Tough and determined ex-con Tyrone Tackett (a strong and commanding performance by Bernie Casey) infiltrates a sordid Los Angeles criminal underworld so he can exact revenge on the folks who killed his brother. Writer/director George Armitage relates the gripping story at a swift pace, maintains a hard-hitting gritty tone throughout, further spruces things up with inspired touches of dark humor, and presents a vivid depiction of a seamy milieu replete with choice seedy locations and a delightfully degenerate rogues' gallery of colorful lowlife characters. Moreover, Armitage makes a potent and provocative point on how revenge can strip a man of his humanity and reduce him to the level of a scary and savage monster. The fine acting from an on the money cast keeps this movie humming: the ever-foxy Pam Grier as brash porn starlet Gozelda, Lisa Moore as saucy motel proprietor Laural Garfoot, Bhetty Waldron as shifty prostitute Irvelle Way, Sam Laws as amiable used car salesman Sherwood Epps, Candy All as the bitter Rochelle, Don Diamond as slimy mobster Nano Zito, and Ed Cambridge as the irascible Theatis Oliver. Popping up in nifty bits are Marilyn Joi, John Daniels, and Paul Gleason (as a corrupt cop). The abundant tasty gratuitous female nudity provides lots of extra sizzle. H.B. Barnum's funky-chilling score hits the groovy jazzy spot. The sharp cinematography by Andrew Davis rates as another plus. Well worth a watch.

Hit Man (1972) ** (out of 4) Fairly weak and at times tame Blaxploitation flick has Bernie Casey playing a man who travels to L.A. after the suspicious death of his brother. It turns out that the brother got involved with gangsters and pornography so Casey must seek some revenge. HIT MAN really isn't a very good movie, although fans of the genre will probably find enough entertaining things in it to make it worth sitting through. I think the funniest thing about the picture is the dialogue, which of course is full of the "N" word but there are some hilarious one-liners. The dialogue certainly fits into the "so bad it's good" territory but it at least gives you a reason to laugh. The film contains quite a bit of nudity from start to finish but the real surprise was the lack of any real violence up until the very end. Once the ending comes around then we're greeted with some rather over-the-top and very bloody death scenes. The film is basically a reworking of the British classic GET CARTER but this film here is certainly lacking in most categories. The performances are all okay but certainly nothing that's going to jump out at you. Casey would go on to star in other Blaxploitation flicks like CLEOPATRA JONES and DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE and while he's certainly nothing classic like Jim Brown, he at least manages to keep you entertained. Pam Grier is sadly wasted in her supporting role that simply doesn't give her enough to do. Director George Armitage certainly keeps the film moving at a good pace but there's certainly a major need of a re-write.

This definitely isn't one of the best blaxploitation movies ever, but it has a few extremely great and funny characters and sequences. This film, too, seems to be one of the biggest inspirations for the classic spoof "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka". It starts off with a bang, the first half hour or so is amazing, and it gets a little slow towards the end. SPOILER: PAM GRIER IS NAKED A BUNCH IN THIS FILM!!!! If you, like me, find her to be one of the hottest women who ever walked the earth, you are in luck, as she gets nekkid a few times. (she plays a porn star). Bernie Casey is great, but they show his butt too many times in the film. The best character has to be his vulgar, car dealer friend. So, overall, not the greatest, but a rare treat for lovers of 70s schlock action films.

An excellent version of the Ted Lewis book, Jack's return home. Although the style and acting is below the high standard of Hodges' classic Get Carter, it conjures up some novel death scenes and some cool dialogue. Caine said "You're a big man, but you're out of shape. Me, it's a full time job." Bernie Casie said, "You're a big cat, but don't be selling me no wolf ticket." Quality. If you liked Carter, you'll like Hit Man.