This is the true-life story of a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord. With the first hand testimony of the Godfather himself, Nicky Barnes, who was the most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history.
"If you seen any real interview footage of Frank Lucas or if you seen the "Charlie Rose" show with Frank Lucas on it,then you will know that Denzel Washingston's portrayal of him was a frabrication and actors lie, and you would know that the producers and writers of the film "American Gangster" wrote and produce a lie that was really based on Leroy "Nickey" Barnes. Nickey Barnes documentary is the truth and if you want more truth get the book written by Bumpy Johnson's widow Mayme Johnson. American Gangster was a Blockbuster lie check the public record."
Yet Another Side Of The Story
Vikki | Woodbridge, NJ | 02/17/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I purchased this along with "Superfly: The Frank Lucas Story" This was a great DVD and brings alot to the table. I saw "American Gangster" and found the subject very interesting yet could not help but feel that I was not getting the "real deal" and only some convoluted Hollywood version of the truth. Like many Hollywood "Based on a True Story" movies, the subjects are interesting in their own right, yet filmmakers feel the need to embellish. I was not there but the people in this DVD were! They all have alot to contribute to this interesting tale. I heard Nicky Barnes interviewed on Howard Stern recently and found him to be a very compelling and interesting person. I can't say that I agree with his choices or lifestyle but his interview and the DVD gave me some very interesting things to think over."
An outstanding and unfiltered perspective of the drug busine
Don C. Wilder | Oki | 02/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This film allows you to hear the story from those who lived it. There is no Hollywood spin on this. You hear the words straight from Nicky Barnes' mouth. It gave me a different perspective of the man. Under different circumstances, Nicky could have probably been the CEO of a Fortune 500 company."
The Code
A. Ingram | 03/04/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nicky Barnes is the truth. He lived his life by a code. He lived his life by an oath of loyalty that he made to his brothers. What happens when you're betrayed by the ones whom you put your trust into. What happens when the people who you kept it real with don't keep it real with you? This book is on point and unravels the circumstances surrounding one question that a lot of people want to know the answer to. Why did Nicky Barnes snitch? It's often said that getting revenge is the best feeling in the world. In Mr. Barnes case I'd have to agree."
If you like gangster docs...
K-Fleet | Kansas | 02/29/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Humor: 2
Blood: photos of murders
Nudity: 1, topless chick in a photo
Minutes FF'ed thru: none
Overall rating: 4
Memorable quotes:
Barnes: "Hey Nick, you broken the Golden Rule. And I say, what good is a rule if the rule ain't a jewel that's fit for the crown of the king, if you goin take the rule and just use it to make bling and you goin say f**k the king, then the king goin sing."
Nicky Barnes aka Mr. Untouchable was one of the most notorious drug lords in upstate New York in the 70's. He went from a user to a kingpin, taking whatever he wanted by any means necessary. After years of growing and grooming his empire, and beating several cases, which is what labeled him Mr. Untouchable, he was caught and sentenced to life in prison. From the inside, he continued to run his organization, but with incompetent leaders, things started going bad. The final straw is when one of his boys started messing with his girl, so he decided the best revenge was to snitch and take the empire down. This resulted in 75 felony cases and after 21 years in prison, he was released under witness protection. He did have feelings of guilt for breaking the street code, but it was more about his family's disrespect, and their failure to recognize their place, where they came from, and how they got there.
This was a pretty good documentary told through the narration of Barnes and people in the inner circle. If you like gangster docs, check out Gangster King: Raymond Lee Washington and Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock.