This movie is a sure classic. Vasquez manages to touch many aspects in society. When dealing with race, jobs, and friendship he makes it easy to put it all in one day. There are many movies that consist in one day, but not all of them are successful. Vasquez manages to make every character totally different. Though 2 of them are Puerto Rican and the other two African American, each one has a strong role opposite to the same race as them. This is big part in the film since tension comes from everyone, and not just racially focused on the typical black and white. The filming is good also with night on night shots that depict a true night life in New York. Vasquez used slow close ups at points for tension and meaning. I really looked forward to more from this director also writer of the movie. It is rare we get voices that relate to a movie behind the scenes of it.
20 Reviews
On the Town
sol-5 November 2017
Four friends spend a Friday evening cruising around New York in this offbeat comedy-drama blend. The plot on the surface is pretty simple, but the film has some unexpected dimensions, evidenced by the terrific opening scene in which see how the racially diverse friends play on the fears and prejudices of others for laughs. And with two Puerto Ricans in the group (one who likes to trick girls into thinking that he's Italian) and two African Americans (one of whom plays the race card whenever things do not go his way), they are certainly a mixed bunch. All four actors are great in their roles and have very well developed characters who we come to know as individuals as the film progresses, each with their own insecurities - though some more pronounced than others. As the movie pans out, each friend undergoes an awakening of some sort as their fun Friday night on the town turns out to be an evening that causes them to reflect on their lives. The film is not as serious as all that though and there are several excellent comedic moments as the friends bet on whether certain girls are hot, try to see a X-rated film together and conduct business with a mysterious Jamaican in an alleyway.
An entertaining foray into ethnic relationships in NYC disguised as a low-ball comedy
washthis16 June 2009
I starting watching this on Comedy Central and assumed "oh, a film about some guys partying in the Bronx...i'll give it a whirl." I was not expecting a curiously sincere, although somewhat slap-stick, film about class differences in NYC.
The four characters represent the spectrum of what any struggling urban area would produce: a loaner who blames his race on his inability to thrive in society, an actor who tries but eventually fails to make his movie dreams a reality, a gigolo who denies his often maligned heritage in order to court women, and a genuinely earnest stock-boy who secretly desires to do what few in his position are able to: leave the monotony of dead-end beginnings and go to college and experience the world.
After each character is introduced, the film follows the journey of the men from areas of the Bronx (where beer bottles are thrown at the car after a protective father hears one of the men whistling at his daughter) to Midtown Manhattan, where the group partake in some harmless pre-Giuliani peep-show fun.
I rarely comment on films, but I thoroughly enjoyed this 'Hunt's Point Odyssey'. Some of the messages the film tries to convey are done so unrealistically, however, some of the scenes are moving and authentic (an interrogation scene involving a racist Italian subway cop who discredits the gigolo's purported identity by reacquainting him with his given Hispanic name on a driver's license, in an attempt to further emblaze immovable class lines).
Many cities contain areas with steep social and economic gradations, but none compare to NYC. It was entertaining to watch the small victories and defeats of each of these men who are somewhat pathetic, but all share common goal of enjoying themselves. Their journey is a painful reminder of the difficulty inherent in trying to escape the oft-referred realizations of each of their 'seemingly inescapable and meager' respective destinies.
Most (if not all) of the main actors grew up in NYC, and I think that helps to add a sense of realism to their performance.
If you have an open mind and don't mind the unmistakable sound of early 90s rap soundtracks, get this film. Perhaps you will enjoy it as much as I did.
The four characters represent the spectrum of what any struggling urban area would produce: a loaner who blames his race on his inability to thrive in society, an actor who tries but eventually fails to make his movie dreams a reality, a gigolo who denies his often maligned heritage in order to court women, and a genuinely earnest stock-boy who secretly desires to do what few in his position are able to: leave the monotony of dead-end beginnings and go to college and experience the world.
After each character is introduced, the film follows the journey of the men from areas of the Bronx (where beer bottles are thrown at the car after a protective father hears one of the men whistling at his daughter) to Midtown Manhattan, where the group partake in some harmless pre-Giuliani peep-show fun.
I rarely comment on films, but I thoroughly enjoyed this 'Hunt's Point Odyssey'. Some of the messages the film tries to convey are done so unrealistically, however, some of the scenes are moving and authentic (an interrogation scene involving a racist Italian subway cop who discredits the gigolo's purported identity by reacquainting him with his given Hispanic name on a driver's license, in an attempt to further emblaze immovable class lines).
Many cities contain areas with steep social and economic gradations, but none compare to NYC. It was entertaining to watch the small victories and defeats of each of these men who are somewhat pathetic, but all share common goal of enjoying themselves. Their journey is a painful reminder of the difficulty inherent in trying to escape the oft-referred realizations of each of their 'seemingly inescapable and meager' respective destinies.
Most (if not all) of the main actors grew up in NYC, and I think that helps to add a sense of realism to their performance.
If you have an open mind and don't mind the unmistakable sound of early 90s rap soundtracks, get this film. Perhaps you will enjoy it as much as I did.
It's funny AND it makes you think...the ultimate combo!
Carmo-28 January 2001
To me, this movie seems less of a "comedy which makes you think", and more of a powerfully in depth character study, which is always making you laugh. But enough pigeon-holing.
This movie is all characters. The key element, for mine, is the symmetry between them. Four guys. Two black guys, two Hispanic. Two with (pathetic) jobs, two without. Two with more than women on their minds, two without. Because the symmetrical dynamic is always switching, we are always privy to meaningful dialogue, and witness powerful confrontations. That is, the director doesn't just make his point in the first 30 minutes, but is always reevaluating his characters, and their struggles.
