By Brennan Williams, huffingtonpost.com
Twenty-five years since the release of “Juice,” Ernest R. Dickerson is proud that his directorial debut has stood as a cultural staple in America.
This month, Paramount Home Media Distribution will commemorate the film’s anniversary with a special release of a Blu-ray disc. Starring Tupac Shakur, Omar Epps, Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins ― with cameos by Samuel L. Jackson and Queen Latifah ― the powerful drama follows the lives of four teenage friends in pursuit of power and respect in their Harlem neighborhood as they grapple with the trials of inner-city life.
Inspired by his adolescent years growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Dickerson ― who broke into the industry as Spike Lee’s cinematographer ― tells HuffPost that he wanted the drama to accurately portray the obstacles young black men and boys face living in America.