Outcry against the film prompted several groups in Los Angeles, notably the Coalition Against Blaxploitation (CAB) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), to assert that a separate ratings and review board for black films should be set up and overseen by CORE, according to the Jan 1973 LAT article. | The original red and black Warner logo is replaced by the updated AOL/Warner logo used at the time of DVD release. Adalberto kills Scatter, having realized he was stealing from him. The picture marked the first feature film directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. (19341979), the son of Gordon Parks, Sr., who directed the 1971 picture Shaft (see above), one of the first major blaxploitation films. In the middle of the film, a sequence of still photographs, taken by director Gordon Parks, Jr., illustrates how the thirty kilos of cocaine purchased by Youngblood Priest and Eddie is prepared, distributed and used. Priest, so-called because the tip of the cross he wears is fasioned in the shape of a spoon, with which he frequently samples his wares, yearns to leave the life and go straight, despite the money he makes. Taking design cues from Pharrell Williams fashion line Billionaires Boys Club, she dressed one Snow Patrol member, played by rapper Big Bank, in fluffy fur coat and fedora. That mythology helped to fuel the rise of hip-hop, and now, of course, it is everywhere. The brightly littered Manhattan streets, the cozy squalor of the bars and drug dens, even the cruddiness of the apartments: All fuse into a bombed-out yet strangely liberated mood that lets you know why the hero would choose the life of a cocaine kingpin, because its the only way he has to leave behind the racist prison of a jive job with chump change, day after day. The atmosphere told the story, and so did Curtis Mayfields music (Im a pusher man), and so did Ron ONeals suavely furious performance. . There is a 2018 remake of this movie. 2023 Cond Nast. Homeboy Cosmopolitan. In Search of Africa, 252. One day, Priest confronts Fat Freddie, one of his clients, about money that Freddie owes and threatens to force Freddies wife into prostitution unless he robs a competitor. This is evident in the movie from the beginning as Priest communicates his desire to leave the business. Working some jive job for chump change day after day. When I get out what am I gunna do? Cynthia is killed, and Priest and Georgia set fire to the mansion. Why do you think that is, and how does it heighten the action? Both enraged and scared, Priest gives the information on Reardon and an envelope of cash to two mafia men and takes out a $100,000 contract on "the Man's" life. Superfly (2018 film), a remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film Superfly (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the 2018 film "Super Fly" (Giant Panda song), a 2005 single by Giant Panda "Superfly", a song by 4 Non Blondes on their only album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! He is murdered after being forced to reveal information about Priest to Mason. Essential drama about violent chapter in U.S. history. You'll all be hit if I die. Once Priest decides to pursue his "last score," he seeks help from his mentor in crime, Scatter, played by an avuncular but cautiously sinister Michael Kenneth Williams. Refused by Scatter, Priest has to pitch himself to a deadly Mexican cartel manager played by Esai Morales. Supertones' sixth album Hi-Fi Revival No car can outrun fate. He voices his sense of vulnerability from the heights of his terrace overlooking the city: This can all be taken away for stupid shit. He hammers the movie home in a one-liner reserved for the end, but to quote it is to make the whole plot unravel. Producer Sig Shore directed a second sequel, The Return of Superfly, released in 1990, with Nathan Purdee as Priest. For all its tossed-off flash, Superfly goes beyond the mere intricacy of its audacious plotting to suggest the cruelty, the horror, and the deceit at the heart of the American body politic. Mayfield, who made his film scoring debut with Super Fly, received a Grammy nomination for the films soundtrack. After the announcement, Warner Bros. issued an apology for its erroneous submission of the song for consideration. Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal), an African-American cocaine dealer, enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in Harlem. Families can talk about the "blaxploitation" genre. [12] It was the highest-grossing blaxploitation film at the time.[13]. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. 2023. But one of those minions, Juju (Kaalan KR Walker), seethes with resentmenthe wants to do away with Priest and take over his business, and, without Qs permission, takes a shot at Priest outside the club, but instead hits a bystander. O'Neal reprised his role as Youngblood Priest in the 1973 film Super Fly T.N.T., which he also directed. 