Never Buy A Stripper A Drink

If you like revenge voodoo-zombie Blaxploitations, then, this is your flick! When a wealthy black club owner refuses to sell his his establishment to an evil white mobster, he is murdered by hired thugs. It’s now up to Dianna “Sugar” Hill to avenge his sudden demise; voodoo style! Sugar Hill begs local witchdoctor, Mama Maitresse, to summon Baron Samedi, the voodoo king. Baron Samedi grants Sugar Hill the use of his “army of the undead” to extract her revenge on the dudes that whacked her man. One by one, they are gruesomely exterminated. As the corpses begin to stack up, hot shit detective, Valentine is hot on the trail … or is it tail?! Ya’ see Valentine has a past with Sugar Hill back in the day& he’s hopping to get some more of that sweet sweeeet Sugar! As Valentine begins to piece together the supernatural elements of the case, Sugar Hill does what it takes to keep him just on the wrong page as her zombie force completes her vengeance.

I’m always amazed by how these massive black dudes in these movies allow themselves to be verbally & physically bullied by the scrawny “evil white man”. In real life they would simply beat the living shit outta these racist honkies! The only reason this happens in Blaxploitation films is to set them up as victims before it’s time for some whoop-ass payback! Gotta’ get the audience on your side cheering you along the way! I completely understand why people in this time period loved these films. Blaxploitation is fun fantasy & escapism when put up against social unrest & depression.

This film appears to take place in a Louisianan-type setting due to the access of dark-arts parishioners as well as bayous & alligators. It was actually filmed in its entirety in my hometown of Houston. I don’t really recognize any of the settings. This was 36 years ago? H-Town looks more like Hazzard County than the 4th largest city in the country. There’s less voodoo around these parts now-a-days….I hope!

Share your thoughts on this & other Blaxploitation flicks here in our forum or leave us a voicemail @ (206)339-7771

Get this SUGAR HILL T-shirt @ rottencotton.com

“Ya’ see, pimpin’s been going since the beginning of time. And it’s gonna’ continue straight ahead until somebody up there turns out the lights on this small planet. Can ya’ dig it?”

Shhhhit! Where to begin? This is one of the first experiences of Blaxploitaiton in my youth. I remember watching this on BetaMax at my neighbor’s house one summer afternoon while all the parents were off earning a living. Sure, the picture was cropped & the sound was mono, but the cheapness & grittiness added to the experience! Supa’ slick Max Julien plays “Goldie”, “the meanest Mack that ever lived”! He’s a street thug that gets caught up in a shootout against the cops. After convincing his partner, “Slim” (played by Richard Pryor) to split the scene, Goldie is snagged & sentenced to a stint in the pen. Once he’s free, he decides to get into the prosperous pimp game. Follow Goldie as he recruits the baddest bitches around. The rest writes itself! Oh, also be on the look-out the world’s first “Playa’s Ball” & “Playa’s Picnic” ever seen; long before Chappelle’s Show!

Goldie “recruiting” talent…

I remember seeing Richard Pryor on the screen & immediately thinking that this was gonna’ be a comedy. Shinola! I was wrong! Nothing funny going on here, son. Just the stone cold serious Mack game! This is one of Richard Pryor’s earlier movie roles & one of the rare dramatic roles he would portray in his career. The few moments he’s on the screen are spot-on gold! Yeah, Rich was sooooper coked-up during filming, but it adds the reality to his character, me think?. Then again, I’m partial because Richard Pryor is one of my top five people in the history of mankind.

The soundtrack is essential listening for anyone that digs on smooth grooves! WILLIE HUTCH brilliantly composes the perfect soundtrack which some may argue that it’s even better than the actual movie.

Get THE MACK SOUNDTRACK here on iTunes:

here are some samples:

play episode here:

 

I CHOOSE YOU * (this song was sampled by UGK in their 2006 song “International Player’s Anthem”.)

play episode here:

 

NOW THAT IT’S ALL OVER

play episode here:

 

BROTHER’S GONNA WORK IT OUT

Share your thoughts on this & other Blaxploitation flicks here in our forum or leave us a voicemail @ (206)339-7771

This typical playa’s tale is not so typical. Not this time. This is the story of DJay, a tired pimp on the verge of a mid-life crisis. He’s in a complete dead end situation. Ya’ see. The hoe game is not his true calling. DJay realizes this when be begins to tinker with an old keyboard that he “acquires” in a trade for “goods &/or services”. He soon finds something in him that he has never experienced. He discovers an unknown lyrical talent & is driven to shape this plate & mashed potatoes into something meaningful! He calls on a conservative childhood friend, Key (played by Anthony Anderson), for the hook-ups to get it done! Does this yarn wrap up with a Hollywood happy ending? I’m not spoiling. If you haven’t seen this one, you should. It actually won the audience choice award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Sure, the story can be compared to other “from the streets” rapper stories, but Terrence Howard is one of two reasons for watching this flick. I’ve always found his presence on the screen to be very natural & effective. This is the probably the first time that I had ever seen him not portraying a villain, thought many would argue that he IS a glorified villain in this role. You feel his frustration, confusion, & pain in HUSTLE & FLOW. He is amazing! So amazing that he was nominated for a best actor Academy Award that year. This is a really good human story! I see this as his big breakthrough role. Unfortunately, Terrence Howard has fallen out the game faster then it took him to get here. He landed the role of ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in IRON MAN, only to lose it for the sequels after a money dispute. He has also, since, launched a music career which has gone almost unnoticed. Even if he never appears on the screen ever again, I will always salute him for HUSTLE & FLOW.

