An Omar Broadway Film

24 Comments

• | Reply

• Heide | November 15, 2011 3:49 AMReply

  No one denies that the treatment in this prison is excessive. These are also excessive criminals who think it's just fine to take what they want and act as they please. We're being asked as the viewer to sympathize with these people as if what they did doesn't matter. Sorry, but I'm not sympathetic to poor treatment of a poor excuse for a human being. Get help, get right, but stop pretending the world owes you something just because you chose to act a fool. There are plenty of homeless, poor, starving, whatever who never turn to a life of shit. It's called a choice... they made their choice, now it's time to accept the consequences. They knew what lied ahead if they ever got caught. Boo-Hoo so sorry you don't like being caught. I don't want that kind of treatment either. That's why I don't commit crimes. You can't fix what you don't acknowledge.

• Mo Chanmugam | October 17, 2011 4:18 AMReply

  Got to admit, not a big fan of Sean Price Williams. His work in Sea Legs was a COMPLETE joke.

• tim | June 21, 2011 7:33 AMReply

  shocking revelations: prison sucks. most criminals are repeat offenders and morons. Parents of some prisoners really seem to not see how they are the cause of the prisoners confusion and lack of direction. Prisoners see them selves as victims...on and on it goes. How can anyone who has done the things these people have done be anything but remorseful? They think THEY are the victims! As for the guards, some of the guards may have been horrible people, but the prisoners ARE DEFINITELY horrible people and I am sure went to great lengths to goad the guards into "kodak moments". Bleeding hearts make me sick this dude gives up his rights the second he puts a shotgun in your childs face. A little differnt when it is your kid and not some random cabbie right? Did he think prison would be pleasant? This is a much better case for longer sentences and the hopelessness of rehabilitation than any critque on prisons. These people are narcissists - they have to be to do the things they do. They are the only thing that matters in thier world and anyone who has what they wat - they take it without a second thought. He told his daughter he wanted to abort her? how can any of you have any empathy for these people? I am so glad I live in Texas where we have the death penalty and we USE it. His mom is a shame to the whole of motherhood. Stand by your son but my gosh you cannot enable him and justify his crimes. TEACH him right from wrong - do you have nay morals at all? if you had been a real mother to him he would not be there in the first place. I am sickened by everything I saw in this film.

• LEW | May 1, 2011 10:35 AMReply

  were can i find this movie WTF! AN EVERY JAIL IS LIKE THIS!

• Ric | September 4, 2010 2:09 AMReply

  Trash waste of time thought this was gonna be interesting and thought provoking. What happens when you give a dumbass a camera and an even bigger bunch of dumbasses the opportunity to support, produce and promote this clap.

• Leroy | August 8, 2010 5:31 AMReply

  I watched the Omar Broadway film and it was a little disturbing. Omar's mother is an idiot. She is glorifying her son who sells drugs and robs people. Too bad the cab driver wasn't armed and could've defended himself and shot Broadway's dumb-ass! If you do the crime, you do the time. I hope the authorities find out who gave Broadway the camera and fire his ass and incarcerate him. I must admit there was excessive force used when the inmates were comliant and the COs still beat them with batons. As far as gangs go start executing the violent criminals and quit pussy-footing with criminals. Parents need to raise their kids right so that they won't end up in gangs. BTW I am a Black Correctional Officer.

• Stephen | August 7, 2010 9:25 AMReply

  This is mainly in response to Katie's post. They put themselves in that place, nobody else but themselves put them there. When he put that shotgun to that cab driver's face, that put him into that prison.They tried to work the system to see if they could get a "Rodney King" moment and they failed miserably. My main concern was how they got all the goodies in their cell( video camera, cell phone, cigerettes and mutliple knives and shanks), nothing worse than corrupt cops. The one person I felt sorry for in this whole mess was his daughter, hopefully she will end up ok in the future but I doubt it with that family she has got. Maybe one day he will see the error of his ways and return to society and take care of his daughter.

• Missy | August 4, 2010 12:04 PMReply

  Feel for the young people growing up in these bad neighborhoods,trying to fit in and ending up going the wrong way. There but for the Grace of GOD.