Each viewer will no doubt have a favourite character, and his journey will be of most interest and focus. The beauty of this movie, however, is that none of the characters are developed at the expense of another. All are richly detailed, and, if you are like me, your focal character may change with every viewing.
None of the characters are overly likeable; we are always confronted with scenes which really demonstrate their failings and shortcomings. Herein lies the strength of the film. Unlike so many other "cool" and "wacky" comedies, these characters have real depth, and we can't. as honest viewers, think any one of the characters are summed up by the words "cool" or "wacky" or any other simplistic assessment that can easily be applied to characters in so many other movies (and fairly, too). They are all distinct in many ways. The most notable example is each character's technique in dealing with the inherent racism of their society. The most fascinating character here is Vinnie, as he chooses rather than confronting this difficult problem, to deny it even applies to him: "He thinks he's Italian".
My only request when seeing this movie, is not to fall into the trap of missing an appreciation of its depth. Sure, it's got a "cool" title, they just cruise around doing cool stuff ("Jose sent me" is such a good idea!), and they say cool one liners. But beyond that, the characters are at once frustrating and liberating, enjoyable and unlikeable, but most of all, they are all very human, very real.
This movie is all characters. The key element, for mine, is the symmetry between them. Four guys. Two black guys, two Hispanic. Two with (pathetic) jobs, two without. Two with more than women on their minds, two without. Because the symmetrical dynamic is always switching, we are always privy to meaningful dialogue, and witness powerful confrontations. That is, the director doesn't just make his point in the first 30 minutes, but is always reevaluating his characters, and their struggles.
Each viewer will no doubt have a favourite character, and his journey will be of most interest and focus. The beauty of this movie, however, is that none of the characters are developed at the expense of another. All are richly detailed, and, if you are like me, your focal character may change with every viewing.
None of the characters are overly likeable; we are always confronted with scenes which really demonstrate their failings and shortcomings. Herein lies the strength of the film. Unlike so many other "cool" and "wacky" comedies, these characters have real depth, and we can't. as honest viewers, think any one of the characters are summed up by the words "cool" or "wacky" or any other simplistic assessment that can easily be applied to characters in so many other movies (and fairly, too). They are all distinct in many ways. The most notable example is each character's technique in dealing with the inherent racism of their society. The most fascinating character here is Vinnie, as he chooses rather than confronting this difficult problem, to deny it even applies to him: "He thinks he's Italian".
My only request when seeing this movie, is not to fall into the trap of missing an appreciation of its depth. Sure, it's got a "cool" title, they just cruise around doing cool stuff ("Jose sent me" is such a good idea!), and they say cool one liners. But beyond that, the characters are at once frustrating and liberating, enjoyable and unlikeable, but most of all, they are all very human, very real.
a new voice
SnoopyStyle1 October 2017
Four friends from the Bronx live their aimless lives. After getting thrown out of a party, they head into Manhattan. Tom McNeal (Mario Joyner) is a failed actor working as a telemarketer. His best friend Willie Stevens (Doug E. Doug) is jobless. Johnny (John Leguizamo) and Vinny (Nestor Serrano) are Puerto Ricans but Vinny, real name Fernando, pretends to be Italian. Race, sex, money, and life in general are the constants in their adventures in the New York night.
The racial tension and conflicted friendships are really interesting. The indie directing from Joseph Vasquez needs a little more work. With some improvements, he could be an interesting new voice but he passes away soon after this movie. The story does have a voice but its comedic tone is too broad sometimes. It takes away from the serious real slice of life aspect. He needs to play up the tension in some of the more devastating scenes. It also needs more music which would support this drama from the streets. This is an intriguing indie from a new voice that was silenced before his time.
The racial tension and conflicted friendships are really interesting. The indie directing from Joseph Vasquez needs a little more work. With some improvements, he could be an interesting new voice but he passes away soon after this movie. The story does have a voice but its comedic tone is too broad sometimes. It takes away from the serious real slice of life aspect. He needs to play up the tension in some of the more devastating scenes. It also needs more music which would support this drama from the streets. This is an intriguing indie from a new voice that was silenced before his time.
Our choices define who we are
The-Sarkologist2 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The thing that attracts me to movies these days are good characters. Some movies I enjoy because of the plot, and others simply for the action, but what really goes into a good movie are good characters. The Waterboy had good characters and that is why I love it so much. The thing that sets Hanging with the Homeboys apart from other movies are the characters.
This movie is about four guys who go out on a Friday night to simply hang together. This one Friday night is the night in which their lives turn around because they are confronted with the realities of their situation. There are two Negroes and two Puerto Ricans and each of these characters are the opposites of the other.
Willie and Tom are both Negroes. Tom is a telemarketer who has dreams of being an actor while Willie is unemployed and has a huge persecution complex. Everything that goes against him is because he is a Negro and he cannot see past white man's prejudice against him. Tom though is a complete antithesis of this. He is actually successful. Even though he is not an actor, he is trying very hard to become one. He has a job and he is earning money in this job, where as Willie has none and is constantly bumming money off of people. Throughout the movie, Willie is constantly confronted by Negro bums and his mates point out to him that this is what he is going to become one day if he doesn't stand up for himself. He also attacks a Negro woman, Lala, for betraying his kind and hanging out in the Whiteman's world. To this she brutally attacks him, revealing to him that he lives in a persecuted world yet has no desire to drag himself out of it. It is only when Tom refuses to give him money for food, that he looks at the bums and sees himself there. We do not know what happens after with Willie. He has the opportunity of going to Brooklyn to work, but whether he does or not we do not know.
