Trouble Man.

Review #1971: Trouble Man.

Cast: 

Robert Hooks (Mr. T), Paul Winfield ("Chalky" Price), Ralph Waite (Pete Cockrell), William Smithers (Captain Joe Marx), Paula Kelly (Cleo), Julius Harris ("Big"), Bill Henderson (Jimmy), Wayne Storm (Frank), Akili Jones (Billy Chi), and Vince Howard (Preston) Directed by Ivan Dixon (#1804 - The Spook Who Sat by the Door)

Review: 

Admittedly, I should have covered this film by Ivan Dixon before I did his most famous one in The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973), which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this September. As mentioned earlier, Dixon became a director in 1970 after a handful of acting roles, with the most famous role being Nothing But a Man (1964). He had graduated with a degree in drama from North Carolina Central University in 1954 (the theater troupe of the historically black college now bears Dixon's name). He also studied drama at Case Western Reserve University and the American Theatre Wing before he had gotten into acting. It was his five years on the sitcom Hogan's Heroes where he honed his interest of directing, doing so by asking questions about the process of directing and editing when on set due to not having time for film school. The movie was written by John D. F. Black (who had co-wrote the 1971 adaptation of Shaft with Ernest Tidyman), who also served as co-producer with Joel Freeman. The movie was released by 20th Century Fox, albeit with a cheap budget. This was the first major film role for Hooks, who had a few supporting roles in previous films such as Hurry Sundown (1967) along with a regular role in the TV series N.Y.P.D (1967-69); he was also the co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company. The music was done by famed singer Marvin Gaye in his one and only soundtrack.

The movie was not a major hit upon release, but I would argue that it deserved better than just being thought of as being in the shadow of Shaft (I kid you not, there was a book written by alleged film writers that called this one of the worst films of all time in 1978 - I say "alleged" because it is clearly obvious how times have changed with taste). Both films featured cool lead characters - one that is "hip" and the other being a benefactor to the community. Shaft had a cool leather suit, and T drives a Lincoln Continental. Shaft just happened to strike the perfect note for the perfect moment that even its sequels couldn't reach, but Trouble Man is dedicated to being a hardboiled adventure and mostly succeeds in that goal. For all the naysayers that came with films in the so-called "blaxploitation" genre, film viewers know one thing: cool movies come in all shapes and sizes, and Hooks for an unflappable pillar of coolness. If it wasn't meant to be replicated with sequels, Hooks sure gave his all in terms of steely charm that is both detective and fixer of the best type, one who isn't merely a "West Coast" Shaft, but instead a man with distinctions and timing that we are always curious through and through.  Both of the adversaries gained notice for feature roles in media besides this film: Waite starred in The Waltons, which premiered on television a couple of months before this film while Winfield gained an Academy Award nomination for Sounder, which premiered the same year as this film. At any rate, they make for capable natural foils to Hooks, conniving without becoming cardboard, while Harris provides the necessary "big bad" energy when required. Jones provides a bit of energy to counter Hooks, while Smithers makes a quality authority foil. The best crime thrillers come from how convincing they seem in actually wanting to show something interesting on screen, and I believe this fits most of the steps needed worth checking out for 99 minutes. Under looked for the time, Trouble Man is a feature with plenty to offer for those looking for a mostly-developed crime thriller with a worthy lead actor and style to go along with it.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Next up: Sounder.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door.

Review #1804: The Spook Who Sat by the Door.

Cast:

Lawrence Cook (Dan Freeman), Janet League (Joy), Paula Kelly (Dahomey Queen), J. A. Preston (Dawson), Paul Butler (Dean "Do-Daddy Dean"), Don Blakely ("Stud" Davis), David Lemieux (Willie "Pretty Willie"), Jack Aaron (Carstairs), Joseph Mascolo (Senator Hennington), Elaine Aiken (Mrs. Hennington), Beverly Gill (Willa), Bob Hill (Calhoun), and Martin Golar (Perkins) Directed by Ivan Dixon.

