Produced, written and directed by Jamaa Fanaka. Featuring:

Leon Isaac Kennedy as Martel "Too Sweet" Gordone

Thommy Pollard as Eugene "Genie" Lawson

Donovan Womack as Jesse Amos

Floyd Chatman as Hezekiah Jackson

Chuck Mitchell as Lt. Arnsworth

Hazel Spear as Linda

Badja Djola as Half-Dead Johnson

Young black man sleeping beside the road, awakened by motorcycles.

Catches a ride in a red van driven by a young black woman; a prostitute on wheels. "How'd you like to crawl in the back and roll around with me for a little while?" Linda gets a radio call to meet two customers. Gives the young man a sweet kiss.

When she meets the two men in a roadside diner, it's the motorcycle rats. Exchanging insults, a fight starts, and the black man is hit over the head.

Inside the penitentiary, all sorts of craziness is going on. One inmate, Half-Dead Johnson, pretending to be crazy and intimidating everyone on the block, gets another inmate to drop his pants so he can squeeze his butt.

The new inmate, Gordone, checks into his cell. He goes out into the yard, where inmates are dancing around.

At lights out, Gordone's cellmate is lifting weights. He asks if Gordone boxes. There is a big boxing tournament coming up. Half-Dead says he don't box: "I kills." Some dudes need a big brother to protect them in prison (16:00). A scuffle breaks out in the corridor later.

Five black inmates are talking later about busting the new man. Half-Dead wants to try him. In the cell later, Half-Dead tries to put the moves on Gordone. The men on the block hear all kinds of yelling from the cell. A long, noisy fight breaks out. "You my stuff," Half-Dead tells the new man, who promptly breaks his nose. The fight continues until Gordone beats the new man mostly to death. "Too Sweet" makes Half-Dead tell the others he's been whipped. "The bronc done busted the buster." (30:00). The others can't believe it.

The next day "Too Sweet" talks to the boy being victimized by Jesse Amos. He tells him to fight back, shows him how to make a fist. Too Sweet attacks Jesse when Jesse threatens him. Too Sweet gets 14 days in the hole.

The guard talks to Too Sweet and Jesse Amos about the boxing team. He warns them about fighting outside the ring. Too Sweet has been moved to the cell of Hezekiah Jackson, the trainer. Hezekiah gives him his instructions: "Keep your ass clean." "No sissies."

The boxing team is training in the gym. The lieutenant says the prize in each group is a night with a woman in the trailer.

Cut to the boxing match. The women from the prison next door are in attendance, along with some men from this prison dressed like women. Eugene Lawson, former sexual plaything, is now fighting back. In the women's restroom, a male inmate slips in to have sex with a female. Eugene wins the bout, while frantic activity continues in the toilet (51:00).

Hezekiah's nickname is "Seldom Seen." He manages his boxers, who apparently have nothing to do but work out.

The lieutenant brings his brother-in-law, Sam Cunningham, by to meet the boxers. He says a few words. The lieutenant promises the winner of each division a day of "connubial" visits.

The matches begin. Jesse Amos knocks out his white opponent in five seconds of the first round. Half-Dead knocks out Eugene, who wakes up glad that he's still alive. Jesse reminds Eugene that he's still his bitch. Eugene shows his fighting spirit: he tells Jesse not to hit him. He warns Jesse he's got to sleep, and has to turn his back.

Too Sweet is trying to talk to Hezekiah about pussy. Hezekiah say's he's been in prison for 35 years, and 15 years before that, or 50 or his 65 years, and he's not about to get worked up over no "pussy for a week" contest. "Survival, that's my first concern." "I've learned to be content," he says (1:05:30). Hezekiah says he believes he's free, and the rest of the world is locked out. Hezekiah is institutionalized and knows it. "If I can't have it all, I don't want any of it."

Too Sweet is fighting. His opponent, Magilla Gorilla, is hopelessly outclassed, acting like a fool. Too Sweet wins, and gets his connubial visit with a prostitute. It is Linda, the girl from the restaurant. She stabbed one of the bikers who attacked her in the restaurant, then ran away and let Too Sweet take the blame. He is mad and leaves her to cry. She recovers to call the lieutenant to send in the next customer.

Too Sweet is depressed, not even complaining when the promoter tells him he needs another year of seasoning. Jesse is going to get the boxer's parole this year.

Half-Dead and another convict try to stab Too Sweet in the cellblock, but Eugene gets stabbed in the chest instead. As he lies dying, Too Sweet tells him he has won. Eugene dies. No guards ever come to the block.

Too Sweet is really mad at Jesse now, holding him responsible for Eugene's death. He says call the lieutenant: he's ready to fight.

The final match between Jesse and Too Sweet begins (1:26:00). Jesse outweighs him by 50 pounds, they say, though the weight difference isn't that obvious. The action is hard and fast, like the Rocky boxing scenes. Both boxers are badly battered. When Too Sweet is knocked down, he uses the image of Eugene's death to motivate him to get back up.

The fight continues. Too Sweet finally beats Jesse unconscious in his corner. The lieutenant tells Too Sweet he's got the parole.

Too Sweet is processed for parole. Hezekiah is promised release, too. He tells Too Sweet he's scared to go back outside, the way things have changed. In prison he is somebody, and all his needs are cared for. Outside he would be a nobody. Too Sweet convinces him to come outside and give it a try.

Last scene: Too Sweet is walking down the road, mountains in the background (1:39:00). Where was this prison supposed to be, anyway?