|
Boyz 'N The Hood [1991] | ![Boyz 'N The Hood [1991]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DRD3HRTXL._SL75_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: John Singleton
Actors: Cuba Gooding Jr., Yolanda Whittaker, Hudhail Al-amir, Lloyd Avery, Mia Bell
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £3.59
You Save: £16.40 (82%)
New (23) Used (5) Collectible (2) from £2.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 3164
Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, Pal, Special Edition
Languages: Arabic (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), German (Subtitled), Hindi (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Turkish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Dubbed), German (Dubbed), Italian (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 107
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5035822318892
ASIN: B0002CVQEK
Theatrical Release Date: July 12, 1991
Release Date: July 19, 2004
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: IN STOCK. USUALLY DISPATCHED SAME OR NEXT WORKING DAY (MON - FRI). PLEASE ALLOW 3 - 6 DAYS FOR DELIVERY. BRAND NEW AND FULLY GUARANTEED BY A WELL ESTABLISHED TRUSTED LTD COMPANY. EMAIL DISPATCH CONFIRMATIONS SENT. TRACK PROGRESS 24/7
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
John Singleton, at the age of 23, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his debut film, Boyz n the Hood. The film stars Laurence Fishburne, Angela Basset, Ice Cube, and Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in his first starring role in a feature film. Gooding plays Tre Styles, a teenager growing up in South Central Los Angeles. His father, Furious (Fishburne), is divorced and living away from Tre and his mother (Basset), but he's still involved in Tre's upbringing, teaching him responsibility and the values of right and wrong. Meanwhile, Tre's childhood buddies Ricky (Morris Chestnut) and Doughboy (Ice Cube) are living their lives in terms of the epidemic of violence and poverty that has plagued their neighborhood. Ricky, a talented football player, strives to get a full athletic scholarship to college. If only his SAT scores were higher. Doughboy lives a life full of crime but still remains true to his friends. The obstacles that these three young men come across result in dire consequences, devastatingly avoidable and inevitable at the same time. Boyz n the Hood is a landmark film beyond its commercial success, presenting a portrait of South Central in the late '80s and early '90s as painted by Singleton (who grew up in that neighborhood), achieving accuracy and dramatic resonance in this story of at-risk youth. --Shannon Gee
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
Increase The Peace *Contains plot spoilers* June 7, 2008
Youngster Tre Styles is sent by his mother to live with his disciplinarian father, Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburn) in 1980's South Central Los Angeles to learn how to be a man. Tre avoids the trappings of petty crime and drugs and grows up to be an intelligent and conscientious teenager played by Cuba Gooding Jr. Tre's best friend Ricky (Morris Chestnut) is shaping up to be a fine football player with a college scholarship in the pipeline whereas his older brother Doughboy (Ice Cube) has been in and out of institutions, and now spends his days drinking on the porch with friends with a gun tucked in his waistband.
John Singleton was only 23 when he penned and directed Boyz 'N' The Hood. Having grown up in South Central himself I assume his portrayal of the neighbourhood is accurate and if it is, youngsters living there in the 1980's and early 1990's were living in a war zone. All the usual growing up things teenage boys like to do such as chasing girls and hanging out with friends is disrupted by violence, drive by shootings and police harassment. Furious Styles lectures Compton gangsters on how white people were repressing black communities by making sure they had the guns, liquor and drugs to kill one another which may seem a little paranoid and far fetched but you can't blame people who grew up in South Central LA for feeling that way. Every day in the 'hood really is a struggle for survival for Tre and his pals as bullets fly indiscriminately every night and everyone has a brother who has been shot or is in the pen'.
After starting out as a coming of age drama, Boyz 'N' The Hood is inevitably shattered by tragedy when good guy Ricky is shot dead after a minor altercation with some gang members. This proves to be a turning point in both Tre and Doughboy's lives. Tre must decide if he wants to be sucked into the violent cycle that will ensue should he seek vengeance and Doughboy knows of no other option than vengeance. Tre steps away from the gangster life (much to Furious's relief) whilst Doughboy takes his final step into it.