Review: 

In the end, some movies are just star-crossed. Ivan Dixon made only two films as a director, and this was the last one. Trouble Man (1972), a blaxploitation thriller, had been his debut feature after having started acting in the 1950s, where he worked it theater, television, and film. He is best known for his role in the film Nothing But a Man (1964) and his role in the TV series Hogan's Heroes (1965-70). From 1970 until his retirement in 1993, he would serve as a television director for a number of television shows; he died in 2008 at the age of 76. The film is adapted from the 1969 novel of the same name by Sam Greenlee. The Chicago native had studied political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before serving as an officer in both the United States Army and the United States Information Agency (1957-1965) before quitting to dedicate his time to writing. However, with this book, he went through a bit of trouble in getting the book published (he described the experiences in the USIA as identical to the ones depicted to the main character in his book). Apparently, years later he was told by a former FBI recruit that the book was now required reading at the FBI Academy. Greenlee believed that the film was pulled from theaters shortly after its release as a suppression by the FBI (United Artists did not exactly take kindly to it either as distributor); he wrote one further novel before spending time around the world along with teaching screenwriting and talk-radio before his death in 2014 at the age of 84. He lived long enough to see the film finally get a proper release on home video, since it did not receive a release on home video (DVD) until 2004, for which one can thank Tim Reid for finding the negative (packed under a false name by Dixon). Even finding a location to film was a trouble, since the novel was set in Chicago, Illinois, which at that time had Richard J. Daley as Mayor, five years removed from his dubious attempt at presenting the city as a shining achievement with the 1968 Democratic National Convention (incidentally, only his son would exceed his 21-year run as mayor, complete with allegations of corruption just like his father), so Gary, Indiana was chosen for filming. One might be curious about the meaning of "spook", and it is a slang word for espionage alongside a racial slur. The film was written by Melvin Clay and Sam Greenlee while Herbie Hancock (a famed jazz pianist) provided the music.

Keep in mind, Greenlee wanted to show a message of how urban guerilla warfare could be utilized to protect black communities. In fact, most of the $1 million budget would come from black investors. Dixon would only direct one other film before he retired from filmmaking, but he was proud about the film for expressing everything he felt about race. It is a strange thing that this film did not become more popular in a decade when Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), a film lauded by the Black Panthers as the "first truly revolutionary Black film made" was allowed to flourish (incidentally, that film was rated X while this was given a PG rating). Of course, one may be able to make a film about militancy but making one with anti-establishment ideals to go with that...is not as easy; of course, a television adaptation of the book is planned for release, so there is that. I applaud the efforts of Dixon when it comes to making a fascinating and provocative film in the power of community that strikes with careful precision in building its radical foundation without becoming a pastiche of cliches with easy outs (i.e. it is quite diverting without becoming melodrama-orama). As it would stand, this ended up being the most notable film credit for Cook amidst a handful of film roles. He does quite well in terms in pressurized charm that works the tight rope of determination and restraint. Kelly proves the curiosity in a role that is present for just the start and near-climax, which results in quality moments with Cook (League on the other hand is there to show just what one is missing in chemistry between two adults). Preston is the authority figure destined for conflict that we know is inevitable, but it doesn't make his scenes with Cook any less engaging, since they make a quality pair between the parallels in friends with distinct beliefs. The movie hits most of its marks when it comes to carefully planned moments of satire with regards to the reaction to hypocrisy in the name of affirming action by white people. Of course, the film presents the best way to get back at the system by turning it into a guerilla nightmare, one not just based on hatred for white people (as mentioned in one scene with Cook and Lemieux, who is utilized as "white-passing" member of their group for propaganda). The 102-minute run-time is efficient enough without becoming outright fantasy while having a punching end-sequence to go with it. As a whole, movies like this deserve a look because of just what manages to land in terms of impact in terms of viewpoints and execution, particularly ones that did not get a fair shake back in its day. Nearly a half-century, one can see where we have moved from in the 1970s and where we still have to go in the 2020s when it comes to what it means to be free.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Next Time: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)

Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored.

Review #1644: Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored.

Cast: 
Al Freeman Jr (Poppa), Phylicia Rashad (Ma Ponk), Leon (Uncle Melvin), Paula Kelly (Ma Pearl), Charles Earl Taylor Jr. (Cliff, age 5), Salli Richardson (Miss Alice), Anna Maria Horsford (Miss Annie), Bernie Casey (Mr. Walter), Isaac Hayes (Preacher Hurn), Willie Norwood Jr (Cliff, age 12), Karen Malina White (Mary), Damon Hines (Cliff, age 16), Taj Mahal (Mr. Will), Iona Morris (Nila Fontaine), Phill Lewis (Sammy / Narrator), Polly Bergen (Miss Maybry), and Richard Roundtree (Cleve) Produced and Directed by Tim Reid.