• Katie Brycce | August 1, 2010 12:02 PMReply

  I am so troubled by not only this film, but by some of the reactions I have read to the film here online. Its sad to see that people can be so ignorant and full of hatred that they would wish the kind of circumstances seen in this movie on any human being, even a convicted criminal. The fact of the matter is that, these men have lost their freedom. They have lost the ability to hold their children, they have lost the ability to kiss their wives or hold their mothers. No one thinks that prisons should be like luxury resorts, but there are certain things that should be considered inalienable rights in this day and time. Things like having food that is not coated with mace, the ability to shower on a daily basis, and the ability to leave your cell for more than an hour a day. And for those of you who want to turn a blind eye and claim that you didnt see any excessive abuses or violenve... It was clearly stated in the film that standard procedure was to use violent force to obtain control of a prisoner was acceptable, but that force was to be lessened after the inmate surrendered contol. I counted at least six instances of police officers beating the shit out of inmates long after they had hit the ground. And for that matter...how many officers with bats and shields does it take to beat one prisoner into submission?

• kellyt at charlen's | August 1, 2010 5:14 AMReply

  I THOUGHT THE FILM WAS INTERESTING. SHOWING WHAT GOES ON IN PRISIONS REALLY SHOCKED ME.. BE I AM NOT SURPRISED..OMAR'S MOM DID WHAT SHE HAD TO DO... STICKING BY HER SON WAS WELL TO BE EXPECTED.. WHO WOULD NOT..THIS IS 2010 MAKING A LIVING IS WHAT WE ALL TRY TO DO IN AMERICA TODAY... JOB WELL DONE

• Duke | July 30, 2010 3:28 AMReply

  It seems like Mr. Broadway and his Mom are very entreprenurial people. It is a shame HE choose the path HE did and SHE decided not to intervene any way SHE could for whatever reason while it was occurring. They could both be in a different position in life with better PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY and decision making. THOUSANDS of kids in Newark, East Orange, etc. make these CORRECT decisions every year. We shouldn't feel bad for someone who committs multiple felonies, IS RELEASED, and THEN decides to carjack a taxi cab driver with a sawed off shotgun. Didn't he make enough money selling drugs?? Now to the documentary. There is a reason they don't allow inmates to have cameras. If you look at the dates, there was a confrontation with this unit about every 2 days. How many of these do you think were staged to try and get dirt on the CO's? In most of these confrontations the inmates WERE fighting the officers. The CO's have every right to use necessary force to subdue these inmates. IMHO, that is all that occurred. If there was more, it was minimal at best. Finally, how exactly was Mr. Broadway able to possess a shank, buck knife, cell phone, camera, tapes, cigars, cigarettes, heating elements and other prohibited contraband in such a strict, unjust environment? I would think the CO's would be all over that? Well, I guess they are now thanks to this film.

• Ms.Sassy | July 30, 2010 2:39 AMReply

  I thought the film was great because it gave us a look into what happens in some prisons but not all...I DO DISAGREE with some of the things omar said and some of his actions...But when you do the crime you do the time now if your getting ur ass beat by the CO YOU HAVE TO ASK yourself what did you do to derserve the punishment...I do believe you have to make the best out of any situation you may be in weather prison or out...Its easy for us to judge Omar and his mom but what if it was your child getting beat would you or would you not want the world to know... I have a son and damn right I would want the world to know whats going on with my son....

• fearless | July 29, 2010 11:45 AMReply

  HBO has allowed themselves to be 'pimped' by this group of unfortunate black men. what do you really want and really was the 'brutality' undeserved. What a waste of 2 hours. ps i am black.

