Action Jackson (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's hard to list the many way in which this 1980s blaxploitation film is bad, but here are some:
* Lame comic relief. We begin with a black street punk who snatches a purse from a fat black woman, only to have the woman beat him up with her purse. He's nabbed, taken to the police station, then faints upon seeing Action Jackson (Carl Weather).
* Stereotypical cardboard police captain. He's by-the-books, comes down hard on Action Jackson's cowboy tactics, but is also a hen-pecked hubby who whines about his wife's "parchise night."
* Waaaaay unrealistic street battles. Action Jackson has a gun battle on the streets, screaming at a driver who's waving a gun. Meanwhile, people are walking in the background as though nothing is happening (who directed these extras?) And this is after a car chase in which a truck carrying propane crashes into a car, creating a chain explosion of many innocent people's cars.
* After all this, the police captain doesn't even mention all the dead civilians due to Jackson's cowboy tactics. No one does. It's like it doesn't matter.
* Stereotypical evil rich businessman. When Action Jackson asks him, "Why?" he's planning what he is, he replies, "Power!" then follows it up with a speech glorifying power. Not a very complex motivation, which is also the result of...
* Lazy scripting. When Jackson needs info, he goes to some hairdresser to learn "the word on the street." This sassy woman tells Jackson everything about what the evil businessman has done and is planning. Hey, HOW DOES SHE KNOW?
* Stupid scripting. Jackson enters a billard hall to ask some questions, and is confronted by some tough guys who don't like questions. He's about to be castrated, when Vanity pops in with some lame story about Jackson being her crazy brother. So Jackson starts preaching about God, to convince the tough guys that he's crazy. Which they readily believe. HOW DUMB IS THAT? Of course, once they let go of Jackson, he beats all four of them up.
* Contradictory scripting. Soon after the businessman explains his master plan (in great detail) to Action Jackson, Jackson asks, "What do you plan to do?" Huh? HE JUST TOLD YOU!
* Awful 1980s hairstyles and fashion. One hit man has looooong feather blond hair, looking like a heavy metal singer. (His face looks like Kato Kalin). He dresses in full leather body suits, likes his cohorts. Pretty noticeable, no? Yet these hitmen are called "the invisible men," because of their ability to "blend in" and not be noticed. Yeah, right.
* Vanity is a heroin addict, yet she's smart, sassy, capable, and looks remarkably healthy. Apparently, a heroin fix a day leave no scars, no problem.
* Jackson calls Vanity a "junkie" throughout the film. At the film's end, she's fallen in love with him and says, "Ex-junkie!" Just like that. And just like that, Jackson says, "All right!" Wow. I had no idea it was so easy to kick a heroin habit.
* Lots of "cool sets" used for no good reason (other than that they look cool). Action Jackson sends Vanity into a bar to set up a meeting at a warehouse. When the man arrives, Jackson slides down a whinch chain, for no particular reason. Nor was there any real reason he couldn't enter the bar to see the man.
* In the end, this fiftyish businessman and Jackson each hold a gun in a standoff. So what does the businessman do? He puts down his gun, because he'd rather karate-box Jackson. So Jackson sets down his gun too, and they karate-box. Yeah, that's how most aging businessmen prefer to deal with the police.
* This was after Jackson drove a sports car into the businessman's mansion, up the stairs, and through the wall. (Good thing the hallways were wide enough to accomodate the car.) Nor was there a reason for this; the businessman wasn't planning on going anywhere. I guess it just looks cool to have a car driving through a mansion.
This is film is really bad, with a mindless script and lazy unrealistic acting. Even so, it's dumb fun. Vanity and Sharon Stone (in a small role) are sexy. Sexy eye candy and mindless action, so enjoy.

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Based on the TV series of the same name. A maverick cop is on the trail of a corrupt auto tycoon.

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Cleopatra Jones (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always really liked this movie since it came out in 1973. I have watched it countless times through the years on TV, but haven't seen it for a while on TV so I picked it up on DVD. Although the DVD doesn't offer a lot of features, the picture quality is good and it's presented in it's original cinemascope format. This was one of the higher budget "blaxploitation" flicks from the '70s. Seeing it as a kid I thought it was the coolest movie. Now that I am a lot older, it's still cool, but in a campy/fun way. The plot consists of a government agent named Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson)who is hired to rid the US of drugs. She goes after one of the "Queenpins" of the drug trade called Mommy, played by Shelley Winters. The one thing I never forgot about this movie was Cleopatra's kickin' Corvette complete with a cassette deck, which was really high-end at the time! (Most cars had 8-track players) Along with this was her funky fashions! If you like the '70s action genre, this is a great addition to your library.

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SHE'S TEN MILES OF BAD ROAD FOR EVERY HOOD IN TOWN!

