Sugar Hill

(This review has been re educated to make glorious benefit for Supreme Overlord Stacie Ponder. Ruler of Final Girlandia. Maker of most righteous Ludlow. All Hail President Kang Ponder.)

Sugar Hill opens with a frenzied, dynamically edited Voodoo Dance. And just as my brain is cross checking references, comparing it to the voodoo scenes in I Walked With A Zombie and Angel Heart, the camera pulls back and reveals the whole thing to be a put on. A sham, designed to entertain the mostly white patrons of “Club Haiti”.

Welcome to Sugar Hill a movie that is continuously smarter then it needs to be.

The film soon moves into boilerplate blaxsploitation. As the owner of the club is murdered by Mafiosos and his girlfriend swears revenge. Like I said, all standard Blaxsploitation stuff, along with outlandish fashions, a wakka chucka heavy score and ties so large they have their own gravitational pull.

However, to get her revenge she gets goes to her old neighborhood priestess to help her contact Baron Samedi, who raises an army of undead slaves for her, in exchange for her soul.

It is here that the film begins to decidedly diverge from the standard Blaxploitation movie formula.

The encounter with Baron Samedi, and his subsequent raising of the army of the irate dead is genuinely eerie in its matter of factness. The zombies themselves are legitimately creepy, draped in cobwebs, with Ball Bearing Eyes and eager grins, going about the evil deeds of their mistress with enthusiastic relish (And this is despite the fact that they bear an uncanny resemblance to the rasta aliens in Buckaroo Bonzai). That being said, in one of the film’s few major missteps they inexplicably decide to forego The Baron’s uber iconic appearance. ( In all other regards the actor does a fine job. And it's always interesting to see an actor rip into a role when they were given few other chances to do to just that. Given that Don Pedro Colley's other major roles were "Waiter With A Cake" in Herbie Rides Again, "Negro" in Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, and a reoccuring role in the back half of The Dukes Of Hazard I think it's safe to say that he never got to play on quite the same level of joyful malevolence.But imagine a film featuring an encounter with a clean shaven short haired Jesus.)

(Baron Samedi)

(A black guy in a top hat)

Unfortunately the actress potrarying Sugar is free of the burden charisma or acting skills, the actor who plays Detective Valentine, her foil, love interest, and provider of powerful filler, is if anything worse, laughably wooden. Like Ed Wood lead wooden. Together they leave a large and rather noticeable hole at the center of Sugar Hill. Though perhaps this is all for the best, had say Pam Grier and Robert Roundtree starred in the film it would have obliterated all need for any other film to ever be made.

Still, Sugar Hill does so much right that it is easy to forgive the things it does wrong. Particularly with the sliding scale that one usually judges exploitation movies. While carefully maintaining the balance of between the contradictory tones of fear in a horror film, and the cathartic nature of a revenge film. Sugar Hill is one of those rare films that manages to have its cake and eat it too. Right down to the way it completely lets it heroine off the hook, despite all the signals it sends that suggest otherwise.

I’ve wanted to see Sugar Hill since its bat shit insane trailer showed up on 42^nd Street Forever Volume 2. That trailer made the movie look impossibly fun. But the fact is that most exploitation movies only live up to a mere whiff of their potential.

Sugar Hill belongs to a rarified sub genre. That of the exploitation film that is exactly as much fun as the trailers and posters make it look.

The Unseen #36: Scream Blacula Scream

Why’d I Buy It?: One of the twofers that MGM has released in their, “The Goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain!” fire sale was this twofer of Blackula. For those of you doing the math that’s two Blacula films for ten dollars, and that equals… Well fuck, do I even have to tell you? Is this your first time on the blog? (Disclaimer: If this is your first time on the blog welcome.)

Why Haven’t I Watched It?: I don’t know once you’ve seen one Blacula haven’t you seen them all? (Disclaimer: Statement not actually racist. Black Vampires are a varied and diverse people ranging from Jefferson Twilight, To The Daywalker, to Armond White. The Statement only refered to the question of the possibility of variety within a film devoted to this particular Blacula.)

How Was It?: Better then expected.

Scream Blacula Scream follows a rift in a Voodoo cult. The leader dies, passing over her douchey son, and naming as her successor Pam Grier, because well she’s Pam Grier and thus self evidently the best person to do the job. The spurned son decides to get revenge by resurrecting Prince Mamuwalde, which is kind of like trying to get revenge on an ex by giving yourself Herpes in the hopes that she’ll sleep with you.

Prince Mamuwalde gets down to doing what Prince Mamu-awfuckit, Blacula, does. Namely, be charming as hell, speak in a strangely hypnotic accent and eat people. William Marshall is never anything less then fun to watch. And he’s joined by Pam Grier, whose, well whose fucking Pam Grier. I mean yes she’s amazing. Water also wet, sky is blue.

Scream Blacula Scream is a bit more kitsch dependant then its predecessor. Not that Blacula was free of kitsch. It is after all, a movie called Blacula. Its weighed down by a lot of scenes involving the internal politics of Voodoo, and its intersection with the “straight” world. As well as a baffling subplot involving the Vamped son of the former leader trying to forment an uprising in Blacula’s coven. Which leads to little more then Blacula coming in at inopportune moments and pimp slapping him. These scenes could be called tongue in cheek, but that would imply consistency of tone and clarity of vision.

Still while Blacula certainly had scenes like the one that follows, Scream Blacula Scream is dependant upon them.




