Dead Presidents
Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film co-written, produced and directed by the Hughes Brothers. The film chronicles the life of Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate), focusing on his teenage years as a high school graduate and his experiences during the Vietnam War as a Recon Marine. As he returns to his hometown in The Bronx, Curtis finds himself struggling to support himself and his family, eventually turning to a life of crime.
| Dead Presidents | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | The Hughes Brothers |
| Screenplay by | Michael Henry Brown |
| Story by | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes Michael Henry Brown |
| Produced by | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Lisa Rinzler |
| Edited by | Dan Lebental |
| Music by | Danny Elfman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $24.1 million (domestic) |
Dead Presidents is based partly on the real-life experiences of Haywood T. Kirkland (aka Ari S. Merretazon), whose true story was detailed in the book Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans by Wallace Terry. Certain characters from the film are based on real acquaintances of Kirkland, who served time in prison after committing robbery in facepaint. The film also is loosely based on several incidents involving the Black Liberation Army, notably the Brink's armored truck robbery.