Fresh
 
See larger image
 
Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Buy Used
Used - Like New See details
$6.22 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
iNetVideo Fulfillment Add to Cart
$18.79  & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
or
Get up to a $3.80 Amazon gift card

Fresh (1994)

Sean Nelson , Giancarlo Esposito , Boaz Yakin  |  R |  DVD
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)

Price: $18.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Sold by TREASURE CHEST and Fulfilled by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Only 1 left in stock--order soon.
Want it delivered Monday, January 30? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Watch Instantly with Rent Buy
Fresh   -- --

Other Formats & Versions

Amazon Price New from Used from
DVD 1-Disc Version $6.99  
  1-Disc Version $18.99  
Other 1-Disc Version $2.49  
Trade In This Movies & TV Item for $3.80
Trade in Fresh for a $3.80 Amazon.com Gift Card that can be redeemed for millions of items store wide. See more Movies & TV eligible for trade-in

Frequently Bought Together

Fresh + Strapped + Above the Rim
Price For All Three: $30.96

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together
  • In Stock.
    Sold by TREASURE CHEST and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Strapped $5.98

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Above the Rim $5.99

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Product Details

  • Actors: Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, N'Bushe Wright, Ron Brice
  • Directors: Boaz Yakin
  • Writers: Boaz Yakin
  • Producers: Chrisann Verges, JoAnn Fregalette Jansen, Lawrence Bender, Lila Cazès, Randy Ostrow
  • Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: Miramax
  • DVD Release Date: February 12, 2002
  • Run Time: 114 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00005U156
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,710 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • For more information about "Fresh" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Special Features

  • Behind-the-scenes featurette
  • Storyboard comparisons
  • Various cast auditions
  • Gag reel

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Boaz Yakin's astounding debut feature looks at the violent world of the projects through the eyes of a 12-year-old drug runner. Sean Nelson delivers a quiet but intense performance as Michael--street name Fresh--a cynical but introspective kid grown up fast and hard on the killing streets of the projects. Samuel L. Jackson costars as Fresh's estranged father, a speed chess hustler in the city park whose dispassionate philosophy--the chess board as life--becomes the film's central metaphor, as Fresh plots a brilliant, coldly brutal plan to save himself and his junkie sister from his world of drug dealers and street violence. Yakin's assured direction delivers a vividly realized world in bold, crisp images and an austere but poetic style that captures the dispassionate point of view of a heart-hardened adolescent street survivor. The excellent score by former Police-man Stewart Copeland, his most haunting since Rumblefish, mixes smooth symphonic sounds with bluesy guitars and syncopated percussion, giving the soundtrack the same sad intimacy as Yakin's visuals. The world of Fresh is alive with danger that threatens to extinguish all the wonder and joy of childhood--the film's most devastating moment observes Fresh helplessly trying to stop the bleeding of a schoolmate, a girl he has a crush on, caught by a stray bullet from a senseless playground murder. As Fresh loses his innocence playing street thugs and drug dealers like pieces on a chess board, he becomes the greatest victim of all. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

Get ready for FRESH -- the intense, action-packed hit that wowed critics and riveted audiences everywhere! Disenchanted by the harsh realities of life in the city, a smart, streetwise kid nicknamed Fresh strives to create a better future for himself and his family. Fighting back in the only way he knows how, Fresh defies the odds by staying one move ahead of the local criminals in a dangerous game of survival! With extraordinary breakthrough performances by Samuel L. Jackson (PULP FICTION, JURASSIC PARK) and young Sean Nelson as Fresh, this is electrifying, edge-of-your-seat entertainment!

 

Customer Reviews

59 Reviews
5 star:
 (48)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (59 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Anything lost can be found again, except for time wasted.", February 29, 2004
This review is from: Fresh (DVD)
Michael, a.k.a. "Fresh", is a 12-year-old drug dealer who lives in a run-down house with his aunt and other orphaned children in a dangerous Brooklyn neighborhood. Having grown up in a harsh culture, he is a boy who shows little emotion despite witnessing the revulsion of street life on a regular basis. His mother is long gone, his sister has resorted to prostitution, and his father is completely estranged-although every now and then he meets with his father to play speed chess, through which he is taught street knowledge. At first Fresh aspires to live the life of a powerful drug dealer, but one day a heartrending incident causes him to rethink his dreams and consider a better possible future.

Directed by Boaz Yakin (who also directed "Remember the Titans"--a *completely* different film), "Fresh" is an astonishingly well-done film that left me stunned long after it ended. By depicting a brutal life through the eyes of a young boy, the film tells a bleak story by taking its viewers on a roller-coaster ride of gut-wrenching scenes, and yet in the process it still manages to engage the audience and finally arrive at a surprising conclusion.

