Movies are in development for so long from script to production to marketing...all the way through to release, that it's almost impossible for an interested party (such as myself) not to see a great movie coming months before it hits cinemas. The Dark Knight, Lord of the Rings, Gladiator... you could see those babies coming from a mile away. So it's always refreshing when a bloody good movie creeps up on you with little or no warning. There's been a couple this year in Martyrs and Moon...and hopefully Paranormal Activity in a couple of weeks (providing it delivers on its promise, of couse). You can add Black Dynamite to that list of 2009 sleeper classics.
Black Dynamite is a contemporary reworking of a classic blacksploitation movies from the early 70's. When Rodriquez and Tarantino did their Grindhouse flicks a couple of years ago they should have included a trailer for this little gem, because it's more genuinely grindhouse than Planet Terror or Death Proof achieved. 85% of Black Dynamite takes itself deadly, deadly seriously while the other 15% topples over into nudge nudge wink wink spoof teritory. It really captures the photography, editing, split screen techniques, directorial style of the Shaft/Foxy Cleopatra type movies. The score is overblown, the performances overcooked, the plot ludicrus, the women love slaves to their pimp daddies...and the microboom mic is always creeping into shot.
Add some brilliant dialogue, a heroic central performance from Michael Jai White as the title character and some bizarre animation thrown into the mix...this is a joy from before the opening titles to the end credits.
THE coolist movie of the year.
1 comment:
Wow! I just watched this. It's simply brilliant! I laughed my arse off all the way through. You are so right. Black Dynamite achieves grindhouse perfection better than Death Proof and Planet Terror did - not to take anything away from those two films, which are great in their own right. Every frame and line of dialogue and nuance of performance here is carefully designed to lovingly homage and cleverly spoof the blacksploitation films of the 70’s. They obviously used the same film stock from the 70’s as it has that same look and feel to it along with the inventive and bonkers editing. The script, direction and performances are hilarious with brilliant lines and carefully placed ‘mistakes’ (an actor saying the wrong line or saying it too soon or in the wrong place, a boom mike dropping in to shot, an awkward glance as an actor is unsure what to do or say next.) The plot is meaningless…just the usual revenge ‘stick it to the man’ thing…but it soon veers off in to utter craziness with “Kung Fu Treachery” and a conspiracy by whitey to take the black man’s most potent weapon from him. Bonkers but brilliant! The whole scene where BD (the fabulous Michael Jai White more than making up for the crapfest of Spawn) cracks the conspiracy with the most convoluted theory ever is pure genius. Tears were rolling by then. And the animated end credits sequence is awesome! Just when you think the film couldn’t get funnier. It does. Huge kudos to Michael Jai White who not only stars as Black Dynamite (my new hero) but co-wrote and produced the film too. Well done sir. Sequel please. I need more Black Dynamite ass whooping and more naked foxy mommas. Genius!
Post a Comment