Third Clue: March's Mystery Movie

Clue #3: This movie is a pretty straight forward action movie with some seriously impressive car stunts by a hollywood stunt legend.

Tape Freaks Presents: March's Mystery Movie at the Trylon microcinema, Wednesday, March 1st@ 7:00pm, only $5!

****Purchase advance ticket here****

Blacksploitation: The Spook Who Sat by the Door

You could easily argue us out of categorizing this as a straight up Blacksploitation movie. But if you did, you'd still have to admit that the filmmakers utilized elements from the genre to disguise their subject matter. Either way you look at it, the elements of this film fit the genre, and this becomes a singularly significant (an excellent) Blacksploitation film that deserves a larger audience.

The plot unfolds something like this: The CIA has decided it needs to diversify, so they set about hiring their first Black agent. And although they have no intention of actually hiring any of the candidates, they're putting on quite the show running the 100 or so men through basic training and everything. But this is the exact kind of opportunity Dan Freeman has been waiting for, and he is absolutely ready to seize it. He alienates the other candidates and presses forward in the perfect balance to genuinely impresses the white recruiters, eventually earning him the job that was never actually on the table. And the CIA has exactly what they needed: a token Black man. They stick him in the basement making copies and trot him out to anyone they need to impress with their diversity. Freeman plays the token roll for a few years before abruptly announcing his departure from the agency to pursue other opportunities. No one bats an eye. Now it's Freeman who has exactly what he needed this whole time: the keys to overthrowing the kingdom. All he needs now is foot soldiers, and he knows just where to start. He hits his old neighborhood in Chicago and starts convincing local hoodlums who already fight for nothing, to start fighting for something. It doesn't take long before has an army who's armed, loyal, covert, and trained in the same methods as CIA operatives themselves. They'll never see them coming.

The best parts: The direction in this film solidifies our wish that Ivan Dixon had directed more films. He implements some directing tricks that are not easy to effectively use, and he does so flawlessly. It makes us ill to think what he could have done with a solid script. The acting in this film is also really solid, there's no ham-fisted performances glued together with action and wardrobe, everyone delivers a genuine performance and most are fantastic. The cinematography and editing are fantastic as well, especially during an effectively realistic, and pretty long, riot scene. Really it's a movie with only one glaring flaw.

The only problem: We watched this movie, with it's epic story, interesting action, surprisingly realistic riot scene, superb direction and dynamic acting, and yet something major was not gelling. Honestly, we're used to watching movies that are bad in really easily identifiable ways, so this one was a conundrum for us, explicitly because it worked on almost every level. It wasn't until we'd had lot of discussion about it that we realized the problem: every single character was written as a hollow representation of a person. Characters do change over the course of the film, but they have almost no arcs or deep emotional revelations because of that change. (Or if they do, we don't get to see it on screen.) That might work in certain kinds of films, but The Spook Who Sat by the Door is presented as a deadly-serious drama that is incidentally heavy on the purely entertaining elements, in this instance it just makes the film feel off balance. It might be the very first time we've encountered this as the only flaw in a film that is otherwise very enjoyable. 

Pulled from theaters: This is the second movie we've covered in this theme that was pulled from theaters after it's release. This movie was pulled for a very different reason; it was viewed as being genuinely dangerous. When people talk about it now, they often say this movie was basically a DIY guide to overthrowing a government, but that's kind of overstating the content of the film. Never the less, the only reason you can watch this film now is because someone had stashed away a copy and mislabeled it, so it escaped destruction. Seriously, that's how much someone didn't want this film seen. 

Not a guide exactly: No mistake, this is a pretty solid primer on what gorilla insurgencies looks like, but it's far from a DIY guide. (I mean, unless you're able to get a job in the CIA, then it kind of is...) But if we're talking about overthrowing a government with the landmass and military power as ours, it's a far cry from a how-to movie. But it is full of interesting perspective that's presented in a way that connects big ideas. And that's something that the powers that be absolutely Do. Not. Want., and that's the number one reason you should watch it.

Cast and crew: This film started as an independent production, therefor was able to have a much more diverse crew (because studios weren't trying to staff the crew from the start). Notable on the crew side of this production: Ivan Dixon directing & producing, Sam Greenlee writing & producing, and Cheryal Kearney decorating set. Notable cast members include a young Paula Kelly, J.A. Preston, and of course Lawrence Cook. There's also a notable white guy on this one, Michael Kahn editing. (Side note: researching the crews of these films has taken loads of time, and LOADS of guessing/taking peoples word for things in interviews, so if you're reading this and have additional info on the crews that fall under this theme, I would L-O-V-E to hear about it in the comments.)

