Visitors Review

Mike (2012-05-23 05:51)

Intensely moving

The performances in the film are terrific. From Mike Rappaport tonew-comerN'Bushe Wright, this little sleeper hit is sure to appeal to all genders,races, ages, etc. The message in the movie is the most important part ofall. I wish I could see some more of Ray Sharkey's work, he is mostimpressive.

sol- (2012-05-22 16:42)

My brief review of the film

A well-intentioned and rather interesting study into condemnation andthe culture of the youth in the 1990s, there is however little that isdone with the material. Too much time is spent on showing why therelationship is not approved, and the film spends too little timeshowing how and why the relationship has resulted. The film has someimportant things to say in terms of prejudices in society, but, itnever manages to present them in a way so that they do not seemhackneyed. Either way, some fine acting - from both the leads inparticular - solidifies the movie when the other elements do notsuffice.

Infofreak (2012-05-22 02:36)

Excellent teen drama. Extremely underrated movie.

'Zebrahead' is an excellent, little known movie that manages torealistically portray racial issues in a contemporary teen movie withoutbeing saccharine or too preachy. Michael Rapaport, best known for playingsupporting roles of losers in movies like 'True Romance', 'Cop Land' and'Kiss Of Death', is given a strong leading role here and does very well withit. Surprisingly it was his movie debut and he rarely been given a part asgood as this since. N'Bushe Wright, best known for 'Blade', is alsoexcellent as his love interest Nikki, and the late Ray Sharkey ('Who'll StopThe Rain?') is first rate as his womanizing father. The rest of thesupporting cast, mostly all young and unknown, are all very good, and thestrange cameo by Kevin Corrigan ('Bandwagon', 'Buffalo '66') is unexplainedbut fascinating. Writer/director Anthony Drazan went on to make the equallyoverlooked 'Imaginary Crimes' and 'Hurlyburly'. All three movies deserve alot more attention.

ladyrt23 (2012-05-21 13:49)

My perspective of Zebrahead

The plot touched a new level of interracial dating for that time. Theearly nineties opened up a door of acceptance. Yet, it was slowlyclosing a door of hate towards interracial friendships andrelationships. The plot has a seasoned flavor. You wanted to catchevery detail of the movie. You admired the friendship between Zack andDee. Dee loved Zack like a brother. However, Zack battled betweenfriendships. Although he acted so-called black around Dee, he stillremained to be in tune with his white friends. Zack was more confusedthan anything. The thought of dating a black girl was exciting. Yet, hewas interested in her beauty, her style, and mind. The two played itsafe for a while but no one really approved except for Dee. Trouble isalways around. Yet, it's sad when it lives across the street. Theinfamous "Nut" had a crush on Nikki. He did not like Zack at all. Hewas an abandoned child that was clearly uneducated. He was not a gangmember but he was full of hate due to his surroundings. What led to thetragic scene of Dee's killing was a stupid act of passion. Nikki wasvulnerable during her break-up with Zack. Nut was caring for the momentand the two kissed. She regretted the mistake, yet she left Nutconfused. So...to see Nikki and Zack rekindling there relationship madehim mad. A huge confrontation between Nut and Zack was interrupted byDee. Dee always came to Zack's rescue. He pushed Nut on the floor andNut acted out. He shot and killed Dee. Nut had intentions of shootingZack but Dee became the target. What a plot!!! Zack is hated becausetheir friendship got Dee killed. Nikki is hated because she crossed theracial barriers. Everybody is blaming the two. Overall, this movieremains to be the best interracial love story. It teaches about racism,love, young adults, violence, hate, friendship, and family.

filmbay (2012-05-20 09:27)

Mixed response, some strong points though overall 5/10

Film Critic AS a primer on race relations, what makes Zebrahead unique,and uniquely fascinating, is its point-of-view. The film begins with anassumption largely ignored in the works of Spike Lee or John Singleton- a belief that young white Americans are being heavily influenced byurban black culture, by the music and the language and the dress, bythe mania of Arsenio Hall and the magic of Michael Jordan. So thescript takes an admittedly extreme example of that influence - a whiteteen-ager reared in the predominantly black environs of Detroit - andexamines the implications. Can cultural conditioning yield toleranceand empathy as readily as it generates prejudice and hate? The questionitself is hopeful, and the movie delivers a complex answer withsubtlety and style. Making his feature debut, writer-director AnthonyDrazan has done his homework well - he too is the product of a"culturally mixed" background, and a man with an obvious zest forresearch. Shooting over 60 hours of video footage in New York City highschools, Drazan used that raw material as the basis for his fictionalscreenplay, changing the setting to the urban fringes of the Motor Cityand finding his alter ego in the youthful character of Zack (MichaelRapaport), a Jewish kid who, by sheer dint of exposure, is "more on thehome-boy side than the white-boy side." The result is a vibrant picturethat, from the rough dialogue to the hip-hop soundtrack, from theelectronic "hall-monitors" to the washroom crackheads, resonates withthe ring of truth. Certainly, for Zack, his "home-boy" side is not anassumed pose but a nurtured fact - he naturally loves the music thatflows around him; his best friend is black because so are many of hisclassmates; ditto for Nikki (N'Bushe Wright), the new girl in town, theone with the sassy manner and the sweet smile. When Zack and Nikki goout on a Saturday night, it feels natural, inevitable. Of course, thatsingle date becomes the pebble tossed in the pond, and the rest of thefilm traces the tragic ripples.The revealed patterns are intriguing. The fortysomethings, the teen-agers' parents and teachers, are wholly incapable of viewing therelationship through anything but a racial lens. Some are more laissezfaire than others - Zack's philandering dad (Ray Sharkey) seems to havetranscended bigotry by abandoning any emotion - but all are fearful,pessimistic. The same is largely true of the kids' peers, yet there area few telling exceptions - young adults who, as a way of life, not as amatter of principle, have genuinely broken through the colour barrier.It may be sentimental to argue, as the film does, that hope rests withthe young. But it's not sentimental to show exactly how and why.Despite some small flaws (a few too many plot complications and arecurring visual image that seems tacked on), that's Drazan's realtriumph here - within the turmoil and the tragedy he explores, thereemerges a glint of hope that doesn't smack of wishful thinking.And hope breeds hope. One wants to believe that, by extension, theglint can become a beacon, and that a racially mixed high-school candouble as an educational microcosm - a troubled hotspot that grows theseeds of a solution from within the very problems it creates. Yes, onedearly wants to believe, and Zebrahead gives us a reason. BenjaminMiller, Filmbay Editor.

Nicole Davis (2012-05-19 22:08)

A definite must see

I saw this movie when i was in highschool and it's been inbedded in myheadever since. It made me a huge fan of M. Rapaport. I was just thinking ofbuying the film on vhs but lo and behold it's coming to dvd June 18.Everyone should have it on their dvd or vhs shelf.