yshan-16
The producers, directors, actors, everyone relating to this film have all been robbed of their Oscars!! This film provided me with everything I love to see in a movie. The storyline was superb, the plot, the twists, everything and everyone was excellent. So why have this film not leveled the scales with New Jack City, Sopranos, American Gangster, The Godfather or any other gangster movie out there? What does it take, because as far as I am concerned, this movie has all of that and more. So why have so few people viewed this film? I guess sometimes a movie falls under the radar and this is definitely THAT MOVIE. I loved the dialogue, the deliverance and the acting. Wow!!! Allen Payne, you've been robbed.
ccasey6121
Some one told me a while back that I should check this movie out. I do not really like low cost films so I declined. One Sunday (after hearing how good it was from so many people)I was at the video store and decided to pick it up just to give it a try. I enjoyed it very much. You could tell it was a low budget film but the story line was pretty good. I enjoyed the work of the young actors. The older actors were not half bad either. With a little more funding and a few corrections to the script this really could have done well on the big screen. If you rent it watch it early because there is a good chance that you may want to watch it again.It had me waiting and guessing whats next. Growing up were I grew up this film was true to life for me. I ended up buying a copy. It is a great add to the DVD collection. If you are from the hood you will love this movie. CHECK IT OUT!!!!
badass-6
I see a number of viewers gave this film such high praise and I ask, for what?The story of boyhood friends falling into the world of drug dealing could have been told in a number of realistic ways but the screenwriters of this flick didn't use any of them. The story arch about a bunch of 14-year-old novice criminals successfully gunning down their drug dealing rivals just didn't ring true.But my biggest critique of this film is the dialog. I don't care what ghetto you grow up in, people must speak in a realistic way and the cast didn't. I feel sorry for the cast of pretty good talent having to try to make this script palatable, and failing miserably.EXAMPLE: ACTOR 1: "What do they call this?" ACTOR 2: "They call it crack."Awe-inspiring stuff, right? And the dialog in the opening drug deal scene was flat and formulaic, not to mention corny.I know you must toss in a liberal use of the word "fuck" in any gritty-urban drama *yawn* but it seems a little ridiculous here.So to recap, keep most of the cast (Maybe recast Allen Payne for someone who actually appears like they could have come from the streets), but re-write the lines for every single scene and you might actually have something.
flixbiz
I believe that there is an industry-wide conspiracy to deny theatrical access for independent films, particularly those with multi-cultural casts and themes. Blue Hill Ave. reinforces this suspicion in my mind. Of course, I've seen better movies, but I've certainly seen much worse movies in theatrical release and I cannot believe that Blue Hill Ave. could not merit at least a moderate theatrical release on about 500 screens. I would have certainly paid $8 to see this film rather than to see "Soul Plane", "You Got Served", "Baby's Daddy", etc. Perhaps the Justice Dept. needs to step up their investigation into the anti-competitive practices of the mega conglomerate-owned film production and distribution entities. This was supposed to have been resolved in U.S. v Patamount back in 1948! Anyway, I digress. I though Craig Ross, Jr. and his cast and crew did an exceptional job with this film, especially on such a low budget!If films like Cappuccino (an earlier quality film from this same writer/director) and Blue Hill Ave. can't make it to theaters and the previously mentioned vapid works are able to, why should intelligent Black folks pay $8. at the theater? I hope Mr. Ross' investors were able to profit on this one!
AD
