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| 1. The Mack Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $9.94
our price: $9.94 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 078060959X Catlog: Video Sales Rank: 12163 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
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Amazon.com Not only is the film one you can chuckle at in the postmodern, ironic mode, it is also a window on the world of today's rap superstars, many of whom have sampled, invoked, or quoted lines from this gaudy paean to pandering. In other words, The Mack is a kind of godfather to a future stark frankness about life on the streets. But forget the sociological hooey and dig into the piece as an urban costume picture with a greasy/funky score by R&B genius Willie Hutch. Also, it features an amazing supporting turn by Richard Pryor, who, playing Tonto to Julien's Lone Ranger, unleashes torrents of nearly incomprehensible verbiage in the film's finest moments. Mind you, such brilliance is a direct comedy-organ transplant from Pryor's stand-up act: he was performing his "Pimp on Blow" routine at about the same time The Mack was filmed. Seventy percent of this piece is dross, but the other 30 is the apex of urban surrealism. One vignette to tantalize: Goldie hypnotizing his "ladies" into docile submission as they sit in a planetarium, mechanically repeating his words: "I will remain a lady at all times..." --David Was Reviews (24)
The movie opens with two men, Goldie (Julien) and Slim (Pryor), involved in a gunfight in a junkyard. Seemingly out numbered, Goldie tells Slim to take off (wouldn't have been my choice as Slim is sporting what appears to be a M16 while Goldie's sporting a handgun). Slim manages to split, while Goldie gets picked up by the police, and subsequently sentenced to five years in a penitentiary. Serving some particular hard time, Goldie gets released, and tries to put the pieces back together. He visits his brother, Olinga, played by Roger E. Mosley (Magnum P.I.), who is involved in trying to educate and empower the community, in a character fashion after Black Panther leader Huey Long. Basically. Goldie is presented with two options; follow his brother in focusing on making a difference through psuedo-political means, or follow the path of the Mack, becoming a flesh peddler, and gaining empowerment through the acquisition of money. Goldie chooses the latter, hooking back up with Slim and taking advice from an older blind man, sort of a Obi Wan Kenobi of the underworld, who shares his knowledge with Goldie on how to deal with women in the Mackin' game, the importance of controlling their minds rather than just their bodies. Goldie soon recruits some ladies of the night, and has to deal with corrupt police detectives, rival players, and various other underworld characters during his meteoric rise (he gets chosen as The Mack of the Year at an annual players ball). As Goldie's popularity, or notoriety, increases, so does the pressures, both internal and external, along with the violence, and begins carrying over into his family, and forces Goldie to decide where it's at... The Mack certainly does seem to glorify these men who deal in the flesh trade, with their extravagant lifestyles, flashy cars, and great wads of cash, but the glamour is quickly overshadowed by the harsh realities presented as the stories progresses, and just how much one has to give up to be a success in that particular business. There are a lot of laughs to be had here, maybe not intentional, but the film is pretty dated. Between the dialog, stereotypes, and trash-talking criminals, there was an underlying sadness for me in the realness of the disgusting attitudes depicted towards the women, objectified to the point where they weren't even people anymore, merely tools of the trade, a means to obtaining material possessions through the sale of their bodies, and also how many look up to these men, idolizing them, thus perpetuating their activities. Shot on location in Oakland, and featuring actual individuals within the community, the film forgoes the slickness of a Hollywood budget, but gains a real grittiness one wouldn't be able to reproduce on a soundstage. The dialog, a lot of it improvised, and some indistinguishable, only adds to the realistic quality of the film, but also isolates it, in my opinion, within the time period in which it was made. The funniest part had to be when Goldie had his women at a planetarium, using the effects of the simulated stars and a microphone to subliminally enforce his will through their repetition of his player mantras. I did like how the film ended, nicely book ending the beginning, bringing the main character full circle. Presented here is a very good looking wide screen version of the film, which runs approximately 110 minutes. Special features include an original theatrical trailer, a commentary track featuring star Max Julien, producer Harvey Bernard, director Michael Campus, and actors Richard Anthony Williams, Annazette Chase, Don Gordon, and George Murdok, along with an excellent 38 minute featurette titled Mackin' Ain't Easy, which looks back on the making of the film, detailing all the problems and issues that arose, especially those filming on location within Oakland in the early 70's. To some extent, I found this almost more enjoyable than the movie. Cookieman108
Anyway, this Mack in my mind was to be a powerful pimp who took no s**t. Instead, he is a laughing all of the time, guy who seems to not be concerned with what's going on around him. I won't go into details as I don't want to waste much more time on a film like this, but it is hard to watch and one of the corniest of the 1970's black films, or films starring more black people than white people, so they are black. I did not want to see this again. Most of those films I keep in my mind with the idea of adding them to the collection, but not this one. This film has too much hype! Where is "Three the Hard Way" on DVD?
