Cult Movie of the Week
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Cult Movie of the Week: the spook who sat by the door.
Goodness. I am reviving the “Cult Movie of the Week” category for a minute based strictly on this film. I am also seeking out the book it’s based on, as well as the soundtrack. I was sucker-punched by Herbie Hancock’s future funk interpretation of a Spy/Espionage movie score. I was in love when I heard…
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Cult Movie of the Week: Stray Dog (1949)
A work of Japanese Noir from iconic Japanese director Kurosawa, “Stray Dog” (1949) gets by on good looks, swagger, and heart. Featuring a slinking pace, the film’s cadence is ultimately trumped by its ability to be beautifully gritty and enveloping, just like summer. Set in the depths of summer in Post-World War II Tokyo, the film follows detective Murakami as he seeks to…
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Wattstax (1973) Cult Movie of the Week
Movie trailer for the 1973 black documentary, Wattstax. Perhaps the closet thing to “BLACKstock” we’ll ever see. Great performances from Memphis’ Stax Recording artists of the time and an indelible message of unity, self-determination, and respect (and fly fashion). I can’t be 100% certain, but I’m pretty sure that the chemical pink ensemble (complete with white,…
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Cult Movie of the Week: Sparkle
Not unlike many movies that are labeled as “Blaxploitation”, the soundtrack to Sparkle (1976) is often regarded more highly than the film itself. A Curtis Mayfield-produced gem sung by Aretha Franklin, the soundtrack to the movie is glorious… but laden with its share of controversy. What’s controversial? First, the film is a pre-Dreamgirls rags-to-riches story…
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Hi-Fi White: Foodstamps, Bulldogs, and Hollywood
Wilbur White was a nightclub singer on the South Side of Chicago whose bluesy growl wielded so much power that he was nicknamed Hi-Fi. He’d been in the clubs since the 1950s, and although I hear he put on a knockout of a show, that never translated into record sales. Speaking of knockouts, he…
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The Warriors: Cult Movie of the Week
Coke bottles clanging together, the sound ringing down a dark, wet alley. A voice calls out menacingly: “Warriors…. Come out and Play-yay…..” The Warriors (1979) is many things. It is a classical Epic tale (like Homer’s Odyssey). It is a pulpy cult classic with a look all its own (co-starring the New York Transit System…
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