Slam

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2:19

Slam

R

1998

1h 43m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Raymond is a young Black performance poet who's arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge. In jail, he meets a prison gang leader and a writing teacher who inspires him to use the power of creative expression to fight for freedom and avoid becoming a victim of the criminal justice system.

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Gavin Smith

Film Comment Magazine

04/11/2018

Suffused with an emphatic but completely vague sociopolitical anger, Slam can't get beyond reiterating familiar sentiments about genocidal cycles of violence and black male prison statistics.

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

12/01/2006

B

Part gritty prison drama, part inner-city chronicle, the energetic Slam defies easy categorization, serving as a compelling plea for black males of how to survive in oppressive society. The film won the 1998 Sundance Jury Award for Best Drama.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

2.5/4

Slam is a fable disguised as a slice of life, and cobbled together out of too many pieces that don't fit smoothly together. It's moving, but not as effective as it could have been.

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

10/09/2005

2/5

Susan Tavernetti

Palo Alto Weekly

05/20/2003

4/4

James Hill

BET.com

12/13/2002

3/5

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Qinq D

Nov 29

Underrated film with the performances of a lifetime

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Me a

@Aimeees Oct 16

A powder keg of a movie, exploding with emotional honesty and truth and the exuberant passion of raw young talent.

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Cecilia S

@Cecilia2 Oct 14

Completely moving and poetic piece that will tear your heart out and remind you how and why to love.

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Wyndham M

Oct 13

A powder keg of a movie, exploding with emotional honesty and truth and the exuberant passion of raw young talent.

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Geoff M

@Geoffiam Oct 8

Beautifully performed and executed with a poignancy that resonates 27 years later after its release.

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Maria Q

@MariaQe Sep 23

Poignant and brilliantly executed with performances that will shake your soul awake.

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Marc Levin

Director

Saul Williams

Ray Joshua

Sonja Sohn

Lauren Bell

Bonz Malone

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Slam: Trailer 1

2:19

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Synopsis

Raymond is a young Black performance poet who's arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge. In jail, he meets a prison gang leader and a writing teacher who inspires him to use the power of creative expression to fight for freedom and avoid becoming a victim of the criminal justice system.

Director: Marc Levin
Producer: Marc Levin, Richard Stratton
Screenwriter: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Saul Williams, Richard Stratton
Distributor: Trimark Pictures
Production Co: Off Line Entertainment Group
Rating: R (Sex Scene|Pervasive Language|Brief Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 5, 1998, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $982.2K
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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