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Dead Presidents |  | Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Actors: Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, Freddy Rodríguez, Rose Jackson
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $5.82
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Seller: -importcds
Rating:  64 reviews
Sales Rank: 5284
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Rating: NC-17
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 119 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 01425800
ISBN: 1558908390
UPC: 071795100039
EAN: 9781558908390
ASIN: 1558908390
Theatrical Release Date: October 4, 1995
Release Date: May 20, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
DEAD PRESIDENTS
Amazon.com
Twin brother codirectors Albert and Alan Hughes planned their first film, the 1991 ghetto crime drama Menace II Society as a response to John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood, which they considered wimpy and moralistic. They set their sights on The Deer Hunter in this ambitious follow-up, and they just about pull it off. Larenz Tate (from Why Do Fools Fall in Love) plays Anthony Curtis, an open-hearted African American teenager who gets shipped out to Vietnam with several of his pals, witnesses unspeakable horrors, and then struggles to readjust to civilian life. The evolving textures of life in a declining inner-city neighborhood over a period of a decade are seamlessly evoked, and there's enough nuanced character development and personal interaction for a seven-hour miniseries. Still in their early 20s, the Hughes brothers are already poised and masterful moviemakers; they cover an enormous amount of historical and emotional ground, and every twist and turn is crystal clear. They betray their inexperience only at the very end, in an elaborately staged heist sequence that, while stunningly executed, feels a bit desperate, as if they were reaching blindly for a big payoff. Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) has a startling supporting role as a kid who becomes junkie during the war, and never quite recovers. --David Chute
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 64
 Powerful performances + tight script = GREAT MOVIE November 25, 2004
The Fancy One (Westchester County, NY)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
Is Larenz Tate one of the most slept on, talented young black actors in Hollywood today? I have to say YES!! He brings a deep intensity to just about any role he plays. "Dead Presidents" is just more proof of that and this film probably shows the best performance of Tate's career.
In this film, he's Anthony, an idealistic young high school graduate from the Bronx who enlists in the Marine Corps in the late 1960s and is shipped off to serve in Vietnam. Along with a couple of his high school buddies, he witnesses horrific violence and death there like he's never seen, comes back home after his tour of duty ends and finds it hard to adjust to civilian life. He finds that after serving his country, his country has very little to offer him in return. This was a dilemma faced by many young men coming home from Vietnam, and one that was even harder on black men like Anthony. He has no job, no money, and begins looking for other ways to support himself. Eventually he finds a job, but it is barely enough to pay the bills. He also has to deal with jealous guys from the neighborhood who envy him for various reasons.
Having a young daughter to support and a shady pregnant girlfriend who was his high school sweetheart (Rose Jackson Moye), the financial pressures begin to mount in Anthony's life. As things begin to crumble around him, he then begins to have thoughts of resorting to breaking the law in order to try set things right in his life, and hatches a plan to pull off this high-stakes heist. He enlists his willing friends, who are also looking to get rich quick, in his plot. However, the reprecussions of this plot are deadly.
The Hughes Brothers ("Menace II Society", "From Hell") have done a knockout job with this well-written, well-directed film with the Vietnam War as a backdrop and how it affected young black men in its aftermath. But I feel the main point of it was that even the most positive, upstanding and law-abiding person can resort to doing something unthinkable if they are desperate and they are pushed far enough. In that aspect, anyone can relate to this film. Along with Larenz's performance, Keith David, Chris Tucker (who shows he has REAL acting chops in this film - his performance is unforgettable), Bokeem Woodbine and Freddy Rodriquez as Anthony's buddies pull out all the stops to create nothing short of a realistic and dramatic experience for the viewer. The soundtrack is amazing as well. Definitely a must-see.
very well written March 3, 2005
J. Irps (sparta)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
many people have told me about this movie, but for some reason it kept on slipping my mind but i just watched it finally and it was spectacular. the acting was top notch and the plot was up there with it as well. the characters are completely believable and that is what makes a movie good. i have been a fan of chris tucker since friday, so i am surprised i haven't seen this before, but he played the role of a man who cannot handle reality so he became an addict. he did that very well.
there was a funky part where a preachers son cut the head off one of the vietnam enemies and kept it in his bag. i thought that was pretty funny because everyone was getting tired of the nasty smell but he wanted to hold onto it like a trophy.
i wasn't surprised by the ending, but i felt bad for the guy even though he did what he did. i'll leave it at that for anyone else who haven't seen this movie yet. this is a must watch performance and i pretty much recommend it to anyone.
Larenz Tate Kills It ! Great Film! January 19, 2004
J. Elyshevitz (jamaica, ny)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Dead Presidents is a well plotted drama that grabs your attention from beginning to end. Larenz Tate's killer performance definitely makes this film worth while. Honestly, i've haven't seen much Larenz Tate movies but watching this makes you more interested in his other works. I won't give you a whole plot summary of the film but "Dead Presidents" is very gory especially in the war scenes. It's basically about a young man trying to find himself fresh out of high school. HE decides to fight in Vietnam but comes back havin to care for his baby girl which causes him and his buddies to try to make some quick cold cash, robbing a federal reserve bank. Chris Tucker even brings some humor to this outstanding drama. Keep an eye out for this movie and other works by Larenz Tate. In my opinion he could be the next big thing. You'll believe me when you see it.
Awesome!!Can't put it any better than that. April 18, 1999
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Loved the fact the most of the movie is about vietnam, overall it's awesome, Larenz Tate is great.
haven't seen menace II society but... March 5, 2003
aprilshowers (TN)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ever since I saw this movie I can't stop thinking about it. I missed the begining of it, but I can't wait to see it now. I thoroughly appreciate the soundtrack and the transformation between the times. I thought it was a beautiful film and was very pleased. I wish I hadn't waited so long to see it.After reading all these reviews I would like to rent menace to society.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 64
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