On Disc: Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 1
Another ode to '70s cinema by and for Black people features a half-dozen classics starring Pam Grier and all your other favorite stars.
Yes, earlier this year there was a review on this page of Blaxploitation films for the Imprint label, which had some titles making their physical disc debut ("Superfly TNT" and the two Fred Williamson "Charley" films). This collection from Shout Factory is taking six films from the old MGM "Soul Cinema" DVD collection and giving them the Blu-Ray/4K Ultra HD treatment.
Some of these films have already been released on Blu-Ray by Olive and Arrow. It's good to know these film have clean looks on the screen without taking away any of the 1970s grit of the stories. Plus all of the films have a solid soul music score that should be a part of your music collection. More on that as we go along.
This collection has...
"Across 110th Street" (1972) is a gritty potboiler crime drama that is often credited as one of the first blaxploitation films, along with "Shaft" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." It's actually more of a post-"In the Heat of the Night" cinematic pairing of mismatched cops (Yaphet Kotto and Anthony Quinn) and their polarizing methods of police work. Kotto is by the book while Quinn uses his street smarts and fists to get results.
A group of African-American men rob an Italian mobster's hideaway spot where they count the cash. Of course, one false move leads to a twitchy finger and plowing down the mobsters plus approaching police officers trying to thwart the robber's very messy escape (with a pre-Huggy Bear Antonio Fargas behind the wheel). Who will prevail? The robbers, the police or Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa) who is getting heat from The Family about keeping things in Harlem in order.
Side note: The score of the film was done by jazz trombonist great J.J. Johnson. Besides being one of the jazz giants and produce of the famous Indiana Avenue music scene, Johnson scored his share of films in the 1970s ("Man and Boy," "Top of the Heap," "Cleopatra Jones," "Willie Dynamite"). The title track was sung by soul great Bobby Womack. His version of the song was used brilliantly at the start and end of Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown."
Hopefully more cinephiles will give this film a look.
"Black Caesar" (1973) is one of Fred Williamson's best films and performances. A remake of "Little Caesar," Tommy Gibbs (Williamson) goes from doing favors for the Italian mob as a young man to carving out his own empire. Greed, jealousy and a ledger with all the corrupt names on file eventually take its toll on Gibbs... or does it?
"Black Caesar" also holds a special achievement in cinema. Williamson's Tommy Gibbs has a gun shot to the gut that goes on for a full day without treatment. The ending of (Spoiler Alert on a film over a half-century old) has Gibbs beaten to death (or left for dead?) by a gang of the next generation.
With the big box office success of "Caesar," Williamson and writer/director/producer Larry Cohen immediately made a sequel "Hell Up in Harlem" (1973), also in this collection. "Harlem" forgets the last few minutes of "Caesar." "Harlem" starts with Tommy's father (Hall of Fame "That Guy" Julius Harris) finding his son in the Harlem rubble and getting him to a hospital. Once recovered, Gibbs pursues revenge on those who wronged him in the past film.
"Hell Up in Harlem" is a step down from "Black Caesar" storywise, but the amusing actions scenes (a mob beach house attack with help by the African-American cooking staff, a kung-fu street fight and a two-man chase to goes across two coastal airports) make up for lack of story punch.
(Picks up the name he drops) During my first interview with Fred Williamson, I brought up the idea of releasing both films (minus the final scene in "Caesar") as one monumental three-hour epic gangster film. Similar to when NBC aired the first two "Godfather" films in chronological order in 1977. I'm still waiting.
Both films feature Williamson in full-swagger with great suits, accompanied by the music of James Brown in "Black Caesar" and Edwin Starr in "Hell Up In Harlem." Listen to Larry Cohen's commentary tracks on both films about what happened to the music and the lack of permits used to shoot in New York City at that time.
Pam Grier worked with director Jack Hill twice in the Philippines on "The Big Doll House" and "The Big Bird Cage." Their third collaboration was "Coffy" (1973). Coffy (Grier) is a nurse who spends her free -time mowing down thugs, pimps and drug dealers to avenge the drug-induced death of her sister. She must manage her hospital work schedule easily as she goes undercover as a prostitute to go after a pimp and mob boss. Plus her boyfriend wants to run for Congress. Grier's charm, sensuality and action makes this a fun ride. This film and "Foxy Brown" solidified Grier as the female face of Blaxploitation films. Others followed quickly from Tamara Dobson in "Cleopatra Jones" to Jeannie Bell in "TNT Jackson."
By the way, the score for "Coffy" was the only soundtrack by jazz great Roy Ayers. One of his instrumentals used in "Coffy" was also used in... Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown." Your pledge dollars at work, folks.
"Sheba, Baby" (1975) has Grier as Chicago detective Sheba Shayne who returns home to Louisville to assist her father as his business is getting leaned on by the mob. Not as gritty as "Coffy" and "Foxy Brown," but Grier still brings her toughness and sex appeal to the PG-rated Sheba. This film and "Friday Foster" would move Grier to be a more action hero and not just out for revenge. There should have been more starring vehicles for Grier at this time.
The soundtrack to "Sheba, Baby" was a group effort by Monk Higgins, Alex Brown, Cloteal Cleveland and singer Barbara Mason. Released by Buddah Records.
Rounding out the collection is "Truck Turner" (1974) is one of the first starring vehicle for Isaac Hayes (the same year as "Tough Guys," co-starring with Fred Williamson), who also did the film's score. Truck Turner is a former pro football player turned bounty hunter who kills the pimp Gator (Paul Harris). This leads to a contract put out on Turner by the madam Dorinda (Nichelle Nichols, owning every scene she's in) and pimp Harvard Blue (Yaphet Kotto).
Charm-wise, Isaac Hayes is somewhere between Fred Williamson and Jim Brown. He has some nice patter with bounty hunter partner Jerry (Alan Weeks). "Truck Turner" was one of films that helped plant the seeds of the buddy cop films that would blossom in the 1980s.
The film's director Jonathan Kaplan would turn out to be one of the more successful directors to "graduate" from Roger Corman University aka American International Pictures. Kaplan would follow "Truck Turner" with titles like "White Line Fever," "Over the Edge," "Heart Like a Wheel," some John Cougar Mellencamp videos, "The Accused," "Unlawful Entry," "Love Field" and "Bad Girls" among others.
(Side note: On You Tube, there's a video called "Trek Turner." A mash-up of Nichelle Nichols as Dorinda verbally berating her stable of girls synced up to animated footage of Uhura from the "Star Trek" ‘70s animated series. Do not watch this at work).
The less we talk about the drawings of Grier and Williamson (a cross between graffiti and those exaggerated portraits done at vacation resorts) used on the box and each of the film's menu page, the better.
There is also a documentary, "It's Where the Action Is!: The Blaxploitation Films of AIP — Part One" which covers some of Blaxploitation films put out by AIP. Of course, there are loads of scenes from the films in this collection in the documentary. I'm looking forward for Vol. 2 collection and documentary.
Matthew Socey is host of the Film Soceyology podcast at wfyi.org.
