The Snipes Saga

Wesley Snipes used to be my favourite actor. Consider movies like WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP, PASSENGER 57, RISING SUN and DEMOLITION MAN. He bled charisma, oozed intensity and possessed the fiercest roundhouse from here to the Jung Ko School of Tae Kwon Do. So what happened? After the release and subsequent failure of BLADE: TRINITY, Snipes was lowered to straight-to-DVD releases, films that had titles like THE DETONATOR and THE CONTRACTOR. Not only was his star falling, but Snipes was also charged with tax fraud, and is now facing 16 years in prison.

It pains me to see all this happen to man who I grew up admiring as the greatest terrorist killer in Hollywood. His reputation in the media was getting sullied, and he was essentially blacklisted by everyone who isn’t me and hack movie producers. Now, over at EW.com there’s a fascinating, full-length feature on whatever ever happened to Wesley Snipes, featuring the first interview with the star in a while. Finally you can hear what happened straight from his mouth, and I can tell you that Snipes does not hold back. If you’re into Wesley Snipes, tax evasion, or religious cults, this is enthralling stuff.