King Rikki (2002)

In life, there's silver, and there's lead, says Rikki Ortega, as he moves to be king of the street in "Ánglio," L.A.'s east side. Older brothers and a brother-in-law are in his way. While ... See full summary »

Director:

James Gavin Bedford

Writers:

Jesse Graham, William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Jon Seda, Mario Lopez, Tonantzin Carmelo

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Seda	...	Rikki Ortega
Mario Lopez	...	Juan Vallejo
Tonantzin Carmelo	...	Anita (as Tonantzín Carmelo)
Timothy Paul Perez	...	Eduardo Ortega
Vincent Castellanos	...	Palacios
Danny Parker-Lopes	...	Casio (as Danny Lopes)
Sam Sarpong	...	Louis
Alex Miranda	...	Rafael Ortega
David Labiosa	...	Rios
Isabella Donato	...	Lupe
Danielle Camastra	...	Margarita Salcido
Laura Cerón	...	Emalita Ortega
Liz Torres	...	Mother
Manny Perez	...	Jorge Ortega
Jill-Michele Melean	...	Clara (as Jill-Michele Meleán)

Storyline

In life, there's silver, and there's lead, says Rikki Ortega, as he moves to be king of the street in "Ánglio," L.A.'s east side. Older brothers and a brother-in-law are in his way. While they think they are driving out the Rojas, a local gang that runs the meth trade for bosses in Cabo San Lucas, Rikki is running an elaborate double-cross on his own family. He's not happy just to run this fratricidal con, he also wants to cash in as much as he can of one hundred kilos of crystal meth that he stole from the Rojas (and the Mexicans), seduce the girlfriend of one of his victims, and stay ahead of a cop who was a childhood friend. Will he end up with the silver?

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Plot Keywords:

gang | shakespeare's richard iii | based on play | character name in title

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Taglines:

Shakespeare's Richard the Third in 21st Century Los Angeles.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, drugs, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rikki the Pig

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mistral Pictures LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Richard III (1955)

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Soundtracks

"Himno Zapatista"
(Traditional/Popular)
Performed by Flor del Fango
Edel Records
EMI Music Publishing France S.A.

User Reviews

Classic Villainy in the Barrio

With LA gang territory as situational backdrop and the convention of soliloquy/narrative storytelling as method, Street King renders a stunning updated headshot of classic villainy. This is chiefly a character study, not a lesson is gang sociology. The narrative device, so effective here, is, of course, a tradition evidenced most recently on film with Kenneth Branagh's Iago -- the Shakespearean baddy bent on punishing Larry Fishburn's _Othello_ while letting the audience in on each turn of his twisted plot and mind -- and with Al Pacino's incarnation of Rikki's mentor, Richard III, in _Looking for Richard_. These characters are desperate, vengeful, self-isolated men, convinced that the world has stolen their birthrights in one form or other, with `the third wall' -- that's us -- their only true companions. They're bent on revenge, and they relish sharing their process.

Now in _Street King_ ( alias _King Rikki_) there too goes Rikki Ortega, with an ironic humor that paints his brand of black all the darker a shade of never-gettin'-over-it. Jon Seda gets the idea; so does the script. The audience gets a stylish swine in modern dress.

Too bad the film's release wasn't well publicized. As Hillary Clinton might say, it takes a budget. Seda's performance is laser perfect, and there are some other solid performances as well. (Liz Torres as Rikki's mother is particularly fine.) For the drama of pure devilry, this video is worth checking out.