“Either they don’t know, don’t show, or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood.”

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, May 16 as we raise a glass and toast the late, great writer-director John Singleton with a screening of what is undoubtedly his most well-known and revered work, BOYZ N THE HOOD. Released in 1991, Singleton’s trailblazing film was both a huge critical and commercial success, and helped propel the acting careers of Cuba Gooding, Jr., Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, and Ice Cube. A pioneering voice among African-American filmmakers of that era, Singleton‘s coming-of-age debut offered a fresh, critical take on urban life as told through the eyes of three young men living amidst the harsh conditions of systemic poverty, crime, gangs, and urban violence in South Central Los Angeles. Following the film’s release, Singleton not only became both the first African-American, but also the youngest filmmaker (at the age of 23) to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar (in addition to scoring a Best Original Screenplay nod).

“Boyz N the Hood is a passionate drama shot with fluency and style, a study of what amounts to life during wartime, with people grimly used to gunfire and helicopters thudding overhead.” (Guardian)

“Singleton was only 23 when he made this urgent state-of-the-nation drama. But his skill with the camera, handling of actors, and raw dialogue suggests a seasoned pro.” (Total Film)

Thursday, May 16
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 HERE | $12.50 at the door

*Minors permitted in the balcony. (18A) Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK. Please redeem at the door.

BOYZ N THE HOOD (John Singleton, 1991 / 112 mins / 18A) Tre is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles, in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect in him, and his devout girlfriend Brandi  teaches him about faith, Tre’s friends Doughboy and Ricky don’t have the same kind of support and are drawn into the neighborhood’s booming drug and gang culture, with increasingly tragic results.