Film: Black Dynamite

[TheLoveBandit]

Black Dynamite (2009)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190536/

Plot: This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite. The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor. Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.


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TLB remarks:
Not much makes me laugh these days, but fuck this was a great watch. Shot in true blackxploitation style, with 70's clothing, language, and cinematography. Perhaps it was my conversion (to avi for blackberry) but there were even audio mistimings compared to the visual, and certainly some 70's style poor camera work and editing. All in all, they set out to spoof the 70's black kung fu genre and did a great job, IMO. Really, when you think they took it to a point of ha-ha mocking of the genre, they go over the line and keep you laughing.

Spoiler content:

NSFW:

One of my favorire lines going along was when a gov't agent asks BD to back off the the search for his brother's killer, with this dialogue:

O'Leary: We heard about your brother's death and we don't want you running around turning the streets into rivers of blood.
Black Dynamite: Then tell me who did it and I'll just leave a puddle

There are a lot of other great lines, some akin to Airplane style quick lines back and forth, or just some dialogue dripping with 70's black terminology for the overdone humour of it all:

Bullhorn: You know he came around here about a week ago, with some cats that I had never seen before. Man I mean these cats looked mean! Meaner than two fat motherfuckers wrestling over pork chops greens, can you dig it?

The credits list a few quality names, but for the most part they are bit roles (Tommy Davidson does alright as "Cream Corn")


Still, I was having a laugh every few minutes until about 2/3 thru (enjoying it until then, but not LOL'ing hard). That was when they took it to another level, with the conspiracy plan explanation to grasp why the warehouse only had Malt Liquor in it; which of course took them to (dun-dun-DUUUNNNNN!!!!) Kung Fu Island to fight his former sensei. Some may take the finally, and ultimate villian as a cop out, but I took it as the perfect ending, as it layered so nicely with everything up to that point, and still twisted it into a dovetail with the conspiracy, the kung fu, and the morality of being ... Black Dynamite.

Also, if you pay attention to the soundtrack....subtle, and plays well to the cheesiness of the spoof

I loved this flick. I'd like to hear what others might think.

 

[axl blaze]

read a couple beaming reviews. I grew up on a hefty dose of Pam Grier and Blacula - so I plan on checking this out.

 

[JoeTheStoner]

"...little richard" one of the best scenes in the history of cinema.

loved it as well.

 

[Evad]

Perfect parody film, will copy my comments about it from another thread

Black Dynamite

Just caught this last night and couldn't recommend it more!


This is an excellent parody of the blaxploitation genre, it's kind of what grindhouse was trying to do but so much better. The plot from just about every blaxploitation pic is mashed together in this hilarious film, ridiculous but played straight, the way a parody should be done. The dialogue and look of the film is very true to the genre, there's some amazing lines:

NSFW:

"The worst thing about these dealers getting children addicted to this new smack, is that these children are ORPHANS…. And orphans don’t have parents."

"Your knowledge of scientific biological transmogrification is only outmatched by your zest for kung-fu treachery." - possibly the best line in any film ever?

"First Lady, I’m sorry I pimp slapped you into that china cabinet."

NSFW:

Any film that has a huge Dolemite style character having a 1 on 1 kung fu battle with Richard Nixon is automatic win IMO. The "Hah! I threw that shit before I came in the room!" sequence had me in stitches

It probably helps if you've seen/are a fan of Dolemite/Superfly/Enter the Dragon and other films from the genre but my friend who I watched it with hadn't seen them and enjoyed it greatly also.

Funniest film of the year by a long shot but also clearly a labour of love from people who know and love 70s blaxploitation cinema.