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I grew up watching
the super cool Blaxploitation movies of
the 70’s. Whether they were gritty
crime dramas like “Shaft” and
“Super Fly” or gritty horror
films like “”Blacula”,
I felt that the directors of these films
were filling a gritty niche of blackness
that had not yet been seen on the big screen.
The acting was often gritty, the action
was gritty, even the way they drove cars
was gritty. The stars of these films were
Bad A**es with a capital ‘B.’
Sadly, these films went the way of the
dinosaur by 1979. After that, the only Blaxploitaiton
films around were shadows of the genre’s
former glory or parodies. Occasionally you’ll
see a film that is a loving throwback to
these times. And even if it’s a parody,
you can tell there was a lot of love in
the room. Last year, Michael Jai White (“Spawn”)
stepped before the cameras to bring us “Black
Dynamite,” which is a hysterically
funny homage to the great films and stars
of the 70’s. It hits every mark, even
when it goes over the top.
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Jai White’s Black Dynamite is an ex-CIA
agent out for revenge. Revenge against the drug
dealers who killed his brother. Revenge against
the drug dealers who are selling drugs to kids.
And in an even more nefarious plot… revenge
against drug dealers who are selling bad Malt
Liquor out on the streets. Not one to back down
from anyone, Black Dynamite is willing take his
fight all the way to the top. But Black Dynamite
isn’t all about revenge. He’s a soul
brother with love for the ladies, a slick romantic
at heart.
“Black Dynamite” is what a lot of
other ‘parody films’ have tried to
be over the past few years… funny. All of
those hideous “Scary Movies”, “Date
Movies” and “Epic Movies” have
been little more than badly written, poorly executed
drivel. With few laughs, these films have been
largely forgettable. Unfortunately this will probably
be the case with “Black Dynamite”
but not for the same reasons. It is expertly written
and acted, turning itself into a perfect parody
of the Blaxploitation genre, yet even when the
plot goes over the top, there is something ‘right’
about it. But your average movie audience won’t
get a lot of the humor. You really have to have
a love for the genre to ‘get’ what
they are doing. “Black Dynamite” is
a terrific film that will be largely ignored by
the masses, and that is a shame.
Then you will have the naysayers who will decry
the film as racist… of course most of these
people don’t have jobs, so who cares what
they think? The reality is that the film isn’t
the least racist to those who ‘get’
what the filmmakers are doing. Every character,
every set piece is perfect in its re-creation
of these 70’s films. Even the look of the
film, which was done more in camera rather than
through a lot of computer work, can be set next
to a real Blaxploitation film and I would dare
anyone to tell the difference.
Sony’s Bluray release of “Black Dynamite”
offers an interesting transfer. The video is clear
enough to see the details, but with the way the
film was shot you experience a lot of tint issues
and scratches. These are all intentional, so it’s
hard to say if the Bluray is actually better than
the DVD. The audio strikes a perfect tone with
its reproduction of the period music, as well
as all the ambient sounds throughout. The dialogue
is also very easy to hear, which might be the
only giveaway to the fact that it was filmed in
this decade.
Extra features include a commentary track by
director/co-writer Scott Sanders, who is joined
by actors/co-writers Michael Jai White and Byron
Minns. All are at ease as they talk about the
decisions they made while making the film in relation
to the casting, the use of stock footage, and
the like. They get into a lot of detail, but the
conversational tone rarely feels forced. There
is also a making of piece that features interviews
with a lot of the film’s cast and crew as
they discuss various aspects of creating the film.
Additionally, you’ll find a feature with
interviews that focuses more on the various cast
and crew as they reminisce about the 70’s
Blaxploitation era. Finally, there is a look at
the panel that was put together at the recent
San Diego Comic-Con and several deleted scenes.
The only thing missing was a Digital Copy, which
I would have loved to have for this film.
“Black Dymanite” is a parody that
gets it right. I feel like watching “Get
Christie Love!” now…
Directed by: Scott Sanders
Starring: Michael Jai-White, Tommy Davidson, Salli
Richardson-Whitfield
Extras: Filmmaker & Cast Commentary; Making
of Featurette; The Comic-Con Experience; Deleted
& Alternate Scenes; Bluray Exclusive –
The 70’s Back in Action; MovieIQ
Specification: 1080p High Definition (1.78:1);
5.1 DTS-HD MA
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 2/16/2010
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.sonypictures.com
We'll give Black Dynamite (Bluray) an A.
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