Nick Barnes "Mr. Untouchable" - Read Below
"Mr. Untouchable", a documentary on Harlem drug kingpin Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, will be released on DVD on Tuesday.
There are various comparisons between "Mr. Untouchable" and "American Gangster". "Mr. Untouchable" came out in the theaters Oct. 26, while its counterpart "American Gangster" was released on Nov. 2.
"Mr. Untouchable" was produced by Damon Dash, a Harlem native and former CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records. Rapper Jay-Z, Dash's former business partner, made an album inspired by the movie "American Gangster" and titled it with the same name.
While the large-scale "American Gangster", which starred Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, told the story of Frank Lucas, "Mr. Untouchable" was a documentary that spoke directly to Barnes and his experiences.
Like Lucas, Barnes was a heavy kingpin of heroin in Harlem in the 1970s after the 1968 death of the legendary Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who was portrayed in "American Gangster" and the movie "Hoodlum". For Lucas, Johnson was a mentor yet was a competitor to Barnes.
Barnes was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in "American Gangster", but Barnes was not content with the script nor Gooding's performance and was compelled to be apart of the documentary, which was directed by Marc Levin.
In his heyday, Barnes created The Council, an organization of Harlem's heroin dealers in order to consolidate their zoned areas. Lucas vehemently declined Barnes' invitation and the two became competitors.
Barnes wound up on the cover of the New York Times Magazine and was dubbed "Mr. Untouchable" for his ability to beat any charges brought against him. However, he was brought down by the DEA and entered the Witness Protection Program after giving up names.
Prior to "American Gangster", Barnes was the most well-known drug kingpin of his era. However, after a lifestyle of wealth, fame and flashiness, Barnes has been relegated to being referred to many as a "snitch" due to his entry into the program.
The producers arranged a phone conversation between the two former kingpins, which is included as an extra on the DVD. While many expected them to be angry or spiteful, the two were very cordial and showed a lot of mutual respect towards each other.
News From: http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=34926&cat=2
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