Vince and Johnny are the Puerto Ricans. Johnny accepts who he is and is more concerned about the other people in the world who are suffering. Vince, whose real name is Fernando, does not like Johnny because Johnny reveals to him a side that he does not want to see. He would rather Johnny disappear so that he can continue to live in his dream world, believing that he is an Italian. When confronted by an Italian transit cop, he is derided for the fact that he has no pride in his heritage.
Johnny has the opportunity to go to collage, but he is deliberating on it. This weekend is the last weekend he has the scholarship open to him. He knows he can get it, but he is not sure that collage is right for him. His work mates encourage him to go, but his friends say that it is a waste of time. It is not until a girl sits next to him and tells him that he is a fool not to go that he decides to. This woman is interesting as Vince is trying to get a girl all night, and this woman walks away from him and sits next to Johnny. She then takes him to a pool hall, and then says that she wants to be his friend. Vince cannot accept this. He has to weasel his way into a woman's life while this one woman walks straight up to Johnny and offers to be his friend. Vince does get a girl in the end, and it is the girl that Johnny believed to be innocent and virginal only to see her acting in a XXX movie.
This is a good movie with good characters who each have a meaning to them. Even the most shallow character, Vince, has depth to him because of his roots. This movie is a very good movie, and makes one think back to the friends I used to hang with every Friday night.
This movie is about four guys who go out on a Friday night to simply hang together. This one Friday night is the night in which their lives turn around because they are confronted with the realities of their situation. There are two Negroes and two Puerto Ricans and each of these characters are the opposites of the other.
Willie and Tom are both Negroes. Tom is a telemarketer who has dreams of being an actor while Willie is unemployed and has a huge persecution complex. Everything that goes against him is because he is a Negro and he cannot see past white man's prejudice against him. Tom though is a complete antithesis of this. He is actually successful. Even though he is not an actor, he is trying very hard to become one. He has a job and he is earning money in this job, where as Willie has none and is constantly bumming money off of people. Throughout the movie, Willie is constantly confronted by Negro bums and his mates point out to him that this is what he is going to become one day if he doesn't stand up for himself. He also attacks a Negro woman, Lala, for betraying his kind and hanging out in the Whiteman's world. To this she brutally attacks him, revealing to him that he lives in a persecuted world yet has no desire to drag himself out of it. It is only when Tom refuses to give him money for food, that he looks at the bums and sees himself there. We do not know what happens after with Willie. He has the opportunity of going to Brooklyn to work, but whether he does or not we do not know.
Vince and Johnny are the Puerto Ricans. Johnny accepts who he is and is more concerned about the other people in the world who are suffering. Vince, whose real name is Fernando, does not like Johnny because Johnny reveals to him a side that he does not want to see. He would rather Johnny disappear so that he can continue to live in his dream world, believing that he is an Italian. When confronted by an Italian transit cop, he is derided for the fact that he has no pride in his heritage.
Johnny has the opportunity to go to collage, but he is deliberating on it. This weekend is the last weekend he has the scholarship open to him. He knows he can get it, but he is not sure that collage is right for him. His work mates encourage him to go, but his friends say that it is a waste of time. It is not until a girl sits next to him and tells him that he is a fool not to go that he decides to. This woman is interesting as Vince is trying to get a girl all night, and this woman walks away from him and sits next to Johnny. She then takes him to a pool hall, and then says that she wants to be his friend. Vince cannot accept this. He has to weasel his way into a woman's life while this one woman walks straight up to Johnny and offers to be his friend. Vince does get a girl in the end, and it is the girl that Johnny believed to be innocent and virginal only to see her acting in a XXX movie.
This is a good movie with good characters who each have a meaning to them. Even the most shallow character, Vince, has depth to him because of his roots. This movie is a very good movie, and makes one think back to the friends I used to hang with every Friday night.
Vasquez's lost jewel
Nick Zak8 September 2001
I have to agree with Jason's review, Hangin' with the Homeboys is an excellent and extremely funny film.
It is very reminiscent of Spike Lee's early movies in that it has a very personal feel. I noticed that in the end credits Vasquez appears to send a 'shout out' to friends he grew up with who I assume he had lost contact with. I suspect that Vasquez based a number of the characters and incidents in this film on his neighbourhood pals.
The strength of the film is that despite the fact that Vasquez deals with some very important issues, he balances everything perfectly with great expertise. This is not just a comedy (although it is extremely funny), it is also a very intelligent and thought provoking film and it is clear that Vasquez would have had a bright future.
The acting is excellent and despite this being a loud and brash film at times, there are some very subtle moments that will result in you remembering moments from this film weeks later.
This film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by more people.
It is very reminiscent of Spike Lee's early movies in that it has a very personal feel. I noticed that in the end credits Vasquez appears to send a 'shout out' to friends he grew up with who I assume he had lost contact with. I suspect that Vasquez based a number of the characters and incidents in this film on his neighbourhood pals.
The strength of the film is that despite the fact that Vasquez deals with some very important issues, he balances everything perfectly with great expertise. This is not just a comedy (although it is extremely funny), it is also a very intelligent and thought provoking film and it is clear that Vasquez would have had a bright future.
The acting is excellent and despite this being a loud and brash film at times, there are some very subtle moments that will result in you remembering moments from this film weeks later.
This film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by more people.
Third Film From Great Urban Director
Falconeer11 November 2020
Director Joseph B. Vasquez knew his subject when he made movies based around the inner city ghettos of the Bronx and Harlem, NYC. A product of that certain time and place, child of a single, heroin addicted mother, Vasquez was no stranger to the rough streets of the South Bronx during the 70's and 80's. The fact that he managed to avoid the pitfalls of his upbringing and make it through film school, and wound up directing movies, is beyond impressive. This guy has my utmost respect.
