Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Slam

  • 1998
  • R
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
Slam (1998)
Home Video Trailer from Trimark
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
15 Photos
Drama

Grand Jury Prize, 1998 Sundance Film Festival. A talented youth (Saul Williams) copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" costars.Grand Jury Prize, 1998 Sundance Film Festival. A talented youth (Saul Williams) copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" costars.Grand Jury Prize, 1998 Sundance Film Festival. A talented youth (Saul Williams) copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" costars.

  • Director
    • Marc Levin
  • Writers
    • Marc Levin
    • Richard Stratton
    • Sonja Sohn
  • Stars
    • Saul Williams
    • Sonja Sohn
    • Bonz Malone
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    2.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Marc Levin
    • Writers
      • Marc Levin
      • Richard Stratton
      • Sonja Sohn
    • Stars
      • Saul Williams
      • Sonja Sohn
      • Bonz Malone
    • 52User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
    • 73Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 3 nominations

    Videos1

    Slam
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Slam

    Photos15

    Slam (1998)
    33 x 47
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)
    Slam (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Saul Williams
    Saul Williams
    • Ray Joshua
    Sonja Sohn
    Sonja Sohn
    • Lauren Bell
    Bonz Malone
    • Hopha
    Lawrence Wilson
    • Big Mike
    Beau Sia
    Beau Sia
    • Jimmy Huang
    Andre Taylor
    • China
    Momolu Stewart
    • Bay (Jail Rapper)
    Ron Jones
    • Do Wop Cop
    Reamer Shedrick
    • Do Wop Cop
    Allan E. Lucas
    • Chief C.O.
    Dominic Chianese Jr.
    • Officer Dom
    Jerome Goldman
    • Jail Class Poet 'Why'
    DJ Renegade
    • Party Poet 'Diminuendo in Blue'
    Liza Jessie Peterson
    Liza Jessie Peterson
    • Slam Poet 'Ice Cream'
    Taylor Mali
    • Slam Poet 'Like'
    Bob Holman
    • Slam M.C.
    Rhozier Brown
    • Public Defender
    • (as Rhozier T. Brown)
    Richard Stratton
    Richard Stratton
    • Prosecutor
    • Director
      • Marc Levin
    • Writers
      • Marc Levin
      • Richard Stratton
      • Sonja Sohn
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Neptune Frost
    6.6
    Neptune Frost
    Shotgun Stories
    7.1
    Shotgun Stories
    Baltimore Rising
    6.4
    Baltimore Rising
    Support the Girls
    6.4
    Support the Girls
    Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
    7.6
    Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
    Slam
    6.0
    Slam
    Slam
    6.1
    Slam
    Rising Sun
    6.2
    Rising Sun
    Radio Days
    7.4
    Radio Days
    Thug Life in D.C.
    7.1
    Thug Life in D.C.
    The Missing Girl
    6.2
    The Missing Girl
    The Slow Hustle
    6.5
    The Slow Hustle

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      When Ray is on his way to the poetry night, he gets on the metro at the Cleveland Park station, rides, and gets off at the metro at the same station: Cleveland Park.
    • Quotes

      Ray Joshua: The wind is the moon's imagination wandering. It seeps through cracks, ripples the grass, explores the unknown. My love is my soul's imagination. How do I love you? Imagine.

    • Soundtracks
      Galactic Funk
      (Live from the Black Hole Mix)

      Performed by DJ Spooky (as DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid)

      Written by DJ Spooky (as Paul D. Miller)

      DJ Spooky appears courtesy of Outpost Recordings

      Under license from Asphodel Ltd.

    User reviews52

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Something Old is New Again
    This movie is responsible for a lot of things and after finally seeing it I now know why. What it lacks in polished film making it more than makes up for in honesty, passion and ambition. From the performances through to the writing and cinematography everything is raw and beautiful and vibrant with life in a way that we never see in Hollywood films. And I'll be damned if the subject isn't poetry and how it exists in and what it makes of real life. How it is real life. In many aboriginal cultures there is no separate category for art that differentiates it from the rest of life and this movie hearkens back to that cultural tradition. A young Saul Williams defines his life, takes action, heals himself and saves others through his poetry. All of the acting is fresh and real but Saul Williams and Sonia Sohn especially shine, as they should. There is something real going on that is being captured here and the rest of America better know what it is.
    helpful•8
    1
    • BeirutWedding1
    • Jun 30, 2005

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 7, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Слэм
    • Filming locations
      • Washington, District of Columbia, USA
    • Production company
      • Off Line Entertainment Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,009,819
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,009,819
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Slam (1998)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Slam (1998) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.