Although the first third of the film is basically used to give the viewer a tour of Fresh's neighborhood, the plot soon becomes very complex after one particular scene. Fresh's life literally becomes a game of chess, represented by the moves the pieces make and the strategy used to stay alive. Despite the film's quiet atmosphere, it moves at a rapid pace and forces the audience to listen closely in order to keep on track with the plot. The plot moves unpredictably throughout, but every one of its elements makes perfect sense after a bit of thinking. And although the script is heavy on profanity, it is totally realistic in depicting the everyday life of the characters, and the dialogue between Fresh and his father during their chess matches is especially good.

The picture is shot on low-budget film, making the Brooklyn neighborhood feel all the more dark and unwelcoming. But there are no prolonged fight scenes, nor is there a lot of on-screen brutality. There are, however, a lot of tragic scenes that really hit home, and they are shot with rapid film editing and camera work that didn't require any computer enhancements. Simply put, no unnecessary visual techniques are used.

The acting is superb all around. Sean Nelson, in his debut role, is stunning as Fresh; he is so compelling in the way he conveys his emotions without having to say anything, and he feels so natural that it seems as if he doesn't even know the camera's on him for more than 90% of the film. For this to come out of a debut performance is impressive enough; but for it to come out of such a young actor is truly astonishing. Supporting roles include Samuel L. Jackson, who expresses a great sense of authority as Fresh's father, and Giancarlo Esposito, who is absolutely chilling as the "black king" of the film.

And the ending is unforgettable. In fact, it is not the unpredictable denouement that the viewer remembers best; it is the very last image. In one final shot, all the emotion that had built up to that point bursts out in a brief, silent moment. It is a deeply moving way to end the film, and it gave me a faint sense of hope despite all the sorrow and horror that had already happened.

"Fresh" is a tiny film that manages to be riveting, frightening, disturbing, contemplative, poignant, and faintly uplifting all at once, and that alone makes it one of the most memorable films I have ever seen. But with acting, filming, and screenplay all being top-notch without any other frills, "Fresh" is also a brilliant work that uses only the most basic aspects of film to their fullest extent. It features many upsetting scenes and is definitely not for all viewers, and due to the plot and script it can be a very challenging film to watch at times, but it is an unconventional example of a director and cast at the top of their form. I easily recommend "Fresh" to film lovers everywhere.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An INCREDIBLE movie that suffered from lousy distribution, July 23, 1999
By 
Dr.J.A.P. (Chicagoland, IL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: FRESH (DVD)
With the exception of a audio track that sometimes gives the impression that students were hired to record the sound, this is quite possibly a perfect movie. Given two thumbs WAY up by Siskel and Ebert, this film is a tightly written and well acted. The initial opening, which confused me at first, on later viewings revealed itself to be the setting of the chessboard upon which the title character plays his most important game -- Namely, his life. If you are a lover of suspense, intelligence, or chess (Fresh uses chess tactics to checkmate his opponents and save the "queen") than This is the film for you. Because, at first glance, this film is about African Americans and drugs -- but with relatively little violence, the distributors had no idea what to do with it and it received lousy distribution and little advirtising. It is NOT however so much a film about drugs and violence, as it is about an incredibly intelligent, hard working kid who uses all the resources available to him to get himself and his sister a better life. I have seen this film multiple times, and to my amazement found NOT ONE line of wasted dialogue in the whole thing... which makes the lousy soundtrack all the more annoying. Additionally, it has the complex construction of a Dickens' tale -- seemingly unrelated details all coming together to a tighly knit resolution. If you are a serious student or lover of film, this is one to be savored.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Overlooked Gem, April 26, 2000
This review is from: Fresh [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is a very recent film that I watched at the suggestion of one of my co-workers (Hey Harlan!). I was captivated by this film from beginning to end. Its raw power is undescribable, and the performances by the lead actor in particular (Sean Nelson) was brilliant. The story deals with a young boy who has become a pint size drug runner. He, however, is extremely intelligent and knows that there is no future in this type of life. He sets out to become a man, and in the process many lives are changed, most importantly his own. It is a film of astonishing and unrelenting power which should be seen by everyone. I was very impressed with screenwriter/director Boaz Yakim's decision not to put the usual soundtrack that befuddles urban films, instead, the instrumental score brings yet another dimension to this already multi-layered motion picture. Kudos to Giancarlo Esposito in the role of Esteban.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Movies & TV by subject:







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
TREASURE CHEST Privacy Statement TREASURE CHEST Shipping Information TREASURE CHEST Returns & Exchanges