The Mack (1973)

Let's be realistic.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Robert J. Poole deserves credit for writing clever and gritty lines. This movie was urban before people even referred to movies as urban. Pretty Tony: "You know the name of the game , your bitch chose me." Loved that exchange!!!!! The Mack showed that urban movies way back then had a broader appeal than thought by Hollywood. The whole subculture of pimping has been covered in books and movie. The Mack was far a head of it's time and place. I never understood why people would get offended over The Mack. Writer Robert J. Poole did not invent pimping. It's been there, Prostitution is the oldest profession. The Mack has intelligent writing.

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.

Blaxploitation has never had a good working relationship inside mainstream cinema because it sometimes required the audience to relate with people who were pimps, pushers, hookers, and any other rabble of common street criminals. But people loved movies like "Reservoir Dogs" and "Trainspotting"; yet "Dogs" had murderous jewel thieves in the leads and "Trainspotting" was about heroin addicts in Edinburgh. So then, "The Mack" can't be any different from those two, can it?I missed Blaxploitation when it arose during the 60s and 70s because I wasn't alive; I was born in 1985. I stumbled across "The Mack" at a local used book store that also sold videos. Sitting on a rack, was "The Mack."After doing five rough years in prison, Goldie (Max Julien) decides to become a pimp in order to make a living, much to the dismay of his younger brother Olinga (Roger E. Mosley), who has become radicalized within the pro-Black civil rights movement during the time that Goldie has spent behind bars. Goldie then has to contend with a pair of racist, corrupt cops who hound him constantly and rival pimps."The Mack" is a movie that has become an enormous influence on modern hip-hop culture and is frequently referenced to in the films of Quentin Tarantino. Max Julien makes for a truly convincing "Mack" and there's even a rather subdued, yet incredibly funny supporting performance from Richard Pryor.This movie really does capture the essence of a chaotic time period perfectly. Vietnam was going on in 1973 and some people felt that life in America was in shambles, with drugs and crime running rampant in this country. So I guess that's why people praised movies like "Death Wish," "Dirty Harry," "A Clockwork Orange," and basically any Sam Peckinpah movie that came out during the 70s.Along with maybe "Shaft" and "Foxy Brown," "The Mack" could probably be one of the better known Blaxploitation flicks released during the 70s. I loved this movie from beginning to end. But it's a shame that "The Mack" is not more well-known in the movie-going community.10/10

If you want to get an insider's glimpse into the world of pimpin', look no further than "The Mack." Often compared to the other, better known black movies of the 1970's, which tend to focus more on drugs and street justice, "The Mack" incorporates both of those elements, but with a heavy focus on pimpin'. It gives outsiders a glimpse into the life of a pimp through the eyes of 1973's official Pimp of the Year, Goldie ("The Mack" shows that this dubious title is actually given out in an annual event, one similar to the Oscars). Goldie's strengths are his strong pimp hand, which he uses early and often, and the fact that he always gets his percentage on time (as in "woman better have my percentage"). Although his brother (fyi: one of magnum p.i.'s sidekicks)dedicates his life warning people about pimps and drug pushers, Goldie continues his lavish lifestyle, going so far as to bring his women to the annual Pimp Softball and Barbeque Outing (for a pimp, Goldie sure knows how to swing the lumber). But, with a tragic ending, Goldie must examine his life and is forced to make a huge decision.If you are looking for great acting, a movie where you can hear what the people are saying (everyone speaks really softly), or good music, look elsewhere. Also, although Richard Pryor gets second billing in this movie, he is seen in the movie less than a pimp in daylight.On the other hand, I think the strengths of this movie are the costumes and the "pimp insight" one can gain. If you want a crash course on what it takes to be a respected pimp (fine clothes, ability to wear sunglasses during all hours, have an unruly afro, kill people using dynamite, play a lot of craps and three card monty), then look no further than "The Mack". However, if that is not your intended goal, look further, look much much further.