Juice (1992)

Four inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".

Director:

Ernest R. Dickerson

Writers:

Ernest R. Dickerson (story), Gerard Brown (screenplay)

Stars:

Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omar Epps	...	Q
Tupac Shakur	...	Bishop
Jermaine Hopkins	...	Steel
Khalil Kain	...	Raheem
Cindy Herron	...	Yolanda
Vincent Laresca	...	Radames
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Trip
George Gore II	...	Brian (as George O. Gore)
Grace Garland	...	Q's Mother
Queen Latifah	...	Ruffhouse M.C.
Bruklin Harris	...	Keesha (as Idina Harris)
Victor Campos	...	Quiles
Eric Payne	...	Frank
Sharon Cook	...	Record Store Clerk
Darien Berry	...	Blizzard

Storyline

4 Harlem teens, Q, Bishop, Raheem and Steel, are out skipping school one day when they find out an old friend was killed in a shootout at a bar. After this, Bishop tells his friends that they have no respect, or juice. To get some, they rob a corner grocery store, but things take an unexpected turn. Only the four friends know what happened, but one of them is out for himself.

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Plot Keywords:

blaxploitation | hood | cartoon on tv | scene of the crime | bar | 

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Taglines:

In the Ghettos of Harlem you don't buy respect ...you earn it.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, and for some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

LaTanya Richardson, who plays Steel's mom in this movie, is married to Samuel L. Jackson in real-life.

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Goofs

When Q is looking through the New York post newspaper he is reading about Raheem's murder and you can see the date of paper which was Tuesday is April 16th 1991. Then you can see some of the article about the murder and in the paper it says it happen on April 8th which would have been a Monday however Q and his crew robbed the store on a Saturday so the date should of been April 6th.

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Quotes

Bishop: [to Steel at the video game] One, if I lose, I'm gonna beat that ass. Two, if I lose, I'm gonna beat that ass. So pop two quarters in, pop tart, and let's get this game on, I'll be gettin' that ass!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.69 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Don't Be Afraid
Written by Aaron Hall, Hank Shocklee, Gary G-Wiz and Floyd F. Fisher
Performed by Aaron Hall
Produced by Hank Shocklee and Gary G-Wiz
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

User Reviews

An Urban Film At Monumental Portions.

I hate rap, hip/hop, pop, techno, dubstep...but Juice is set during the days when rap was taking off and there was actually some technique used and talent behind it. So this is one of the few cases where I did not mind there being rap music. 2Pac is one of the few rappers I like and he sets the screen ablaze. Juice follows four teenagers from Harlem: Q, Bishop, Raheem and Steel (Epps, Shakur, Kain, Hopkins) who try to get power and respect they call "juice." Q follows his dreams of becoming a successful scratch-n-mix deejay and deals with his love life, while Bishop tries more violent activities that break his friends and the streets where they live. After a heist gone wrong, Bishop slowly grows into an out of control madman. Epps as Q and 2Pac as Bishop are the main characters that were fantastic. Both are developed and carried out so well, both were Oscar-worthy. Especially 2Pac, whose portrayal of an inner-city psychopath was so original and so convincing, he really deserved an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor. It is one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. What I really like about this is that it is purely character driven. Those are the best movies to watch and the best things to read. In fact, this is almost Shakespearean-like. I could see making Juice into a Shakespearean play, with enough modifications to make it seem more sophisticated and complex.

4/4

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Juice

Filming Locations:

Saint Nicholas Terrace & 135th. Street, Harlem, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,085,915, 20 January 1992

Gross USA:

$20,146,880

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,146,880

Company Credits

Production Co:

Island World, Original Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1