United States / Jan 20, 1998 / Sundance Film Festival
Words make sense of a world that won't.
1h 44min
Overall average
5.0/10
Trailer
Videos
Plot
Raymond Joshua, a young black performance poet, is arrested and imprisoned for a petty marijuana charge in a Washington, D.C. jail. Although the confining prison walls do little to shield him from danger, it is within those walls that Raymond establishes his identity, strength, and voice and meets a prison gang leader and a prison writing teacher, Lauren Bell. Bell inspires Raymond to use the power of creative expression to free himself from the struggles and demise of the Black male as another victim of the judicial system.
Main cast
Full cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ron Jones | Do Wop Cop |
| Reamer Shedrick | Do Wop Cop |
| Allan E. Lucas | Chief C.O. |
| Dominic Chianese Jr. | Officer Dom |
| Jerome Goldman | Jail Class Poet 'Why' |
| DJ Renegade | Party Poet 'Diminuendo in Blue' |
| Liza Jessie Peterson | Slam Poet 'Ice Cream' |
| Taylor Mali | Slam Poet 'Like' |
| Bob Holman | Slam MC |
| Rhozier T. Brown | Public Defender |
| Richard Stratton | Prosecutor |
| Marion Barry | Judge |
| Weusi Baraka | Weed Buyer |
| Eddie Black | Dodge City Crew |
| Harry Campbell | Dodge City Crew |
| Robert Philson | Dodge City Crew |
| Daniel M. Favors | Jail C.O. |
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| Johnny Foye | Jail C.O. |
| Jesse Hicks | Command Center C.O. |
| Carolyn Morris | Hallway C.O. |
| Leonard A. Thompson Jr. | Bullpen Inmate |
| Todd Baker | Bullpen Inmate |
| Joseph A. Wilson | Poetry Class |
| Talib Watson | Thug Life Crew |
| Kevin Kennedy | Van Inmate |
| Donnell Robinson | Van Inmate |
Genres
Drama
Technical details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Original title | Slam |
| Original language | English (EN) |
| Spoken languages | English |
| Production countries | United States of America |
| Status | Released |
| Production companies | Off Line Entertainment Group |
| Release date | 7 ottobre 1998 |
| Executive producer | David Peipers |
| Production | Henri M. Kessler, Marc Levin, Daphne Pinkerson, Richard Stratton |
| Writer | Marc Levin, Saul Williams, Richard Stratton, Bonz Malone, Sonja Sohn |
| Editing | Emir Lewis |
| Cinematography | Mark Benjamin |
| Assistant directors | Marc Levin |
| Camera operators | Mark Benjamin |
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| Additional photography | Mark Benjamin |
| Music | DJ Spooky |
| Sound | DJ Spooky |
| Costume design | Jeremy Saulnier |
| Makeup | Jeremy Saulnier |
| Hairstyling | Jeremy Saulnier |
Release dates
Premiere
Australia / Aug 03, 2023 / Melbourne International Film Festival (restoration)
Theatrical release
United States / Oct 07, 1998 / R
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