Director: Gilbert
Moses
Notable Cast: Roscoe
Orman, Diana Sands, Thalmus Rasulala, Joyce Walker, Norma Donaldson, Roger
Robinson, Albert Hall, George Murdock
“I’m declaring war on
you. You dig it? I’m gonna make you number one minus one…which equals zero.”
The blaxploitation genre is one that I have not generally
explored before. Outside of the some of the mainstream entries like Shaft or the various Pam Grier action
romps, it’s a genre that I don’t often find myself digging into. Certainly
though, like most genres that arrive in bursts, it has its own set of formulas,
tropes, and style that can be picked up fairly easily. This is what makes Willie Dynamite such a fascinating film.
Where the film starts firmly within the classic blaxploitation structures and
style, it starts to play on the expectations in some surprising ways that adds
a lot of depth and quality to the entire thing. If it wasn’t for this latest
Arrow Video release, I’m not sure I would have ever seen this film and quite
frankly, it’s definitely a gem that I did not expect to uncover.