Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

So much average

Sadly Over-hyped

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

One: If you happened to be in Alphabet City back in the '80s Two: Nile Rodgers did the soundtrack. It may not always work but its Nile Rodgers of Chic/Daft Punk. He is the real dealBy biggest gripe: The dialog. Could it be more wooden and contrived? Wow,,, cannot imagine trying to deliver some of those lines. Casting is also weak. The editing hurts some great cinematography and direction.So rewrite the script, get the right cast, move it way uptown to Harlem, then fix the post problems and whaddaya get?New Jack City

Passable urban action / crime flick starring Vincent Spano as Johnny, a young thug who gets into big trouble when his mobster bosses order him to torch a building, and because this is the same building in which his mom (Zohra Lampert) and sister (Jami Gertz) reside, he stalls and then ultimately defies them. If anything, "Alphabet City" is certainly a very slick affair, and it's no surprise that the director, Amos Poe, had music video experience. On the plus side, it is incredibly fast paced, and stylish, but in the end it's quite unmemorable. It's just too hard to care very much about any of these characters. The acting is generally competent but the performers are all basically playing archetypes, existing in a pretty standard story of people trying to rise above their meagre surroundings. It IS a treat to see the interesting Ms. Lampert; cult horror fans will recognize her from the 1971 favourite "Let's Scare Jessica to Death". Spano exerts a respectable amount of "cool" in the lead, with amusing support from Michael Winslow, best known as Jones from the "Police Academy" franchise who does have some dramatic moments here but also the opportunity to do some more of the sound effects shtick for which he's famous. Gorgeous Kate Vernon (daughter of the legendary John Vernon) is pleasing to look at, if not terribly convincing, in her first major role, and the same goes for the young Gertz. Familiar folk in smaller roles include Raymond Serra as the mob boss Gino, Tom Mardirosian as Benny, Tom Wright as a chauffeur, Clifton Powell as Ramon, and Miguel Pinero, creator of the stage play "Short Eyes", as a dealer. The dated pop soundtrack is good for some amusement, if also rather repetitive; the main music score is by industry great Nile Rodgers. The NYC location filming is a big, big asset. The climactic action, however, ends up descending into silliness. Overall, a fairly entertaining melodramatic little flick. Five out of 10.

i recently saw this flick after 20 odd years & while it is one that 'got away', its still pretty decent for the time... (what the producers wanted - was an "urban teen flick"... good luck!) it was my first 35mm, fully crewed production & shot in 20 nights & we did best under the circumstances, and we had a blast shooting it. editing was difficult to say the least. it was a huge, huge learning experience. i had a lot of support from oliver wood (DP), line-producers Ben Gruberg & Roberta Friedman, and Greg Heller, who wrote the story. Nord Haggerty and Anna Taylor did a a great job with production design and costumes under very limited budget. Nile's music sounds better than ever. i wish we'd have shot the real ending... (which was to "political" for the producers) i agree w/comments that there are cheesy segments & i'd like to see Vince act in more movies! Jamie & Michael Winslow still charm in their own ways... anyway, thanks for watching it on late nite TV!

Everyone gives this movie a bad rating, but it somehow managed to keep me entertained. However, I'm a car nut, so that of course plays into the level of enjoyment I had watching the film. In this movie, Johnny Chunga (Vincent Spano) plays a heroin dealer for the mob, and spends much of his time cruising the lower Manhattan area conducting this business. Why I like it: He drives a white 1983 Pontiac Trans Am "Pace Car". These cars were actually limited production firebirds (approximately 2500 built) that commemorated the 25th Daytona 500 race, and the 15th anniversary Firebird. They were loaded with all options to include smooth "aero" wheels, power everything, and Recaro seats. Johnny's even has a vintage cellphone! The car is on the video cover, so that's why I rented it. But I do like the early 80's soundtrack by Nile Rodgers, and would greatly appreciate any leads to find a copy of the soundtrack, or songs from it. The sound effects guy from Police Academy (Michael Winslow) is also in this movie doing what he does best. Thats about it. If you don't like "B" movies, don't watch it. If you're into Firebirds, it's worth renting.