Boyz N the Hood
(1991)THE CONTROVERSY John Singleton's debut feature was explicitly anti-violence, but it was pioneering and frank in its depiction of the pressures that often led to gang violence among young African-American men (such as the character played by Ice Cube, pictured, driver's seat) living in communities like South Central Los Angeles.
THE FIRESTORM Several incidents of violence erupted inside or near 20 theaters showing the film, leaving two dead and at least 30 wounded. Singleton maintained that the movie didn't prompt the incidents but merely reflected the social conditions that led to them.
THE AFTERMATH At 24, Singleton became the youngest person ever nominated for a Best Director Oscar. ''Hood'' movies became a popular genre. Even in 2005, a fatal shooting at a theater showing Get Rich or Die Tryin' seemed to echo the violence of 1991.
