‘New Jack City’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Logan Murdock
March 9, 2021 · New Jack City (1991) · Action · Crime · Drama · 1:48:49
Categories
Casting What-Ifs
Logan MurdockMartin Lawrence — Martin Lawrence would have done a great job as Pookie, possibly better than Chris Rock; Vivica Fox would have been great as Keisha; Vanessa Williams would have been great as Nino's girlfriend; would rather see Tupac as Nino than G-Money▶ 55:43
Van LathanMartin Lawrence — Martin Lawrence was originally cast as Pookie but dropped out after Robin Harris died; Michael Wright turned down Ice-T's part and would have been great; Vivica Fox auditioned for both female roles; Orange Juice Jones was originally cast as G-Money but was fired; Tupac auditioned for G-Money but looked too young▶ 55:38
Joey Pants Award
Logan MurdockBill Nunn — Bill Nunn (Radio Raheem) - agrees he was the only person he wrote down for this category▶ 1:00:15
Van LathanBill Nunn — Bill Nunn (Radio Raheem) - calls him 'that guy plus' or 'supersize that guy'▶ 59:50
Picking Nits
Van LathanIce-T's inconsistent acting performance - he's all over the map acting-wise, though Van thinks it's perfect despite not being great▶ 1:04:44
Half-Assed Internet Research
Logan MurdockNino Brown's name origin - based on Nino Gabriel storefront on 3rd Avenue in New York where Harlem gangsters got their shoes▶ 1:11:50
Van LathanMultiple facts: Chris Rock was approached by drug dealers for 3 years after the film who thought it was a documentary; film premiered at Sundance 1991 (second year ever); Cooper wanted comic book visual look with Nino's mansion like Dracula's lair to show he was sucking blood from neighborhood▶ 1:12:26
Apex Mountain
Logan MurdockChris Rock — Yes for New Jack Swing music genre (height of the movement), No for the R&B group Guy (despite their cameo), Yes for Chris Rock's movie career, considers Head of State as alternative peak▶ 1:17:11
Van LathanWesley Snipes — Yes for Wesley Snipes (signature performance that opened all doors), Yes for Alan Payne (biggest role), No for Ice-T, Yes for Chris Rock's movie career (most recognizable film role), Yes for Mario Van Peebles (directing career peak), No for Color Me Bad (they had bigger hits)▶ 1:16:10
Best Quote
Van LathanMultiple quotes including 'my brother, it's always business. It's never personal', 'Sit your $5 ass down before I make change', and 'You got to rob to get rich in the Reagan era'▶ 1:27:32
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Logan MurdockIt's unfair to compare Pookie vs Bubbles because you had seasons to develop attachment to Bubbles vs limited time with Pookie▶ 1:31:22
Van LathanNew Jack City probably didn't directly influence The Wire - both were influenced by the same real-life drug trade dynamics, with collective DNA between what Avon/Stringer and Nino were doing▶ 1:28:48
Van LathanPookie wins over Bubbles in crack addict finals MVP, though adds Erica Christensen from Traffic as a third contender▶ 1:30:37
Who Won the Movie
Van LathanWesley Snipes — Wesley Snipes - called it a 'tour de force performance' and said he 'killed it'▶ 1:44:14
Movies Referenced (31)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarface (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 23 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | ▶ 2:48 |
| Batman (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:23:08 |
| King of New York (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Van Lathan | ▶ 8:07 |
| Blade (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | ▶ 17:03 |
| Demolition Man (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | ▶ 16:43 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:22:07 |
| Lethal Weapon (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:40:31 |
| Pump Up the Volume (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:46:38 |
| The Beach (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock | ▶ 47:04 |
| The Godfather (1972) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 50:49 |
| The Village (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan | ▶ 19:11 |
| Vantage Point (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock | ▶ 23:31 |
Directors Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Van Lathan | Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It | ▶ 1:00:28 |
| Crooked I | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock | Fast Five, Southpaw | ▶ 49:24 |
| Andrea Bias | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern | ▶ 7:32 |
| François Truffaut | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The 400 Blows | ▶ 19:57 |
| John Colorado | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Hancock | ▶ 43:28 |
| Warren Beatty | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Heaven Can Wait | ▶ 17:38 |
Actors Referenced (52)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Palance | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 40 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | City Slickers | ▶ 1:32 |
| Wesley Snipes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Blade, New Jack City, Demolition Man | ▶ 1:53 |
| Judd Nelson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire | ▶ 1:53 |
| Chris Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | The Longest Yard | ▶ 15:51 |
| Mario Van Peebles | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | Jaws: The Revenge | ▶ 1:53 |
| Vanessa Williams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | ▶ 56:51 | |
| Bill Nunn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Van Lathan | Spider-Man 3, Do the Right Thing | ▶ 59:50 |
| Flavor Flav | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | End of Watch, Three Kings, Friday Night Lights | ▶ 44:51 |
| Kente Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Logan Murdock | She's All That | ▶ 47:01 |
| Tracy Camilla Johns | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | She's Gotta Have It, New Jack City | ▶ 48:11 |
| Aaron Hall | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan | Juice, Boomerang, Alpha Dog | ▶ 1:14:34 |
| Eddie Murphy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Logan Murdock, Van Lathan | The Nutty Professor, Beverly Hills Cop II | ▶ 1:09:49 |
Writers Referenced (8)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Michael Cooper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Logan Murdock | New Jack City | ▶ 19:11 |
| Andrew Cosby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 7:08 | |
| Andy Greenwald | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:46:38 | |
| Jonah Peretti | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:38:04 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | ▶ 19:54 | |
| Thomas Lee Wright | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | New Jack City | ▶ 19:11 |
| Walter Mosley | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Devil in a Blue Dress | ▶ 1:02:07 |
| William Faulkner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | To Have and Have Not | ▶ 1:34:13 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bet Rourich | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Logan Murdock | ▶ 5:09 |