January 11, 2022
'Juice'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Wosny Lambre get the wind behind their back and go out in a blaze after rewatching the 1992 crime drama 'Juice' starring Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, and Jermaine Hopkins.
Cast
Omar Epps as Q (Quincy)
Tupac Shakur as Bishop
Jermaine Hopkins as Steel
Khalil Kain as Raheem
Cindy Herron as Yolanda
Queen Latifah as Ruffhouse MC
Samuel L. Jackson as Trip
Directed by: Ernest Dickerson
Written by: Ernest Dickerson, Gerard Brown
Notes
- $5 million budget, grossed $20.1 million.
- The script existed for eight years before it was finally made. Boyz N the Hood's success in 1991 opened the door for Hollywood to greenlight more Black films, directly enabling Juice to get made.
- Tupac Shakur was 18 years old when he made this film, his first movie role. He was working on his debut album at the same time.
- Tupac accompanied Money B to audition. He asked for 15 minutes to prepare, came back and blew everyone away.
- The four lead actors all auditioned at the same time, all got the parts, and became genuine friends.
- Omar Epps actually learned to DJ and scratch records for the role, reaching a legitimately high skill level.
- Dickerson cast Cindy Herron from En Vogue because he had a crush on her.
- The original ending had Bishop hearing police sirens and pulling his hand away from Q to fall to his death – no scream. Test audiences rejected it. Tupac insisted on doing a 'half-assed scream' for the reshot version.
- Jermaine Hopkins (Steel) was nursing a bullet wound during filming. He told filmmakers it was a football injury.
- The original Juice poster featured Tupac holding a gun, but Paramount airbrushed it out. Original posters with the gun are now huge collector's items.
- Tupac stayed in character on set, aggressively asking everyone to call him Bishop.
- The dialogue in the original script used '70s slang like 'Jive Turkey.' The actors were told to say everything in their own vernacular.
- Dickerson developed the story by interviewing his cousin's friends who lived in the area.
- The film's dedication to 'Janet and Tamu' – Janet was Dickerson's fiancee, Tamu was a production assistant murdered in Brooklyn during post-production.
- The movie is widely credited with popularizing the slang term 'juice' to mean power, respect, or influence.
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“One of those stories with the quality of a nightmare in which foolish young men try to out-macho one another until they get trapped in a violent situation.”
Ebert praised Dickerson for restraint – noted that when cinematographers direct, they usually go all style, but Dickerson focused on story and characters.
Most re-watchable scene
- Bill: The mix master DJ battle scene – 'I just want to be there for another 20 minutes'.
- Van: The robbery scene where Blizzard robs the bodega – 'Pardon me for a second, I'm about to rob this place'.
- Wos: The iconic locker scene where Bishop shuts the locker and is standing right there – 'has been memed to death'.
- The opening scene of the four kids waking up in their rooms – immediately establishes each character's world without exposition.
- Bishop's 'You got to get the ground beneath your feet, partner' juice speech.
- The 'You right, I am crazy' scene where Bishop goes to another level.
What aged the best?
- Bill: The opening credits designed to look like a spinning album, leading into the wake-up sequence.
- Van: Samuel L. Jackson in his '16 Sam' era – popping up for 4-5 scenes in everyone's favorite movies before 'Pulp Fiction' made him a leading man.
- Wos: Golden era hip hop as the soundtrack, bucket hats, 90s apartment parties in New York City.
- The concept of 'juice' as slang – the movie popularized the term.
- Queen Latifah's cameo – fun to see her before becoming 'The Equalizer'.
- The music: Eric B. and Rakim, Naughty By Nature, 'Big Daddy' Kane, EPMD, Too Short – one of the first big hip-hop soundtracks.
What aged the worst?
- Bill: The changed ending – the original where Bishop lets go and falls silently was better. Tupac's 'half-assed scream' doesn't fully work.
- Van and Wos: Not much aged badly – the movie is a perfect time capsule.
Casting what-ifs
- The filmmakers went for unknowns only.
- People who auditioned for Bishop: Daryl Mitchell, Treach, Money B, Donald Faison.
- Tupac got the role by accompanying Money B to his audition.
Over-acting award
All three: Rodamez, the leader of the Puerto Rican gang – 'There are scenes where he looks like he's about to make out with Pac.' Wos: 'This award might need to be named after Rodamez.'
Best "that guy"
- Bill: Khalil Kain (Raheem) – becomes 'that guy' in everything else after Juice.
- Wos: Detective Kelly – the cop with the mustache and shit-eating grin during the interrogation scene.
Best "heat check" performance
- Bill: Queen Latifah – only in the club/competition scenes but she's magnetic.
- Wos: Samuel L. Jackson – his very last scene has the hallmarks of what he'd become.
- Van: Samuel L. Jackson – every scene he was in was memorable.
Half-assed (internet) research
- The script sat for eight years. At one point the Donner company had it and tried to make it funnier.
- Tupac was kicked repeatedly by extras for the beating scene. After several takes: 'I'm not getting paid enough for this shit.'
- Jermaine Hopkins was nursing a bullet wound during filming, claiming it was a football injury.
- The gun was airbrushed out of the original poster by Paramount.
- Omar Epps had a singing group called Vision. Queen Latifah loved them and they toured with her after the movie.
- The original ending is on YouTube and is widely considered better.
Apex Mountain
- Tupac Shakur – his first and arguably most iconic film role.
- Ernest Dickerson – directing Juice while simultaneously finishing Malcolm X as cinematographer, same year (1992).
- Khalil Kain (Raheem) – definitely the peak of his career.
- Cindy Herron – between this movie and En Vogue at the same time.
- Scratching/DJing in movies – strong contender.
- Harlem as a movie location – debated between Shaft, Harlem Nights, Paid in Full, and Juice.
Picking nits
- Bill: Couldn't the DJ finals have happened before Q gets arrested?
- Bill: Q (a high school kid) is dating an adult nurse with an ex-husband, and it's just glossed over.
- Wos: Bishop snitching on himself at the school locker in the middle of the day. Terrible gun hiding spot. Why rob your local bodega where they know you?
- Van (via his mother): The gun dealer sells Bishop a gun then says 'Tell your mother Jackie said hi.' Van's mom: 'Don't tell me hi if you just sold my son a gun.'
Sequel, prequel, prestige TV or untouchable?
No. The movie is a tight 90 minutes and doesn't need expansion.
(Probably) unanswerable questions
Bill became 'briefly obsessed' with why Cindy Herron wasn't a bigger star – leading to a discussion of what celebrity athlete boyfriend she should have had in 1991-92. Final answer: Sam Perkins.
What memorabilia would you want (or not want!) from the movie?
- Wos: The Malcolm X poster from Q's room.
- Bill: Both turntables from Q's room.
- Van: Turntables to actually scratch records.
Who won the movie?
- Wos: Tupac – 'It's not even close. It's his movie, his vehicle, his coming out party.'
- Van (zagging): Omar Epps – his performance gets overlooked because of Tupac's bombastic energy, but he was the yin to that yang.
- Bill: Tupac wins the movie itself, Omar Epps wins what comes out of the movie – Juice laid the framework for Epps's 30-year career.