Let's Go To The Movies # 2 Fri. 10 Aug. 1973

It Fri. night in Detroit, MI (and probably hot & humid as all hell) so let's go to a nice air-conditioned theatre or head over to a drive-in.

The world premiere of DETROIT 9000 is downtown at the Madison and at the Camelot and Norwest. Filmed on location in Detroit "It's the murder capital of the world, The Black rip-off of the decade, and a White cop squeezed in the middle", it stars the great Alex Rocco along with a host of Detroit area '70s personalities in cameos.

Featuring an ad campaign that promoted Detroit's infamous sky-rocketing homicide rate (a record 751 would be recorded in 1974), its a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and was directed by Arthur Marks who had a great run in the '70s with BONNIE'S KIDS ("Thank God She Only Had Two!"), THE CANDY SNATCHERS, FRIDAY FOSTER, and THE ROOMMATES among others.

The magnificent Tamera Dobson stars in the surprisingly "PG" rated CLEOPATRA JONES ("She's 6 Feet 2" of Dynamite!") which has been held over at the Grand Circus and the Mercury. Directed by 70's drive-in guru Jack Starret (best known as the sadistic Deputy Gault in FIRST BLOOD), it also co-stars a full-on scenery-chewing Shelly Winters (who as to be seen to be believed here). 

The Grand Circus along with the Fox and the Adams were the giant old movie houses in downtown Detroit located around the Grand Circus Park area. In the '70s they specialized in blaxploitation, kung fu, and stuff like the ILSA films. And on the way home, you could stop at Lafayette Coney Island.

 Dwain Esper's infamous VD warning film SEX MADNESS (which harkens back to 1937) is getting one of its countless revivals in several area theatres. Hopefully, there was a white-coated guy in the lobby hawking pamphlets warning you of the ill-effects of pre-marital sex. "She Sought Thrills And Caught Trouble!"  Plus as a double feature, you get the 1927 "weed western" HIGH ON THE RANGE with famed Hollywood stuntman Yakima Canutt.

The sequel to 1972's BLACULA, SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM is held over at the downtown theatre the Palms. Starring the very effective and Shakespearian-trained William Marshall the ad really plays up co-star Pam Grier's involvement along with her recent hit COFFY ("Pam Grier-That Coffy Spitfire is a Voodoo Priestess Now!") which shows how big a box office draw she was in the '70s.  

With a big 1/8 page ad the porno-chic, THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES from the previous year is still in its exclusive run at the Krim. Like DEEP THROAT, many theatres ran this almost 24/7 and it racked in tens of millions (if not hundreds of millions) of dollars for it's mob-controlled distributers during the '70s. 

Sporting another surprising "PG" rating the drive-in classic WHITE LIGHTNING is playing multiple locations including (appropriately enough) six local drive-ins. Directed by the vastly underrated Joesph Sargent (THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE) and starring a pre-mega-star Burt Reynolds, it's a surprisingly nihilistically brutal (and often really sweaty) film. Co-starring a thoroughly evil Ned Beatty and a gaggle of character actors including Bo Hopkins, Dabbs Greer, Matt Clark, Diane Ladd. R.G. Armstrong and the wonderful Jennifer Billingsley.

This and its follow-up GATOR from 1976 played drive-ins in the south well into the '80s. 

Hey, look at this! There's a spook show happening at the Holiday Drive-In hosted by local Detroit horror host Sir Graves Ghastly. The spook shows are fascinating and now forgotten bit of film-going history. Usually featuring one (or maybe two) old "B" horror films they featured costumed monsters and guys in gorilla suits jumping out at the audience or rampaging through the drive-in lot all of which was hosted by a local celebrity (usually as here the local Saturday TV horror host). Sometimes at drive-ins, they would bury somebody in a box just under the surface of the drive-in lot (hopefully with an air outlet) and they would pop out at the appropriate time as a zombie. 

Directed by Ralph Bakshi the animated (and unrated) HEAVY TRAFFIC is getting a pretty wide release. I remember seeing this later in the decade at midnight shows and this is my favorite of Bakshi's films. "More Spice From The Makers of Fritz The Cat!"

"For the Sake of Your Sanity, Pray it isn't True!" One of the greatest haunted house films ever and featuring a magnificent performance from Pamela Franklin, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (with another WTF were-they-thinking '70's "PG" rating) is still getting a broad release a couple months after its release date including the Northgate in Hazel Park which was a great somewhat-on-the-scuzzy-side theatre that specialized in horror and slasher. 

