Le cogneur de Harlem

I recently watched The Hitter (1978) on Tubi. The storyline follows an ex-boxer 🥊 and an old hustler who team up to make money in underground fighting. However, their success draws the ire of an old acquaintance who seeks to put an end to their winning ways. Things take a turn when a ringer is thrown into the mix, threatening their shot at victory.

Directed by Christopher Leitch (The House Sitter), the film stars Ron O'Neal (Super Fly), Sheila Frazier (Super Fly), Bill Cobbs (Demolition Man), and Adolph Caesar (The Color Purple).

This film captures the essence of classic blaxploitation in nearly every way. The soundtrack is fantastic, the characters are easy to root for, and while the plot is a bit cheesy, it's the kind of cheese that makes you smile. Ron O'Neal shines as the lead, and Adolph Caesar brings a lot of charm as his sidekick. The brothel scene was corny, but still managed to be fun. The storyline is predictable, but you're still invested in watching it play out. While the fight scenes were just okay, they fit well within the film's vibe. The final showdown was exactly what you'd expect from the genre.

In conclusion, The Hitter is a straightforward, enjoyable blaxploitation film. I'd rate it a 6/10 and recommend it to fans of the genre.

The Hitter was a great movie, superb cast, Ron O'Neal was a great actor Iwas sadden at his passing, If he was still with us I believe he would be right up there with Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Lawrence Fishburn just to name a few. God bless you Ron O'Neal, and his family. The movie was a great movie to see. It reminds me of how movies was made in the 70's it has that era to it the scenes reminded me of my home, It was just a touching movie,Otis was a street fighter, and Nathan was his agent, they should have move around to other states, 500.00 a fight wasn't enough for what Otis (O'Neal) was up against, It is a must see movie at anytime. Some of the actors, and actresses you don't see or hear about anymore.

The fact that THIS film only rates a 5/10 here, only proves that the ratings system is completely inaccurate and unreliable. "The Hitter" is one of those 70's era films that is so drenched in raw atmosphere and style that while watching it you can almost smell the damp, stale and smoked-filled pool halls and bars, and the cheap perfume and sweat of the run down whorehouses, and the piss and blood splattered alleys. The great Ron O'Neal, Mr. 'Super Fly' himself turns in an intense, low key performance as Otis, a down-on-his-luck pool hustler, working the halls for survival, when he meets up with the aging conman Nathan, ( a classic performance by Adolph Caesar), an ex-pimp who sees Otis as a last chance opportunity to cash in. The two old friends hit the road, along with Lola, the whore of a rival thug who falls hard and fast for Otis. The plan is to make money on the proceeds of bare knuckle street fighting, a style of brawling that has no rules or honor. I can't say enough great things about this movie. It's a fighting movie, it's a beautifully filmed road movie, and it's a dark and murky crime drama filled with some despicable characters, like Louisiana Slim and his cronies. But we also get some characters that we can like and relate to, so much so that when they take a beating, we can feel it. The nostalgia factor of this one is off the scale. While watching it, I was reminded of pulp authors like William Burroughs and Charles Bukowski, who wrote stories like this, filled with the kinds of people you will see here. It's also wonderfully put together; it begins somewhat light, setting up the scene with some comic moments that let the viewer get to know and like the characters. Then the story becomes progressively darker, until it explodes in the final act when all the rage and frustration come to a head, and everyone gets what is coming to them. Even though there is no restored dvd available, the beauty of the raw, stark cinematography still shines through, and the old-school 4x3 picture framing actually adds to the vintage feel that so many modern directors try to recreate, and fail. Seek this one out, all fans of grindhouse, blaxploitation, and raw 70's cinema; "The Hitter" stands shoulder to shoulder with such films as "Shaft" and "Super Fly," "The Mack" and even "Mean Streets." I believe the climax was influenced by "Taxi Driver," and the film "Crossroads" also came to mind as a similar title. And for fans of Ron O'Neal, he is even better here than he was as Priest in "Super Fly."

Overlooked and under played action drama with O'Neal as a former boxer trying to build a new life after killing another fighter in the ring.

Solid performances from O'Neal and his supporting cast, a cool soundtrack and some genuine laughs make this better than most. The story diversifies from pool hall hustling and whorehouse encounters to big-stake street fights as well as the emotional ties O'Neal's character picks up along the way, elevating it from just another black street-fighting film. The movie begins fairly light-hearted but soon takes on a more serious tone eventually building toward a bullet-ridden revenge finale.

Top marks must go to the late Adolph Caesar who steals almost every scene he's in, and adds greatly to the humour throughout, punching out quick jiving lines Samuel L. Jackson would've been right at home with. As well as taking the edge off O'Neal's routine portrayal, Caesar also handles the sombre scenes with panache, adding to the proceedings the kind of sensitivity Al Pacino delivered in 'Donnie Brasco.'

RON O'NEAL!!! ADOLF CEASER!!! ENOUGH SAID!!! I binge watch this movie on a regular basis, I actually prefer Ron O'Neal in this vs Superfly. Ron O'Neal and Adolph Caesar made one hell of a team, in this rare gem of a movie. It's really hard to find, but a special channel has the movie Up on YouTube.