26 Jan 2023 07:44:06 . I remember Curtis Mayfields great music and the way Ron Neal carried himself. Superfly reflects the gun-madness of modern American society, with drug dealers and police alike bearing arsenals-worth of military-style firearms and using them with a chillingly casual frequency. A 1972 Blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. Ron O'Neal stars as Priest, an up-and-coming successful cocaine dealer in New York City. The parents' guide to what's in this movie. After Priest leaves with the cash, Eddie betrays him by phoning the lieutenant. [According to contemporary sources, ONeal, the star of Super Fly, had been considered to star in Shaft but was deemed too light-skinned for the role.] Youngblood Priest: So what? Unsurprisingly, cocaine use is frequent. (Hes played in the earlier film by Ron ONeal; in the remake, by Trevor Jackson.) Although the timid Freddie abhors violence, he agrees and accompanies a member of Priests family of lower-level dealers to commit the robbery. (Click here to read about the 2018 remake .) Priest thanks Eddie for his help and prepares to leave the country with Georgia. Youngblood Priest: [while Reardon's pointing a gun at him] Kill me, Reardon! How are remakes similar to and different from the originals? Trevor Jackson in Superfly, a remake of the 1972 film by Gordon Parks Jr. Director X narrates a sequence from the film featuring Trevor Jackson and Michael Kenneth Williams. Having settled his business obligations, and with his enemies either dead or in custody, Priest and Georgia relax on a cruise in Montenegro. It was also noted that Mayfield had accused the Academy of a racial bias, although he was declining to file suit because the title song from Super Fly had been considered for the Oscar balloting. He died on 17 April 1986 in New York City, New York, USA. To me that movie felt like an accurate portrayal of Harlem during that period. "Pusherman," "Little Child Runnin' Wild," "No Thing on Me," "Give Me Your Love" and "Superfly," music and lyrics by Curtis Mayfield. Eight Track Stereo, color T.V. In mid-Apr 1972, Var reported that the films low-key, successful location shooting in Harlem was due to its being a non-union effort, thus the lack of production publicity and ease of using all-black technicians. The article added that after raising the required funds, the filmmakers agreed to their backers request that as many blacks as possible [be employed] in front and behind the camera, although the financiers agreed to allow white producer Shore oversee the project. Photograph by Quantrell D. Colbert / Sony Pictures Entertainment, The New Yorker Interview with David Remnick, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. MORE TRAILERS AND CLIPS (30) 2:26 0 Superfly (Trailer 2) 1:00 0 Superfly: Director X (Vignette) 0:14 0 Superfly: Character Piece-Scatter 1:01 0 Superfly: Priest (Vignette) 0:56 0 Superfly: Everyone Loves A Hustle 0:53 0 The film is well known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Scatter, who now runs a popular restaurant, initially refuses to help Priest, but Priest plays on his emotions, claiming that he wants to get out while he is young and before he has to endure the extreme hardships faced by Scatter. All Rights Reserved. The website's critical consensus reads, "Superfly updates the blaxploitation original with a stylish remake that's exciting and visually arresting enough to offer its own slickly staged action rewards, but disappointingly short on social subtext. Priest, whose real power is information (hes got it on everyone), is surrounded by player-predators who are less cunning but more crudely violent than he is. Ad Choices, Nancy Reviewed: A Complex, Untapped Story of a Womans Desperate Hoax, The Tale, Reviewed: A Filmmakers Daring Excavation of Her Own Memories of Sexual Abuse. director of photography Film Editing by Bob Brady National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "The return of "Freeway" Ricky Ross, the man behind a crack empire", "Trevor Jackson & Jason Mitchell To Star In Sony's 'Superfly' Remake From Director X; Future & Joel Silver To Produce", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Super_Fly_(1972_film)&oldid=1136581494, United States National Film Registry films, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lucky Scott as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield Experience), Craig McMullen as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield), Tyrone McCullough as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield), This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 01:45. