Greased Lightning

It's not often I get to see a movie that isn't 1) unbelievably complicated in psychological meaning OR 2) unbelievably complicated in futuristic technology SO

I found it GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, REFRESHING, POSITIVE, AND most of all CLEAN, HEALTHY FUN!

This is the best I've seen Richard Pryor star in, and the real life Horatio Alger story is a real force for success motivation, even though I am a WASP.

Only the jaded and/or mean spirited would turn this one down.

This one has been a favorite of mine ever since I first watched it on cable in the late 70's. Richard Pryor is just perfect as Wendell Scott, the first black stock-car racing champion. The rest of the cast is great as well, all perfect in their roles. This is definitely a perfectly cast film!

The film itself is very decent but does have a few problems, most notably that once Wendell starts racing there seems to be too many large gaps in time, as if a lot of footage that has been left on the cutting room floor. But the script does move along well even with that problem.

I would think Pryor fans especially would pick this up on DVD if it ever got a proper release, in widescreen, some commentary, and with those obviously deleted scenes left behind. Hopefully this will be on DVD before some Hollywood clown remakes this with tons of computer effects crap and ruins the whole thing.

If you're a race fan, you may not have heard of Wendell Scott. He was one of the most under rated race car drivers of all time, and for all of the wrong reasons. It really makes a person wonder how great he might have been if someone looked beyond the color of his skin.

This movie captures that struggle Wendell must of felt. This movie also shows what a great actor Richard Pryor really could have been if he was cast in more serious rolls, instead of just comedies. Sure there there was some humor in this movie, but nothing like his later movies. Richard and Clevon Little played well off of each other. Maybe this is why this movie is all but forgotten about because this movie is somewhat out of character for Richard. Sure, it is not completely an accurate account of Wendell's life, but it is one best movies Richard Pryor ever made.

So if you see it, don't expect a scream fest. But may I suggest that you see it just to see what a great actor, not comedian Richard Pryor was.

Whenever you think about influencial people in African-American sports history, you mostly think of Jackie Robinson, but during the Civil Rights movement of the late 1950's and early 1960's, a young racer from Danville, VA quietly broke NASCAR's color barrier and that was Wendell Scott. I think Richard Pryor did an excellent job of portraying Wendell Scott in this film and showed what is was like to race in the South at that time (1950's-1960's). This film shows that anyone can do anything, regardless of their ethnic background. The real Wendell Scott's racing career was cut short due to a serious accident during a race in Talladega, Alabama in 1973. Where would some of today's African-American racing drivers be if Wendell Scott did not open the door? A must-see for racing fans in general.

Wendell Scott (Richard Pryor) returns home from WWII. He marries Mary Jones (Pam Grier) and starts a taxi service. Eager for action, he joins Peewee (Cleavon Little) on moonshine runs with the excuse of needing money to buy a garage. They outwit and outpace the bumbling police under Sheriff Cotton (Vincent Gardenia). When he finally gets caught, the local race track owner forces him to race to get out of jail. He becomes popular with the black crowds as the first black racer. Hutch (Beau Bridges) is first a rival driver, then a friendly competitor, and finally his mechanic in NASCAR.

This is a biopic loosely based on his life. I remember something about the race he won but was denied at first. Otherwise, I have nothing to say about the accuracy. There are characters that feel a little stereotypical. Bridges is trying too hard. I like Pryor's performance for the most part but he can never be not Pryor. The racing action is fine but it's not the most thrilling. This is compelling history and it has a great actor stretching his skills.