Arguably featuring career-best performances from Gene Hackman and Al Pacino, the ultimate downer of a 70's buddy road movie SCARECROW is in its last week and is playing four theatres out in the 'burbs after it's April opening. 

Down at the Studio 8 on 8 Mile and complete with a review quote from Family Circle (??) magazine ("It's not a dirty movie") is Bernardo Bertolucci's LAST TANGO IN PARIS. Located east of 8 Mile Road's string of topless bars, adult bookstores and massage parlors, The Studio tended to feature arthouse and foreign films. 

Last chance at the Camelot to see the really cool double feature of BONNIE AND CLYDE and BULLITT. A bit earlier than this, I saw BULLITT and NEVADA SMITH on a double feature.

"Shaft's back and twice as bad...Kickin' the Mafia up and down the world and back." The third (and final) in the Shaft series the James Bond-ish SHAFT IN AFRICA is playing two drive-ins and one theatre. The weakest of the two sequels it has a plot that doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but Richard Roundtree's screen presence helps as he busts a modern-day slavery ring and there's Vonetta Mcgee (who's also in  DETROIT 9000) and heaps of violence of bare skin. "Wanna see Shaft again? This time bring yo' momma!"

Down at the Fox, there's SLAUGHTER'S BIG RIPOFF with Jim Brown in the follow-up to 1972's SLAUGHTER with Brown's ex-Green Beret and his '73 Dodge Charger once again taking on the mob. Which here is in the form of Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon (!!) plus you got perineal 70's heavy Don Stroud, Gloria Hendrey from LIVE AND LET DIE and SAVAGE SISTERS and of course, Jim Brown killing bunches of bad guys. 

Rounding out the double feature is TRICK BABY from 1972 which is well worth seeking out.

For the adults-only inclined we've got THE FOURSOME along with the always-running DEEP THROAT and some good old-fashioned burlesque at National Burlesk Theatre (across from Crowley's Dept. Store) featuring Mademoiselle Di-Di BangBang (42-24-36).

DETROIT 9000 1973

"It's The Murder Capital Of The World. And The Biggest Black Rip-Off Of The Decade"

"It's gonna get solved....or the town's gonna explode."

   During the 1970's the city of Detroit made national headlines as it was tagged with the monikers "murder capital" or "murder city" U.S.A thanks to its ever escalating homicide rate and along with NYC became one of the symbols of urban decay in America. Producer Arthur Marks (who also was the director here) used this aspect in the films print & radio ad campaigns ("It's the Murder Capital of the World !") and while often labeled in the blacksploitation genre it actually more of an urban police/action drama, with having a passing resemblance to the excellent 1972 heist drama ACROSS 110TH STREET and even references a classic scene from DIRTY HARRY. Re-released under various titles including POLICE CALL 9000 and DETROIT HEAT , this was one of Mark's most successful productions and because of its box office returns he went to work for A.I.P. directing the somewhat tame FRIDAY FOSTER (with Pam Grier) and J.D.'s REVENGE. He would later helm a few episodes of STARSKY AND HUTCH and THE DUKES OF HAZZARD.

   Anchored by a solid performance by Alex Rocco (who had made a memorable appearance earlier for Mark's in the classic BONNIE'S KIDS from '72), like most of Mark's movies DETROIT 9000 shows the entire world as outside the law,corrupt and/or with less then 100% moral motives (here complete with a lecherous preacher played by Scatman Crothers). Although perhaps indicative of the obvious total co-operation given by the Detroit police dept. it does paint the authorities in favorable light (although the closing does leave Rocco's character's motives somewhat ambiguous). Filmed entirely on location in it's namesake, Marks really goes out of his way to let us know where we're at with close-ups of newspaper headlines, licence plates and various official Detroit municipality buddings. The original title was MOTOWN 9000 but that ran onto the obvious copyright problems (9000 was the Detroit police code number for an officer in trouble).
   Dealing with the robbery at a fundraiser of sleazy politician Aubrey Clayton (Rudy Challenger), along with its aftermath and the subsequent police investigation - all punctuated with chases, bloody shoot-outs, loud suits, wide ties and big hats with everything filtered thru a gritty 1970's setting. As this being a more straight forward police action type film, Marks does tone down the more sleazy aspects that perpetrated his past films such as the above mentioned BONNIE'S KIDS (along with THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS and THE CANDY SNATCHERS - all worth seeking out) but it does offer up some nudity and exploding blood squibs to keep things firmly rooted in its lineage.

