Poetic Justice turns 20

[jarrylf]

What would you say is your favorite things about this movie?

Frankly I absolutely love her performance, to date it's the film that makes me most forget that she's "Janet Jackson", Like I think it shows her range more than any other movie she's ever done, and I'd like that to change soon, because I KNOW she got more up her sleeve that we don't even know, but for what we've seen now as far as her films I find this shows her range very nicely.

I think all of the acting is the best part of the movie, where the story structure kinda drops or messes up, I think the characters really remain strong.

I love Janet's look in this movie more than the rest, including the way she talks

I love the soundtrack bests

I love hot sauce on popcorn because of this movie (only do it rarely, actually havent in years...will today tho)

I feel like it's by far Tupacs best emotional performance (I definitely give juice his best dramatic thrilling performance)

And Regina...who don't love Regina in this movie.

Joe Torry did good too, but I was least impressed with him of the 4.

MOST of all I think this movie and Janet in it is responsible for how outgoing and open she was in every interview between 93-95, thus a major factor in why I deem it her best era along with the movie & music & performances.

Thats why I'm greatful for Poetic Justice, why are you?

[RedSimba]

Happy 20th anniversary! PJ was a major move forward in her acting career. I didn't see her character as "Janet," I saw it as "Justice." Yeah it definitely brought out a more outgoing yet maturer side of her.

"You kick my cat, I'll kick your @$%" is my line lol

[jarrylf]

Happy 20th anniversary! PJ was a major move forward in her acting career. I didn't see her character as "Janet," I saw it as "Justice." Yeah it definitely brought out a more outgoing yet maturer side of her.

"You kick my cat, I'll kick your @$%" is my line lol

OMG YES ALLLL THE MEMORABLE LINES!!!!

my faves are

" Oh thats deep...thats real deep, cause I'm fine, so I see where you comin from"

"This aint boring this a good movie"

"...........you just tellin everybody's business"

".....I know you aint gettin smart"

".....So he's out huh?"

"You can always tell when a womans not giving up any coochie"

".......I LIKE wearing black OK"

"Oh so suddenly I have a problem?" ("Yes you do") "What's ma problem?"

*When Regina goes to use the phone AND THE WAY JESSIE LOOKS AT HER* "Oh So I can't use yo phone?" "....You know betta...need some change?"

*The whole Janet & pac & Jessie flirt scene *

"At least we got our own countrey", "THEN WHY THE FUCK YALL KEEP SNEAKIN OUT?"

"UM SHUT THE FUCK UP AND PUT THE CIGGERETE OUT!.......Boy don't be cussin round me like I'm 1 of ya friends!"

"TIME AINT FAEVEA!"

"YOU BLEED ONCE A MONTH JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE HOE'S"!!!!

"THEY STILL GON FUCK YOU UP"

"But he's yo man"

"2 MINUTE BROTHA, UH-UH UH-UH"

"Whatchu think about Lucky?" "......I don't"

LOL Theres alot more, lol I'll add later lol, but I can't forget....probably the 1st "mind gif" i've ever really had lol

[janetDAYZ]

I wouldn't go that far by saying this showed her range more than any other films she was in. Even Janet wasn't pleased with her performance and wish she could have shot the whole thing over again. It was hit & miss.. some of her lines werent believeable and/or delivered that great tbh. But I still love the movie

[jarrylf]

Yea but thats her's & your opinion, I got mine.

[bu.]

I love it. One of my favourite movies. This film had everything. Drama, intensity, action, comedy, romance. 20 years later and I still enjoy it.

Remember when Effrem posted on the old board that he was only JUST seeing it? SMH.

[jarrylf]

I love it. One of my favourite movies. This film had everything. Drama, intensity, action, comedy, romance. 20 years later and I still enjoy it.

Remember when Effrem posted on the old board that he was only JUST seeing it? SMH.

Thats what Im sayin LOL, I agree completely

[Laveaux]

the fact that we got to hear Janets divine and angelic voice narrate using Maya Angelou's poems was enough to put me in a euphoric coma. I found I was one of the few people who actually enjoyed the poetry.

With that said, this is by far my favorite moment in the movie...its poetry in motion. She should have received some kind of award just for this scene alone.

[bu.]

