Flaco Navaja Movies

A small-town boy hustling his way through the big city forms an uneasy alliance with a scam artist who inducts him into the violent world of bare-knuckle brawling in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints writer/director Dito Montiel's unforgiving urban action film. Arriving in New York City with little more than the shirt on his back, Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) makes ends meet by selling counterfeit goods on the street. But times are tough and money is short, and just as things are starting to look grim, Shawn crosses paths with crafty con artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard). Harvey instantly recognizes Shawn's natural talent for street fighting, and offers to help the uneasy newcomer make some quick cash on the bare-knuckle circuit. But making a living by brawling isn't easy because the system is hopelessly corrupt, and the only people who really come out on top are the rich businessmen who place wagers on the disposable fighters. Still, Harvey's instincts were right, and Shawn quickly makes a name for himself by taking down every opponent who crosses his path, including mixed martial arts champs, veteran pugilists, and ultimate fighters. As each bout becomes more intense, Shawn realizes that his only hope for escaping this dark world is to face his fiercest opponent to date. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Three teenage girls struggle to survive in the urban jungle of their hardscrabble New Jersey neighborhood in this fact-inspired independent drama. Oz (Judy Marte) is an unapologetically tough 17-year-old who oversees a team of drug dealers, but beneath her hard shell is a soft heart as she cares for her younger brother who is mentally challenged (Dominic Colón). Suzette (Anny Mariano) is 15, and her mother is determined that her daughter is going to make something of herself -- which makes matters all the worse for Suzette when her boyfriend gets her pregnant then refuses to take his share of the responsibilities. And Marison (Paola Mendoza) is a young single mother who is trying to hold on to custody of her daughter while fighting a losing battle with drug addiction. On the Outs received its world premiere at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide