While I'm still awaiting to hear from another stranger who can figure out the mystery behind the missing plot, let me say that THE BLACK CONNECTION is simply one of those rare occasions where everything from the acting to the violence talks dirt cheap. This was generally known for casting a soul singing trio called The Checkmates Ltd., whom you most definitely never heard of, or if ever in your life. They spice up the 70s soul sound with their stylish keyboard-driven tunes, if not the most spectacular thing I've heard. Expect any "bad" movie to be good just for fun and laughs, and it's the centerpiece you need to recreate a nostalgic drive-in movie night. You can lay around or kiss your sweetie during the show if you'd like, or wait for the bitter end to slowly arrive, which is worth the admission. But don't miss that infamous "Fat Man Chop Socky" scene, going down in history as the craziest idea ever planned for an "action" film! I would never rate this, or other bottom-of-the-barrel goodies higher than three, but it's definitely good if you want to keep out of modern culture for a while. Then again, let's always remember to spare some time left over for seeing what once was forgotten.
3 Reviews
Dig it Man!
Visaman-131 March 2002
Forget the story line, rent this video for the music soundtrack. Also, if you are a fan of Las Vegas history, you might have some fun playing the That Hotel was imploded game, as there are long segments showing the strip, as it appeared in 1974. This more is a forerunner of Pulp Fiction, and almost as good. It is bound to offend African Americans and Italians.
"The trouble with her is she don't know a lady when she sees one.. and I am a motherf***in' lady!"
The_Movie_Cat3 May 2016
I'm slightly surprised at this movie having a relatively high IMDb score of, to date, 5.5/10 on 61 votes. All film appreciation is subjective, of course, but there's very little that's objectively good about this incredibly amateurish outing. The acting is, almost across the board, abysmal, often hilariously so, the editing is chronic, and the dialogue frequently lousy. ("I'm hurtin', sweet baby, I'm hurtin'
and it ain't for that big beautiful black dong o'yours.")
And yet it's all so much fun. As a bad movie, it never fails to entertain, even though 90% of the plot seems to be people having conversations on telephones and telling each other what's about to happen. Of the lead character, then it's claimed "he has a paranoia about phones", but if that's the case, he's the only one, with 17 phone calls being made over the short 87 minute runtime. Even scenes that don't feature calls include phones placed on restaurant tables, scenes opening with an unheard call being placed down on the receiver, or characters repeatedly talking about how they will/won't make a phone call, a tantalising glimpse of telecommunication-based excitement.
Direction and blocking of scenes is so bad it's unintentionally hilarious. This said, there's a very funny karate scene and a hotel receptionist who almost laughs on camera, so possibly all concerned were in on some great joke. The three leads are also members of Checkmates, Ltd., a group who provide the music. Thankfully they're far better musicians than they are actors, and many of the songs – despite one being named after the film's unfortunate alternate title "Run, N*****, Run" – are very catchy.
I was pleased to complete the credits for this movie on the IMDb, though one omission remains: the writer, or writers. Only a script superviser (sic) is included in the credits, with no screenwriter seemingly given the blame. I did stumble across a blog that had a post purportedly from star Bobby Stevens, who claimed he co-wrote it (not specifying who with) and that with all the behind-the-scenes difficulties they had, it was a wonder the film was made at all. Thank God you succeeded, Bobby, because this atrocious movie is a real gem.
A generous 3/10 for quality, but at least 8/10 for entertainment value.
And yet it's all so much fun. As a bad movie, it never fails to entertain, even though 90% of the plot seems to be people having conversations on telephones and telling each other what's about to happen. Of the lead character, then it's claimed "he has a paranoia about phones", but if that's the case, he's the only one, with 17 phone calls being made over the short 87 minute runtime. Even scenes that don't feature calls include phones placed on restaurant tables, scenes opening with an unheard call being placed down on the receiver, or characters repeatedly talking about how they will/won't make a phone call, a tantalising glimpse of telecommunication-based excitement.
Direction and blocking of scenes is so bad it's unintentionally hilarious. This said, there's a very funny karate scene and a hotel receptionist who almost laughs on camera, so possibly all concerned were in on some great joke. The three leads are also members of Checkmates, Ltd., a group who provide the music. Thankfully they're far better musicians than they are actors, and many of the songs – despite one being named after the film's unfortunate alternate title "Run, N*****, Run" – are very catchy.
I was pleased to complete the credits for this movie on the IMDb, though one omission remains: the writer, or writers. Only a script superviser (sic) is included in the credits, with no screenwriter seemingly given the blame. I did stumble across a blog that had a post purportedly from star Bobby Stevens, who claimed he co-wrote it (not specifying who with) and that with all the behind-the-scenes difficulties they had, it was a wonder the film was made at all. Thank God you succeeded, Bobby, because this atrocious movie is a real gem.
A generous 3/10 for quality, but at least 8/10 for entertainment value.
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