As big as it's one flaw is, The Spook Who Sat by the Door is otherwise a really great movie and we truly recommend it. And you can watch it on youtube! See how good it is for yourself:

*Total tangent, analyzing this movie unlocked the final piece of why I hated Fear no Evil so much. That was a movie that failed on every. single. level. and I will never forgive it.

Blacksploitation: Abby

This possession movie was notoriously difficult to find due to Warner Bros. suing American International over the claim that Abby was a direct rip-off of their film the Exorcist. Warner won that suit, so when we finally sat down to watch this, we were fully expecting a blatant Exorcist rip-off. Funny thing though? The only real similarities between Abby and the Exorcist are that someone gets possessed by a demon and then exorcised. Full stop. 

The plot unfolds something like this: Abby's father in-law (and pro bono exorcist), Bishop Garnet Williams, is away on an archaeological dig in Nigeria when he (pretty recklessly) releases a demon from it's millennia old prison. This is bad for Abby and her husband, Reverend Emmett Williams; they're blissfully unaware of the wrath the Bishop has inadvertently unleashed (that's now inexplicably traveling across ocean to their exact location). But it's especially bad for Abby, as this sex-crazed demon has singled her our for possession, making her sessions as a couples counselor SUPER awkward. Bishop Williams must get back to the States to exorcise this demon and return it to it's eternal prison, before it's too late for Abby!

Carol Speed as Abby: Some of the elements of this film are over the top cheesy, but Speed's performance is not on that list. She does a fantastic job playing all the facets of this character, and she wrote and preformed a song she sings in one of the church scenes in the flick to boot! That kind of makes her the anti-Vanity...

Who is Eshu?: There's a long opening to this film that explains the god Eshu, leading us to believe that this was going to come into serious play later in the film. And most of the film seems to build up to that, until the last 10 mins when it's revealed–in full Scooby Doo fashion–that it was a demon pretending to be Eshu the whole time! It leaves viewers with a sort of "oh, um... alright I guess" feeling in the middle of the film's finale.

Cast and crew: Yet another Blacksploitation film that features most of it's Black talent in front of the lens rather than behind it. But, actors of note in this movie are definitely co-stars William Marshall and Austin Stoker!

Special effects: There's some fun possession effects in this film (stuff flying around, explosions, etc.), but Abby's makeup is aaaaallll over the place. There's quick cuts to what looks like cheesy rubber masks throughout the film, but for most of the film her makeup is pretty toned down and effectively creepy. (Honestly the images they flash to (pictured to the right and below) look like they were screen tests for versions of the makeup they abandoned.)

Your fave is problematic: This movie doesn't hide it's anti-feminism very well. Abby is a damsel in distress who must be saved not just by one man, but two. When she's possessed she embodies and amplifies some of the fears that men had during the women's rights movement of the 60s (i.e. Abby becomes sex-crazed and independent). And when she's "saved" in the end, it's literally the end of her character's importance. There's a tacked on (and completely nonsensical) epilogue where she has some incidental duologue, but after she's no longer possessed, the men are the only ones talking about it. It's seriously frustrating because this isn't a terrible movie otherwise. 

Warner Bros and their obsession with having the only possession movie: Abby wasn't the only possession movie that tried to ride the coattails of the Exorcist, but this seems to be the only one that actually got pulled from the market. We've seen movies that more closely rip off the WB film, so it makes us wonder: why this one and not the others? (Just kidding, we know why.)

Over all: This movie should be on more b-horror required viewing lists. It's bad, fun, cheesy, entertaining, sometimes even good, all in the right doses. It's too bad that Warner decided to create a sub-genre of horror just to keep it to themselves. 

Second Clue: March's Mystery Movie

Clue #2: The villain in March's movie is no stranger to playing the bad guy, but most notable for us, he was the bad guy in a Sid and Marty Krofft show!

Tape Freaks Presents: March's Mystery Movie at the Trylon microcinema, Wednesday, March 1st@ 7:00pm, only $5!

****Purchase advance ticket here****

Blacksploitation Double Feature: Cleopatra Jones & Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold

Both these films are fun, campy takes on the James Bond-style crime film, and the sequel ramps up the production value considerably, but there are some serious flaws...

