaronson	....	assistant production office coordinator
Brandon Bates	....	assistant to producer
Michèle Boissière Armstrong	....	assistant to producers (as Michèle R. Boissière)
Parnes Cartwright	....	location manager
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Phillipa Davis	....	production office secretary
Lyle Dickey	....	craft service
R.W. Dixon	....	location coordinator
Randy Fletcher	....	production assistant
Barry Ford	....	technical consultant
Patricia Ann Holmes	....	production auditor (as Patricia Holmes)
Valerie Hughes	....	production assistant
Tina Johnson	....	assistant to producer
Janice Kambara	....	production assistant
Eric Klein	....	parking coordinator (as Eric Barry Klein)
Solomon J. LeFlore	....	production financing
Janet Lonsdale	....	assistant production auditor
Michael Mendelsohn	....	banker/production financier
Nadia Ofuatey-Kodjoe	....	craft service
Traci Proctor	....	craft service
Kia B. Puriefoy	....	production assistant (as Kia Puriefoy)
Lillian Pyles	....	production office coordinator
Dawn Murphy Riley	....	production office assistant (as Dawn Riley)
Paul Roach	....	assistant: Mr. Van Peebles
Cornelia 'Nini' Rogan	....	script supervisor (as Cornelia Rogan)
Philip Schnelwar	....	technical consultant
Douy Swofford	....	title designer
Rick Washburn	....	weapons specialist
Dale Watkins	....	assistant location coordinator
Roni Wheeler	....	production assistant (as Roni Wheeler Poole)
Martin Whitfield	....	production assistant
Grant Reid	....	location manager: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents)
• Jackson/McHenry Company,The
• Jacmac Films

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (2-disc special edition)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• 11:24 Design Advertising  poster design (uncredited)
• Giant Records  soundtrack
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting
• Reprise Records  soundtrack
• The Terrie Williams Agency  publicity
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, drug content, sensuality and language

Runtime:

97 min | UK:101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:18A | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (cut) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (No. 30929) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1991) | Norway:(Banned) (1991-2003) (cinema release) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Grant's Tomb - 122th Street & Riverside Drive, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

On "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994), Chris Rock claimed that for several years following his acclaimed performance as a crack addict, drug dealers would approach him and put crack and cocaine in his pocket; joking that "they thought it was a documentary." He stated that, although he knew people who used crack at the time, he never did and, in his 1997 memoir 'Rock This' had only smoked marijuana twice.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the train hits the cyclist, the approaching train changes back and forth between a 1960s Multiple Unit electric train set with manually operated doors and a 1970s M2 Cosmopolitan train set with powered sliding doors.

Quotes:

Scotty Appleton:Man a drug dealer is the worst kind of brother. I mean, he won't sell it to his sister. He won't sell it to his mother, but he'll sell it to one a his boys on the street.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Christian Slater/Bonnie Raitt (#17.4)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

I'M STILL WAITING

Fast paced ghetto gangsta fantasy with an important message

Van Peebles directs a great cast in this detached-from-reality film about a truly evil drug-lord with a head for business and murder (Snipes), and a tough, street-wise pair of cops (Ice-T and Judd Nelson) hell-bent on bringing him down. The message is an important one - slogans are not going to win the war on drugs, and the way the message is carried in the film is more subtle than you might expect. The end of the film makes the point very clear, and I won't discuss it because I do not write spoilers. Like many of the more intelligent films made in the early 1990s, New Jack City is also an indictment of the euphoria of the Reagan years - telling the true story of what that time was like for those living from paycheck to paycheck, or trying to live without one, and dealing with the invisible "war on drugs" which had little to no effect on anybody in our inner-city neighborhoods.

Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne and Chris Rock give stand-out performances, and the rest of the cast provide excellent support. The film also stars New York City, and definitely has an NYC flavor (seasoned with more than a pinch of Hollywood). The cinematography is a little breathless - not unusual for the genre but in this case a bit extreme. The script is good, but perhaps too dense with rich plot details. And the editing provides a few pacing problems toward the middle of the film which, combined with the over-abundance of subplots, detract from the development of the main themes. The soundtrack is excellent - including a nice mix of hip-hop, rap, contemporary soul, and dance music - all blended nicely with the imagery of the film. Van Peebles style is well developed in this film, but I felt that some aspects of the plot were a little too outrageous for the seriousness of the film's message, and I fear that the message may have been lost on many of the film's viewers.

Overall, this is a good film. Entertaining and thoughtful, but definitely not for everybody.