Boyz 'N' The Hood offers most of us a view into a life we will never know. Where there is little hope of becoming what you want to be and where human life is cheap. Singletons powerful script is brought to life by powerful performances from a talented cast. The scene where Ricky is brought home and laid on the couch is heart wrenching as Doughboy's retribution is heart pounding. If Singleton wanted to bring attention to the conditions in the deprived areas of the US then he succeeded as Boyz became a huge hit. He also succeeded in making one of the best films of the 1990's and the final powerful message 'Increase the peace' really hits home.
Like this? Try: Training Day
Black 'Brat-Pack' Classic October 7, 2007
The interesting aspect about the film was character development. In the beginning of the film's credits you hear a gang member whining about someone he has a grudge with, where as a friend calms him down by taking him for a ride which eventually turns out to be a "drive by shooting" of the very individual being bragged about by other and ending with the innocent sounds of a young boy crying over his brother's murder.
Then we see a young Tre Styles getting into trouble at school because of a classroom fight and then taken to his father (played so brilliantly by Laurance Fishburne) to live with. It's easy to see why this became such a huge hit as it was one film that many reached out to, due to the positive themes of one wishing for a better life and parents guiding him/her in the right direction.
Performances were a real stand out in this. Already mentioned was Laurance Fishburne as Mr. Furious Styles (what a name) and the beautiful Angela Basset as Tre's concerned Mother. Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding couldn't have been more rewarding in this film as well as the lovely Nia Long as Cuba's girlfriend and Regina King too (all to be later reunited in starring in Friday - except for Cuba though).
It's not surprising to learn that many of them would turn out to be huge stars due to the success of this feature and acting credibility.
boyz dun good February 24, 2006
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
truly a great film. i am a 15 year old boy and know everything about life thanks to this film. hard to imagine a mere 23 year old was able to put together such a powrful and emotional film. set around 3 young black, african-american men torn between the lifestyle of a thug or the better life. cruely it ends as real as it gets, 2 end up dead and one lukily escapes his predetermined destiny of prison, death or ganglife. we follow them from child to young budding adults, we follow the trials and tribulations of average men in south central Los Angeles, as they live out their unfortunate lives.
Absolute Masterpiece May 8, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Hard to beleive that at only 23 a young john singleton can write and direct his first film and make it such a masterpiece.
The story is set around 3 black men in a violent hood were burglery, drug dealing and even murder happens on a daily basis.
The story is set mainly around one character Tre styles played by Cuba Gooding Jr who as a child is sent to live with his father by his mother to set him straight.
The story mainly plays out how tre's father convinces and helps Tre not to take the usual route that kids in the hood grow up and take the drug dealing, burglery and violence route but his father teaches him to grow up and be a respectable member of society and thehood paths lead to nothing but bad places.With excellent casting, 5 star acting all around and such an in depth story that will keep you glued to the screen. This movie is at time funny, smart and very emotional, but is mainly very real to what message the film is trying to put across. If you haven't seen this movie were have you been for the past 13 years but seriously if you haven't seen it i advise strongly to get this dvd, even if you have seen it buy this dvd because the special edition makes it more special.
Excellent debut feature July 11, 2004
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Its quite hard to believe that John Singleton was only 23 years old when he wrote and directed this amazing film. It centres around a group of friends, played by Cuba Gooding Jr, Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube who are growing up in a bad area of America, and how they learn to cope with their violent and volitile surroundings. All three leads are on top form as is Laurence Fishburne, who plays Gooding's firm, but fair, father. Never exploitative or glorified, you actually feel sympathy and really identify with the characters, thanks to the way Singleton develops them. All in all, a truly excellent coming of age film and in my opinion, vastly superior to 1993s similar Menace to society. It just a pity that Singletons films which followed this have never really re-captured the magic he found here.
|
|
|
| |
