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photo by steed media service
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Words by Curtis Waller and Todd Williams
Images by Mike Melendy for Steed Media Service
NEW YORK - It's a sweltering hot July day in Midtown Manhattan
and the press junket for John Singleton's new production
Illegal Tender is underway. As the small throng of journalists
ready themselves for one-on-one interviews with one of the
most respected filmmakers of the past two decades, Singleton
himself exits the elevator on the second fl oor of The Regency
Hotel, iPhone in hand and at his ear. He's just finished lunch
in his room and hits one of the rooms to do liners for Latin radio
before interviews ensue. "Hola! ¿Que pasa?" ("Hello! What's
happening?"), he queries as he records his drops to promote
Illegal Tender, his first Latin crime-drama. "Wepa!" he adds
excitedly, continuing his Spanglish-infl ected promo, before
wrapping up his one-liners for radio. Ever the multitasker,
Singleton enters the room, cell phone still fused immovably to
his ear, and takes a seat. Now more than 15 years removed
from the directorial debut of Boyz N the Hood, which made him a young sensation
in Tinseltown, the director-turned-producer says, "Everything I do [as producer] is an
extension of what I'd do as a director."
Directed by Franc Reyes, (who made his debut with the John Leguizamo-led film,
Empire), . Tender is a coming-of-age story set against an action crime-drama.
With a fresh-faced cast including Rick Gonzalez, Wanda De Jesus, Dania Ramirez
and reggaeton superstar Tego Calderon, Singleton is understandably excited at the
prospect of giving this group the platform to catapult their careers to the next level in
Hollywood. "The cast is hot," says Singleton, who handpicked the players. "We've [got]
Rick Gonzales, who people know from Coach Carter, Dania Ramirez, from X-Men: The
Last Stand, and ("CSI's") Wanda De Jesus."
The film spans two generations, with themes of revenge and redemption intertwined
throughout. Almost 20 years after murdering his father, thugs are coming to kill Wilson
De Leon, Jr., played by Gonzalez, and his mother Millie, played by De Jesus. De Jesus,
in particular, gives a tour de force performance on-screen, (think Pam Grier or Tamara
Dobson (Cleopatra Jones), recast as a fiery Latina). Fans of "CSI" might be ill prepared
for her turn as a gun-toting mama intent on protecting her son, but they will undoubtedly
be pleasantly surprised.
As proud as he is of the cast, Singleton was especially pleased with director Reyes'
work. As a guy who was nominated for an Oscar® his first time out of the gate, he
knows a thing or two about being a gifted lensman. "Franc is a really good writer -
he has a great vision of what he wants as a filmmaker." And the film itself? "It's sex,
violence and music," Singleton says, jokingly.
While there is no shortage of violence and grit, Illegal Tender actually displays a
poignant sense of family values throughout. "We wanted to make Scarface with a
mother and son," says Singleton. "It's a cool gangster movie."
Journalists asked if he was concerned about the violence ruffl ing any feathers in
the Latin community. He shrugs off any potential controversy; he's not concerned with
those who'll want to discount the film for its subject matter. "That's just the conservative
people - this movie is for the young folks," says Singleton.
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