    Perpetually pissed off detective Danny Bassett (Rocco - who was best known to audiences at this time for getting shot thru the eyeglasses while getting a massage in THE GODFATHER) is assigned to the case along with cool as heck black detective Jesse Williams (Hari Rhodes). The film plays up the overall racial divides and dis-trust of the police dept., but doesn't really get into the two detectives working relationship as Bassett's initial distrust of Williamson (he's the ex-jock & local celebrity that's the star of the dept. while Basset is portrayed as the working class guy) is dispensed with quickly and they get on with the job. Williamson gets most of the action scenes and racks up a pretty impressive body count by the end of the movie blasting away numerous suspects with his chrome plated automatic. Each of the two detectives are given their own personality quirks with Williamson trying to quit smoking and Bassett suffering from sinus problems ("Your trouble is Danny is that your allergic to Motown !") and having to deal with a sick (and racist) wife.

     Starting with the elaborately staged heist the film moves into a sometimes difficult to follow plot (which to its credit keeps your attention and never lets you know more then detectives themselves know) with many names and quickly introduced characters thrown into the mix with everything wrapped up by a flashback. The climax leads to a really terrific running 20 minute gun battle thru a cemetery and abandoned rail yard. The film's action sequences are very well done and choreographed (along with being appropriately bloody) and makes great use of its Detroit locations - although the city did ask the filmmakers not to show any of the still burned out ruins from the 1967 riots.
    Also with an excellent performance by Vonetta McGee (SHAFT IN AFRICA & BLACULA) as a hooker, plus local celebrity and DJ Dick Purtan, a blink and you'll miss her appearance by 70's favorite Marilyn Joi and June Fairchild (PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW) shows up as a hooker. Also in a kind of weird cameo is Detroit chief of police John Nichols (playing himself), who was running for mayor at the time against Coleman Young and thought it was a good idea to appear in a movie where cops blow away suspects about every 20 minutes.
   Available on DVD from Miramax as part of a few DVD's that Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures put out out back in 2000 that also includes MIGHTY PEKING MAN and Jack Hill's very fun SWITCHBLADE SISTERS. Now we need for someone to put Arthur Marks's ROOMMATES from 1973 (with Roberta Collins & Pat Woodell !!) on DVD.

The Police Connection AKA The Mad Bomber 1973

"It Will Blow Your Mind !"

   Recently unleashed on DVD by Code Red this almost forgotten 1973 production was originally released by Jerry Gross's Cinemation and is produced & directed by Bert "Mr. Big" I. Gordon (Village of the Giants 1965 & The Beginning of the End 1957 among others) . In fact Bert out does even Orson Welles here as along with the above credits , he also wrote the screenplay and was the director of photography ! Not having to contend with such plot points as giant teenagers & grasshoppers and such, Bert pretty much just has to rely on plot and characterization (along with some gore & nakedness) to move this one along.
   Here we have LAPD Detective Geromino (!?) Minelli played by Vince Edwards ( here in full tilt Dirty Harry mode) chasing down mad bomber William Dorn played by Chuck "The Rifleman" Conners (in full tilt psycho mode).  Mad bomber Chuck is on the rampage after the death of his daughter by overdose and starts taking it out on all the places that had something to do with her death and/or life including school, sorority house & hospital , plus a women's lib meeting.

   Dorn builds his bombs in the kitchen while listening to plaintive folk songs sung by said daughter and spends time when not blowing stuff up by confronting litterbugs, rude drives and non-attentive waitresses by yelling at them "Your what's wrong with the world today !". With thick glasses, buttoned up double breasted suit & permanent sneer he strides around clutching his bomb laden paper bag, partically screaming "Hey, Look at me, I'm a mad bomber !"

    The plot twist here is that serial rapist George Fromley (Neville Brand) while attacking a women in the hospital saw Dorn and can identify him, which leads to the authorities having to track down the rapist to identify the bomber. As the exploitation norm the police are portrayed as pretty ineffectual with Edwards standing around uttering cop catch phrases, driving around dictating Dragnet like dialogue into a tape recorder, blowing the odd criminal away here & there and ignoring the bill of rights. Also with gratuitous nudity about every 15 min. courtesy of attempted rapes, Edwards having to visit a nudie bar and Neville Brand hanging out in his guest house with huge naked photos of his wife plastered all over the walls and watching homemade porn movies starring the wife (but thankfully not Neville).

    The special effect explosions range from decent to non-existent (in other words - off screen), but there is some pretty effective make-up effects on the blast victims with a particularly cool looking chewed up corpse at the movies climax. A fun nights entertainment and Bill Olsen at Code Red did an excellent job restoring the long lost uncut version.