sol ***SPOILERS*** Predictable blood splattered shoot em up flick with that baddest of all bad dudes Jim Brown in the role of the ex-Green Beret butt-kicker Slaughter who's out to get those who had his parents iced in a flaming car bomb explosion.Sent on a mission by the US Treasury Dept. to far off Mexico to get the goods on the Felice Mob Slaughter is more then eager to find the man who was responsible for his parents murder but is kept on a short ease, like an out of control pit bull, by A.W Price, Cameron Mitchell, the US Government Agent who sent him there. It's seems from past experience that Slaughter likes to do things his way, shoot first and ask questions later, which is contrary to US foreign policy as well as doesn't, by putting innocent as well as guilty people in the morgue, make good sense.With beady eyed Harry, Don Godon, as his sidekick Slaughter does a bit of slaughtering himself by taking on the Felice Mob who are in the process of setting up a major drug distribution center south of the border. Mob Boss Felice played by Norman Alfe in his first and only movie appearance, and from the looks of his ham acting you can see why, is really not that into violence feeling that it's bad for business but his right hand man Hoffo, Rip Torn, a blood thirsty psychopath is.Hoffo with his sour puss face looking like he overdosed on a king size bottle of Tabasco Sauce is also the man who had Slaughter's parents killed. In that "Pop" Slaughter was in on some kind of deal involving computers that he kept from his boss Mario Felice that was in danger of blowing his entire drug operation. It's that Hoffo had this done without Felice's authorization that had Slaughter go into action. This was something, using unnecessary violence, that Felice was dead set against and with him finding out that Hoffo is responsible for all this Hoffo's days are numbered. That's if Hoffo doesn't get to him first!Jim Brown does it all in "Slaughter" without as much as breaking a sweat. Besides him doing more then his share of slaughtering the bad guys Brown also finds time to get in on with Hoffo's girlfriend, or better yet sex slave, the blond busty and wide eyed Ann played by Stella Stevens. Even though he's ordered by his boss A.W Price to hold off the shooting until the calvary, or the US Treasury Agents, arrives Slaughter is so good at his job, of slaughtering, that there was nothing left of the Felice Mob, including Felice himself, by the time they arrived for them to arrest!

JasparLamarCrabb Ridiculous to be sure, but also extremely entertaining. Jim Brown is the title character, a former Green Beret who, after his "connected" father is blown up by a car bomb, exacts his revenge of the mobsters responsible. This being Jim Brown and a war hero, he has the blessing of the US government. Brown is his usual robotic self (read that as dullard), but the supporting cast is a real treat. Rip Torn is a really creepy mobster, Stella Stevens his put upon moll who, naturally, ends up in bed with Brown. Cameron Mitchell is the government man who ropes Brown in and he wears a really obvious toupee. The direction by Jack Starrett is pretty erratic...there's a pretty blurry chase on a runaway between a car and an airplane. Starrett would improve his drive-in cred a few years later with the likes of RACE WITH THE DEVIL and A SMALL TOWN IN Texas. Aping SHAFT and SUPERFLY, SLAUGHTER does have a pretty wacky title song (written and performed by the great Billy Preston).

Poseidon-3 Somehow, in even the most sleazy, tacky and sordid surroundings, Brown was able to retain a level of dignity and appeal in his movies. This film revels in the various hallmarks of the Blaxpoitation genre, but Brown comes out of it unscathed. He plays a former Green Beret whose parents are killed by the Mob (his father was heavily involved with them.) When he tries to exact revenge, he winds up recruited by Treasury Department official Mitchell to work together in bringing down several mobsters in Mexico. Here, he is aided by Gordon and, to a lesser degree Clark. Alfe is the primary fat cat with Torn as his second in command. Things get complicated and very ugly when Alfe sends Torn's ex-hooker girlfriend (Stevens) to soften up (or harden?) Brown. Brown, though very low-key through most of the film, presents such an amiable presence despite the tawdriness of the material that he makes this film worth watching. His "shoot first, ask questions later" character is somewhat ill-defined, but he gives the film some honor. Gordon does an admirable job as his short, adoring sidekick who wishes he had even a tenth of Brown's magnetism and ability. Torn gives a brooding, slimy, but interesting performance as a racist, vicious thug. Stevens gets a showy dress (and undress!) rehearsal for her memorable role as an ex-prostitute in "The Poseidon Adventure" (filmed just after this.) Her look in this film is precisely the same, though she has some far more adult scenes in this one. Brown's sex scenes with Stevens had to have been quite the eye-openers in 1972 as they still are even today! It's clear that the two had chemistry together and clearly enjoyed their relationship as actors. Alfe (who, oddly, has not one other screen credit to his name) is distinctive and memorable (if, at times, unintentionally funny.) With a Mr. Roarke hairdo and with a voice that may not be the actor's own, he nonetheless does a decent job of presenting a man with power and influence. Mitchell hardly appears and Clark's role is an almost total throwaway (though she has one memorably hilarious exit from an apartment doorway!) This film is not for everyone as it is decidedly politically incorrect with plenty of the "N" word flying around. However, it is filled with interesting lead actors who give their all to their roles and help it to rise above cheaper variations on the genre. A few of the bit players are bad, but they aren't around long in most cases. Only some of the interior shots in hotel rooms or offices betray a lack of budget (with rotten sound and lighting.) There is definite overuse of a fish-eye lens which becomes distracting and is a by-product of the era. Much of the film, though, comes off as pretty slick with a terrific title song, some well-handled action scenes and enough spark in the dialogue to hold one's interest. It's the type of flick where the men refer to each other as "baby" and even "sweetheart" all in the name of that inimitable 1970's funk. It was followed by an even more lurid, but entertaining, sequel.

scorpio-x It kicks off a little slow, but by the time they get to Mexico, things pick up and get pretty smokin' in the conclusion--Jim Brown's entrance to the casino is terriffic, it's got the shock value of having a dwarf thrown through your bay window. His later entrance to the bad guys' lair from the car is also classic. Jim Brown isn't a great actor, but his ass-kicking stoicism is at it's best here, as he slaps down legions of bad guys with barely a raised eyebrow. (Did you know that, aside from his football skills, Jim Brown was supposedly the greatest Jai Lai player on earth?) Stella Stevens and Rip Torn are also very good, but even higher praise goes to Billy Preston's theme song.