The second reason to watch this flick is because of director, Craig Brewer’s vision. He appears to be a student of the Blaxploitation genre. You see this throughout the film; from the opening title sequence, to the music cues, to the montage, & especially the content of the story. I have no knowledge of his background, but you would assume he’s some brutha’ from the hood. He’s a white guy from Memphis! I’ve kept my ear to the track ever since, hoping for more magic. A year later he brought it with BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2006)! I loved it! Craig Brewer seems to understand that blues mentality that these stories thrive on. I can’t wait to see what’s next up his sleeve.

On an unusual note, HUSTLE & FLOW’s soundtrack was a HUGE seller that year. Who woulda’ ever thunk that Three 6 Mafia would take home an Oscar for best original song with “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp”!? It was a good track, but it didn’t knock me on my ass or anything? Then again, I don’t really see the point of nominating songs for movie awards. That’s just another ploy to sell records to the big corporate marketing machines. Check out the televised performance of “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” from the 2006 Academy Awards:

Get the soundtrack here on iTunes:

Share your thoughts on this & other Blaxploitation flicks here in our forum or leave us a voicemail @ (206)339-7771

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, today’s Black History Month Blaxploitation pick stars an NFL legend. Though he never appeared in a Super Bowl himself, legendary Cleveland Brown running back, Jim Brown (1957-1965), shocked the world in 1965 when he suddenly announced his retirement from the game to focus his time on starring roles in movies. “SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP-OFF” was one of these movies! In this 1973 sequel to “SLAUGHTER” (1972), (also starring Jim Brown as Slaughter, duh!) Slaughter’s buddy played by George Gaynes (Punky Brewster’s “dad” & Commandant Lassard from the “POLICE ACADEMY” series) is suddenly shot up during a park outing. Slaughter don’t like his boys being dissed like this & THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL!!!

Whatta’ fun flick this is! It’s soaked with your typical Blaxploitation elements, but Jim Brown is tha’ smooth man of action that makes this movie fun. Lots of over-the-top violence and action. Its got it all! Shoot outs, cars flying off cliffs, bi-plane attacks, Ed McMahon!!

Unfortunately, James Brown’s music didn’t make it to the DVD version. I think there is some copyright issue with the original music being released on the home video versions. I can only imagine how much cooler this could’ve been with the ‘Godfather of Soul’s’ music instead of the recycled source music from other Blaxploitation flicks like “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown”. 1973’s “Black Ceasar” (played by fellow NFL legend, Fred Williamson) wasn’t the best movie, but it’s James Brown soulful soundtrack gave it an extra emotional kick!

Here are some samples:

play episode here:

 

PEOPLE GET UP & DRIVE YOUR FUNKY SOUL * (this song was used by Sam Raimi in the Spider-Man sequels when Peter Parker is in a delusional state of believing that he is a bad ass.)

play episode here:

 

SLAUGHTER’S THEME

Get this classic James Brown soundtrack here on iTunes:

Two days after seeing ‘Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off’ for the first time, I saw Jim Brown at the airport. I couldn’t resist. “SLAUGHTER”, I shouted across the terminal. He turned around quickly as though that was his actual name. He smirked, probably wondering, after all that he’s accomplished in his life, how someone could possibly remember him as Slaughter. If you are interested in learning more about Jim Brown, Spike Lee made an amazing documentary about him in 2002 called “JIM BROWN: ALL AMERICAN”. Seek it out & give it a look-see.

Share your thoughts on this & other Blaxploitation flicks here in our forum or leave us a voicemail @ (206)339-7771

Today’s Black History Month Blaxploitation pick is 1973’s COFFY, starring the voluptuous Pam Grier! This is a classic Jack Hill exploit flick. Jack Hill had a successful run of films (many starring Pam Grier & Sid “Captain Spalding” Haig) throughout the 60s & 70s; such as SPIDER BABY(1968), THE BIG DOLL HOUSE(1971), THE BIG BIRD CAGE(1972), FOXY BROWN(1974), & THE SWINGING CHEERLEADERS(1974).

Pam Grier is COFFY, a common nurse who’s kid sister happens to fall victim of a heroin overdose. Coffy hits the street with a vengeance; hunting down any pushers, pimps, or gangsters that cross her path! This one’s got it all! Shoot-outs, car chases, hoe brawls, sawed-off shotguns blasting domes, hidden hair razors, & King George(tha baddest pimp this side of the Mississippi)!

KING GEORGE! HE’S A PIMP!!

BRAWLING BROADS!!!

…Like most Blaxploitations, this one also has a classic soulful soundtrack. This one’s by the legendary Roy Ayers.

play episode here:

 

COFFY IS THE COLOR

play episode here:

 

ARAGON

Get the soundtrack here on iTunes:

Share your thoughts on this & other Blaxploitation flicks here in our forum