After directing two excellent urban crime dramas, Vasquez turned his attentions to directing a comedy, about one day and one night in the life of four best friends.Willie and Tommy,are Black, Tommy is an aspiring actor who takes his dream seriously, while Willie would rather collect welfare and blame all of his problems on his skin color. Their two Puerto Rican buddies, Johnny and Fernando, also want to escape their realities in their own way. Johnny, (an early role for the excellent John Leguizamo) is an under-achiever, working in a supermarket because he doesn't have the self confidence to pursue a college education. He's also a hopeless romantic, in love with a girl he barely knows, who turns out to be anything but the innocent, sweet girl he imagined her to be. Fernando, the most messed up of all the guys in the bunch, is ashamed of his own Puerto Rican heritage, and tells people he is an Italian named Vinnie. Fernando has his pride eviscerated by a racist Italian cop, in one of the movie's best and most powerful dramatic scenes. In fact, all of the best scenes are the serious, dramatic ones, while the comedy doesn't always work, and is sometimes painfully juvenile and just not that funny. And this is the most unfortunate thing about the movie; if the director had played "Hangin' with the Homeboys" as a drama, with comedic overtones, we might have had an absolute classic. This is because drama is what Joe Vasquez did best. Before "Homeboys" Vasquez created two of the absolute BEST low budget, urban crime dramas of the 80's; His first film, called "Street Story" is a genre masterpiece, a description I rarely use when describing movies. Raw and realistic, "Street Story" tells the tale of an inner-city "hero,' famous in the neighborhood for his way with the ladies and his fighting prowess. Shot in grainy, 16 millimeter, this virtually unheard of genre classic is reminiscent of early Roberto Rossellini or Pier Paolo Pasolini, his "Accattone' in particular, the way his camera follows around it's main characters as we witness their sometimes comedic, but always tragic dealings with the pimps and prostitutes, hustlers and losers of the ghetto. He followed that movie up with "Bronx War," another fantastic urban crime film, where the dramatic elements were as exciting and involving as the violent gang war that the movie centers around. Somehow those two wonderful films slipped by, unnoticed and ignored. I'm guessing "Hangin With the Homeboys" was Vasquez' attempt to achieve some mainstream attention, and it worked.."Homeboys" is his most successful and well-known movie. His final movie, "Manhattan Merengue" was his failure. It couldn't even find distribution in North America, which greatly upset Joe Vasquez, who sadly ended his life after succumbing to the drug and crime lifestyle that he had managed to avoid for so long. For fans of "Hangin with the Homeboys" I sincerely recommend searching for the two earlier films of the short but fascinating career of Joseph B. Vasquez. "Street Story" especially, which has an almost 8 star rating here, proving that there are fans who recognize the excellence of this guy's early work..
One of the best movies you never saw...
Crayzd10 June 2001
I loved this movie. I must have watched it at least 10 times in my life because it's just that good. Usually when I watch it, it's because I recommend it to somebody who has never even heard of it, so I feel the need to let them see my copy. They usually thank me afterwards and agree that it is excellent. It's strange that such a great movie gets so little credit. Not that people don't like it, I guess it's because most people never heard of it. It's a shame.
Next time you go to the video store, keep this one in mind. John Leguizamo does an excellent job in this movie, probably the best performance I've seen from him to this day. Doug E Doug also does a great job in this movie. Although you may not be too familiar with the rest of the small cast, don't let this stop you from checking this movie out, great performances all around. When watching this one, you really get interested in the characters as they are all unique in their own way. Johnny is a shy, honest, hard working young man who lacks experience with women. Willie is an angry man who would rather complain about his situation rather than do anything about it, but deep down he means well. Tommy is a struggling actor with woman troubles and the only one with a car. Last but not least, we have Fernando (or should I say "Vinny"), a self centered womanizer who thinks he is Italian (watch the movie and you'll see what I mean). These four friends go out on the town from the Bronx to Manhattan looking for good times and find themselves in some memorable situations. It's a lot like real life and what makes this movie so great is how the characters relate to each other. The introduction of all the characters is definitely something to see. Great directing, nice cinematography, excellent dialog and not too bad of a sound track. What more can I say.
I recommend this movie to everybody, especially if you like comedies with original jokes that go beyond cheap gags. If you like going out with a small group of friends on a Friday night looking for something to do, this movie will remind you of all those good times. I highly recommend it, so rent it next time you go to the video store.
Next time you go to the video store, keep this one in mind. John Leguizamo does an excellent job in this movie, probably the best performance I've seen from him to this day. Doug E Doug also does a great job in this movie. Although you may not be too familiar with the rest of the small cast, don't let this stop you from checking this movie out, great performances all around. When watching this one, you really get interested in the characters as they are all unique in their own way. Johnny is a shy, honest, hard working young man who lacks experience with women. Willie is an angry man who would rather complain about his situation rather than do anything about it, but deep down he means well. Tommy is a struggling actor with woman troubles and the only one with a car. Last but not least, we have Fernando (or should I say "Vinny"), a self centered womanizer who thinks he is Italian (watch the movie and you'll see what I mean). These four friends go out on the town from the Bronx to Manhattan looking for good times and find themselves in some memorable situations. It's a lot like real life and what makes this movie so great is how the characters relate to each other. The introduction of all the characters is definitely something to see. Great directing, nice cinematography, excellent dialog and not too bad of a sound track. What more can I say.