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Superfly (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)Superfly (1972) is a tough, unpolished gem rising above the numerous films to come from the blaxploitation period of the early 70's. While some are critical of the message they believe posed within the film, one of glamorizing the image of the drug dealer, I didn't really see it that way at all. I think this image presented was a superficial one, and one that the main character within the film saw and understood, prompting his actions and decisions to try and escape the life.
Ron O'Neal, who recently passed away on January 14, 2004, plays Priest, a streetwise pusher in a dilemma. Seems he is tired of the hustle, and is looking for a way to get out of the game, but, as his partner Eddie (Carl Lee) puts it, "Look, I know it's a rotten game, but it's the only one The Man left us to play." Apparently Priest has thought long about this, and he has come up with a plan to score a lot of cash in a short amount of time, and then plans to retire. Sounds like a plan, but Priest soon encounters powerful forces that feel he is worth more to them on the streets, pushing junk, doing what he does best. While the film does appear to glamorize the lifestyle of the drug peddler, I truly believe the underlying message was than despite all Priests' success, he was languishing in a form of slavery, always working for someone else and taking all the risks involved in such a trade. In a way he realized this, but found it difficult to leave the life, as that was all he knew, and working for 'chump change' was not in his future.
Gordon Parks, Jr. direction may seem amateurish with jerky camera shots and such, but it fit in nicely with the nature of the material within the film, giving a raw, harsh look into the seedy side of life, much like Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973). One of the things that really sets this film apart from the other movies of the time was the soundtrack by the legendary Curtis Mayfield. With such funkified songs as Pusherman, Freddie's Dead, and Superfly, Mayfield's contributions to the film served to elevate it above many films within the genre, and solidify his career as a musical genius. O'Neal is great as Priest (love those outta sight mutton chops), and is supported by some really decent performances by the lovely Sheila Frazier, Julius Harris, who many may recognize from the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973), and Charles McGregor, who also appearing in Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles (1974).
There are a good amount of special features on this disc including a brand new documentary called `One Last Deal: A Retrospective', a commentary track by Dr. Todd Boyd, a USC professor of television and cinema and author of "Am I Black Enough for You: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond", a early featurette with Ron O'Neal, a `making of ` documentary with O'Neal, `Behind the Threads' featurette with costumer designer Nate Adams where he shows off some of the original costumes from the film, and an audio only track with Mayfield's music. Also, I really liked some of the small touches within the interactive menu. For instance, instead of a listing for `Scene Selection', it's titled `Makin' the Scene', the `Special Features' selection is titled `Fly Features', and the subtitles section is labeled `Jive Talk'. A very nice and well-developed release by Warner Brothers, although I still am annoyed that they use the cheap plastic and cardboard packaging. When will they learn...
Cookieman108

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Ron O'Neal in the smart, streetwise box office success about a pusher who tries to make one last killer deal before kicking the business. Featuring a hit Curtis Mayfield score.Year: 1972Director: Gordon Parks, Jr.Starring:Ron O'Neal, Carl Lee, Julius W. Harris

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Black Brigade (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)(...)That alone is scary-- I knew it might stink, but with the cast list, I thought it might actually be OK, and it is. It's a HORRID DVD transfer though, but for 1 dollar I can't complain too much!
It's what I thought it was, a TV movie (originally aired on ABC) from 1969 written by TV mogul Aaron Spelling and Produced by the great Danny Thomas Productions, who produced such classic TV shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, etc,.
This film stars Stephen Boyd, a great character actor/leading man known for his roles in such movies as 'Ben Hur' and 'Fantatstic Voyage'.
It features young newcomers such as Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams & football star Rosie Grier in great supporting roles as members of an all-black WW II US Army company ('B' Company) in France who are doing the 'grunt' work of the Army. Digging latrines, digging graves, dealing with garbage, etc. Basically getting No Respect. Blacks were considered second class citizens during WW II.
The story shows how Racist Redneck Major Carter (Boyd) is asked to go on a dangerous mission to blow up a Dam held by the Nazis and the only company of men to help accomplish the task are 'B' Company, (the all black company).
They appear lazy and shiftless to Major Carter, who doesn't believe they can help him blow up the dam. Little does he know, they are more than up for the job. Carter asks their lieutenant in charge for 'volunteers', and he picks 6 men, including Pryor, Williams & Grier.
It's fairly standard TV movie fare, and it's kind of neat to see Pryor and Williams in early roles, as well as great black character actors Moses Gunn & Glynn Thurman (Cooley High)--as well as Susan Oliver, a great blonde character actress who appeared in lots of TV drama in the 60's on shows like 'Star Trek', 'Mannix', 'The Wild Wild West',etc.
It's a nice forgotten addition to black cinema, and shows that black men in WWII could be just as heroic as their white brothers. It's an interesting look at race relations in the late 60's context too, what with the Black Panther movement and all.
It's kind of funny how all the black actors have big afros and a few have mustaches/goatees--not typical of WWII U.S.Army standards, but more like1969 fashion. Pryor sports a natty red beret throughout the whole story, too.
I guess I recommend it as a piece of nostalgia. Again, The DVD transfer is Horrid, but viewable.

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Studio: Ingram EntertainmentRelease Date: 01/13/2004Run time: 72 minutesRating: Nr

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