Blaxploitation (1972-1973) (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: May 05, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
-
Director
Martin Goldman/Larry Spangler/Ron O’Neal/Arthur MarksRelease Date(s)
1972-1973 (January 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros./General Film Corporation (Imprint Films/Via Vision Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: See Below
- Video Grade: See Below
- Audio Grade: See Below
- Extras Grade: B-
- Overall Grade: B
Review
[Editor's Note: This is a Region-Free Australian Blu-ray import.]
The use of the portmanteau term “blaxploitation” has meant many things: a source of income for film distributors since it was first coined by Junius Griffin, a source of controversy among black artists and filmmakers who believe it to be derogatory, and a descriptor to define black-starring and -produced cinema in a variety of genres. Today, the film still has somewhat of an uneasy relationship with film fans and people of color; some defend it and others detest it. Nevertheless, it has persevered as a catch-all moniker and continues to be used by both audiences and distributors. Case in point: Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment have released a boxed set entitled Blaxploitation (1972-1973), gathering together four films from the initial blaxploitation cinematic explosion of the 1970s, one of which has only previously been available on DVD, and three others that have never appeared on any optical-disc format legitimately until now.
First and foremost, we need to talk about the titles of the first two films in this set, one of which has been completely sanitized. Not just on the packaging and disc menus, but on the frames of the film itself. The original titles as released and advertised were The Legend of N***** Charley and The Soul of N***** Charley, which were highly controversial upon release, but you’ll not find the former anywhere near this boxed set. On the one hand, It’s understandable why distribution companies wouldn’t want that word on the packaging of anything they distribute, but I personally don’t agree with the whitewashing of history when it comes to the film itself. When I popped these discs in, I fully expected the original titles to be intact, and while the latter is, the former has unfortunately been digitally replaced, likely during its restoration. This isn’t about maintaining bigoted morals or exploiting people of color, it’s about the preservation of film history. That word was deliberately used to stir up controversy in order to boost the box office potential of these films, admittedly so, and altering it would be disregarding the intentions of those who made it. I would encourage distributors throughout the world who might also one day release these films on Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD to restore the first film’s original title and maintain the second, and continue to fight the good fight against the erasing of film history. With that all of that out of the way, let’s move on to the films themselves.
First is 1972’s The Legend of N***** Charley aka The Legend of Black Charley, the first film to star American football defensive back Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, who had appeared in a couple of films and TV shows prior, but not as the lead. In it, Charley, his mother, and other slaves have lived their lives on a relatively problem-free plantation, loyal to master Carter, who apparently treated them well. On his deathbed, Carter means to sell his slaves, but Charley’s mother convinces Carter to free Charley, which he agrees to do. However, the incoming plantation owner disregards this, and in a violent struggle, Charley kills him. He and two fellow slaves go on the run, with a group of angry white men hot on their trail. However, Charley is tired of running, and means to live free or die trying, fighting against his oppressors wherever he goes.
It’s clear to see when watching Legend why Fred Williamson became a star so quickly. He’s a handsome and magnetic presence, and his character is on top of nearly every situation he finds himself in. In a lot of ways, Charley is a reflection of Williamson, which is perhaps why audiences were so drawn to him when the film was released. The ugliness of white slave owners is on full display here, but certainly not on the same level of something like Goodbye Uncle Tom (a disturbing and unique exception). It’s more of a setup to get the characters where they need to be: the good guys need to be on the run, and the bad guys need to be coming after them. The film also takes a sudden turn in its story when after defending themselves in a small town and seemingly saving the day, Charley (along with D’Urville Martin as Toby, Don Pedro Colley as Joshua, and Thomas Anderson as Shadow) take it upon themselves to protect a desperate man and his wife who are being terrorized by the “Reverend” (Joe Santos) because the wife is half-Native American. It’s a little out of left field, but it puts Charley onto his first adventure as a protector of the people, which he would continue to do in the sequel, released the following year. As for Legend, it still holds up as an effective action drama with an occasional bit of mild comedy thrown in to help keep the mood light.