• Erik Glenn | July 29, 2010 6:40 AMReply

  All you cop lovin wanna be righteous people have no idea what its like growing up in the projects and in gangs, I welcome you to live in my baltimore city projects and see how your life turns out when all the bad shit on the news happens right where you live and grow up at,its a harsh upbringing and reality when your on the other side of it living in a fucking warzone. Its all survival and yes they were wrong for committing crimes but we are all human and make mistakes. None of you are perfect and i guarantee have done something illegal and wrong that u regretted, but because your not in that situation as those men are you have no idea what its like so do not talk about prison life if you have never lived it.Prison is all about survival and u have to do whatever you need to to accomplish that goal other then being a snitch, remember u also can reap reprocussions from inmates from not standing up to guards and bucking the system but i wont explain shit to you far sighted assholes. Because god forbid you make a mistake and land yourself a bit and then we shall see how your attitude changes a full 180 degree's. Not everyone is you and makes the choices you have and until you can relate to the lifestyle and lives they have lived your opinions dont mean shit.Im a hard workin truck driver and ex u.s. army soldier who is a citizen but has a exstensive criminal past and served his time and been witness to such brutality by officers so dont give me the your a criminal who screwed up so pay the price speech because everyone has faults and makes huge mistakes i used guns, but thats no better than you people on here that has problably cheated on your girlfriend or boyfriend and caused them emotional damage or screwed someone over to get what u want in turn wrecking someone else's life. .So dont act like your perfect and all righteous and innocent your not god so get off your high horses and be human because no one's perfect.The system is flawed and brutality is commonly present , in the real world its not an episode of lockup on msnbc with guards being nice that shit is for you dummies who believe what they tell you, when those camera's leave its a different story.But obviously none of you yuppies have been to prison cause they way you talk you wouldn't last 5 minutes and be bent over getting fucked. The man never said he was an angel but he showed you what real life is like for a man inside prison thats set up with rules that no one follows especially guards. I guess in your worlds if u cut me off in traffic or run a red light i have the right to stomp the shit outta you huh.Eventually all you people will get shown a raw and real smack in the face for all your fucked up actions and when that day comes dont whine like a bitch take it like a man caused you fucked up and deserved it as you all say.

• Lisa | July 18, 2010 11:53 AMReply

  This film certainly was disturbing alright. Both Omar and his mother's rampant narcissism and delusions of grandeur overshadowed for me the supposed brutality of the guards. The one son said it right when he said both his mother and Omar were all about making money. Shameless really how they made no bones about this. Even selling the lousy DVD for $5 a pop after being shut down by all the big names. Wow, just wow... Omar thinks this footage will lead to fame and fortune and his mother talks about how proud she is of Omar as she shows us where he was notoriously known for selling drugs. She has no regrets, as this place has made him who he is now. Excuse me, he's the man who put a sawed off shot gun to a cab driver's head and is now incarcerated for it. But according to Mom, once he put that camera in his hand, he became a bonifide documentary film maker... And the Bloods are some kind of glorified social reformers in her eyes if they just lived by their beautiful mantra... And even the second generation is in play now... Omar's small, beautiful daughter, who he admits he wanted to abort *on camera for her to see one day*, is shown draped in his favorite colors--the color of his gang. Wow... Just wow... I really went into this thinking I'd have empathy for the prisioners. I do to some extent because I feel like kids growing up in these gang infested areas are put at an unfar advantage. Those that don't escape the gangs are what we saw in front of the cameras... believing that the Bloods will eventually win out over the penal system. Believing that they are entitled and should be released because they are celebrities and that the rest of us should shed a little tear for them. I think they really see themselves as some kind of political prisioners... While I don't agree with police or guard brutality, I just didn't find this film compelling in that capacity, right or wrong perhaps because I couldn't get behind the film's self appointed protagonists. What is the answer to this? How do we go about saving the next generation of kids from this fate? That is the bigger question for me because probably over 80% of the population on that cell block is lost for good.

• chuck Thomson | July 18, 2010 10:57 AMReply

  What this video doesn't show is what caused the officers to have to use "That force which is necessary" to subdue these inmates.What I want to know is what dirty cop or civilian staff smuggled this in?He didn't get it by accident.!These cry babies are tough robbing and killing on the street being a "Gangsta"and cry when force is used on them!HOW DO YOU LIKE FEELING VONERABLE AND HELPLESS ASSHOLES!

• dave | July 17, 2010 4:51 AMReply

  kept waiting to see the abuse that Omar and his mommy kept talking about…, but it never came. Any inmate that refuses to lock down should get their ass kicked. Stupid motherfuckers need to be taught a lesson. How can I feel bad for an idiot that stuck a fuckin gun in a working mans face to steal a car? Fuck these ass holes. I say beat their fuckin ass. In fact, lets start killing these motherfuckers so that my tax money isn’t spent keeping them alive. No way they will ever contribute anything to society. We need to get some birth control in place in the ghettos so that these animals stop producing kids that they can’t support.

