Slam

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2:19

Slam

R,

1998,

1h 43m,

Drama

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60%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Raymond is a young Black performance poet who's arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge. In jail, he meets a prison gang leader and a writing teacher who inspires him to use the power of creative expression to fight for freedom and avoid becoming a victim of the criminal justice system.

Gavin Smith

Film Comment Magazine

Apr 11, 2018

Suffused with an emphatic but completely vague sociopolitical anger, Slam can't get beyond reiterating familiar sentiments about genocidal cycles of violence and black male prison statistics.

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

Dec 1, 2006

B

Part gritty prison drama, part inner-city chronicle, the energetic Slam defies easy categorization, serving as a compelling plea for black males of how to survive in oppressive society. The film won the 1998 Sundance Jury Award for Best Drama.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

2.5/4

Slam is a fable disguised as a slice of life, and cobbled together out of too many pieces that don't fit smoothly together. It's moving, but not as effective as it could have been.

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Oct 9, 2005

2/5

Susan Tavernetti

Palo Alto Weekly

May 20, 2003

4/4

James Hill

BET.com

Dec 13, 2002

3/5

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Marc Levin

Director

Saul Williams

Ray Joshua

Sonja Sohn

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Slam: Trailer 1

2:19

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Synopsis

Raymond is a young Black performance poet who's arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge. In jail, he meets a prison gang leader and a writing teacher who inspires him to use the power of creative expression to fight for freedom and avoid becoming a victim of the criminal justice system.

Director: Marc Levin
Producer: Marc Levin, Richard Stratton
Screenwriter: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Saul Williams, Richard Stratton
Distributor: Trimark Pictures
Production Co: Off Line Entertainment Group
Rating: R (Sex Scene|Pervasive Language|Brief Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 5, 1998, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $982.2K
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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