Super Fly (1972)
5/10
Superfly
3 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I found this movie in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I didn't know what to expect, but I did know the meaning of the title is that a character is cool, I hoped for something good, directed by Gordon Parks Jr., son of Shaft director Gordon Parks. Basically Priest (Ron O'Neal) is an African-American drug pusher, a cocaine dealer with a strong desire to get retire from the drug business. Before he can exit the drug world, Priest has to earn enough funds to support himself, as he feels a regular job will not satisfy his needs. Priest forms a plan to sell thirty grams of cocaine, he uses his profits to sustain himself while searching for a job, but he assumes his criminal background will hold him back from securing one. Along the way, Priest has many encounters with corrupt law enforcement, he also has his close friend Eddie (The Cool World's Carl Lee) betray him. In the end, Priest manages to escape the drug business, and walks away unharmed with his girlfriend Georgia (Sheila Frazier). Also starring Live and Let Die's Julius Harris as Scatter, Blazing Saddles' Charles McGregor as Fat Freddie, Nate Adams as Dealer and Polly Niles as Cynthia. O'Neal is indeed "superfly", i.e. flamboyant and super cool, the other black characters are slightly robotic, the white characters are crooked, and the women (black and white) are nothing more than sex objects. This movie may be a little dated now, but it was big success at the time, full of controversy with racist language, drug use and strong sex, and featuring a funky soundtrack, including the catchy "Pusher Man" by Curtis Mayfield, and the fantastic groovy title track and Grammy nominated score by Curtis Mayfield, all in all an interesting cult blaxploitation crime drama. Worth watching!
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