• Sean P | July 17, 2010 3:21 AMReply

  Boring, boring, boring. Summary: idiot robs a cab at gun point, gets locked up, he and other idiots instigate trouble with cops, cops whoop ass (funny:), no one with any sense picks up production of terrible documentary, awful docu-pic fades away minutes after it airs..... Nice job NJ corrections! Note to potential criminals.... jail sucks! Don't commit crimes, don't go to jail, once in jail blame white people, don't cause trouble because cops will beat you, rightfully.

• A cop's daughter | July 16, 2010 2:10 AMReply

  I totally disagree with the above statements. Not to make this about race but I do believe if these young men were white people would be more interested in what's going on in prison. Yes we all know they shouldn't be there in the first place. If they did what they were suppose to do in the first place they wouldn't end up in prison. What people fail to realize is that sometime these young men are forced to join gangs as a mean of survival in their neighborhoods. I'm not saying that makes it right but people should look at it from their point of view. What I saw were unruley inmates not following rules. But what I also saw were CO's beating on these inmates after they were shackled and handcuffed. These inmates are someones son, father, brother and grandchild and don't deserved to be treated like this. If you somehow landed in jail for reasons beyond your control would you want to be treated like this??

• Sowhat? | July 15, 2010 11:07 AMReply

  So what? In fact, it showed how the prison guards did their job. I was expecting severe beat-downs and torture. I found his mother to be a hypocrite and a liar. She states (in the beginning) her son was never a gang member and should not be in that unit. Then she gets caught up in her 15 minutes of fame and showed family photos of Omar throwing gang signs. If you listen to her slanted opinions you'll understand why her son might be confused or there in the first place. I don't have any empathy for Omar because he put himself in that position and now made it worse for all the others locked-up there now that his film came out? I am willing to bet they have cell shake downs regularly (now) and all electrical devices are contraband. So, no more cooking in your cells, no more smoking, no more anything that makes life bearable when doing time there. I am willing to bet the prisoners just sit and wait to be fed 24/7.

• Anthony Ripoll | July 15, 2010 5:14 AMReply

  Absolutely the most boring prison film I've ever seen! Most of it is filmed inside Omar's cell, with he and his cellmate discussing how great they are and how big their bathroom will be once their film goes "global", because surely it's going to make them millions! I didn't see one instance of any brutality going on, just the regular extraction procedure you've seen a hundred times before. Oh, you also see Omar's mother describing how proud she is that Omar grew up in their neighborhood and became a "Bloods" member, because it made him into the man he is. I suppose she means the armed carjacking drug dealer he is. But it does have a happy ending. After contacting Rev. Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Oprah, 50 cent and every other major organization they could think of, without getting any responses back, they do get a local news station to air about 2 minutes of it. That, and the fact that Omar's mother went out and hustled 32 copies to neighbor's and passerby's for $5 each. That made the whole thing worth watching! I wonder how huge their bathrooms were once they split the $160?

• Craiger | July 15, 2010 4:25 AMReply

  I missed the 7/14 showing on HBO2. Any clues on when this will be one again??

• Gene Ridge | July 15, 2010 1:46 AMReply

  Wow! What a complete waste of time. Am I supposed to be shocked? Drug dealing, murderous, scum of the earth doing what they can to manipulate the system is a film? It was better suited for Mtv2. The only interesting thing to me was the short cuts of the older brother because, he seemed to be the only honest person in that family. I know former guards who went back into the infantry because working in corrections was so awful. News flash! - Prison sucks! Really? Thanks.

• Ron Dean | July 15, 2010 1:15 AMReply

  I watched this and couldn't believe how the inmates behaved. You are a known gang member committing violent crimes and doing things on purpose not following orders. Then when you get beat or drug around you cry that it is brutality. If you would do what the guards are asking you to do you would not be in this position. In fact, if you didn't commit the crimes you did, you would not be in jail. After watching this I am starting to believe that some people like animals should be put to sleep or euthinized. The criminals have way too many rights and law abiding citizens are loosing all of theirs. You got what you deserved.