I recommend this movie to everybody, especially if you like comedies with original jokes that go beyond cheap gags. If you like going out with a small group of friends on a Friday night looking for something to do, this movie will remind you of all those good times. I highly recommend it, so rent it next time you go to the video store.
Hostile with the Homeboys
view_and_review22 August 2018
Four broke and largely goal-less New Yorkers hang out on a Friday night in New York. Much like the rest of their lives they wandered out into the city night with no real aim. That led to some aimless roaming from place to place while they bickered the entire time. If it were funny then the movie would've been OK, but it offered very little by way of humor and nothing else in any other department. It was an immature movie with an immature plot.
Hilarious and insightful look at one night on the town in NYC
thurst19 January 1999
Joseph Vasquez' portrayal of the lives of four friends as they prowl the night in search of good times predates the ubiquitous Swingers by four years. Hangin' is similar to its more popular cousin in its sweetness and incisiveness as it deals with the heartaches and fatal flaws of its protagonists. However, these nocturnal wanderers also have to deal with some of the more sublime facets of race relation as Nestor Serrano as Fernando, aka Vinnie, a Puerto Rican gigolo tries to convince everyone, including himself, he's Italian, or Doug E. Doug as Willie blames every one of his problems on the fact he is black and moreover accuses other black people he meets of "selling out" or "ignoring {their} African roots" while he has never participated in one rally or learned a single fact about African Nationalism. The film also features one of the earliest hints at the talents of comic/playwright John Leguziamo as sweet, introspective supermarket stock boy Johnny, a subdued, endearing performance by a man who's now known for extravagance. It's just a matter of time before Leguziamo gets that role which will make him a superstar. Mario Joyner completes the foursome as a lovelorn, less confident than he tries to exude, struggling actor, nee telemarketer, in a solid, if not spectacular performance. While this wonderful film rarely lets up on the laugh, it's also intelligent and inspiring, while at times heartbreaking. What's most heartbreaking is what came after this film; after the promise of his debut, Vasquez was given a ton of money and backing for his next feature, but the film had to be shut down after a week of shooting as Vasquez was walking around the soundstage proclaiming himself Jesus, among other insane ramblings. Within a year, Vasquez died of AIDS in relative obscurity, a tragic end to a man who showed signs of genius. Who knows what that genius might have led to, but while this film will never balance off what might have been, at least he was able to leave his mark with one great film. Hopefully more people will get to see it.
A Big Disappointment
susansweb15 August 2001
This movie reminded me of all of those "crazy guys on the loose" movies. "Weekend Pass", "Fraternity Vacation", et al. Except in this case the main characters were minorities. A big negative was all of the swearing, way too much. To me, a lot of swearing in a film shows a weak script. "How can we punch up this scene, dramatically?" "Ah, just put in a lot of swear words, that adds drama". I don't think so. Another thing is how each of the four main characters have an epiphany, that is straight out the "crazy guy" film handbook. Finally, the first few minutes start off promising and there is some humor but that vanishes further on. Unless, one finds humor in degrading women. And am I the only one that thought the title song sounded a lot like Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood"?
Its still a flawless work!
QKnown3 November 1999
This is one of the few comedies that I absolutley love! Everytime it comes on TV, i still got enough nerve to always watch it. Its that good! Sadly, we're not able to see what Vazquez (the director) would have went on to do. But he left us with a well made comic motion picture that will stand the test of time! ****
Very good, I'd say better than Spike Lee.
apjc31 March 2018
Watched this only because of high user ratings, that's generally a good sign for something you've not heard about. It's not really comic in the laugh out loud sense, but keeps you giggling and smiling all the way through. But there's far more to it than that, " Because I'm black " is the line you'll take from this film as it exposes this as an excuse for not even trying. It actually interests you in the characters, all well played, because they have so many faults. Why better than Spike Lee, because it stands alone without any racial undertones.
Great Movie that Shows the other side friendship
Borydrac98727 January 2009
We have all seen Mean Streets,Swingers,Entourage. This movie is on the same lines as that. Hanging With The Homeboys show's us what we look like on our Friday and Saturdays Nights. How we talk to woman. How we argue amongst ourselves. How we drink.
Johnny,Fernando aka Vinny,Willie,and Tommy all resemble at least of our friends. Johnny is the profound insecure young man who is desperate for love. Fernanod aka Vinny is a ladies man who tricks woman to go out with him for there money only to go out and meet more women. Willie is a man who is always feeling discriminated against, he also the peasant one of gang. And finally Tommy. Tommy dreams big and super stardom. Somehow he will make it big.
The description of the characters not only fit our friends but ourselves. Hanging With The Homeboys is almost The Guys Night Out Bible. When you feel lonely on a Friday Night pop in Hanging With The Homeboy either that or Porn.
Johnny,Fernando aka Vinny,Willie,and Tommy all resemble at least of our friends. Johnny is the profound insecure young man who is desperate for love. Fernanod aka Vinny is a ladies man who tricks woman to go out with him for there money only to go out and meet more women. Willie is a man who is always feeling discriminated against, he also the peasant one of gang. And finally Tommy. Tommy dreams big and super stardom. Somehow he will make it big.
The description of the characters not only fit our friends but ourselves. Hanging With The Homeboys is almost The Guys Night Out Bible. When you feel lonely on a Friday Night pop in Hanging With The Homeboy either that or Porn.
