Ice-T Movies
Often cited as the founding father of gangsta rap, Ice-T has also crafted a successful film career from his hardened street persona. Despite the fact that his early roles stuck closely to his public image as a thuggish West Coast pimp, T has since proved both his versatility and his sense of humor by appearing as everything from a mutant kangaroo (Tank Girl [1995]) to, in a surprisingly effective about-face, a police officer (New Jack City [1991]). Born Tracy Marrow in Newark, NJ, in 1958 and later adapting his better-known persona as a tribute to pimp-turned-author Iceberg Slim, T moved to Califorina following the death of his parents in a car accident. Ice-T soon began to develop an obsession with rap music, and after serving a two-year stint in the Army, he began recording and appeared in the films Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (both 1984). Following a near death auto accident in 1986, T devoted his life to music and released his debut album, Rhyme Pays, the following year. T gained positive accolades for his first major film role in 1991's New Jack City, in which he played a dedicated police officer, and the irony was not lost on fans the following year when he caused a stir with a song entitled "Cop Killer." After sticking close to the streets in Ricochet (1991), Trespass (1992), and Surviving the Game (1994), T took a sci-fi detour with Tank Girl and Johnny Mnemonic (both 1995). Generally appearing in straight-to-video schlock from the mid-'90s on, Ice-T could be seen as a naval pilot in Stealth Fighter (1999) and stealing a magic flute from a vengeful green meanie in Leprechaun in the Hood (2000). Though his appearances in such films grew nearly too frequent to count, T occasionally appeared in such theatrical releases as 3000 Miles to Graceland and Abel Ferrara's 'R Xmas (both 2001). After offering curious insight into the life of a pimp in the documentary Pimps Up, Ho's Down, T continued to expound on the life of a hustler in Pimpin' 101 (2003). He also took on a recurring role on the Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and later joined the cast as a regular in the show's second season. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Cult favorite Abel Ferrara directed and co-wrote this story set in New York City in 1993, before Mayor Rudy Giuliani's much-publicized crusade against street crime put a dent in semi-public drug dealing in the city. It's a few days before Christmas, and a Latin American couple living on the city's Upper East Side (Lillo Brancato Jr. and Drea de Matteo) are watching their daughter (Lisa Valens) perform in her school's holiday pageant. Afterward, the couple drop the child off with a babysitter and set out to run some errands. They have two items on their agenda: get their daughter the doll she's been asking for (a nearly impossible task, since the toy has become the must-have item of the season), then head to their work space uptown, where they prepare and package heroin for street distribution. While the wife has her qualms about the ethics of drug dealing, both she and her husband know there's plenty of money to be made in heroin -- more than most Hispanic immigrants could make working legitimate jobs in New York -- and the business has been highly lucrative for them. The couple discovers one of their lower-level dealers may be talking to the police, but they soon have a bigger problem to deal with when the husband is lured to the Bronx by a fence who can get him the toy he's been looking for. The husband finds he's been lured into a trap, and a kidnapper (Ice-T) gives the wife less than a half hour to collect and pay a huge ransom, or her husband will be killed. As in Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant, the audience never learns the names of most of the major characters in 'R Xmas; also like Bad Lieutenant (as well as King of New York and The New Rose Hotel), Ferrara invited pioneering gangster rapper Schooly-D to contribute to the film's score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drea de Matteo, Lillo Brancato Jr., (more)
After squaring off in 1995 with competing movie biographies of frontier lawman Wyatt Earp, actors Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner co-star in this action crime caper as former cronies engaged in a series of double-crosses over some stolen loot. Michael Zane (Russell) and Thomas Murphy (Costner) are the leaders of a gang of ex-convict thieves using an Elvis Presley impersonator convention to pull off a daring heist in a Las Vegas casino. The gang also includes Gus (David Arquette), Hanson (Bokeem Woodbine), and Franklin (Christian Slater). Although they manage to retrieve the money, the crooks turn on each other in bloody fashion and Murphy (who believes he's actually the illegitimate son of Elvis) makes off with the illegal funds. In hot pursuit are the police and Michael, who's encumbered by his girlfriend Cybil (Courtney Cox-Arquette) and her young son Jesse James. Written and directed by music video creator Demian Lichtenstein, 3000 Miles to Graceland also stars Kevin Pollak, Ice-T, and Howie Long. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, (more)