Cleopatra Jones' story unfolds something like this: United States Special Agent, Cleopatra Jones' sole assignment is to shut down drug-trafficking in the U.S. and abroad. She starts by burning down a poppy field in Turkey belonging to notorious drug-lord. Mommy, owner of said poppy fields, is in the US, and she is fuming. In an effort to lure Jones back to the US, Mommy uses a cop on her payroll to stage a raid and plant drugs at the B & S house (an organization that helps recovering addicts founded by Jones). Lucky for Mommy, it works! However she might have bitten off more than she can chew because Jones is resourceful, slick, ready to kick ass all over town, and Mommy just made it personal.

Our favorite parts: Every amazing Giorgio di Sant'Angelo outfit that Tamara Dobson sports. Watching Shelley Winters doing what she does best; be brash, loud and dominating. There's a sudden motorcycle race that's pretty entertaining. Some fantastic cars (’73 Corvette Stingray, gimmiegimmiegimmiegimmie) in a great car chase. The climactic end taking place in a massive junk yard that the filmmakers actually utilize. And of course, loads of fantastic action, thanks to director Jack Starrett.

The Vanity effect: As much as we love Vanity, we also recognize that she brings the production value down a notch when she's in a thing. And though Tamara Dobson is an amazing presences on screen (tall, gorgeous, fashionable), she's not the greatest actress. However, as it is with most things, this doesn't so much detract from our love of her, it just adds a strange layer to it.

Your fave is problematic: We truly love Cleopatra Jones and Mommy, but we wish the movie would have just let us enjoy them. In an early scene introducing Cleopatra Jones, the filmmakers spend about 3 mins letting two slack jawed gawkers eye hump her (while talking about her like she was a walking piece of meat) before moving on. It's not the only time it happens in the film, and all of it is completely unnecessary and tedious. Mommy, on the other hand, is not just the baddie, she's also a lesbian. That should be neither here nor there, but for the time period having the frumpy, loud, dominating and villainous lady also be a lesbian (who chases young, hot, women two thirds her age no less) was not incidental. 

Cast and Crew: Both of the films in this duo feature more Black actors than they do crew members, the notable exception in this case is that the screenplay was written by Max Julien. (However, before you start blaming Julien for the misogyny/homophobia in this flick, the other "screenplay by" credit for Cleopatra Jones goes to Sheldon Keller, who at that point was basically in Frank Sinatra's writing stable. Really the grossness could have come from either of them but, if I'm putting money on it, I'm all in for Keller.)

Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold's story unfolds something like this: Cleopatra Jones hasn't let up on her primary mission: shut down international drug traffic with impunity. She's teamed up with her two lackeys from the first film to infiltrate the biggest drug kingpin in Hong Kong, Dragon Lady. Unfortunately for the lackeys, they inadvertently walk into the middle of a hostel takeover by one of Dragon Lady's competitors, and are taken captive by her men. Cleo must get herself to Hong Kong before her lackeys turn to collateral damage, but finding just them is more than half the battle!

Sequel's gotta sequel: There are some things you can always count on in a sequel, and Casino of Gold delivers in the best ways possible! The two lackeys from the first film come back and get their screen time upped considerably, proving they're as fun as was hinted at in the first film. Jones is out of her element and has to team up with a local detective and who's just as fantastic as Jones, is just as ready to kick ass, and is proficient in martial arts. It makes a surprisingly pleasant team up. 

Our favorite parts: Again, every single Giorgio di Sant'Angelo outfit that Tamara Dobson effortlessly makes her own. The baddie (played by Stella Stevens) is less cartoony in this one and is a lot more bond-villain like, which is a welcome change. Dobson being teamed up with Ni Tien (who at that point had more than 40 films under her belt) thankfully balances out Dobson's inexperience in front of the camera. (Though to be fair to Dobson, she does a much better job acting in this film.) The production value jumped considerably in this one, partly due to Alan Hume being the DP. The grand finale is more fantastically bat-shit than the mall scene from Invasion U.S.A., and yet you don't hear about it nearly as often... wonder why? (Not really though, we totally know why.)

Cast and Crew: The crew is noticeably more diverse on this production. However, that's almost exclusively because it was co-produced by the Shaw Brothers. 

