Gangster Movies: (ca. 1990) Drug lord Frank White (Christopher Walken) is released from Sing-Sing prison after serving a number of years for drug trafficking. He is reunited with his former gang, led by the murderous Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne), as well as his personal female bodyguards Raye and Melanie, and his lover/legal annalist Jennifer. After seeing his old neighborhood more dilapidated and depressing than ever, Frank decides to do good by eliminating his competitors whom filled the void left by his incarceration, then steal their money and drugs to finance a new South Bronx hospital for the needy. But Frank’s past won’t let go of him when a group of overzealous cops, led by corrupt detective Roy Bishop, frustrated at the lack of clues to nail Frank on for the current street killings, decide to take matters into their own hands. David Caruso and Wesley Snipes also star.

James Russo turned down the part Jimmy Jump. Laurence Fishburne, who had already been cast as Thomas Flanagan, persistently begged director Abel Ferrara for an audition for the part. He got the part just by coming in looking exactly as he does in the film and did not have to audition.

David Caruso convinced director Abel Ferrara and producer Mary Kane to cast Wesley Snipes, as they were working together on a TV series that never materialized during the filming of this film.

Abel Ferrara was against filming in Sing Sing Prison for the opening sequences of the film.

The film’s opening sequence, featuring Frank White emerging from prison, was shot partially at Sing Sing Prison, the first time the infamous prison had ever been used as a filming location.

According to director Abel Ferrara, he was paid $5000 to perform the voice-over commentary on the Special Edition DVD released in 2004.

Most of the “night shots” in the film were shot at either dusk or dawn for the best lighting.

Christopher Walken’s shower scene early in the film was shot in a set constructed by the set designer on a NYC rooftop.

Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel’s frequent lawyer Jay Julien produced and appears in the film in a cameo.

Director Abel Ferrara and screenwriter Nicholas St. John worked on the screenplay for 5 years. There was very little improvisation on the set.

The first day shot was the sequence ending with Arty Clay (Frank Gio) urinating on Joey Dalesio’s (Paul Calderon) shoes.

Director Abel Ferrara wrote Christopher Walken’s famous line: “A nickel bag gets sold in the Park: I want IN.”

Italian political magnate Silvio Berlusconi, the richest man in Italy, financed the film through NY-based producer Jay Julien and Italian intermediaries.

The production avoided shooting on the streets during the production as much as possible due to the NYC drought. Director Abel Ferrara used sprayers and hoses in order to better portray the city.

Abel Ferrara claims Wesley Snipes was living in his car during production of this film.

Abel Ferrara’s young adopted daughter plays Wesley Snipes’ daughter in the wedding sequence.

The film was shot in 40 days without the crew having to spend more than a day on each location.

The Queensboro Bridge which is the setting for the final car chase in the film, was actually shut down for two nights for filming.

The shootout between the Chinese gang and Christopher Walken’s crew was filmed in the same alley featured in China Girl (1987), also directed by Ferrara, in Downtown Manhattan.

The interior scenes in which Wesley Snipes and ‘David Caruso’ are seen driving around during the final car chase were actually shot in a warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn with rubber hoses placed on top of the roof of the car to make it look as if it was raining for continuity.

During the film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival, many members of the audience including Ferrara’s wife walked out of the theater. At the question-and-answer session that Ferrara held after the screening, the first question asked was, “This film is an abomination. Why aren’t you giving the proceeds to some drug rehab program?” At a second showing of the film the next day, Laurence Fishburne and ‘Nicholas St. John (I)’ were booed off the stage.

The first cut of the film originally ran for almost two hours and had to be edited down to 106 minutes to avoid an X rating.

The word “fuck” is used 90 times in the film

New York rapper ‘The Notorious B.I.G’ used the moniker “Frank White” in many of his songs.

The work of real-life friends David Caruso and Wesley Snipes in this film helped them get casted in, respectively, “NYPD Blue” (1993) and New Jack City (1991) each of which launched both actors into stardom.

Lucille M. Oliver, who plays Frank’s hostage on the subway, had never acted before. Walken prepared her for the scene by telling her “I’m going to do something awful to you, but I will not hurt you.”