The Black Connection

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.

This film begins in Las Vegas with a group of Italian mobsters led by a man named "Don Juliano" (Tommy Moe Raft) being informed that a kilo of cocaine has gone missing and that a prominent drug dealer by the name of "Miles Carter" (Bobby Stevens) is responsible for the loss. Infuriated by this, Don Juliano sends some men to find Miles and collect his debts. Meanwhile, Miles' "Banker" (played by Peter Anthony) decides to cut his financial risks and sends a "Hitman" (played by Steve Edwards) to kill him in order to collect on a life insurance policy taken out earlier. Unaware of this, Miles does everything he can to stay one step ahead of the Mob long enough to settle his debts and further expand his operation on the west side of Las Vegas. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie was produced during a time when "blaxploitation films" were quite popular and there was money to be made for pictures of this sort. To that effect, even though there is much to criticize about this low-budget production, from what I understand, it grossed over $161 million worldwide, so I guess it achieved its goals. Financial success aside, there were a number of subplots that went absolutely nowhere, along with several characters who could have used significant development as well. That being said, while I don't necessarily consider this to be a bad blaxploitation film, it's not that good either, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

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.

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.