Review: 
People can make their name anywhere in the industry of entertainment, and they can certainly try to branch out to other fields when it means getting a story told to wider audiences. Virginia native Tim Reid had set up for wanting to get into show business despite having studied business and marketing at Norfolk State University. In 1968, he started working at DuPont in marketing, but it was also the year that he met a salesman in Tom Dreesen. At the same time, Reid worked the marketing job while also developing a comedy act with Dreesen, and the comedy act (named Tim & Tom) was the first biracial comedy duo. The duo struggled for five years on the nightclub act before breaking up, but Reid would eventually find a chance with television, with his first regular role coming in 1978 with WKRP in Cincinnati. Roles in shows such as Simon & Simon and Sister, Sister followed alongside developing his own production company and writing/directing for television. This was the first film that Reid would direct, and it was an adaptation of Clifton L. Taulbert's 1989 novel of the same name, which was his memoirs about his experiences growing up in the Mississippi Delta as a youth in the 1950s (Taulbert is known for his consultant work, and he would also cite his experiences for a book involving lessons learned from the "porch wisdom" of his community). This is to date the only mainstream film that Reid has directed, as his next two efforts with Asunder (1999) and For Real (2003) were mostly constrained to festival and video showings (as compared to this film, which had funding from Black Entertainment Television (BET).

What we have is a film for the small-town folks at heart in a time where kinship and community had to deal with prejudice and intolerance as a youth grows up to be shaped by what he sees and hears before having to make a choice for himself on what to do with that in mind. There is plenty to look at when it comes to its attempts at a period drama that involve dozens of speaking parts and episodic movement that goes with a warm attempt at reaching audience that certainly has a big heart to its craftsmanship. Whether that ends up working enough to justify its 115 minute run-time is up to the viewer, particularly if they are curious for a film that is looking for calm within tension in a small town that might seem right for a project on television or presented to an audience for educational purposes (when comparing it to fellow rural period piece in The Color Purple, this is more tame). For a first-time director, it is an okay effort, one that shows promise for what it shows in the margins in terms of warmth within a troubling time, but it seems a bit too loose near its end to make its lasting point (at least in narration) sing its high notes with clarity. In short, where one thinks the tense moments will arise for its climax seems to only seep in like a half-grown flower rather than one in full bloom, one with a few punches to land when it comes to clean-cut memory weaving. Admittedly, it is the story revolving around the townsfolk that may prove the more endearing more so than the trio of actors playing the youthful focus. Freeman, an actor near the end of a four decade career with focus on television (such as One Life to Live), reins interest in terms of dignified timing, one that is interesting to view with the young folks around him with something useful to say or to view, which is made clear in one sequence involving him teaching his youthful relative about adapting to the times in reading certain prejudicial signs (like how to spell colored) or a tense parade involving the Klan. Rashad (making her film debut after first breaking into acting through the stage) does just as well, warm but aware of the surroundings that makes one seem right at home with its sprinkle of coming-of-age trimmings. The three actors for Cliff do okay, mostly because one will eventually settle into its groove involving family life even with adversity (that, or find something that doesn't seem as much like a Hallmark greeting card) and a decent enough kid to grow into it. Honestly, it's the folks around him that would probably be more interesting to follow, such as a sometimes-used Casey or Hayes, or more specifically with the confident Roundtree. By the time it ends, you'll find yourself with a little bit of a smile, even if you would have hoped for something a bit more in its actual movements, where its episodic nature can only go so far for a film with a mix of seasoned cast and fresh faces to go with a director looking to tell a story to a bigger audience in his first effort. For better or worse, it's an okay time, light and charming in its small-town features to showcase its vision of the old days without being suffocated by itself.

Next Time: George Tillman Jr enters the stage with his biopic of the first African American master diver in the United States Navy with Men of Honor. 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Soylent Green.

Review #453: Soylent Green.

Cast
Charlton Heston (Thorn), Leigh Taylor-Young (Shirl), Chuck Connors (Fielding), Edward G. Robinson (Sol Roth), Joseph Cotten (Simonson), Brock Peters (Hatcher), Paula Kelly (Martha), and Stephen Young (Gilbert) Directed by Richard Fleischer.

Review
Soylent Green has been considered as a film to be reviewed in the past, and I do vaguely remember having a chance to seeing it right around last year, but I decided to take a good night sleep instead. So...After feeling a bit under the weather, carrying a death wish and not wanting to do a lame pun by reviewing a Friday the 13th film on the most over hyped superstitious day, I decided to watch Soylent Green. The film was adapted from the novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, who died just last year. This film has probably one of the more notable last lines which essentially gives the film new spin, but even still this doesn't validate all of the film. Heston is fine and Taylor-Young is okay, but the main actor that I seem to connect with is Edward G. Robinson, in his final film role, with his last scene of his last movie being both sad and ironic in approach. He does a good, if not great film, even if he isn't in the film too much. This feels like it could've been a Twilight Zone episode, especially with the twist ending and such. The future is grim bleak, and looks more like 1973 than 2022 at times. It's an okay film, highlighted with a fair twist and one or two great scenes, it's an alright science fiction film for the most part, just take it for what its worth.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.