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Across 110th Street (1972)
Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto star as two cops who form an
uneasy alliance to solve a series of urban crimes.
This film contains what may be Antonio Fargas' best role ever, as Henry...
A small time thief who discovers too late, that he's ripped-off the Mob.
An interesting aspect of black cinema (that's never discussed)
is the existence of three different blaxploitation sub-genres.
The first is comprised of films like Cotton Comes To Harlem
and Richard Roundtree's three Shaft features.
These studio films were produced to exploit the trendy
black experience and sell tickets to all audiences.
They generally enjoyed high budgets and polished screenplays
that didn't deliver many surprises beyond the expectations of an
adult, but mainstream audience.
Of course there was the mandatory nudity and violence, but
nothing unsuitable for mass consumption.
However make no mistake... Across 110th Street
is one of the very best 70s crime flicks.
Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto star as two cops who form an
uneasy alliance to solve a series of urban crimes.
This film contains what may be Antonio Fargas' best role ever, as Henry...
A small time thief who discovers too late, that he's ripped-off the Mob.
An interesting aspect of black cinema (that's never discussed)
is the existence of three different blaxploitation sub-genres.
The first is comprised of films like Cotton Comes To Harlem
and Richard Roundtree's three Shaft features.
These studio films were produced to exploit the trendy
black experience and sell tickets to all audiences.
They generally enjoyed high budgets and polished screenplays
that didn't deliver many surprises beyond the expectations of an
adult, but mainstream audience.
Of course there was the mandatory nudity and violence, but
nothing unsuitable for mass consumption.
However make no mistake... Across 110th Street
is one of the very best 70s crime flicks.
Superfly (1972)
A major studio (Warner) blaxploitation release that was about as PC as battery-acid.
Produced independently by a group of young black film makers on a budget of less than $65,000.
Superfly is second only to Shaft on the list of all-time highest-grossing blaxploitation films.
An interesting aspect of Superfly's production is the fact that it was directed by Gordon Parks Jr,
the son of Shaft's creator/director... Gordon Parks Sr.
The story being that Parks Jr was intent on creating a different kind of black hero than his father
had depicted in the previous year's Shaft. The result was Superfly. A hero cocaine-dealer named Priest.,
played with super-cool by Shakespearean actor Ron O'Neal.
Priest's ambition being, to distribute 30 kilos of cocaine, thus retiring a rich man.
In Superfly, the entire (white) police force is corrupt. In fact, the Police Chief and his henchmen
are running a massive cocaine operation that supplies drugs to every dealer in town!
In a stunning golden-shower to political-correctness, Priest is allowed to deal his 30 kilos cocaine.
What about the crooked (white) Cops? They remain in-power. Unpunished albeit, out-maneuvered
by the super-smart, super-cool... Superfly.
This film's shocking message was so problematic, that the NAACP actually demanded that Priest,
as well as the crooked Cops, be punished at the film's conclusion.
However, being 1972, and under pressure from the film's creators...
Warner Brothers honored the artists desires to... "Tell it like it really is"
This film is a true original. A 100% non-PC, big studio blaxploitation film.
Superfly's awesome original score by Curtis Mayfield
is second only to Shaft in the most-memorable music category.
My favorite sequence is a montage that inter-cuts between Mayfield performing his 'Pusher-Man'
in a live club, with 'stills' of Priest dealing cocaine to everyone in town. The sequence is a
spectacular marriage of 70s clothing styles, Cadillacs, free-love, drugs, afros and soulful music.
It just doesn't get any baader than Superfly.
A major studio (Warner) blaxploitation release that was about as PC as battery-acid.
Produced independently by a group of young black film makers on a budget of less than $65,000.
Superfly is second only to Shaft on the list of all-time highest-grossing blaxploitation films.
An interesting aspect of Superfly's production is the fact that it was directed by Gordon Parks Jr,
the son of Shaft's creator/director... Gordon Parks Sr.
The story being that Parks Jr was intent on creating a different kind of black hero than his father
had depicted in the previous year's Shaft. The result was Superfly. A hero cocaine-dealer named Priest.,
played with super-cool by Shakespearean actor Ron O'Neal.
Priest's ambition being, to distribute 30 kilos of cocaine, thus retiring a rich man.
In Superfly, the entire (white) police force is corrupt. In fact, the Police Chief and his henchmen
are running a massive cocaine operation that supplies drugs to every dealer in town!
In a stunning golden-shower to political-correctness, Priest is allowed to deal his 30 kilos cocaine.
What about the crooked (white) Cops? They remain in-power. Unpunished albeit, out-maneuvered
by the super-smart, super-cool... Superfly.
This film's shocking message was so problematic, that the NAACP actually demanded that Priest,
as well as the crooked Cops, be punished at the film's conclusion.
However, being 1972, and under pressure from the film's creators...
Warner Brothers honored the artists desires to... "Tell it like it really is"
This film is a true original. A 100% non-PC, big studio blaxploitation film.
Superfly's awesome original score by Curtis Mayfield
is second only to Shaft in the most-memorable music category.
My favorite sequence is a montage that inter-cuts between Mayfield performing his 'Pusher-Man'
in a live club, with 'stills' of Priest dealing cocaine to everyone in town. The sequence is a
spectacular marriage of 70s clothing styles, Cadillacs, free-love, drugs, afros and soulful music.
It just doesn't get any baader than Superfly.
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or retransmitted in whole or in part without expressed written permission. All rights are reserved. The opinions expressed in this e-publication are not necessarily those of
Style-b Cinema, or the editor. Many of the characters described and/or featured in this e-publication are fictitious and similarity to any real person or entity whether living or
dead is entirely coincidental. 2010
or retransmitted in whole or in part without expressed written permission. All rights are reserved. The opinions expressed in this e-publication are not necessarily those of
Style-b Cinema, or the editor. Many of the characters described and/or featured in this e-publication are fictitious and similarity to any real person or entity whether living or
dead is entirely coincidental. 2010
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