The Legend of N***** Charley was shot by director of photography Peter Eco on 35mm film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Imprint’s Blu-ray debut of the film features a presentation derived from a “4K restoration,” likely from the original camera negative. When this restoration took place is unknown, but judging by the quality, it’s relatively recent. The film contains some soft focus photography, which is built into its look and can’t be altered. Grain levels can sometimes appear uneven, possibly due to some Digital Noise Removal, which is most prevalent in the first reel. After that, both detail and grain levels improve. Since it comes straight off of the camera negative, there’s enormous depth in the image, with a bitrate that mostly sits between 25 and 40Mbps, sometimes spiking well above that. The color palette offers a nice variety of hues with deep blacks and good contrast. Only mild speckling is visible, though there’s an instance of digital noise along the bottom of the frame at 62:28. Otherwise, the majority of the presentation is stable and pleasantly organic, unlike the very poor standard definition version currently available on streaming platforms (at least those that I have access to).
Audio is presented in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. It offers good support for dialogue and score, despite its narrowness, and contains mild hiss. It could also have used a volume boost, but it’s an otherwise suitable mono-sourced presentation.
THE LEGEND OF N***** CHARLEY (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B/B+/B
After the enormous success of Legend, Fred Williamson would return to the role of Charley in 1973’s The Soul of N***** Charley aka The Soul of Black Charley, opting for a sequel that wouldn’t simply repeat the same beats as the first. In the film, Charley and Toby wander through a post-American Civil War world where black people are now free, at least on paper. They happen upon a small town that’s been entirely gunned down by a merciless ex-Confederate (Kevin Hagen), who along with his men are capturing as many black people as they can in order to sell them to ongoing slave plantations south of the Mexican border. He and Toby make it their mission to hunt down the Colonel, along with Charley’s new potential love interest Elena (Denise Nicholas) and bandit-for-hire Sandoval (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.), in order to free the slaves once and for all.
The initial setup of Soul sounds very much like another story in which a black man comes into town and protects others from the white man, but this time around, there won’t be many victories. There are sequences in which the film comes to a dead halt, including a fireside dancing sequence adjacent to an arm wrestling match that seem to go on interminably. It certainly gives the film a little more flavor and makes it seem more like a Western, but it does zilch for the plot and ruins the flow of the film. There are also many deaths, including a main character’s death right before the end of the film, leaving Charley in a position of vulnerability. It’s an interesting and somber way to close the film and makes his character more interesting and less surface-level, but on the other hand, it’s not that much fun to watch. It’s partially why I personally count Boss N*****, released two years later and also starring Fred Williamson and D’Urville Martin, as the third Charley film we never got. Overall, things feel less important in Soul than they did in Legend, despite the filmmakers attempting to do something different. I applaud the effort and there are some genuinely great moments to be had, but Soul is definitely the lesser of the two films.
The Soul of N***** Charley was shot by director of photography Richard C. Glouner on 35mm film using Panavision cameras and anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Imprint’s Blu-ray debut of the film features a presentation also derived from a “4K restoration,” likely from the original camera negative. Grain levels are a little more evened out this time around, though DNR is prevalent in the opening titles, which look to have been aggressively cleaned up in an attempt to help them blend with the rest of the presentation, but achieving the opposite effect. Scratches and speckling are more obvious, but bitrates are high, mostly sitting between 30 and 40Mbps, often rising far above that. The color palette isn’t as lush and black levels can appear a bit flat, but the main body of the film is very organic in appearance, maybe even more so than the first.
Audio is presented in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a much cleaner and more robust presentation in comparison to the first film’s audio, with clearer dialogue exchanges and more impactful sound effects and score. It’s still narrow by it’s very nature, but offers much more push overall.
THE SOUL OF N***** CHARLEY (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C+/B+/B+
While Fred Williamson was busy with his career, Ron O’Neal was still working his way through his. After the massive box office success of Super Fly under the producorial thumb of Sig Shore, Ron O’Neal took up directing duties for the sequel, 1973’s Super Fly T.N.T. After the events of the first film in which Youngblood Priest (O’Neal) is able to get out of the world of hustling drugs with enough money to live free and wealthy with his girlfriend Georgia (Sheila Frazier), he finds himself at a crossroads, unsure of what to do with his life. He soon meets Dr. Sonko (Roscoe Lee Brown), who has come to the US to seek help against oppressors in his home country. Priest reluctantly agrees to help him, against Georgia’s wishes, but ultimately gets more than bargained for. Also among the cast are Robert Guillaume, Jacques Sernas, and William Berger.
