DEAD PRESIDENTS Cinema's Legacy

DEAD PRESIDENTS

Following the film, film scholar and Cinema’s Legacy guest curator Racquel Gates leads a conversation with Michael B. Gillespie, Hannah Giorgis and Terri Francis.

Vietnam veteran Anthony (Larenz Tate) tries to adjust to life back home in the Bronx after a grim tour of duty that began when he was 18. But roadblocks abound in his post-Marine life as he strives to find steady work and provide for his family. Despair takes over and Anthony teams up with neighborhood friend Skip (Chris Tucker) and small time criminal Kirby (Keith David) to pull off an armored car heist. Directors Albert and Allen Hughes provide a searing commentary on how African American soldiers were treated during the Vietnam War. The directing duo show their passion for storytelling and for exploring relevant social issues like racism, drugs and political apathy in this ambitious, well-acted and powerful 1995 drama. Co-stars Rose Jackson, N’Bushe Wright, Freddy Rodriguez, Jennifer Lewis, Michael Imperioli and Clifton Collins Jr.

Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes, known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, co-directed MENACE II SOCIETY, DEAD PRESIDENTS, FROM HELL and THE BOOK OF ELI. MENACE II SOCIETY, their first feature, premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. They have been involved in directing and producing film and television projects separately since 2005. Allen Hughes directed the 2013 film BROKEN CITY, a crime thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. In 2017, he directed the four-part HBO documentary miniseries THE DEFIANT ONES about music producers Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. In 2018, Albert Hughes directed his first solo feature film ALPHA.

Details

Country: USA

Year: 1995

Directors: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes

Screenwriters: Michael Henry Brown, Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes

Producers: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes

Director of Photography: Lisa Rinzler

Editor: Dan Lebental

Production Designer: David Brisbin

Music: Danny Elfman

Cast/Featuring: Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker

Running Time (minutes): 119

Language: English

SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

The National Endowment for the Arts

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