Woodyanders Take-charge Green Beret Gordon Hudson (a bang-up performance by the always reliable Paul Winfield) returns to Harlem after serving a four year tour of duty in Vietnam. Gordon discovers that the neighborhood has been overrun with drugs, prostitution, and other kinds of organized crime. Gordon rounds up three 'Nam vet buddies so they can wipe out the no-count hoodlums who have corrupted the city. Director Ossie Davis, working from a tight and hard-hitting script by Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander, relates the gripping story at a snappy pace, ably creates and maintains an appropriately harsh and gritty tone, and stages the exciting action-packed climax with real skill and flair. Winfield's strong and commanding presence effortlessly carries the picture; he receives sturdy support from Carl Lee as the amiable Bee Bishop, Tony King as the easygoing Roy Green, and David Downing as the hip Otis Russell. Moreover, there's a neat array of hateful villains: Gilbert Lewis as ruthless kingpin Spanish Henry, Carl Gordon as the slimy and sniveling Luther the Pimp, and Nathan C. Heard as vicious dope pusher Big Pink. Popping up in nifty bits are singer Grace Jones as drug currier Mary and an uncredited Charles McGregor (Fat Freddie in "Superfly") as dope peddler Jim. The outbursts of brutal violence pack a ferocious punch while the grungy Harlem locations add a certain raw authenticity. Victor J. Kemper's slick cinematography makes cool occasional use of split screen and freeze frames. The funky score by Al Elias and Angela Badalamenti hits the get-down groovy-thrilling spot. An excellent urban action winner.

HaemovoreRex Paul Winfield stars as the eponymous hero in this highly satisfying, gritty and violent actioner in which after returning home from Nam and finding his beloved wife has died of an overdose, our hero decides to wage war on the drug pushers, pimps and general low life infesting the streets of Harlem. Unfortunately, Gordon is brought to the swift realisation (painfully!) that one man alone is not enough to tackle the problem, so enlists the aid of some old army buddies including the ever super cool Tony King and promptly sets about coming down heavy on the nefarious wretches who are destroying the neighbourhood.Bucket loads of glorious violence and some fine action set pieces follow in this solidly rendered flick which is all the more sadly, so little known. Winfield, although hardly pushed in this, is fine as ever as are the rest of the cast and the director really succeeds in making us care about these protagonists in the ever more perilous situation they find themselves in. Special mention also to the highly exciting final chase scene in this although the final conclusion involving the assassination of the apparent 'real' top dog running all of the drugs business in the area is regretfully somewhat confusing not to mention unsatisfyingly abrupt. Nonetheless, such a small matter in no way detracts from the overall entertainment value of all that precedes it. Highly recommended.

lastliberal Those looking for classic blaxploitation will find it here: pimps and rug dealers in fancy furs, shooting galleries, naked chicks packaging heroin, black men and white women, and the mafia controlling it all from the shadows.Paul Winfield had received an Oscar nomination for Sounder the same year as he made this film, and he was to make one of my personal favorites, Conrack, the next year, so this was probably the peak of his acting career.He is a Vietnam vet who comes home to tragedy and vows to do something. He gathers some friends and starts a private war against the drug dealers. It was an interesting film with many familiar faces in the blaxploitation genre.Despite the weak ending, it was a good example of a positive blaxploitation film.

Killakai OK, so this isn't one of the best movies ever made, but it is one of the better Blaxploitation films and is still not very well known.A Vietnam vet returns home to Harlem, to find out his lady died from an overdose. This Heroin problem is not only a problem for him, but dope and pimps are taking over the whole neighborhood. He wants justice, not just for his woman but for his neighborhood and for his people.He gets a group of his buddies from the Nam, and they form a a 4 man task force to push the dealers out of Harlem.This movie is creative and fun, if you don't try to take it too seriously. Fans of the genre will recognize many of the actors in the movie.This team not only tackles the dealers, the attack the infrastructure, and keep on fighting until they get all the way to the top until they get all the way to the top.Paul Winfield presence is strong.This is really more of an crime-action movie than a crime-drama. Car chases, fighting, comedy, and a few slick quotables in it as well.If you like Blaxploitation flicks, you'll want to see this.