Jungle Fever [Blu-ray]

Director: Spike Lee Spike Lee

Overview

Spike Lee defines "jungle fever" as sexual attraction between members of two races. In his film Jungle Fever, he examines the repercussions of an interracial affair upon two very distinct communities. Wesley Snipes is Flipper, a happily married and successful architect, and Annabella Sciorra is Angie, an office temp. When she starts working in Flipper's Manhattan office, one day they look at each other and are soon having sex over a blueprint-strewn desk. Their liaison causes an explosion on both homefronts. Flipper's family consists of his father Doctor Purify (Ossie Davis), a former preacher; his mother Lucinda (Ruby Dee); his violent, crackhead brother Gator (Samuel L. Jackson); and his wife Drew (Lonette McKee), whom he loves, despite his sexual attraction to Angie. Angie's family is a typical Italian-American household from Bensonhurst. She's engaged to Paulie Carbonne (John Turturro), who in a deli owned by his father Lou (Anthony Quinn). When the two families find out about Flipper and Angie's affair, their shock leads to recriminations and racial animosity.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/04/2020
UPC:	0738329237165
Original Release:	1991
Rating:	R
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	2:12:00
Sales rank:	282

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Wesley Snipes	Flipper Purify
Annabella Sciorra	Angie Tucci
Spike Lee	Cyrus
Ruby Dee	Lucinda
Samuel L. Jackson	Gator Purify
Lonette McKee	Drew
John Turturro	Paulie,Vinny
Ossie Davis	The Good Reverend Doctor
Anthony Quinn	Carbone
Frank Vincent	Mike Tucci
Halle Berry	Vivian
Tyra Ferrell	Orin Goode
Veronica Webb	Vera
Veronica Timbers	Ming
David Dundara	Charlie Tucci
Michael Imperioli	James Tucci
Steven Randazzo	Sonny
Joseph D'Onofrio	Patty
Michael Badalucco	Frankie Botz
Anthony Nocerrino	Veeshay
Debi Mazar	Denise
Gina Mastrogiacomo	Louise
Tim Robbins	Jerry
Anthony Nocerino	Veeshay
Brad Dourif	Leslie
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney	Nilda
Theresa Randle	Inez
Pamala Tyson	Angela,Angela
Rick Aiello	Officer Long
Miguel Sandoval	Officer Ponte
Charles Q. Murphy	Livin' Large
Talese Harris	Iris
Averell Curtle	Young Panhandler
Melvin Bethea	Drug Dealer
Ewart Lauder	Drug Dealer
Randolph May	Man in Crack Den
El-Shah Muhammad	Gentleman in Wheelchair
Suzanna White	Church Lady
Danielle Coleman	Woman Panhandler
Marilyn Nelson	Crack Lady
Bob Adrian	Man on the Street
Doug E. Doug	Friend of Livin' Large
Scot Anthony Robinson	Friend of Livin' Large #2
Frank Esposito	Frankie
Joseph Giammarino	Boy in Candy Store
Shawn Lowenthal	Boy in Candy Store #2
Queen Latifah	Lashawn
Curtis Atkins	Paperboy
Yvette Brooks	Mouth #1
Mamie Louise Anderson	Mouth #2
Catherine Scorsese	Actor,Actor
Franc D'Ambrosio	Actor
Richard Edson	Actor
Tiger Haynes	Actor

Technical Credits

Spike Lee

Spike Lee	Director,Screenwriter,Casting,Producer
Robi Reed-Humes	Casting
Jeff Ward	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

Focused on interracial relationships, Jungle Fever deals less with race than with how and why relationships go sour -- usually because people get into them for the wrong reasons and with the wrong expectations. Race is the main problem in the short-lived romance of Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) and Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra), but mainly because they deny that race forms almost the whole basis of their attraction. On the other hand, the budding romance of Paulie (John Turturro) and Nilda (Phillis Stickney) makes clear that race isn't an issue if two people love each other. While Lee looks at romance at its best and worst, he also examines a family in collapse, as crack addict Gator (Samuel L. Jackson, in a remarkable performance that won a special award at the Cannes Film Festival) betrays his family's trust to support his habit. In short, like most of Spike Lee's best films, Jungle Fever has a lot more to say than a one-line description would lead you to believe, and, as always, Lee puts across his message with intelligence, skill, humanity, and occasional (and welcome) humor.

All Movie Guide - Mark Deming