Plot: What’s it about?
New York City is home to an endless parade of players, hustlers, and pimps, but none have the status of the man Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman). His blood runs colder than ice water, as he rules his empire of ho’s with an iron fist and a mink coat. He lives a lifestyle that affords him whatever he pleases, a lush pad to crash, a closet filled with the latest fashions, automobiles crafted to his own specifications, and yes, more cash than he could spend if he tried. But he is no businessman that works in an office, instead he pimps out his massive stable of ladies, who work hard for Willie. His dedicated has resulted in a pimp-ire that towers above all others, but things have started to go downhill of late. As usual, the police are a constant threat, as Willie must protect himself from any charges, though his girls are often booked. This costs Willie cash, as he loses a worker and to get her back on the streets, he must post bail. At the same time, his rivals push in on him all the time, hoping to grab a share of his turf, by any means necessary. As if all that wasn’t enough, a social worker has made it her mission to reform some of his finest ho’s, so he is in real trouble. Can Willie hold his business together, or will this all mark the fall of his once great empire?
MGM has found success with their Soul Cinema series, so Universal has issued their own line, with this one known as Soul Showcase. One of the first films released in the series was Willie Dynamite, a true classic of blaxploitation that genre fans will be thrilled to own. I’ve seen countless blaxploitation films and collect the genre as a fan, but even I know most of these films were cheap, rushed cash-in attempts. The success of Shaft, Foxy Brown, Sweet Sweetback, and others spurred a chain reaction that resulted in some great movies being made, but also some lame ones. Willie Dynamite is one of the better entries, with a bad ass pimp in the lead, a tough story that takes place on the streets, and all the elements the genre was known for. Roscoe Orman, best known as Gordon on the children’s series Sesame Street, plays the title role to near perfection, with a ruthless persona that really drives the picture. Not to mention his costumes, which range from outlandish to threads even RuPaul would refuse to throw on. His brutal approach to his bitches seems out of place now, but within the genre, this is just business as usual. Universal’s disc looks terrific, but has no bonus materials, though at such a low price, I am still able to offer a high recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
Willie Dynamite is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As expected, some grain and print wear is evident, but given the nature of the production, I think this was unavoidable. These flaws never amount to much and in truth, I think the grain fits in well here, as the film has a gritty visual scheme. The colors are natural in scope, with minimal fades present, while flesh tones are normal and never shift in the least. The contrast is usually strong, but sometimes weakened by the grain, though never too much. As this was a low budget movie from 1973, I have scored it on a slanted scale, as the film has never looked this good on the small screen.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a mono option, so don’t expect much here, although the audio is more than passable. As this was a low budget movie made in haste, the audio is a shade shaky at times, but for what it is, this track is more than solid. The soundtrack is in smooth form, free from distortion and such, while sound effects are limited in scope, but come on, this is a mono track, after all. No issues with dialogue, as vocals are clean and never stumble in the slightest. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
