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.