Now granted if a film entitled Scream Blacula Scream didn’t include scenes like that, you’d be disappointed. I’m not saying it shouldn’t feature. I’m just saying Blacula was better able to modulate its tone. Still the film does slip in a few genuinely creepy scenes. Particularly an ill advised raid by the LAPD on Blacula’s vamp infested pad.

Scream Blacula Scream is about as much fun as you’d expect a film called Scream Blacula Scream to be. Its blessed with two charismatic leads and a good sense of humor about its own ridiculous that doesn’t keep it from occasionally playing things straight.

It may not be a great film, but if you’re looking for an exploitation programmer, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse.

The Unseen #34: Black Caesar

Why’d I Buy It?: Picked it up for a song at a Hollywood Video Liquidation.

Why Haven’t I Watched It: I shame my family and myself.

How Was It?: To say that Black Caesar plays more like a gangster film that happens to have a principly Black cast, rather then a blacksploitation film, might sound like a tremendously dickish thing to say. But it rings true. I’m hardly one to ghettoize genre filmmaking, but the fact is that Black Caesar does not evidence the gaudy fashion, slack scripts, and general air of incompetence that one usually equates with Blacksploitation. Lets face it guys to be a cinephile is to be a fetishist. And that’s putting it politely. We get a fair amount of mileage from things that do nothing for the general populace. And when you watch a Blacksploitation film, it comes with a very specific set of criteria, criteria that does absolutely nothing for a whole lot of people. Lets face it, there’s a reason Black Dynamite didn’t become a box office dynamo.

Black Caesar on the other hand could be played as a pretty great crime film to just about any audience. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t partake in some of the garish pleasures of the genre. Its just not beholden nor dependant on them. Instead it thrums along with a genuine efficency, centers itself on a magnetic performance by Fred Williamson, and has a few genuinely awesome scenes. A stylish unexpected verite style, and more brains and style then you would think a movie called Black Caeser would have.

Black Caesar follows the rise and fall of Tommy Gibbs. An ambitious Black Gangster who after an early stint in Prison “buys” a block of Harlem from the Italian Mob in exchange for a well placed hit.

But Tommy has ambition, smarts, and a ruthless killer instinct that takes his sights far beyond the rundown block. And by the time the Mob realizes they “should” stop him, its far too late.

A lot of the time Blacksploitation is more fun in theory then practice. Dependant upon individuals scenes rather then a whole. But Black Caesar has so many great scenes that they string together, and almost by accident end up making a great movie. An execution in a nightclub segues into a great scene involving a night club singer pressed into service, which moves into a detour to California, which cuts into a great Montage of Fred Williamson strutting around Harlem to James Brown’s “The Boss.”, which leads to a stunning confrontation with Williamson’s deadbeat Dad.

The film is directed by exploitation legend Larry Cohen, who has made an entire career out of coming up with concepts far better then he can realize. But he really brings it in Black Caesar bringing the truly unexpected to play. Its by far his best directed film.

The film really kicks into high gear in its relentless final third….

(Spoiler)

In which an ambushed and gut shot Williamson struggles to find help in his Harlem Neighborhood, while the mafia, turncoats in his own gang, a corrupt police force, and the mean streets itself abruptly turn on him.

Its an intense, sweaty, and completely unexpected scene, that puts you on the edge of your seat. The entire time. An unexpected blast of cinema verite, directed by Cohen with high style.

Black Caesar isn’t perfect. It features a rape scene that is disturbingly non-chalant. And the second act between the spectacular rise and fall is the old perfunctory stuff we’ve seen a thousand times before.

Still I’d argue that Black Caesar is a must see. Not just for fans of Exploitation cinema. Not even for fans of Crime cinema, but for anyone who can appriciate a kick ass, low to the ground gangster film.

The Unseen #4: Detroit 9000

Why I Bought It: Part Of Quentin Tarintino’s Rolling Thunder Label. Bought during the most fevered stages of my Tarantino Fanboy status (Right inbetween Kill Bill 1 and 2 for the curious).

Why Haven’t I Watched It Yet?: I don’t know disappointment at finding out that the movie didn’t actually take place in Detroit in the year 9000? (kidding)

How Was It?: Surprisingly good. Blacksploitation as with any exploitation is often a lot more fun in theory then in practice. While kitsch, and giant hats will get you so far. The lack of a compelling; story/characters/anyone giving a shit, can be wearing if you plan on watching something for more then five minutes.

Detroit 9000 is pretty high end though, featuring a pretty good mystery, some great quotable dialogue, a nifty end twist (Come to think of it there are a few of them), some sequences that are genuinely well put together and excited, and a world view that is cynical even for Blacksploitation. It might not be quite as fun as watching Gordon from Sesame Street play a pimp (Willie Dynamite, IMDB that shit if you think I’m making it up). But it comes close.

When a black congressman’s fundraising ball is robbed Detroit racial tensions in Detroit (GASP) threaten to explode. It’s up to a hang dog Eliot Gould lookalike (remember this is back when this was a good thing) to team up with a Capt. John T. Soulbrother (warning might not be actual name) to find out whose ripped off the goods. The great thing about Detroit 9000 is that everyone is a bastard, a flashback to a strategy session of the congressman is one of the most gleefully venal scenes I’ve ever seen in a film. The Black Cop and The White Cop do not end up buddies, the city of Detroit plays itself admirably as a rotting husk of urban blight (once again shocking I know), the ending is downbeat, and it seems like it was shot by someone who actually knew what to do with a camera.

There are plenty of Grindhouse films with more kitsch value and Grand Guinole, but very few can match Detroit 9000 for sheer quality.

Still if it had been set in city of Detroit in the year 9000 it would have won movies.