Willie Dynamite

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Willie Dynamite

#1 Post by Ribs » Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:55 am

Image

HE’S TIGHT, TOGETHER, AND MEAN.

“The hands-down winner of the all-out best blaxploitation movie of the seventies,” declares author and artist Darius James in That’s Blaxploitation! Willie Dynamite may not be as well-known as John Shaft, Sweet Sweetback or Super Fly’s Youngblood Priest, but he certainly deserves to be.

Who is Willie Dynamite? He’s the flashiest pimp in New York – he drives a personalised purple-and-gold Cadillac and wears some of the most eye-catching outfits ever seen on a cinema screen. He wants to be number one, but with the police, the D.A., fellow pimps and a tough-talking social worker on his tail, can a man as arrogant and amoral as Willie D avoid a downfall?

Willie Dynamite competes with the best of blaxploitation on all levels. Roscoe Orman dominates with his central performance – a star turn that’s the equal of Richard Roundtree in Shaft or Pam Grier in Coffy. Multi-award-winning director Gilbert Moses balances action and social commentary as deftly as Gordon Parks, Jr. did with Super Fly. And the score by J.J. Johnson featuring Motown legend Martha Reeves is as catchy as anything composed by Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield or James Brown.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM
Original 1.0 mono audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Kiss My Baad Asss, a guide to blaxploitation hosted by actor and musician Ice-T, and featuring interviews with Richard Roundtree, Melvin van Peebles, Isaac Hayes and others
Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated collector’s booklet containing new writing on the film by Cullen Gallagher

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Cronenfly
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:04 pm

Re: Willie Dynamite

#2 Post by Cronenfly » Sat Nov 12, 2016 12:18 am

Looks to be a Universal license. Wish they had this for the US as well, though I suppose Shout may well have it. Arrow looks to have MGM open for American releases, but not, it would seem, Universal, at least not yet.

Whoops, just looked at the specs, I guess this is MGM in the UK and Universal in the US?

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ando
Bringing Out El Duende
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:53 pm
Location: New York City

Re: Willie Dynamite

#3 Post by ando » Fri Apr 28, 2017 1:02 am

Ribs wrote:
And the score by J.J. Johnson featuring Motown legend Martha Reeves is as catchy as anything composed by Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield or James Brown.
The movie is fun but I don't recall a single tune from the score. Hmmmm.

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Morbii
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 3:38 am

Re: Willie Dynamite

#4 Post by Morbii » Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:07 am

That's maybe the first Arrow cover that I've seen that I don't really care for.

Not that it doesn't fit the film (I haven't seen it), but it's a bit much.

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tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: Willie Dynamite

#5 Post by tenia » Fri Apr 28, 2017 6:13 am

I love Sean Phillips body of work, and this one isn't an exception.

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Roger Ryan
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city

Re: Willie Dynamite

#6 Post by Roger Ryan » Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:18 am

His soul has been psychedelicized.

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