Joseph B. Vasquez
This off-beat urban anthology offers four different views of the mayhem and destruction that came from the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The first vignette "Gold Mountain," directed by Galen Yuen, centers on a struggle between a traditional-minded Chinese storekeeper and his increasingly uncontrollable son, who is assimilating rapidly into American ghetto life. Their relationship explodes as their store is looted during the riot. Alex Munoz's "Caught in the Fever," featuring a screenplay by the late Joe Vasquez, follows the corruption of a basically good Latino couple who get caught up in the riot's hysteria and set aside their values participate in the chaos. In "Empty" an Anglo policeman finds himself in the center of the riot alone and surrounded by angry youths who force him to take desperate measures. The final vignette, "Homecoming Day" centers upon a black man who managed to escape South Central and forge a better life for himself and his wife. The day the verdict for the Rodney King trial was announced, he goes back to the old neighborhood to see his mother, not realizing that the place will soon become a maelstrom of hatred and violence. In making this anthology, the four filmmakers created continuity by having characters from each film occasionally appear in the background of the other films. They also all utilized the same cinematographer, editor and basic crew. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Perry, Cicely Tyson, (more)
This romantic musical drama centers on handsome mambo dancer Miguel as he endeavors to get a U.S. visa and leave the Dominican Republic. After numerous rejections, the desperate Miguel stows away on a cargo plane to Puerto Rico where he teams up with an Italian, Carmello, who has come to find a son he has never met. The two masquerade as tourists and are able to slip past Immigration officers into New York where they find lodging in a ramshackle Bronx boardinghouse filled other illegal aliens. Miguel spends his days cruising Broadway in hopes of landing a dancing gig. But for a part-time job as a janitor at a dance academy owned by ex-dancer Susan, he has no luck. Susan finds herself attracted to Miguel and his intricate dance moves. Meanwhile he and Carmello continue their search for the boy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this drama, two disparate brothers living in the violent South Bronx find themselves learning unwanted truths about each other and are forced to make a difficult life changing decision from which there can be no return. The film was originally called Street Story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Hangin' with the Homeboys follows four young men--two Black, two Puerto Rican--over the course of one night in the Bronx. During the night, they have several misadventures as they talk, argue, play and get into accidents. This coming-of-age film was directed by the late Joseph B. Vasquez and features an early performance by John Leguizamo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug E. Doug, Mario Joyner, (more)
- 1990
- R
The director of Hangin' With the Homeboys offers another slice of life on the mean streets. Tito Sunshine (Joseph B. Vasquez) has every intention of helping his Bronx neighbors. This he does with a hefty bankroll and a surfeit of good cheer. Only one problem: Tito supports himself by selling crack. The youth's skewered sense of morality leads to several tragic complications. The film comes to a violent head during a gang war fomented by a romantic triangle. The Bronx War is available in both R rated and unrated versions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
This independent film made on a shoestring budget chronicles the relationship between two good-hearted brothers struggling to better their lives in the tough South Bronx section of New York City. Junior (Angelo Lopez) is the elder of the two, a genial and muscle-bound lad who married his pregnant girlfriend and never finished school. Joey (Cookie), his idealistic younger brother, is set to follow in his brother's footsteps when his girlfriend is knifed to death by drug addicts. Joey goes after the culprits with a gun, giving the film a violent turn that is somewhat jarring given the realism of the earlier scenes. This was the debut film from Joseph B. Vasquez, who wrote, produced, directed, and even edited. In 1991 Vasquez made the highly regarded Hangin' With the Homeboys, which also portrayed life in the South Bronx although in a more humorous vein. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angelo Lopez, Cookie, (more)