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Priest overcomes his foes using karate, then reveals that he knows exactly who Reardon is. To stay up to date with the The Credits, subscribe to our newsletter. Brought in by his mentor Scatter at a young age, he has been dealing drugs ever since and lives like a king with his two girlfriends, Georgia and Cynthia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The lieutenant reveals that he is Scatter's supplier and that they can have as much "weight," as they want, and will be extended both credit and protection. Priest discusses his plan to buy thirty kilos of high-quality cocaine with the $300,000 he and his partner Eddie have, which they can sell for $1,000,000 within four months. This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 20:33. Trevors only 21 playing a 27 year old, and he worked so hard, she says. The powerless Reardon then watches as Priest walks away free, giving the policemen one final glare before driving off to join Georgia. Formerly a Chicago musician, he now lives in Los Angeles with his dog-rescuing wife Marla and their Afghan Hound. In the DVD release, Warner Bros. decided to fade out the track midway right as "The End" is shown, and again brings up the AOL/Warner logo. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. I am new in PyTorch and I have faced one issue, namely I cannot get my torch_sparse module properly installed. SuperFly (2018) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Director X. Fighting over recriminations about Freddie's death, Priest starts strangling Eddie and leaves him unconscious. Police rough up one of the lead characters, punching him repeatedly during an interrogation. AFI champions progress in visual storytelling to empower storytellers, inspire story lovers and further the limitless power of the moving image. Some contemporary and modern sources list the films title as Superfly, although the opening title card and copyright records list it as two words. Priest is an under-the-radar dealer working in virtual anonymity (he has no arrest record) and with a very small crewmainly his right-hand man and longtime friend, Eddie (Jason Mitchell), and his enforcer, Freddy (Jacob Ming-Trent). Youngblood Priest: Man, you white around the nose as a Georgia mule. Producer Sig Shore, who plays Deputy Commissioner Reardon, is billed in the cast credits as Mike Richards. There's also marijuana and cigarette smoking and drinking. Writing Credits Alex Tse . In SUPER FLY, Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal) is at the top of his game as a Harlem cocaine dealer. Carl Lee, who played Eddie, enjoyed television fame until he abused drugs in particular, heroin. Within those cynically defined contemporary parameters, Youngblood Priest (Trevor Jackson, dressed to the nines and sporting what one character derides as Morris Day hair) is doing well. Super Fly is a 1972 American blaxploitation neo-noir crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business. He can wear a slick duster overcoat and fedora one day, and a stylized track suit the next., Messam acquired Scatters track suit from UK athletic wear company Boxraw. But its also less true than it once was. The film was acquired and distributed by Warner Bros. and had a white producer (Shore). (Click here to read about the 2018 remake.) The blaxploitation films were often criticized by African-Americans for glorifying criminals, yet theres no denying that the idea of the pusher as underground American capitalist emerged from a world of narrow choices. While this new development excites Eddie, Priest is still determined to get out of dealing and decides to commit to his girlfriend Georgia (Sheila Frazier). Times reviewer, Jay Cocks, irritated by the pictures stereotypes and lack of technical proficiency, declared: What makes a crummy little movie like Super Fly worth getting angry about is the implication behind it: that movies made for black audiences have to be, or can easily be, so casually and contemptuously awful. The HR critic, on the other hand, praised the film as one of remarkable power and a revelation, technically, that realistically captured the struggle confronting those ghetto denizens who refuse to accept the life to which they have been consigned. I wanted Georgia to have a maturity about her. One day, Priest confronts Fat Freddie, one of his dealers, about money that Freddie owes and threatens to force Freddie's wife into prostitution unless he robs a competitor. Super Fly (1972) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Gordon Parks Jr. Superfly was remade by Director X and released in June 2018 with a cast that included Trevor Jackson and Jason Mitchell.