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| 2. Zero Population Growth Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $14.95
our price: $14.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 6302779499 Catlog: Video Sales Rank: 44972 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (5)
I loved the staging and the sets, right down to the funky white (read for sterile) outfits and the sociological fly on the wall insight into the lives of the two protagonists desperate to enrich their seemingly emtpy lives/failing relationship by breaking the ultimate taboo. I guess in many ways I was primed for this kind of thing by reading lots of Ray Bradbury growing up and I adored the stark funky realism of the whole gas and curfew thing! Let me simply say that if you have an Arty eye towards Sci-Fi and the sociological, loved films like Soylent Green and Farenheit 451 then this movie will not dissapoint you! I loved it and I think *getting it* is what this movie requires from the viewer.
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| 3. Passover Plot Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $59.99
(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 630127539X Catlog: Video Sales Rank: 63858 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (3)
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| 4. Education of Sonny Carson Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help) Asin: 6304628145 Catlog: Video Sales Rank: 61449 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (11)
On the other hand, I enjoyed watching the group of friends discuss their dreams of life beyond the ghetto. The parade was a scene that embraced the culturalism of the city and other recreational options for the youth it had to offer. Although the ending was sad, it is tremendously realistic and shows the struggles that are ever present in the rise from poverty and oppression.
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| 5. The Education of Sonny Carson Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $9.99
our price: $9.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: B000068TSC Catlog: Video Sales Rank: 13798 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (11)
On the other hand, I enjoyed watching the group of friends discuss their dreams of life beyond the ghetto. The parade was a scene that embraced the culturalism of the city and other recreational options for the youth it had to offer. Although the ending was sad, it is tremendously realistic and shows the struggles that are ever present in the rise from poverty and oppression.
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| 6. The Mack Director: Michael Campus | |
![]() | list price: $9.98
(price subject to change: see help) Asin: B00008EYCE Catlog: Video Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (24)
The movie opens with two men, Goldie (Julien) and Slim (Pryor), involved in a gunfight in a junkyard. Seemingly out numbered, Goldie tells Slim to take off (wouldn't have been my choice as Slim is sporting what appears to be a M16 while Goldie's sporting a handgun). Slim manages to split, while Goldie gets picked up by the police, and subsequently sentenced to five years in a penitentiary. Serving some particular hard time, Goldie gets released, and tries to put the pieces back together. He visits his brother, Olinga, played by Roger E. Mosley (Magnum P.I.), who is involved in trying to educate and empower the community, in a character fashion after Black Panther leader Huey Long. Basically. Goldie is presented with two options; follow his brother in focusing on making a difference through psuedo-political means, or follow the path of the Mack, becoming a flesh peddler, and gaining empowerment through the acquisition of money. Goldie chooses the latter, hooking back up with Slim and taking advice from an older blind man, sort of a Obi Wan Kenobi of the underworld, who shares his knowledge with Goldie on how to deal with women in the Mackin' game, the importance of controlling their minds rather than just their bodies. Goldie soon recruits some ladies of the night, and has to deal with corrupt police detectives, rival players, and various other underworld characters during his meteoric rise (he gets chosen as The Mack of the Year at an annual players ball). As Goldie's popularity, or notoriety, increases, so does the pressures, both internal and external, along with the violence, and begins carrying over into his family, and forces Goldie to decide where it's at... The Mack certainly does seem to glorify these men who deal in the flesh trade, with their extravagant lifestyles, flashy cars, and great wads of cash, but the glamour is quickly overshadowed by the harsh realities presented as the stories progresses, and just how much one has to give up to be a success in that particular business. There are a lot of laughs to be had here, maybe not intentional, but the film is pretty dated. Between the dialog, stereotypes, and trash-talking criminals, there was an underlying sadness for me in the realness of the disgusting attitudes depicted towards the women, objectified to the point where they weren't even people anymore, merely tools of the trade, a means to obtaining material possessions through the sale of their bodies, and also how many look up to these men, idolizing them, thus perpetuating their activities. Shot on location in Oakland, and featuring actual individuals within the community, the film forgoes the slickness of a Hollywood budget, but gains a real grittiness one wouldn't be able to reproduce on a soundstage. The dialog, a lot of it improvised, and some indistinguishable, only adds to the realistic quality of the film, but also isolates it, in my opinion, within the time period in which it was made. The funniest part had to be when Goldie had his women at a planetarium, using the effects of the simulated stars and a microphone to subliminally enforce his will through their repetition of his player mantras. I did like how the film ended, nicely book ending the beginning, bringing the main character full circle. Presented here is a very good looking wide screen version of the film, which runs approximately 110 minutes. Special features include an original theatrical trailer, a commentary track featuring star Max Julien, producer Harvey Bernard, director Michael Campus, and actors Richard Anthony Williams, Annazette Chase, Don Gordon, and George Murdok, along with an excellent 38 minute featurette titled Mackin' Ain't Easy, which looks back on the making of the film, detailing all the problems and issues that arose, especially those filming on location within Oakland in the early 70's. To some extent, I found this almost more enjoyable than the movie. Cookieman108
Anyway, this Mack in my mind was to be a powerful pimp who took no s**t. Instead, he is a laughing all of the time, guy who seems to not be concerned with what's going on around him. I won't go into details as I don't want to waste much more time on a film like this, but it is hard to watch and one of the corniest of the 1970's black films, or films starring more black people than white people, so they are black. I did not want to see this again. Most of those films I keep in my mind with the idea of adding them to the collection, but not this one. This film has too much hype! Where is "Three the Hard Way" on DVD?
| |
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