An Urban Male Comedy With Heart & Soul
carl6175 January 2007
A great movie. Seldom are young, urban men portrayed so humanely. The movie is very funny, but not superficial. They are confused young men trying to understand the world, women, and themselves. The film breaks movie stereotypes for these guys are struggling to make it in the world without crime, drugs or violence. Each of the 4 characters are well developed and wonderfully acted. The direction is great. NYC itself is almost a character in the film. The guys and the film takes place in the Bronx. Manhattan is viewed as the center of the universe while the Bronx (and they themselves) feel alienated from Manhattan and "making it." They're feelings of not really fitting in is demonstrated in their unwillingness to go to Manhattan. I've used the film in some of my college classrooms to discuss male friendships and male-female relationships. Great film!!!
Tomorrow's Vortex
tieman6428 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
"Hanging with the Homeboys" is a somewhat impressive "coming of age movie" in the vein of "American Graffiti", "The Last Detail" etc, in which a gang of youths get together for a night out and, over the span of a few hours, learn "something about themselves" which will "change the course of their lives". To say more about the plot would be to spoil the film.
Directed by the young Joseph B. Vasquez, "Homeboys" was part of a wave of "African American Movies" released in the early 90s ("Jungle Fever", "Up Against the Wall", "Straight Out of Brooklyn", "Boyz N the Hood", "Menace II Society", "Juice", "Clockers", "Dead Presidents", "South Central", New Jack City", "Livin' Large" etc). It was well received by critics but went largely unseen thanks to a terrible title, a lack of big name stars and a relatively mundane plot which eschews the deaths, violence, swearing and flourishes typical of such young, black, urban movies. It's arguably better than the aforementioned films.
Unfolding like a stage-play, "Homeboys" watches as four guys hang out and chat over the course a day. They're Willie (Doug E. Doug), Tom (Mario Joyner), Johnny (John Leguizamo) and Vinny (Nestor Serrano), all down on their luck, young, lower class New Yorkers. By the film's end, each will have at least one of their illusions shattered.
But what's most interesting about "Homeboys" is the way Vasquez shatters his own audience's illusions. For example, when we're first introduced to our four heroes, who are all black or Puerto Rican, they're terrorizing white travellers, engaging in a bit of role playing in which they pretend to be young hoodlums. It's only when the boys reveal that "you've just been watching another performance of ghetto street theatre!" that the rug is pulled from out beneath our feet.
And so as the film unfolds, ethnic stereotypes are complicated, humanized, undermined and collided with one another. As most of the cast are comedians - Doug, Joyner, and Leguizamo – all this character peeling feels fresh, funny and spontaneous, rather than stilted or pretentious. The writing of the film's women – often misogynistic in such "night out with the guys" movies – is also well done. They exist as real characters outside the vision of the men, though too often the script paints them as deceptive and soiled (though no worse than the guys).
The film is more touching if you know a little about the director's life. Vasquez, himself half black and half Puerto Rican, was quite young when he directed "Hanging". He came from a poor, drug addicted family, and seemed destined for misfortune until hard-work, drive and ambition pulled him out of the slums. The success of his early films, however, proved too much of a burden, and the combination of quick money, huge responsibility and Hollywood pressures forced Vasquez to turn to drugs and become increasingly self-destructive. He then got AIDS from a bad needle and quite literally went insane, until he died of AIDS related afflictions in the mid 1990s.
The young Vasquez saw each of his film's characters as both a part of himself and representative of a particular trait he saw in many people around him when growing up. One character, for example, lives on welfare, constantly borrows money and doesn't try to help himself because he believes "a racist and rigged world" is continually standing in his way. Another character is ashamed of his Puerto Rican roots, perceiving himself to be unworthy of being loved, whilst another toils and works hard at acting but finds himself unable to score a job. Contrasted with this trio is Johnny, who brushes past the problems, grievances and obstacles of his friends – grievances which are not made light of, which are shown to be valid, which are understood to be real and constrictive – and resolves to lift himself out the Bronx. Like most "coming of age" tales, the film then ends on a note of ambiguity: will Johnny make it to the world outside his world, or is he destined, like so many others, for suffocation?
Johnny, of course, is Joseph B.Vasquez's surrogate. The character is the director's view of himself: one of the few kids from the Bronx who got out, who rose above the swirling pool of personal and external baggage which holds so many marginalized folk back. What Vasquez didn't cater for was that he would not be equipped to handle the world outside the one he escaped. So watching "Hanging With The Homeboys", you're always aware that the Johnny character, blinded by the director's own hopes, aspirations, dreams and optimism, represents a larger off screen tragedy. Vasquez doesn't intend this, of course, but we know that when the credits roll our hero dies months later. How can he not, when the man who tells us to believe in him, who stakes his life on what this kid represents, is himself crushed?
"Homeboys" was shot on a low budget with a small crew of young actors. Amongst its cast, the always underrated John Leguizamo stands out. Like most early 1990s, urban African American movies, "Homeboy" posses a certain tacky, distinctly "90s" feel.
8.5/10 – Makes a good companion pierce to "American Graffiti" and "The Last Detail". Worth one viewing.
Directed by the young Joseph B. Vasquez, "Homeboys" was part of a wave of "African American Movies" released in the early 90s ("Jungle Fever", "Up Against the Wall", "Straight Out of Brooklyn", "Boyz N the Hood", "Menace II Society", "Juice", "Clockers", "Dead Presidents", "South Central", New Jack City", "Livin' Large" etc). It was well received by critics but went largely unseen thanks to a terrible title, a lack of big name stars and a relatively mundane plot which eschews the deaths, violence, swearing and flourishes typical of such young, black, urban movies. It's arguably better than the aforementioned films.
