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Back in the Day
Directed byJames Hunter
Written byJames Hunter
Michael Raffanello
Produced byKip Konwiser, Stephen Baldwin, Donald A. Barton, Van Burrows
StarringJa Rule
Ving Rhames
CinematographyDonald M. Morgan
Edited byChris Holmes
Music byRobert Folk
Distributed byFirst Look Home Entertainment
Release date
  • May 13, 2005 (2005-05-13)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Back in the Day is a 2005 crime drama[1] starring Ja Rule and Ving Rhames and directed by James Hunter.[2][3][4] The film premiered on BET on May 13, 2005.

Plot

Reggie Cooper is a young man who lives with his father in order to avoid the violent gang activity that almost claimed his life when he was a teenager. However, when his recently paroled mentor, J-Bone reconnects with Reggie, and when his father is murdered, Reggie slips back into a life of crime. Reggie murders a local preacher, whose daughter later develops a relationship with him.

Cast

Production and reception

In early 2003 Ja Rule announced that he was to act in a film alongside Ving Rhames.[5] Filming was slated to take place in Puerto Rico during September of the same year.[6] The film was written by James Hunter and Michael Raffanello, directed by Hunter, and scored by composer Robert Folk.[7] The film was primarily produced by DEJ Productions, at the time its most expensive to date, with budget estimates of $5 to $10 million to over $10 million.[8][9] Filming ended in 2004,[10][11] and by April DEJ was preparing a potential theatrical release.[9] Back in the Day premiered on BET on May 13, 2005, and was released to DVD on May 24.[12]

Reviewer Ed Huls called it conceptually similar to several other urban crime dramas, but noted the cast and production values made it a high-end release in the genre, and compared it to classic gangster films: "one could easily picture Cagney or Bogart in the Rhames role."[13]

David Kronke of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote: "No original gangstas in this movie, but plenty of unoriginal ones... How did such a ridiculous script lure so many talented actors?"[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Gates, Anita (May 13, 2005). "What's on Tonight". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Ja Rule Joins Rhames' Film Gang". Billboard. August 28, 2003. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014.
  3. ^ Film Review. W.H. Allen. 2006. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-905287-28-4.
  4. ^ "Hard Work Pays Off: Meet Successful Entrepreneur James Hunter (press release)". AP News. Accesswire. September 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Ja Rule to star in films alongside feisty actresses". The Springfield News-Leader. February 1, 2003.
  6. ^ "Short Cuts". The News Journal. August 31, 2003.
  7. ^ Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2015). Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4422-4702-4.
  8. ^ Netherby, Jennifer (March 26, 2004). "Blockbuster eyeing big score on 'Monster' DVD". Daily Variety. Vol. 282, no. 65.
  9. ^ a b Kipnis, Jill (April 17, 2004). "'Monster' deal". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 16. p. 54.
  10. ^ Reid, Shaheem (January 5, 2005). "Ja Rule Learns From Fish, Gets To Do His First Sex Scene In Latest Film Projects". MTV News.
  11. ^ Reid, Shaheem (April 1, 2004). "Ja Rule Getting Pointers From Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne". MTV News.
  12. ^ "Stars Ving Rhames and Ja Rule Put New Spin on Classic Tale With Explosive Urban Drama 'Back In The Day' (Press release)". Top40-Charts.com. PR Newswire. May 7, 2005.
  13. ^ Huls, Ed (April 18, 2005). "Back in the Day". Video Business. Vol. 25, no. 16. Reed Business Information. p. 16. ISSN 0279-571X – via Gale General OneFile.
  14. ^ Kronke, David (May 14, 2005). "BET Fills The 'Hood With Unoriginal Gangstas". Sun-Sentinel.

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