Fire captain Jack Thomas (John Bradley) has his hands full when greedy developer Wendell Mays (Tom Arnold) arranges for his industrial refinery near the city to catch fire and explode for the insurance money. Not only are Thomas' firemen overtaxed and his veteran hero (Michael Dudikoff) in grave danger, but the nearby hospital is inadequate to handle the disaster, leaving the head doctor (Amanda Pays) to cope with internal politics as well as internal medicine. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- R
In this suspense thriller, President Fallbrook (John Beck) is doing poorly in the polls a week before he's up for re-election. To boost his popularity, one of his advisors comes up with a plan -- stage a kidnapping, and when the chief executive is released under seemingly heroic circumstances, he'll be a shoo-in for another term. However, after Fallbrook and several of his wealthy and powerful friends are grabbed from under the eyes of Secret Service agents, the crooks hired to fake the kidnapping decide to make it into the real thing. One of the Secret Service agents (Eric Roberts) now has his work cut out for him as he tries to rescue Fallbrook from the supposed hoax. Also released under the title Agent of Death, The Alternate also stars Michael Madsen, Ice-T, and Bryan Genesse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Bryan Genesse, (more)
- 2000
Marine fighter pilot Sykes (Cyril O'Reilly) and his three fellow pilots are on trial in a military court, accused of massacring innocent civilians in a fiery raid against South American drug smugglers. Sykes makes a plea bargain that keeps his men from prison, but in court, the politically motivated General Prescott (Alex Cord) reneges on the deal and sends them all to prison -- Sykes for life. The pilots escape the clutches of the feds, only to wind up as passengers on a commercial 747 flight that includes Prescott. Sykes and his men commandeer the plane, asking for $100 million in ransom. But they weren't counting on feisty flight attendant Kelly (Kim Oja) putting up quite the fight she does with a coffee pot, or the delivery by Stealth aircraft of Matt Marshall (Ice-T) and his elite counter-terrorist unit. Viewers should fasten their safety belts and place all weapons in the safety mode for landing.
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ice-T, Cyril O'Reilly, (more)
- 2007
This edition of the hip-hop video magazine All Access DVD Magazine, Vol. 16 features appearances by such personalities as Ice T, 50 Cent, Sha Money XL, and Jay-Z. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Rap artist-cum-actor Ice-T was both the producer and host of the weekly, 60-minute cable "reality" series Beyond Tough. In keeping with the "everyday hero" motif popularized during the dark days surrounding 9-11, the series focused on people who worked in dangerous and death-defying "everyday" jobs. Professions thus profiled included sulfur-pit workers, steeplejacks, and demolition experts. Even the streetwise Ice-T was in awe of these hardy souls, though he suggested that some of the on-the-edge professionals were "just crazy." Beyond Tough first aired on September 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ice-T
Ed Raymond's science fiction disaster film Black Horizon concerns a group of astronauts who become stranded in space when a meteor strikes the space station onto which they have docked. They must escape before the limited amount of oxygen they have left disappears. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Dudikoff, Ice-T, (more)
Daniel Simpson (Justin Theroux) is headed to the home of his wealthy family to celebrate Thanksgiving, with his girlfriend Suzanne (Alyssa Milano) at his side, but Daniel is not looking forward to the holiday. He's long felt like an outcast in his family, and his staunchly conservative parents don't much care for him or his ideals. Thanksgiving dinner turns into an ugly argument, as Daniel's father insists that his son should take over the family business, a prospect that holds no interest for Daniel. Wanting to take a break from the ugliness, Daniel and Suzanne head down to the basement to cool off and collect their thoughts. However, while Daniel and Suzanne are trying to relax, a gang of thieves, led by Jim (Ice-T) and Tiny (Tiny Lister Jr.), break into the house and murder the family. Daniel and Suzanne realize that they're the only survivors, but do they hide in the cellar as the gang robs the house of its valuables, or try to escape before they're found and executed? Below Utopia was released on home video under the title Body Count, doubtless thanks to the presence of Ice-T in the cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Theroux, Alyssa Milano, (more)
- 2003
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Body Count: The Smoke Out Festival Presents features a 2003 performance by the band, fronted by rapper Ice-T, that mixes heavy-metal and rap. The ten song setlist includes their controversial song "Cop Killer," "KKK Bitch," "Bowels of the Devil," "Masters of Revenge," and "There Goes the Neighborhood." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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Hardcore rapper Ice-T took his music to a new level in 1991 when he formed an African-American thrash metal band called Body Count, and caused a firestorm of controversy with their debut album, featuring the song "Cop Killer." The band faded out after the tragic deaths of drummer Beatmaster V, bassist Mooseman, and guitarist D Roc, but in 2004, Ice-T assembled a new version of Body Count and took the band on the road for the 2004 Vans Warped Tour. Ice-T and Body Count: Murder 4 Hire captures the band's furious stage show during their comeback tour, and includes the songs "There Goes The Neighborhood," "Body Count," "Surviving the Game," "KKK Bitch," "Cop Killer," "Momma's Gotta Die Tonight" and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Body Count
The first major breakdancing film, Breakin' stars Lucinda Dickey as a dancing student who dislikes the hidebound regimen of her demanding teacher. She breaks free from terpischorean tradition when she befriends a bunch of street kids devoted to breakdancing. Within a year of its release, Breakin' spawned a sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucinda Dickey, Adolpho "Shabba Doo" Quinones, (more)
Breakdancing, hip-hop, rap, and a good time are the main stars of this standard teen movie about youths trying to raise money to save their community club from being razed for a shopping mall. Ozone (Adolfo Quiñones) and Turbo (Michael Chambers) are two master breakdancers who have started a community club to teach other teens how to manage the acrobatics of the dance without literally breaking anything. Their efforts create some choreographed, group breakdancing that is rather innovative. But an evil developer (Peter MacLean) sees their property as ideal for a shopping mall project -- and a crooked politician is willing to back him up for a fee. As the teens do their best to raise money to keep their center, some are also battling with restrictive parents or trying to ease into romantic liaisons that offer their own challenges. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucinda Dickey, Adolpho "Shabba Doo" Quinones, (more)
- 2002
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Some rappers simply talk about the lifestyle, and other rappers live it. From his trying childhood in a crime-ridden New Orleans housing project to the nightclubs where he first began to develop his unique style on the microphone, rapper C-Murder returns to his roots to discover the influences and people to helped to drive his creativity. Hosted by legendary rapper Ice-T. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
C-Walk: It's a Way of Living documents the dance craze known as C-Walk. Because the origins of the dance lie in gang initiation rituals, the move is shrouded in controversy. This film features prominent rap figures such as Snoop Dog, Warren G, Malik Yoba, and Ice-T as well as interviews with the Crip gang members who created the walk. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Comedian Chris Rock stars in this scattershot satire of rap music in the vein of This Is Spinal Tap. This film within a film begins with A. White (Chris Elliot) screening a rough cut of a documentary he has made of the notorious CB4 rap group -- consisting of group leader Albert, also know as MC Gusto (Chris Rock); Otis, also known as Stab Master Arson (Deezer D); and Euripides, also know as Dead Mike (Allen Payne). White charts the course of CB4's success, their superstar status a result of the fact that they are the only gangsta rap group who are, in fact, actual gangsters, coming direct from rap sheets to rap music. They are considered so bad that they even give rapper Ice-T pause: "I thought I was hardcore. But these guys are serious! What am I supposed to do now?" Unfortunately, at the height of their fame, their gangster pose is revealed to be a sham. Albert, Otis, and Euripides turn out to be a bunch of middle-class blacks striking a gangsta facade to look cool. But now they are in trouble. The real Gusto (Charlie Murphy), a neighborhood thug who went to prison on a drug bust, has broken out of jail and is coming for CB4. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Rock, Allen Payne, (more)