Unfolding like a stage-play, "Homeboys" watches as four guys hang out and chat over the course a day. They're Willie (Doug E. Doug), Tom (Mario Joyner), Johnny (John Leguizamo) and Vinny (Nestor Serrano), all down on their luck, young, lower class New Yorkers. By the film's end, each will have at least one of their illusions shattered.
But what's most interesting about "Homeboys" is the way Vasquez shatters his own audience's illusions. For example, when we're first introduced to our four heroes, who are all black or Puerto Rican, they're terrorizing white travellers, engaging in a bit of role playing in which they pretend to be young hoodlums. It's only when the boys reveal that "you've just been watching another performance of ghetto street theatre!" that the rug is pulled from out beneath our feet.
And so as the film unfolds, ethnic stereotypes are complicated, humanized, undermined and collided with one another. As most of the cast are comedians - Doug, Joyner, and Leguizamo – all this character peeling feels fresh, funny and spontaneous, rather than stilted or pretentious. The writing of the film's women – often misogynistic in such "night out with the guys" movies – is also well done. They exist as real characters outside the vision of the men, though too often the script paints them as deceptive and soiled (though no worse than the guys).
The film is more touching if you know a little about the director's life. Vasquez, himself half black and half Puerto Rican, was quite young when he directed "Hanging". He came from a poor, drug addicted family, and seemed destined for misfortune until hard-work, drive and ambition pulled him out of the slums. The success of his early films, however, proved too much of a burden, and the combination of quick money, huge responsibility and Hollywood pressures forced Vasquez to turn to drugs and become increasingly self-destructive. He then got AIDS from a bad needle and quite literally went insane, until he died of AIDS related afflictions in the mid 1990s.
The young Vasquez saw each of his film's characters as both a part of himself and representative of a particular trait he saw in many people around him when growing up. One character, for example, lives on welfare, constantly borrows money and doesn't try to help himself because he believes "a racist and rigged world" is continually standing in his way. Another character is ashamed of his Puerto Rican roots, perceiving himself to be unworthy of being loved, whilst another toils and works hard at acting but finds himself unable to score a job. Contrasted with this trio is Johnny, who brushes past the problems, grievances and obstacles of his friends – grievances which are not made light of, which are shown to be valid, which are understood to be real and constrictive – and resolves to lift himself out the Bronx. Like most "coming of age" tales, the film then ends on a note of ambiguity: will Johnny make it to the world outside his world, or is he destined, like so many others, for suffocation?
Johnny, of course, is Joseph B.Vasquez's surrogate. The character is the director's view of himself: one of the few kids from the Bronx who got out, who rose above the swirling pool of personal and external baggage which holds so many marginalized folk back. What Vasquez didn't cater for was that he would not be equipped to handle the world outside the one he escaped. So watching "Hanging With The Homeboys", you're always aware that the Johnny character, blinded by the director's own hopes, aspirations, dreams and optimism, represents a larger off screen tragedy. Vasquez doesn't intend this, of course, but we know that when the credits roll our hero dies months later. How can he not, when the man who tells us to believe in him, who stakes his life on what this kid represents, is himself crushed?
"Homeboys" was shot on a low budget with a small crew of young actors. Amongst its cast, the always underrated John Leguizamo stands out. Like most early 1990s, urban African American movies, "Homeboy" posses a certain tacky, distinctly "90s" feel.
8.5/10 – Makes a good companion pierce to "American Graffiti" and "The Last Detail". Worth one viewing.
Great Movie
guidecca-220 September 2008
This film made me laugh. It is good to be surprised by a movie you didn't expect much from. The movie is special. If it is a cult movie I think it is because it speaks to the heart. It a movie about hanging with the guys. It spoke to me and I'm a white middle-class dude from the Midwest. The cast did a great job. The director is deceased and should have received more recognition. I will definitely find a copy of this for my library. I will definitely tell others about it. I have to make this ten lines or they won't print it. I don't know what IMDb wants. I am telling you to see this movie. It is about guys in the city on the bad side of town going out on the town. Thanks for a great film.
funny and moving
tonycom514 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The four main characters complemented each other very well. The movie was very intelligently written. It was funny and moving. The ending is quite appropriate as the overall film is just a snapshot of one Friday night of these four bickering friends.
I'm especially fond of Nestor Serrano's work in portraying Vinny/Fernando. Even though he was supposed to be a selfish womanizer, he did have certain qualities that made me sympathize with him. (For example, he did come to Willie's aid when he was thrown out of the party by the bigots, even though it meant giving up a chance with one of the few women in the movie who didn't flat out ignore his come-ons.)
I'm especially fond of Nestor Serrano's work in portraying Vinny/Fernando. Even though he was supposed to be a selfish womanizer, he did have certain qualities that made me sympathize with him. (For example, he did come to Willie's aid when he was thrown out of the party by the bigots, even though it meant giving up a chance with one of the few women in the movie who didn't flat out ignore his come-ons.)
Very Funny
Michael_Elliott14 March 2008
Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Willie (Doug E. Doug) is a black man living on welfare who doesn't see the need for a job because he'll just be a slave to the white man. Tom (Mario Joyner) is an actor trying to make it big, although he doesn't have the talent to do so. His biggest role to date was almost getting a part in the movie Rain Man. Fernando (Nestor Serrano) is a Puerto Rican who pretends to be Italian so that he can get all the women he wants. Johnny (John Leguizamo) is the youngest of the group and he's also a virgin. These seem like four typical people but they are best friends who decide to spend Friday night in Manhattan.
The four friends leave the Bronx heading for Manhattan in hopes of finding some women and wild parties but their night starts off on the wrong track when they wind up at the wrong party and are thrown out on the streets. After wrecking their car, they hit the subway and head to the city where they try to encounter more women and more parties yet nothing seems to be going right. Weighting down the situation is that all four men are having various sorts of problems and when no one else is around the best thing to do is take it out on your friends, which just leads to more problems and more fights.
