FSU Student Life Cinema

With a catch phrase of “Black Gold!” who would want to miss Scott Sanders’ modern take on blaxploitation, popularized in the 70s? Paracinema makes an abdominally pain staking comeback in this film about Black Dynamite, a friendly neighborhood thug who tries to solve the murder of his brother… and ends up kicking the President’s ass for tainting the Anaconda Malt Liquor to shrink male genitalia nationwide.

Michael Jai White as Black Dynamite (with an excellent moustache) provides a grade-A comic performance as the womanizing ex-vet-now-crime-fighter, who unexpectedly falls in love with the head of the local orphanage (who knew there was only one in all of California?) that has been infiltrated by The Man. The kids are using heroin and Black Dynamite serves up a fair warning to the local pimps: no more drug sales. Black Dynamite’s journey to stop The Man takes him back to the jungles of Vietnam and into the oval office of The White House.

The fuzzy picture, providing a believable return to the grainy production of the 70s, is next only to the intentional continuity errors and visible equipment (look for the boom in Dynamite’s office when he stands up. I promise you won’t miss it. Neither will Black Dynamite’s fro.) If the production style doesn’t do it, the script is enough to get you rolling on the floor: the logical deciphering between M & Ms and Anaconda Malt Liquor should be a staple scene for parodies in years to come. (Listen to the music, also. A soulful singer will let you know what’s happening in each scene… much like R. Kelly did when he was trapped in the closet.)

WARNING: You will be kung-fu’d out by this movie. Be ready to double-over laughing, but also be ready to walk into any dojo to receive your black-belt after watching the numerous fight scenes with Dr. Wu and President Nixon.

*Showing February 19 & 20 at the SLC @ 7:30 + 10 p.m. Come see it!

Happy viewing,

Katie M.