Unfortunately for Ron O’Neal, Super Fly T.N.T. was not the success that the first film was, failing at the box office. That’s certainly no judgment on the film’s quality, but as the film’s tagline reads, “Same dude with a different plan... in another country with a different man.” You couldn’t get much clearer than that. It’s a difficult film to fully engage with, mostly because of how slow it is. It’s 87 minutes but it feels at least a half hour longer than than that, with lots of naval-gazing and extended scenes of characters just hanging out together, which includes a very memorable singing performance by Robert Guillaume that literally stops the show (in a good way, in this instance). Other memorable scenes include Dr. Sonko’s devastating monologue to Priest, Matty and Priest having a very tense and expensive game of poker, and the film’s finale in which Priest must use what little he has at his disposal to escape from a jail cell and get back to the US. There’s also a brief moment when Priest and Dr. Sonko take down a would-be assassin, but it’s fairly anti-climactic. Had the film been peppered with more action and tightened up during the lengthy, self-reflective conversations and moments (not to mention bringing back Curtis Mayfield for the score), Super Fly T.N.T., might have fared better. Also of note, there’s not a single moment wherein Priest uses dynamite as portrayed on the poster. In other words, what audiences might have wanted from the film didn’t matter since the advertising was false anyway.
Super Fly T.N.T. was shot by directors of photography Robert Gaffney and James Signorelli on 35mm film using Arriflex 35 IIC cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Imprint’s Blu-ray debut sports a “new 4K scan,” presumably of the original camera negative. It’s worth noting that the burnt-in subtitles have been replaced by digitally-added ones. A much more even-keeled presentation than either film that came before it, it has a grittier and more celluloid-sourced look to it, with excellent grain levels and bitrates that sit between 30 and 40Mbps, leaping over that range frequently. Speckling is present throughout, and some of the lesser optical effects and occasional uses of stock footage stand out, but nothing ever appears inauthentic, aside from the aforementioned subtitles. The image is stable with rich color, deep blacks, and great contrast. It looks fantastic.
Audio is presented in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s obviously limited by its source, but it has much more life sonically than any of the mono-based tracks thus far. It’s clean with clear dialogue exchanges and muscular support for sound effects and score.
SUPER FLY T.N.T. (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C+/A/A-
More in line with what fans of blaxploitation films expect is 1973’s Detroit 9000, directed by Arthur Marks (Friday Foster, J.D.’s Revenge, and Bucktown). In it, a campaign fundraiser for politician Aubrey Hale Clayton (Rudy Challenger) is cut short when a group of well-organized and well-armed men steal the evening’s donations, $400,000. Clayton and the city’s officials task the local police force, specifically detectives Danny Bassett (Alex Rocco) and Jesse Williams (Hari Rhodes), with hunting down those responsible and retrieving the stolen funds. Bassett and Williams, a white cop and a black cop respectively, are initially hesitant to team up, but at the insistence of their superiors, they do, going down a constantly curving and bloody trail of intrigue. Also among the cast are Scatman Crothers, Vonetta McGee, and Herbert Jefferson Jr.
If you didn’t know that Detroit 9000 was a personal favorite of Quentin Tarantino, so much so that he helped re-distribute the film, it will be blatantly obvious after seeing it. It’s one of the most exposition-driven films of the era, saying many things out loud that need not have been said, only to try and make the details more clear for the audience. It actually has the reverse effect since it makes it more difficult to focus on the plot, which winds up being more convoluted than it really needs to be. That said, there’s still plenty here to appreciate, including Alex Rocco in the lead (always a favorite), an extended foot chase throughout the overcast streets of Detroit in the latter half of the film, and somewhat of a twist ending. It may be a little obvious, especially since one of the main characters goes missing at a certain point, but it’s appreciated nonetheless. It also feels like it naturally ends at several points, but keeps on going. Even so, Detroit 9000 is beloved among blaxploitation fans for its police procedural/action thriller bent in the vein of something like The French Connection, with solid performances and great direction. It’s also worth noting that the film was re-released in theaters and on home video under the titles Detroit Heat and Police Call – 9000.
