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Never Die Alone (2004)
Runtime: 89 mins
Synopsis: Based on cult novelist Donald Goines’ novel of the same name, NEVER DIE ALONE is a richly literate film noir about King David (DMX), a hard-boiled, stylish criminal who returns to his hometown seeking redemption but finding only violent death. But he did not die alone...King David’s final... Based on cult novelist Donald Goines’ novel of the same name, NEVER DIE ALONE is a richly literate film noir about King David (DMX), a hard-boiled, stylish criminal who returns to his hometown seeking redemption but finding only violent death. But he did not die alone...King David’s final moments are spent with Paul (David Arquette) an aspiring journalist who knew him just a few minutes but upon whose life he would forever have an impact. King David – half preacher, half Satan, and all street smarts – had recorded the story of his recent exploits on audiotape, leaving behind an often-poetic sermon on villainy and its consequences. The tapes reveal that the cycle of violence and retribution his actions have spawned has come back on him full circle, as he suspected it might all along... One of the most prolific and widely read black authors of his generation, Donald Goines wrote his first two books while incarcerated, and followed those with an astonishing 16 novels written from the time he was released from prison in 1970 until he was shot to death in 1974. The film is directed by Ernest Dickerson whose directorial debut was the 1992 drama JUICE, starring Omar Epps and the late Tupac Shakur. Previously Dickerson served as Director of Photography on seven of Spike Lee’s early films up to and including MALCOLM X. He has directed a number of feature and made-for-TV films from the recent horror movie BONES starring Snoop Dogg to the Peabody Award-winning Showtime movie "Strange Justice," based on the controversy surrounding Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas. Dickerson most recently directed the drama GOOD FENCES, starring Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg, which had its world premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. DMX is a top rap artist who has also found great success in the film business. He starred opposite Jet Li in CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE and also appeared in BELLY, ROMEO MUST DIE and EXIT WOUNDS, for which he received a Blockbuster Breakthrough Actor nomination. His first four albums debuted at number one and sold well over 22 million records in just four years. David Arquette starred in the box office smash hits SCREAM 1, 2 and 3, which won him the Blockbuster Favorite Actor Award in 1998. For his leading role in NEVER BEEN KISSED, he was awarded the 2000 Blockbuster Award for Favorite Supporting Actor. He recently drew acclaim for his portrayal of an inmate at Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Tim Blake Nelson’s drama THE GREY ZONE. -- © Fox Searchlight [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: DMX, David Arquette, Michael Ealy, Reagan Preston-Gomez, Clifton Powell
Screenwriter: James Gibson
Producer: Earl Simmons, Alessandro Camon
Composer: George Duke
DVD Info
Release:
Apr 3, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Dual Side
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Surround - Spanish
Side One:
- Widescreen - 2.35
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentaries - 1. Ernest Dickerson - Director
- 2. Actor
- Deleted Scenes w/ Option Commentary (11)
Side Two:
- Pan & Scan - 1.33
Additional Release Material:
- Featurettes - 1. "Making of NEVER DIE ALONE"
Reviews
This is not a workable drama, just a series of ideas that rap stars who worship Scarface think would be cool to see.
It's too bad the filmmakers couldn't find a way to present [Goines's] vision without resorting to some pretty threadbare clichés.
His death was moving; his life was not. It's a requiem for a scumbag--one who left a whole lotta decent people destroyed in his wake.
[A] gritty film noir [about] a sleazy drug pusher looking for redemption, but who – in classic noir fashion – learns that there is no escaping paying for one’s past sins.
Hampered by its convoluted plot and a marked melodramatic streak that counteracts the film's cool factor.
There's neither action nor thrill in this so-called action thriller, and there's really no reason to sit through it.
Never Die Alone is one of those dreadful movies that wants us to think it is deep and philosophical, but it's junk masquerading as art.
If movies like Bad Lieutenant and Spun are your idea of a good time, then DMX has the film for you.
This is a violence-ridden movie with one of the most despicable characters you ever will see.
This 'gangsta noir' is a worthy heir to both 'blaxploitation' and to the Warner Bros. gangster classics that linked economic hardship and the allure of crime...
A pimped-up facsimile of David Goines' novel. I can't think of a more apt description of this misogynist and deeply flawed film noir.
...the story is certainly a throwback to the films of the '70s.
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by: lucasthucus 4/16/04