I better no see your ass in LA, OK

[Reyna ♔]

I wouldn't go that far by saying this showed her range more than any other films she was in. Even Janet wasn't pleased with her performance and wish she could have shot the whole thing over again. It was hit & miss.. some of her lines weren't believable and/or delivered that great tbh. But I still love the movie

I actually have to agree with this.

[Escapade]

I still watch this movie on the regular. Def one of my favs. It made me fall in love with Tupac

[jarrylf]

the fact that we got to hear Janets divine and angelic voice narrate using Maya Angelou's poems was enough to put me in a euphoric coma. I found I was one of the few people who actually enjoyed the poetry.

With that said, this is by far my favorite moment in the movie...its poetry in motion. She should have received some kind of award just for this scene alone.

I been waiting for someone to stan for that poetry, I've heard MANY people do Phonomenal women, but NOBODY's voice captures it in such a sexy yet still powerful way as Janet...Maya's close LOFL JP!!!

Yea that Mirror moment is just perfection, beautifully acted and directed, and Stevie's voice and the song in the background just is EVERYTHING, hell that scene alone I think put s this above all of her other movies (IMO, Granted ofcourse I love the WDIGM2 Golf Club scene...and the smoking 1 too)

I still watch this movie on the regular. Def one of my favs. It made me fall in love with Tupac

When I was like 12 and got the DVD I used to watch every chance I got.

[jarrylf]

EXCLUSIVE: John Singleton on the 20th Anniversary of 'Poetic Justice,' Working with Janet Jackson and Tupac

It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since Janet Jackson starred as a lovelorn poetess sporting her now iconic braids and reciting Maya Angelou poetry to Tupac Shakur in John Singleton’s in Poetic Justice.

At a time when Black cinema was replete with male narratives (Boyz N the Hood, New Jack City), Singleton unapologetically gave a voice to young African-American women. Today, as the film celebrates its 20th anniversary, we spoke with Singleton on having Jackson as a muse, filming during the L.A. riots and who he would cast if there were a sequel.

ESSENCE: Janet Jackson’s braids are back on trend. Whose idea was it for her character Justice to sport the braids?

JOHN SINGLETON: That was a collaboration between myself, Janet, [dance choreographer] Fatima Robinson and a dancer named Josie Harris. Josie had the braids in Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” video, which I directed. I brought her and Fatima and a couple of other dancers over to hang out with Janet and they all became friends. I said, "Why don’t we try and do Janet’s hair like Josie’s hair?" We got the hairstyle from Harlem and just put it in a West Coast movie.

ESSENCE: Rumor has it that Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Calhoun and other popular actresses showed up to audition for the role of Justice. Did you always know the role was for Janet when you wrote the script?

SINGLETON: Everybody just showed up at the office. It was a movie with a Black female lead, which is rare. But I wrote it for Janet. When I first met her I told her I wanted to do my next movie with her. Critics and frustrated sisters hated on her but I understood it; not that many movies came out with Black female leads.

ESSENCE: How exactly did you coach Janet Jackson to play the role of a girl from South Central L.A.?

SINGLETON: I didn’t have to do too much coaching. She was really just hanging out with me, Josie and Fatima — girls from different neighborhoods who eventually all became her dancers and friends. Even though Janet grew up in a very famous family in the suburbs, she always wanted to hang out with normal people who weren’t in entertainment. She was really able to pull from there as an actress.

ESSENCE: What was it like having Janet Jackson as your muse?

SINGLETON: Funny…all of the men on set had a secret crush on her, but we didn’t know she was secretly married to Rene Elizondo so we would flirt with her. Everyone wanted a shot with Janet, including me.

ESSENCE: What was it like having Tupac Shakur around?

SINGLETON: He was so funny. He was always cracking jokes. It’s only later that he got really dark. People always idolize 'Pac, but he was really just a brilliant yet confused young kid with a lot of fame. He had nothing to ground him, no father. He had no one to tell him “no” or “just sit down.” But when you did tell him something, he’d respect you. Right before he passed we just started talking again. I saw him a week an a half before he went to Las Vegas and I told him I’m working on a new movie [Baby Boy, 2001] and I told him that this will be the movie that will get him an Oscar. He said, "Anything you want I’m there." He was going to be my Robert DeNiro. We were going to grow together. When you see Baby Boy now, his presence and soul are still in that movie.