Clap features hip-hop artists talking about the tricks they learned that help them survive their difficult childhoods, often spent involved in street life. Among the artists featured are Maino, Ice T, Camron, and Young Buc. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Colors stars Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as partners on the LAPD's gang crime division. Duvall had hoped to spend more time with his family, but he's pulled back into active service because of a step-up in gang activity. He makes no secret of his contempt for his novice partner Penn, but eventually comes to rely on the younger man as a valuable street contact. The central crisis is the battle for supremacy between the "Crips" and the "Bloods", with every effort to call a truce stymied by the gang members themselves and by undue police intervention. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 2007
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Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav presents an uncensored version of the special that aired originally on the cable channel. Comics such as Jeff Ross, Carrot Top, and Lisa Lampanelli offer a number of off-color jokes about the Public Enemy hypeman. This release contains material edited for time for time from the original broadcast. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katt Williams, Flavor Flav, (more)
Top selling rappers Ice-T and Silkk the Shocker star in this story about the grim realities of urban life. After years of skirmishing, two street gangs tentatively agree to the bury the hatchet and observe a truce, and gangbanger MJ (Silkk) decides that he wants out of the ghetto and the gang lifestyle forever. But MJ discovers that isn't as easy as he might have hoped, and when rival crime kingpin Corrupt (Ice-T) makes it clear that MJ isn't leaving without his say-so, the community's fragile peace looks to be short-lived. Ice-T also served as producer for this project; the supporting cast includes Ernie Hudson, Jr., Tarsha Nicole Jones, and T.J. Storm. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Hip hop stars Ice T, Snoop Dogg, and Ja Rule appear in this gritty drama about two young men working on the lowest rungs of a criminal syndicate. Billy and Jackie imagine that crime ought to be paying better than it has been, and they're eager to move on to bigger and better things. When the two are approached by the leader of another crime syndicate to perform a high-level assassination, they agree, but they soon bring chaos to their neighborhood and a world of danger upon themselves. Crime Partners was the debut feature from director J. Jesses Smith; the film was based on a novel by Al C. Clark, a pen name for the controversial African-American author Donald Goines. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrin Turner, John "B.J." Bryant, (more)
- 1998
Essentially a feature-length episode of NBC's long-running series Law & Order, this crime and courtroom drama marks the return of Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) to Manhattan's 27th precinct. For the past three years, Logan has been stuck on Staten Island, the result of an incident in which he lost his temper. Regretting his outburst, Logan yearns to return to his home station. A murdered hooker's body found floating in the harbor may provide the key to his return. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Noth, Dabney Coleman, (more)
The Queen Mother of all dirty words (as it was once described by Jean Shepherd) is examined through all its linguistic, sociological, legal, and ethical implications in this documentary. Filmmaker Steven Anderson interviews dozens of people about the history and function of "the F word," including language historians who have a hard time nailing down its origin, writers (including Hunter S. Thompson and Ben Bradlee) who talk about its role in literature and press freedom, comedians (among them Drew Carey, Janeane Garofalo, and Billy Connolly) who ponder its frequent presence in hipster humor, pop musicians (such as Ice-T, Pat Boone, and Alanis Morissette) who offer their theories about its role in contemporary culture, and social critics (including Michael Medved and Dennis Prager) who believe its currency is taking America into a dangerous place. F*ck also includes footage of famous figures caught using the word unexpectedly and animated sequences by Bill Plympton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Modern-day pirates and a disaster at sea set the stage for this action drama. The sister ship of the Titanic has been refurbished and restored to service for a final cruise, and a number of wealthy celebrities and socialites are on board for the occasion, including film star Gloria (Erika Eleniak) and her bodyguard Aaron (Dylan Walsh). However, Josef (Ice-T), a daring and ruthless thief, sees a golden opportunity and invades the ship with a crew of henchman, intending to steal the many valuables on board. An explosion tears into the ship while Josef and his men are looting the cabins, and it falls to Aaron to capture Josef and his men before the ship meets its fate at the bottom of the ocean. Final Voyage also stars Claudia Christian and Jonathan Fuller. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
