Super Fly (1972)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Excellent adaptation.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Ron O'Neal plays a drug dealer name Youngblood Priest who wants out of the business. But not before one last big score. As you might expect, it won't be as easy to get out as he hopes. You've probably seen variations on this story dozens of times before and after Super Fly, but rarely this good. This is one of the high points of the Blaxploitation genre. Yes, it's morally suspect and not for all tastes. But it's also an exciting, gritty, and colorful urban drama. There's a great sex scene and a funny slow motion fight scene that are two of the highlights. Good direction from Gordon Parks, Jr. and an amazing score by Curtis Mayfield. Filmed on location in early '70s New York which gives it a great atmosphere and realism.

Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal) is a cocaine dealer who begins to realize that his life will soon end with either prison or his death. He decides to build an escape from the life by making his biggest deal yet, converting the coke to cash and running off to start a new life.You have to love the musical score from Curtis Mayfield; "Super Fly" is one of the few films ever to have been outgrossed by its soundtrack. And there are lots of interesting facts about this film: The film was shot by director of photography, James Signorelli, who would go on to become the film director at Saturday Night Live. The director's father, Gordon Parks, was the director of "Shaft", another blaxploitation classic, and financed this movie with the help of two dentists.Does the film glorify drug use (particularly cocaine use)? I suppose that depends on your interpretation. Many say it does, the creators say it was intended to show the negative aspects of drug culture. I can see it both ways. I mean, gee, your hero is a drug pusher. But his life is hard... and yet, this hard life is presented as glamorous. Who knows?

I really wanted to like this movie, as it was quite the hot ticket back when I was a kid....that, plus the superb soundtrack. I can hardly describe my disappointment when I actually got to viddy the thing. Bad script, bad sound, atrocious camera work, and awful direction. It looks and feels a lot worse than some high school film productions. The script is insulting to it's audience and demonstrates what today seems like an incredible contempt for the black characters. It is true that the movie was incredibly influential for the first half of the 1970s....in a way that got brutally parodied in the film _I'm Gonna Get You, Sucka_.There are lots of good blaxploitation flicks out there. Don't waste your time with this incompetent piece of junk.

I was a young kid when this movie came out but, I remember how "cool" everyone thought he was.I too wanted to be a pimp and a player.Then I watched it a few years ago and realized how "cheesy" the movie looked.I mean don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it but,...Anyway, it's worth adding to your collection if your a true movie fan.I would really recommend you get the sequel to this one too. Super Fly TNT.That one I can't really remember much about but, hey, if you're going to get one...why not both.This movie fits right in there with "The Mack","Shaft" (the original),"Come Back Charlston Blue", and my other "Black Movies of the 70's"So get out there and find them. And if you can find any of them, there great to just kick back with your friends and have a few good laughs while you compare the film style of the 70's to that of today's.