Hangin' With the Homeboys was released back in 1991 but died a quick death at the box office. This was probably due to the other urban film that year, Boyz N the Hood being a big success so that left this title out in the cold but over the past few years the film has gained a cult following. I wasn't expecting too much out of the film but after viewing it I must admit to now being in that cult group. It's wonderful whenever you enter a film with low expectation but leave it finding a terrific little gem that will hopefully get new fans thanks to this DVD release.
The film was written and directed by Joseph B. Vasquez and his screenplay is something very unique because there are several messages in the film yet he never bashes he viewer over the head with them. Each of the four characters are given their own problems and the film pushes them towards an answer yet the movie doesn't rely on that message and the film ends abruptly with nothing really solved. The biggest highlight of the screenplay is the wonderful dialogue that easily rivals the stuff written by Tarantino. The dialogue brings the four characters to life and while there isn't anything too original here, the dialogue is so refreshing that it's like hearing this stuff for the first time.
All of the dialogue is so natural that it seems this is a documentary rather than an actual film. All the scenes in the movie seem so fresh and real that it seems the actors are improvising rather than speaking from a script. The perfect example of this is a wonderful scene where three of the friends are bashing another member for never having sex. The way the dialogue is given is something that will remind any male viewer of conversations they had with their own friends. Another wonderful section is some fake "ghetto fights", which are staged by the characters to scare the preppy white people that surrounds them in the world.
Bringing this dialogue to life are four wonderful performances and it's no shock that all four actors have gone on to make names for themselves. Doug E. Doug steals the show as the welfare black man refusing to work for the white man who keeps trying to put him down. Everything from his fast talking to his wacky facial expressions just helps bring his character to life. John Leguizamo also turns in wonderful work as the depressed virgin who's always taking heat from his friends. Joyner and Serrano also do nice work in the film.
Hangin' With the Homeboys certainly deserves its cult following and I'm sure it'll get even bigger over the years. I'm sure twenty years from now people will look back on this film the same way they do Diner today. Director/writer Vasquez only made four films before his untimely death and that's a shame because of the wonderful dialogue he brought to his films. This is certainly the film he'll be remembered for and it's a film any male should be able to relate to. We've all had those guys night out and this film brings some of those highlights to life.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Willie (Doug E. Doug) is a black man living on welfare who doesn't see the need for a job because he'll just be a slave to the white man. Tom (Mario Joyner) is an actor trying to make it big, although he doesn't have the talent to do so. His biggest role to date was almost getting a part in the movie Rain Man. Fernando (Nestor Serrano) is a Puerto Rican who pretends to be Italian so that he can get all the women he wants. Johnny (John Leguizamo) is the youngest of the group and he's also a virgin. These seem like four typical people but they are best friends who decide to spend Friday night in Manhattan.
The four friends leave the Bronx heading for Manhattan in hopes of finding some women and wild parties but their night starts off on the wrong track when they wind up at the wrong party and are thrown out on the streets. After wrecking their car, they hit the subway and head to the city where they try to encounter more women and more parties yet nothing seems to be going right. Weighting down the situation is that all four men are having various sorts of problems and when no one else is around the best thing to do is take it out on your friends, which just leads to more problems and more fights.
Hangin' With the Homeboys was released back in 1991 but died a quick death at the box office. This was probably due to the other urban film that year, Boyz N the Hood being a big success so that left this title out in the cold but over the past few years the film has gained a cult following. I wasn't expecting too much out of the film but after viewing it I must admit to now being in that cult group. It's wonderful whenever you enter a film with low expectation but leave it finding a terrific little gem that will hopefully get new fans thanks to this DVD release.
The film was written and directed by Joseph B. Vasquez and his screenplay is something very unique because there are several messages in the film yet he never bashes he viewer over the head with them. Each of the four characters are given their own problems and the film pushes them towards an answer yet the movie doesn't rely on that message and the film ends abruptly with nothing really solved. The biggest highlight of the screenplay is the wonderful dialogue that easily rivals the stuff written by Tarantino. The dialogue brings the four characters to life and while there isn't anything too original here, the dialogue is so refreshing that it's like hearing this stuff for the first time.
All of the dialogue is so natural that it seems this is a documentary rather than an actual film. All the scenes in the movie seem so fresh and real that it seems the actors are improvising rather than speaking from a script. The perfect example of this is a wonderful scene where three of the friends are bashing another member for never having sex. The way the dialogue is given is something that will remind any male viewer of conversations they had with their own friends. Another wonderful section is some fake "ghetto fights", which are staged by the characters to scare the preppy white people that surrounds them in the world.
Bringing this dialogue to life are four wonderful performances and it's no shock that all four actors have gone on to make names for themselves. Doug E. Doug steals the show as the welfare black man refusing to work for the white man who keeps trying to put him down. Everything from his fast talking to his wacky facial expressions just helps bring his character to life. John Leguizamo also turns in wonderful work as the depressed virgin who's always taking heat from his friends. Joyner and Serrano also do nice work in the film.
Hangin' With the Homeboys certainly deserves its cult following and I'm sure it'll get even bigger over the years. I'm sure twenty years from now people will look back on this film the same way they do Diner today. Director/writer Vasquez only made four films before his untimely death and that's a shame because of the wonderful dialogue he brought to his films. This is certainly the film he'll be remembered for and it's a film any male should be able to relate to. We've all had those guys night out and this film brings some of those highlights to life.
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