Plot: What’s it about?
Gunn (Jim Brown) owns a popular nightclub known as The Gunn Club, which allows him to be involved in local social issues. His business provides him with steady income, not to mention a certain level of power, given his high profile presence. Gunn can protect people from harm or send them up the river, but he is not a cruel person. Instead, he just tries to run his club, romance the ladies, and enjoy his success. But if someone wrongs him or someone he cares about, Gunn will not hesitate to serve up his own brand of justice. His brother Scotty (Herb Jefferson, Jr.) is a radical, a young man who seeks to speak out and attempt to change the system. This puts him in danger more often than not, but never as much as the present. He was involved in a robbery of a Mafia run gambling operation, which has him on the run for his life. In addition to the mob, he has to keep ahead of the police, which is not a simple task. Gunn tries to protect him, but with all those forces on the hunt, he is unable to save him. His brother now dead, Gunn is out for revenge and takes to the streets to drum up some answers. As this could be a most dangerous excursion, Gunn teams up with his brother’s militant friends, plus gets a little help from the police. Even so, can Gunn find his brother’s killer and make sure justice is done?
This is a lower profile blaxploitation release, but that doesn’t mean its a bad one, as Black Gunn is one cool flick. Jim Brown stars in the title role and runs over his enemies like there’s no tomorrow, just like he did as a professional football player. Brown is joined here by veteran actor Martin Landau, genre staple Bernie Casey, and the always beautiful Brenda Sykes, so the cast is well chosen. But does Black Gunn provide the kind of action and entertainment we want, or does it skate by thanks to its leads? This movie is loaded with action, from fist fights to gun battles, with little down time to mention. The story does take a backseat at times, but in truth, we value action over depth in a film like Black Gunn. So while the plot is thin and often predictable, the well crafted action sequences more than compensate. Robert Hartford-Davis (The Yellow Teddybears, Hell House Girls) directs Black Gunn well, since he knows the weak elements and puts an emphasis on the stronger elements. If you’re offended by violence or coarse language however, Black Gunn will have you turning toward the door, no doubt about it. Black Gunn even has some romance, as Brown seduces all kinds of women in between kicking some serious ass. If you’re a fan of blaxploitation, Black Gunn is worth a look, even in this bare bones treatment.
The lead here is a veteran of the blaxploitation field, as Jim Brown has been in countless genre pictures. And why not, since Brown is a big, tough dude with real life credibility, as he used to be one of the NFL’s best running backs. He would mow down linebackers with ease, so it isn’t a stretch to see him as a tough as nails badass. Brown has never been much of a traditional actor, as his timing is poor and his range is shallow at best. But that hasn’t prevented him from being in numerous films, as his presence is strong on screen. This allows him to take on certain roles, in which he can rely on presence, instead of thespian skills. He looks at ease with a gun in his hand and can handle action scenes well, which is all he needs to do here. And in truth, there is no reason to critique him, since he seems to know his limits and stays within that range. After his days in blaxploitation, he has remained active in cinema, with several smaller roles. But of course, his performances in these kind of movies are his legacy and with good reason. Other films with Brown include The Dirty Dozen, Three the Hard Way, Ice Station Zebra, Slaughter, and Any Given Sunday. The cast also includes Martin Landau (Ed Wood, Tv’s Space: 1999), Brenda Sykes (Cleopatra Jones, Mandingo), and Bernie Casey (Spies Like Us, Brian’s Song).
Video: How does it look?
Black Gunn is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This treatment looks better than expected, but some flaws still surface. The print is clean most of the time, but in some scenes, the grain and debris is increased. This usually happens in darker scenes, when such elements are more visible in the shadows. So there is a softness to the visuals, but this was a low budget film from the 1970s, so we shouldn’t be surprised. The softness does lighten contrast to an extent, but black levels still look more than passable. I found colors to be a tad muted, but brightness is solid and flesh tones have a natural appearance. I do think this movie looks better than I anticipated, so I think fans will be more than pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this soundtrack is mono, don’t expect much presence, but this is still a solid, more than acceptable presentation. The cool musical soundtrack deserves more punch, but aside from that, this mono option seems up to the task. I mean, the gunshots and such seem restrained, but for mono, it all sounds decent enough. The track has no audible hiss, which is nice and the harshness is also minimal, another welcome touch. I had no problems with the sound effects or music, both of which come across in fine form and show no signs of serious flaws. Not all of these older mono tracks turn out well, but thankfully, this one does. This disc also includes English subtitles, in case you might need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
