Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. Their favorite pastime is that of everybody in their neighborhood: stealing cars and joyriding. The trouble starts when they steal a police car and the cops launch a violent offensive that involves beating and even shooting suspects.
Mayor Sharpe James refused to allow filming of New Jersey Drive within the city limits; therefore, the filming locations were in the surrounding locations of Newark rather than the city itself. I am surprised they would turn down the shooting... but, hey, I guess if you're known for being a car theft city, you don't want to support that claim.
Some have called this the best "hood" movie. I don't know. I liked it, and thought it seemed fairly accurate to how I imagine life in the streets to be. But it lacked a solid plot or story arc, and I think it suffers from that. I do like how it has no real hero -- both the thieves and the police come off as less than perfect.
Mayor Sharpe James refused to allow filming of New Jersey Drive within the city limits; therefore, the filming locations were in the surrounding locations of Newark rather than the city itself. I am surprised they would turn down the shooting... but, hey, I guess if you're known for being a car theft city, you don't want to support that claim.
Some have called this the best "hood" movie. I don't know. I liked it, and thought it seemed fairly accurate to how I imagine life in the streets to be. But it lacked a solid plot or story arc, and I think it suffers from that. I do like how it has no real hero -- both the thieves and the police come off as less than perfect.