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February 2019




  

Willie Dynamite
Arrow Films/MVD
Blu-ray Review By: Jaime Pina



In the world of the Blaxploitation flick there is a subgenre of films about the rise and fall of the player. The success of these films depends heavily on the leading man and there have been some iconic performances with Ron O’Neal in Superfly, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson in Black Caesar and Max Julien in The Mack leading the way. Roscoe Orman also does a brilliant job playing Willie Dynamite, an ambitious hustler who refuses to give up his independence and pays the price.

Shot in New York City and released in 1974, the film features some familiar faces in the excellent cast including Thalmus Rasulala as a district attorney, Marcia McBroom from Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls as one of Willie’s ladies and Robert DoQui in an uncredited bit as one of the players. Roger Robinson is especially fine as the head player Bell. Director Gilbert Moses captures that wonderfully gritty New York that exploitation fans can’t get enough of. And probably as a result of his background as a stage director he pulls some effective and quirky performances from his actors. This release from Arrow looks and sounds fantastic but is uncharacteristically light on the extras with only a commentary and trailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 











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