[14]. I could be happy with a plain life, a poor one if only you were. Scatter gives Priest a packet of information on Reardon and his family, then arranges to meet him later, when Priest will give him money with which to flee New York. If you go back and watch a vintage blaxploitation film like Super Fly (1972), it has a time-capsule quality that only enhances the low-rent documentary scuzziness of its atmosphere. After the police leave, Eddie is elated by the new situation, claiming that they are set for life, although Priest is still determined to quit after selling the thirty kilos. "Scatter" Stephens Was A Cleveland Street Legend & The Real Superfly 2 years ago Scott Burnstein You are unauthorized to view this page. matplotlib is a Python package used for data plotting and visualisation. Priests clothes are predominantly dark and subtle because Priest doesnt want to bring attention to himself, Messam says. The Student National Coordinating Committee also protested the film as a tool of white oppression.[8]. The Man so trenchantly invoked by Mayfield was incarnated in the earlier film by a white police superintendent who wants Priest as his puppet. On a couple levels, you know Scatter is Priests mentor in the drug game and also his teacher in martial arts and jujitsu. And indeed, when they pop up, they infuse the movie with fresh rhythm. The article also reported that the distribution arm of Shores company, Plaza Pictures, would distribute Super Fly, but in mid-Apr 1972, Var reported that neither Plaza company would be involved with the film. Web. Priests white mistress, Cynthia, also sells to her friends, although she is dismayed to learn that Priest does not return her love and is planning on quitting the business. Getting up to speed in a hurry, Messam went power-shopping over the holidays in Toronto, where she loaded up on Fresh Company clothing. Besides pimpin'? "[12] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". But we cant do these things right away. He also has a run-in with the Snow Patrol, a rival crew of coke dealers who dress in white. Synopsis Youngblood Priest, a young Atlanta cocaine kingpin, has been working the streets since he was eleven. Review: Superfly Adds Bling to an Old Tale, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/movies/superfly-review.html. His Priest is controlled and invincible, a leonine street king with two girlfriends, one African-American (Lex Scott Davis) and one Latina (Andrea Londo); when he takes a shower with both of them, its a misty porny daydream that ends as an erotic Piet. Yet this conflict is actually secondary to the main story: Priest arrives at an estimate of the vast fortune that he needs to accumulate in order to quit the drug racket; he wants to do so in just a few months, by getting and selling a large stock of cocaine. [1] It dropped to $3.4 million in its second weekend, finishing eighth, and after being pulled from 1,064 theaters in its third week made $1.3 million, finishing 12th. These days, it seems, the phrase is often used ironically. Motion Picture Association, Inc. As an explanation for his desire to get out of the drug life, he says, All the power in the world cant stop a bullet. There's also marijuana and cigarette smoking and drinking. They seem to have come straight out of other movies. .st1{display:none;fill:#FFFFFF;} Takin' it, sellin' it, bankrollin' so other small time pusher. [11], After an initial gross of $24.8 million, the film was re-released in 1973 and earned $2 million in US and Canada rentals. What does it mean, and how is Super Fly an example of the genre? Scatter initially refuses to help Priest. What are some other movies with unforgettable soundtracks? Superfly saves its most righteous physical violence for its finale, and its a sequence that will probably enrage anyone whos ever uttered the phrase Blue Lives Matter. The entire denouement has a nice satirical sting, pushed along by the rapper and songwriter Big Bois droll turn as an incumbent mayor hungry for re-election. [4] Filming wrapped in March 2018, a process that Deadline Hollywood called an "unprecedented turnaround". Yam pepper scatter scatter . And you really ain't got the stomach for that. Priest (Ron O'Neal), a suave top-rung New York City drug dealer, decides that he wants to get out of his dangerous trade. The earlier film takes place mainly in daylight, on the streets of New York, which its director, Gordon Parks, Jr., approaches with a vitally textured, documentary-like range and avidity. [5] Large companies produced many of the blaxploitation films, and Super Fly is no exception. Michael isnt trained as far as I know, but hes a dancer. Superfly (1972) Cast & Crew Cast; Crew; Ron O'Neal Priest Carl Lee Eddie Sheila Frazier Georgia Julius Harris Scatter Charles McGregor Fat Freddie Nate Adams Dealer Polly Niles Cynthia Yvonne Delaine Mrs. Freddie Gordon Parks Jr. Director Phillip Fenty Screenwriter Sig Shore Producer James Signorelli . Your privacy is important to us. If it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't be here, I'd be O.D'ed some place. According to an Oct 1972 LAT article, Var had reported that by Sep 1972, Super Fly was third behind The Godfather and Play It Again, Sam (see above for both) in the list of top-grossing films of 1972. Altogether, such an independently financed film ultimately had unusually large financial backing. A title card then appears, reading "November 25, 1975, Philadelphia." Eddie has his back but Scatter refuses to help. Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Chase Michael Jordan for Nike in First Air Trailer, A Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon Movie in the Works at Universal, The Popes Exorcist Finds Russell Crowe as the Vaticans Demon Slayer. And he was there a week ahead of time doing the work and getting the choreography down. Franklin kills Freddie and Rochelle. One lengthy sex-in-the-shower scene between the characters played by Mr. Jackson, Ms. Londo and Ms. Davis has a nearly risible box-checking quality. Trevor actually has been doing capoeira for maybe 10 years, so hes really excited and really capable to do these kinds of things. Some violence, including one of the characters getting struck and killed by a car. * Remember Me Forgot Password Tags: Members Only Previous Feds Get First Co-Defendant In Philly Mob Case To Cop Plea, Tony Meatballs Admits Booking Bets That night, Priest enjoys a romantic bath with his girl friend Georgia, although she disapproves of his drug usage. After Super Flys release, Filmfacts reported that the picture turned out to be the most commercially successful black film to dateas well as the most controversial. Reviews of the picture were mixed, with some critics praising its authenticity and others decrying it as exploitive and poorly made. Junius Griffin, the head of the Hollywood branch of the NAACP stated, "we must insist that our children are not exposed to a steady diet of so-called black movies that glorify black males as pimps, dope pushers, gangsters, and super males. Additionally, the end credits on the original film release and video cassette differ from the DVD. I'm just trying to make it real, baby like it is. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter holds him at gunpoint. | Jackson is only 21 (ONeal, when he played Priest, was 34), but he beats the holy crap out of people, fires pistols with gangsta heartlessness, and at one point even dodges a bullet, never losing his cool. After the men leave, Priest finds his partner, Eddie, and asks him how much cash they currently have. Cynthia: [after refusing a snort of coke because Priest is going to leave rather than stay for sex] Some things go better with coke. Like his father, Parks, Jr. was also a well-known still photographer. 2019 AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. Their stuff isnt even carried in the U.S. but its really well made, very slim and lean. Theres another crucial difference between the two films, a difference that marks virtually every encounter, every scene, every moment: firepower. Thats how hungry the audience was for a new screen mythology of African-American manhood. K. C.s only other motion picture appearance was in the 1972 United Artists release Across 110th Street (see above), which was also filmed on location in New York City. Is More Colossal Than Ever Imagined; Dinos Still Rule With $60M+ Second Weekend", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Superfly_(2018_film)&oldid=1140373587, Fictional portrayals of the Atlanta Police Department, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [9] The Congress for Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other organizations attempted to block the film's distribution and pushed for more African-American involvement in Hollywood's creative process. Messam put together the wardrobe guided by Director X, who previously shot music videos for Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar before rebooting the 1972 blaxpoitation classic. Making his feature directorial debut, Director X whose background is in music videos (Rihanna, Drake, Kendrick Lamar) shoots in Atlanta instead of Harlem, glamming up the story with fast cars,. The wide shots are really stunt people. Producer Sig Shore, who plays Deputy Commissioner Reardon, is billed in the cast credits as Mike Richards. It has good protection but is ahead of the control surfaces for better 3d flying (vs placed at the trailing edge). Now, if you don't get me my money *tonight*, I'm gonna put that young girl of your's out on whore's row. Priest demands his half of their profits from Eddie. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. Superfly - Necessary Violence: Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales) kills Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams) after he realizes that he's been stealing from him. Production began in December 2017, with Future announcing the project and confirming Director X as director. Scatter, who now runs a popular restaurant, initially refuses to help Priest, but Priest plays on his emotions, claiming that he wants to get out while he is young and before he has to endure the extreme hardships faced by Scatter.