Uriah43 This movie begins with a shootout in Oakland between the police and a group of black men. One of the black men named "Goldie" (Max Julien) is caught and sentenced to 5 years in a penitentiary. When he finally gets released he meets up with a childhood friend name "Lulu" (Carol Speed) who has since become a prostitute and laments to him how difficult her profession is without a pimp. He then makes the decision to accept the challenge and begins to actively recruit attractive women to oversee. One thing leads to another and soon he becomes the top "mack" in all of Oakland. Yet while this obviously translates into increased revenues for him it also attracts other undesirable elements who want a cut as well. So now he has to contend with crooked cops and an organized crime boss in addition to his rivals. Now, rather than reveal any more of the story and risk ruining the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fairly good "blaxploitation" film which seemed to get better as the movie progressed. Personally, I didn't think Max Julien fit the role that well because of his quiet demeanor but he still put in a decent performance all the same. Certainly worth a watch for those who enjoy films in this genre.

C. Sean Currie (hypestyle) Max Julien plays the hero, John "Goldie" Mickens. In prison for a five-year bid for charges that are never fully explained (an associate says it was a set-up), Goldie returns to the streets of Oakland determined to make his mark again. You see, Goldie was a pimp, and he has full intention of going back to the trade that made him a living legend. Of course, in the years since his incarceration, the streets of Oakland have pretty much stayed the same. Crime and poverty still hold the ghetto in a tight grip. In particular, the drug scourge of heroin is at an epidemic level. Goldie's estranged brother Olinga (Roger Mosley) has joined a militant activist sect who want to rid the ghetto of all forms of negative influences—including pimps. In Goldie's rationale however, the sex trade is an acceptable vice, but drugs have to go. So he recruits a former working girl of his, Lulu (Carol Speed) to be his 'number one': Goldie then begins building up his harem of hookers, while Lulu coaches them in the fine art of boosting. Richard Pryor is Slim, Goldie's loyal friend and confidant. Before long, Goldie is back to being a prominent purveyor of pandering. He gives out money to neighborhood kids for staying in school, to the delight of the children and the consternation of their parents. His rise has attracted the wrong attention, however. A pair of corrupt police detectives starts harassing Goldie as soon as he is released from prison—they threaten to send him back to jail if he doesn't cut them in on the action. Added to the danger are rival pimps, who may view Goldie's success as a threat to their own. Pryor likely ad-libbed much of his dialogue here, and in a tense scene with the cops, he portrays some poignant vulnerability.

mcfaddinassociates The Mack is a black history film. It is not blackploitation, no more than religious is. The Macks are the vanguards of society, still today. However, today The Mack is more nomadic, than based on community. So you see the demise of the black community, since it is being based on religious exploitation. Eminant domain has been reintroduced to rescue the land from the religious tax-exempt exploiters. The Mack is the bedrock of society, covering greater expanses through the media. Entertainment is the largest industry in the world, second to none. The Mack represents the right side of the brain, psychologically speaking. There are more people making money on 'Toys R Us' than 'Toys Are Us', it's about academia and religion versus free thinkers and independents, with the corruption being used by those who defend religion and academia. You must be able to see the story, behind the story. It's not immoral to be a Mack and be independent of religious, judicial and academic institutions. It's immoral to be a part of religious, judicial and academic instutions and be Macks, hence hypocrisy.

Edsel Hegmon I never seen the Mack when it first came out, but when I was 13 , and I seen it at the Southern Theater in Columbus. I was shocked how the movie evolved. First he's released from prison after 5 years, and then his old flame(Carol Speed who was good) became one of his girls, and the two crooked cops that put him in the prison in first place harassing him, and killed his mother, and then kills a rival pimp with dynamite in the mouth, and then he shoots battery acid into the "Fat Man" after all this he winds up on top in the end despite all of the tragedy he went through. I don't know why Max Julien didn't do more movies than he did, but he's still a great actor. Richard Pryor does a great job as Goldie's sidekick Slick. I can see this movie many times over, because it was that good. If you get a chance buy this movie, it's available anywhere.