ESSENCE: The L.A. riots started at the same time following the Rodney King verdicts. Did it affect filming?

SINGLETON: We kept on filming while the riots broke out in April of 1992. We were shooting in Simi Valley, California, and I was on my way to set when the verdicts were coming in. I went to set late because I went to the courthouse. I was protesting and everything. When I finally get to set the crew was watching [the coverage] on a small television and some were predicting L.A. was going to burn. And it happened.

ESSENCE: Who do you think would be your modern-day Janet Jackson or Tupac Shakur if you were to do Poetic Justice in 2013?

SINGLETON: I don’t know, maybe Tyrese and Rihanna. I really want to do something with her. I talked to her before and I think she’d be very interesting. She’s young and beautiful and accessible and women like her

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UM....it's a nice interview, started out really strong, but I think there were alot of missed questions that I would've at least like to know

.Plans on re-releasing it with the bonus scenes I hear got cut out because it was too long

.Does he still keep in contact with Janet & did they ever talk about working with each other again, or would he like to

.Who else did he have in mind or went in to audition for Pac, Regina, & Joe's parts

Etc.

[Escapade]

ESSENCE: Who do you think would be your modern-day Janet Jackson or Tupac Shakur if you were to do Poetic Justice in 2013?

SINGLETON: I don’t know, maybe Tyrese and Rihanna. I really want to do something with her. I talked to her before and I think she’d be very interesting. She’s young and beautiful and accessible and women like her

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Just. No.

The movie is already perfect as it is. No remake is needed

[jarrylf]

ESSENCE: Who do you think would be your modern-day Janet Jackson or Tupac Shakur if you were to do Poetic Justice in 2013?

SINGLETON: I don’t know, maybe Tyrese and Rihanna. I really want to do something with her. I talked to her before and I think she’d be very interesting. She’s young and beautiful and accessible and women like her

-________________________________________________________-

Just. No.

The movie is already perfect as it is. No remake is needed

I agree, I thought that was a lame question (tho I like the answer....except Tyrese is too old to be playin oppesite Rihanna in anything, and hes used Tyrese for like 3 movies already) but I would've rathered a "sequel" question over a remake lol, the audacity lol.

[bu.]

Rihanna can't act. Tyrese is lame.

[jarrylf]

Rihanna can't act.

True, & just in general this aint her type of vehicle, like I said I think the story has it's problems or what could've been better, but the actors performances are just about all very strong in it. If Rihanna has more plans for acting I think she should wait a while to give anything drama related a shot

[bu.]

True, & just in general this aint her type of vehicle, like I said I think the story has it's problems or what could've been better, but the actors performances are just about all very strong in it. If Rihanna has more plans for acting I think she should wait a while to give anything drama related a shot

Rihanna would suit a trashy horror movie. They should cast her in 5CREAM. They don't require much acting and I would get my LIFE! She would not take shit from Ghostface!

[hotboy06]

[Laveaux]

Rihanna would suit a trashy horror movie. They should cast her in 5CREAM. They don't require much acting and I would get my LIFE! She would not take shit from Ghostface!

I could actually see Rihanna in a John Singleton movie. I think he can pull her inner thespian out of her and he would probably be a little more patient with her since he would be trying to fuck. I see it.

[bu.]

I could actually see Rihanna in a John Singleton movie. I think he can pull her inner thespian out of her and he would probably be a little more patient with her since he would be trying to fuck. I see it.

:lmao:!!

I need a few movies or something from her before I take her seriously and judge her right. Right now she's on Carmen Hip Hopera level .

[Laveaux]

Why wont they let Rihnet Jackson be great?

[bu.]

Why wont they let Rihnet Jackson be great?

I'm not here for LaToyas hidden child. I need for Rihsus to pull the Meryl Streepnet out of her for me to claim her as Janhovas.

[hotboy06]

I could actually see Rihanna in a John Singleton movie. I think he can pull her inner thespian out of her and he would probably be a little more patient with her since he would be trying to fuck. I see it.

It will never happen..the girls stay seething at the mere mention of Rihanna's name..and a remake to a iconic Janet movie..the girls would have a heart attack.

[bu.]

It will never happen..the girls stay seething at the mere mention of Rihanna's name..and a remake to a iconic Janet movie..the girls would have a heart attack.

Rihanna remaking that is like Ciara singing.