Zebrahead

Theatrical Release Date: 1992 10 23 (USA)

UPC: 043396083370

Studio: Columbia TriStar

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Questionable for Children, Profanity, Sexual Situations, Watch With Your Teen]

Summary: An interracial romance sparks social upheaval in this indie drama from first-time writer/director Anthony Drazan. Jewish high school student Zack Glass (Michael Rapaport) lives with his widowed, womanizing father (Ray Sharkey) in one of the nicer areas of Detroit. His pop and grandfather own a pair of vintage record stores full of everything from swing and jazz to soul and disco; Zack carries on the vinyl-centric family tradition by selling hip-hop mix tapes out of his locker and mixing fiddles and Puccini into his DJ sets at local parties. One day at school, beautiful New Jersey transfer student Nikki (N'Bushe Wright) witnesses Zack's girlfriend unceremoniously dumping him; when it turns out that Zack's best friend, Dee Wimms (DeShonn Castle), is Nikki's cousin, the stage is set for romance -- the first interracial pairing for each teen. Dee is happy to play matchmaker, but members of the Wimms clan aren't as pleased with the romance. Nikki's mother, Marlene (Candy Ann Brown), asks Zack point-blank if he's curious about black women -- or just slumming it. Such mild disapproval is nothing compared to the rage felt by Nut (Ron Johnson), a young troublemaker who wants to romance Nikki himself. When Nikki overhears Zack making a racially insensitive comment about her to his pals at a party, she questions the viability of their relationship; the next day, she finds herself making time with Nut, who displays an unexpected tender streak. When Zack shows up at the local skating rink to talk to Nikki and sees Nut pestering her, things spiral out of control. Soon, the lines are drawn in a community-wide debate about interracial dating and urban violence. Zebrahead earned a Filmmaker's Trophy for Drazan at Sundance in 1992 and launched the successful careers of Rapaport and Wright. Indie fans will notice Kevin Corrigan in an elliptical subplot involving the industrial disintegration of the Motor City. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Actor – Independent Spirit Awards Best Original Score – Independent Spirit Awards Filmmaker's Trophy: Dramatic – Sundance Film Festival

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Zebrahead

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 06/18/2002

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 101 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Start [3:19]
2. Fuel Leaks [1:45]
3. Late Passes [3:07]
4. Dad's Homework [4:29]
5. Hangin' in the Hallways [1:29]
6. Lunch Scene [3:22]
7. At Dee's House [3:03]
8. Zack Meets Nikki [3:41]
9. Nut & Nikki [1:58]
10. Love or Sex? [7:12]
11. Zack Picks Up Nikki [3:26]
12. Saul's Melody Land [3:21]
13. What People Think [2:56]
14. Dad Meets Nikki [5:14]
15. Moving Day [5:15]
16. Extending an Invitation [1:08]
17. The Party [7:00]
18. Inside Nut's Shell [3:39]
19. Apologies to Dee [2:59]
20. Zack Rebuffed [2:14]
21. Jealous Rival [1:13]
22. Skateland [2:43]
23. Violent Confrontation [2:56]
24. The Funeral [4:08]
25. A Quick Hello [1:36]
26. Locker Graffiti [5:20]
27. "Stick With Your Tribe." [2:09]
28. The Meaning of It All [1:39]

Brian J. Dillard

This urban love story-cum-sociological drama packs some fine performances, choice dialogue, and keen insight before it takes a sharp left turn and sinks in muddy political waters. Michael Rapaport deserves every job he ever landed on the strength of his performance here. Playing a cultural chameleon with a wry sense of humor, Barry White-bedroom moves, and a lot of paternal resentment, Rapaport lets his character's many layers creep into focus only when necessary. The pent-up conflicts between Zack and his slothful, sex-obsessed father give Rapaport and Ray Sharkey plenty of sharply written little scenes. Drazan also includes all sorts of small details about Zack's family and about Detroit itself that lend the character an air of authenticity and give the story a subtle depth. Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn't devote as much detail to N'Bushe Wright's Nikki, who's pretty much defined by her relationships to Zack and her family. Still, the actress does what she can with an underwritten role, and there are some nice scenes between Nikki and her fierce mother, played superbly by Candy Ann Brown. The rest of the principals prove uniformly fine, from DeShonn Castle's affable, wisecracking Dee to Ron Johnson's thuggish but charismatic Nut. If Drazan simply allowed these characters to act as they would in real life, Zebrahead would be a better film. Instead, the director throws in overwrought plot developments and lots of debates in which minor characters espouse philosophical viewpoints with all the naturalism of sock puppets. Thankfully, most of this nonsense occurs in the film's final reel, making most of Zebrahead a pleasure to watch. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Alberta Watson  Actor 
Shirley Benyas  Actor 
Marsha Florence  Actor 
Lara Kramer  Actor 
Abdul Hassan Sharif  Actor 
Lz Granderson  Actor 
Liana Pai  Actor 
Taunesha Butler  Actor 
Yvette Hawkins  Actor 
Bobby Joe Travis  Actor 
Lois Bendler  Actor 
Glenn Dossin  Actor 
Diane Jones  Actor 
Jon Seda  Actor 
Jason Willinger  Actor 
Harold Hogan  Actor 
Michael Rapaport  Actor 
Shula Van Buren  Actor 
Idina Harris  Actor 
Tycie Person  Actor 
Jade Marisa Thomas  Actor 
Andrew Berlin  Actor 
Londie Jermain Fuller  Actor 
William Ozier  Actor 
Jeff Dowd  Producer 
Anthony Drazan  Director 
Anthony Drazan  Screenwriter 
Taj Mahal  Composer (Music Score) 
Charles Mitchell  Producer 
Oliver Stone  Executive Producer 
William F. Willett  Producer 
Stan Wlodkowski  Producer 
Janet Yang  Producer 
N'Bushe Wright  Actor 
Paul Butler  Actor 
DeShonn Castle  Actor 
Candy Ann Brown  Actor 
Luke Reilly  Actor 
Dan Ziskie  Actor 
Kevin Corrigan  Actor 
Martin Priest  Actor 
Ron Johnson  Actor 
Ray Sharkey  Actor 
Helen Shaver  Actor 

Country: USA