Yes, that Shaw Brothers: Only two times that we're aware of did the Shaw Brothers co-produce anything. Casino of Gold is one, and the other was the Hammer Films' co-production The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. 

Your fave gets less problematic: It's disappointing that the SB didn't do more Cleopatra Jones films, because they're pretty great when it comes to their female characters. Their hand in this production makes the sequel the more watchable of the two films. The women in Casino of Gold team up together in a very Tango & Cash way. Each woman has a special skill they bring to the table, and each is allowed to let that talent shine before they finally bring those skills together in the big finale. It's a far cry from the out and out lechery from the first film, and that made us terribly happy!

There's even a Bond-type set! It's hard to see, but that's a swords fight taking place inside a ring of swords. Priceless!

Clearly we have a favorite: We do recommend both of these films, but watch the first installment with a grain of salt, and just straight up enjoy the second. 

Blacksploitation: Trouble Man

This movie is so great, but when people talk about Trouble Man, they're usually about to talk about the soundtrack. And it's a shame, because as great as the soundtrack is, the movie is just as good.

The plot unfolds something like this: Smart, cool, tough, resourceful; Mr. T is the man people seek out when they need the impossible done. That's precisely why local business partners, Chalky and Pete, turn to Mr. T when their floating craps games start getting hit on the regular. But it doesn't take long for T to get wise there's something more is going on. Mr. T's got to figure out who's behind everything, and fast, or this might be the last impossible task he takes on...

Our favorite parts: It's a pretty straight down the line hard-boiled detective movie (and that's our FAVORITE kind of crime story) set in a noir-esque world with tons of great duologue, twists and turns, fantastic (Craig R. Baxley fueled) action, and a classic soundtrack. It's truly one of our favorites we watched over the last few months.

Cast and crew: This is one of those Blacksploitation movies where the diversity is mostly in front of the camera with the notable exceptions of the director Ivan Dixon and makeup artist Bernadine Anderson. 

The director: Ivan Dixon only directed two feature length films, Trouble Man and The Spook Who Sat by the Door, which he did back to back. Both of these films are excellent and make us wish he'd had the opportunity to do more features in his otherwise long career. 

The soundtrack: If you love a good soundtrack and you don't have this masterpiece from Marvin Gaye, then fix that immediately! The entire time I have been writing this the title track has been floating through my brain, and I hope it never ends.

Further reading: Here's an article that breaks down pretty nicely why this movie, as great as it is, doesn't have the cult status it really deserves: http://n.pr/2kTCcw2

Blacksploitation: Baadasssss Cinema

If you want a well balanced primer on the history of Blacksploitation, look no further than Baadasssss Cinema.

This hour long documentary with a look back through rose colored glasses on Melvin van Peebles' insanely successful independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Everyone interviewed talks about this being the beginning of what would become the Blacksploitation genre, about audience's the film at it's release, how it was the biggest grossing independent film up to that time, and how it influenced what came after. And just when things hit peak saccharin, Bell Hooks yanks those rose tinted glasses off and reminds the viewers what was more likely motivating van Peebles and company to make the film. I honestly can't recall a documentary with a more even handed narrative, there's new and insightful perspective on the subject at every turn. It's a masterful illustration on appreciating the great stuff our pop culture can produce, while addressing head-on the problems that can come with it. We highly recommend it.



And you can totally watch it for free on youtube! Check it out below:

First Clue: March's Mystery Movie

Clue #1: The theme for this month's movie: Blacksploitation.

This month's theme is one of the broader we've come up with (not to be confused with vague themes like last month's). Not only do Blacksploitation movies run the spectrum of genre, their tone can range from relatively straight forward, to unabashedly camp. Blacksploitation films can be produced almost exclusively by black creators, or be produced by white producers/studios featuring black actors. They can be problematic or empowering, sometimes in the same film never mind from flick to flick. Blacksploitation a huge umbrella, and this month we're gonna talk aaaaaall about it.

Tape Freaks Presents: March's Mystery Movie at the Trylon microcinema, Wednesday, March 1st@ 7:00pm, only $5!

****Purchase advance ticket here****

Third Clue: February's Mystery Movie

Clue #3: The director of this movie has been directing episodes of modern horror television shows, including a chunk of a particularly popular zombie series.

Tape Freaks Presents: February's Mystery Movie at the Trylon microcinema, Wednesday, February 1st@ 7:00pm, only $5!

****Purchase advance ticket here****