Tag: urban

1998 Crime Thriller ‘Belly’ Due on 4K Ultra HD Jan. 24

Featuring performances from rappers Nas and DMX, Belly (1998) arrives for the first time in 4K Ultra High-Definition Jan. 24 from Lionsgate.

The title will also be available as a Best Buy exclusive 4K Ultra HD (plus Blu-ray plus digital) Steelbook.

Written and directed by Hype Williams — winner of the Award for Achievement in Music Videos at the 30th annual EnergaCamerimage Cinematography Festival (2022) and MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (2003) — Belly is an urban crime-thriller.

In the film, as gang leader Tommy (Earl “DMX” Simmons) looks to expand his turf by dealing a new form of heroin, his friend Sincere (Nasir “Nas” Jones) dreams of escaping the gangster life with his girlfriend and baby daughter. After a drug house operated by Tommy is raided, he and Sincere — now pursued by both the police and rival gangs — each find themselves on a course that will either lead to redemption or ruin.

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Special features include audio commentary with Williams, “Spoken Word” (Blu-ray only), a deleted scene (Blu-ray only) and the “Grand Finale” music video (Blu-ray only).

‘Juice’ Debuting on 4K Ultra HD Jan. 11 for Its 30th Anniversary

The 1992 film Juice, starring Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur, will be released on 4K Ultra HD for the first time on Jan. 11 from Paramount Home Entertainment, marking its 30th anniversary.

The gritty film, which continues to be celebrated for its realistic portrayal of Harlem life and the early New York hip hop scene, follows Q, Raheem, Bishop and Steel, who spend their days hanging out and looking for a way to get the power and respect they call Juice. Q hopes to earn respect by becoming a scratch ‘n’ mix DJ.  Bishop has a deadlier plan — take it through an armed robbery with his crew.

Juice is the feature directorial debut of cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson, whose collaborations with Spike Lee include Do the Right Thing and Malcom X. It features a soundtrack that includes Eric B. & Rakim, Naughty by Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Salt N’ Pepa.

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The disc includes access to a digital copy of the film and legacy bonus content, including interviews with Dickerson, producer David Heyman (“Harry Potter” franchise), Epps, and fellow actors Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins. The cast and crew look back on making the film, share stories of working with Shakur, and reveal the influence that Juice had on them both personally and professionally. The featurettes also include footage of the cast on set and vintage interviews with Shakur, Queen Latifah, Cindy Herron of En Vogue, the Shocklee brothers, Eric B, EPMD, Cypress Hill and more. Other extras include the original ending and commentary by the director.

Stadium Media Inks Digital Deal With Urban Film Distributor Xenon Pictures

Stadium Media, a global digital content provider, has inked a deal with Xenon Pictures to offer urban films for digital distribution to select platforms.

The deal includes the title The Legend of Dolemite, a documentary on Rudy Ray Moore. Moore’s story is being turned into a Netflix biopic, Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy.

“We are extremely thrilled to be working with Xenon,” said Stadium Media founder Mitch Mallon in a statement. “They were the first in the market to recognize and realize how important the African-American audience was to the home entertainment field. We look forward to offering their top titles to digital audiences.”

“Mitch is a force in this industry,” said Xenon COO Steve Housden in a statement. “Over the decades, we’ve often competed with him for customers and titles, but we are thrilled to have him on our side. It frees us up to concentrate on producing new content. It’s great knowing Mitch is in position to place the new titles with his accounts.”

Other Xenon titles under the deal include the miniseries A Woman Called Moses, starring Cicely Tyson as Harriet Tubman; the urban thriller Joy Road; the documentary Welcome to Death Row (the inspiration for Straight Outta Compton); and Before They Were Kings, which features early performances by comic stars, including Chris Rock, D.L. Hughley and Martin Lawrence.

Stadium Media’s library consists of classic television shows such as SyFy’s “Van Helsing,” “That Girl,” “The Best of Groucho Marx” and “The Danny Thomas Show”; and independent films such as The Matchbreaker, The Black Hole, It Happened One Christmas, Leonard Nimoy’s Vincent, Peter Bogdanovich’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Runnin Down a Dream and the upcoming Undateable John.