Detroit 9000 was shot by director of photography Harry J. May on 35mm film with Panavision cameras and anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Imprint’s Blu-ray features an inherited Miramax high definition master (the logo of which opens the film while the logo for General Film Corporation closes it). Miramax briefly re-released the film in theaters in 1998, and on DVD with Rolling Thunder Pictures, in 2001. A Lionsgate DVD followed in 2013. As such, this is an extremely dated HD master, but still a bump up from being stuck in standard definition limbo. It’s definitely not as crisp as modern scans or restorations, but it’s good enough for what it is. Heavy grain is unstable and the top and bottom edges of the frame are pretty thin. There’s also some telecine wobble, frequent speckling, occasional scratches, mild delineation issues, and definite crush in the blacks. That said, it’s still a very natural presentation, if ancient, with bitrates mostly sitting between 30 and 40Mbps. The color palette is okay, and despite the crushed blacks, actually has decent contrast. The film is in dire need of a fresh restoration off of the original camera negative, but it’s still a Blu-ray upgrade debut worldwide.
Audio is presented in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. IMDb lists the film as having a 4-track stereo soundtrack, though that could have been created for the 1998 re-issue, since the film was only released in mono originally. It’s a clean track with great support for the various elements, with only the mildest of distortion and some sibilance on the dialogue. There’s mild hiss and a few minor dropouts and thumps throughout, but it’s otherwise solid.
DETROIT 9000 (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B-/C+/B-
The 4-Disc Region-Free Blu-ray boxed set Blaxploitation (1972-1973) from Imprint Films and Via Vision Entertainment presents four 1080p Blu-ray discs in four separate clear Amaray cases, each with an insert containing the original theatrical poster artwork for each film on the front and a still from each film on the reverse. All are housed in a sturdy, flip-top hardbox case with new artwork. The following extras are included on each disc:
DISC ONE: THE LEGEND OF N***** CHARLEY
- Audio Commentary with Mike Sargent
- A Brief History of Blaxploitation with Author Josiah Howard (HD – 33:35)
- Radio Spot (HD – 1:01)
The audio commentary features WBAI.com film critic and co-president of the Black Film Critics Circle, Mike Sargent. He provides a thoughtful if reactionary commentary for the film, while also providing much detail about the film’s production, its cast and crew, and its impact upon release. In A Brief History of Blaxploitation, author of Blaxploitation Cinema, Josiah Howard, discusses the history of the term blaxploitation, the resurgence of these films in modern times, various films of the genre, aspects of the various films and worlds they inhabit, the films included in this boxed set, the political climate of the era, responses from audiences, the complicated use of the word “n*****,” the use or non-preferential use of the term “blaxploitation” among filmmakers, and the importance of these films historically. Last is a single radio spot.
DISC TWO: THE SOUL OF N***** CHARLEY
- Audio Commentary with Mike Sargent
- The Legend of Fred Williamson: An Interview With a Blaxploitation Hero (HD – 15:56)
Mike Sargent returns for another well-researched audio commentary. The Legend of Fred Williamson features an interview with Fred Williamson himself, who candidly gives his opinions about the term blaxploitation, the use of music in “black” films, the difficulties black actors faced at that time, his style and how hard he worked to maintain it, whether his films were politically-motivated or not, the criticisms in regards to white directors taking over, his nickname “The Hammer” and why it stuck, being a leader in all facets of his life, the main issue with black exploitation films, why the blaxploitation era ended and how he survived it, his thoughts on American Gangster and why it didn’t work, and understanding that he represents “a people.”
DISC THREE: SUPER FLY T.N.T.
- Audio Commentary with Bryan Reesman and Mike Sargent
For the commentary on this film, Mike Sargent is joined by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman. It’s a little bit awkward since the men often interrupt or talk over each other, and their comments are more reactionary than I would prefer, but they do manage to provide plenty of detail about the principal cast and crew, as well as the production itself.
DISC FOUR: DETROIT 9000
- Audio Commentary with Mikel Koven
- Theatrical Trailer (Upscaled SD – 3:08)
Mikel Koven, author of Blaxploitation Films, provides an audio commentary for the film. He opens by explaining how his commentary is going to shake out before delving into the usual cast and crew coverage, facts about Detroit landmarks, and occasionally giving some analysis of the film. The audio quality isn’t the best as it’s very thin, but he still manages to keep things interesting.
The biggest draw of Imprint’s Blaxploitation (1972-1973) Blu-ray collection is that none of these films have appeared on Blu-ray before anywhere in the world, which is shocking considering how popular some of them are. It’s slightly lopsided in quality since The Legend of N***** Charley is the best of the bunch, but having all of these films on Blu-ray for the first time is reason enough to celebrate. If you’re unfamiliar with these films and you want to begin your deep dive into urban films, blaxploitation films, or whatever you choose to call them, then this set is an ideal primer for such a task. Very much recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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