The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
Search DAARAC's Archive
Showing posts with label 1972. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1972. Show all posts

Friday, July 26, 2013

Sweet Sugar (1972)






















Starring:
  • Ella Edwards
  • Phyllis Davis
  • Timothy Brown
IMDB.com
Prostitute Sugar is set up by a corrupt politician. She is convinced of the futility of appealing her case in the courts and signs on to a chain gang run by the notorious Dr. John who performs cruel medical experiments on the people who work for him.

One of a slew of Women In Prison (WIP) exploitation flicks hurriedly lensed after Jack Hill's hugely successful "The Big Doll House" mopped up at the box office for Roger Corman. This one's fairly typical of the subgenre, delivering the WIP formula of nudity and sadism in well measured doses.

It's only notable features are an early writing effort by Stephanie "Terminal Island" Rothman and a truly over-the-top performance by Angus Duncan. He plays Dr. John, the demented warden of the sugar cane plantation to which Phyllis Davis is sentenced, with a hammy verve rarely seen today.

Also slightly notable is the 'cat tossing' scene which, IMOHO, wins the all-time award for "Worst Abuse of an Animal to Set Up A Stupid Visual Pun." Otherwise, "Sweet Sugar" is pretty much every WIP flick you've ever seen.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

In Search For.... Black Cream [a.k.a. Together for Days] (1972)


A Black radical activist and a young White woman find themselves drawn to one another during the politically and racially-charged atmosphere of early 1970s America.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Embassy (1972)










Starring:
  • Richard Roundtree
  • Chuck Connors
  • Marie-JosĂ© Nat

IMDB.com
It looks as if this cinematic essay in crime n' politics is quite rare. It is equipped with a cast that includes Max von Sydow, Ray Milland and Broderick Crawford and has a story with potential: A Russian working in the Ministry of Defense wants political asylum after his son is taken to the Gulag. He enters the US embassy in Beirut, only to be perpetrated by brute force killer Chuck Connors. Doesn't sound so bad, really; but it all is done in the manner of a TV movie. There are moments of thrill, but then again, no less moments of cheesy dialogue and bad cinematography. Among the actors, Connors stands out as sort of the personification of evil, but the script doesn't allow him to display all traits of his character. In essence, this film – if you can find it, since it has quite a few alternative titles – is fun to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but doesn't fit for repeated viewing.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Black Girl (1972)
























Starring:


Storyline
The 17-year-old dreamer Billie Jean (Peggy Pettit) is the youngest in a family of loving yet discouraging women. Billie Jean's mother, Mama Rosie (Louise Stubbs), cares deeply about her three biological children. However, her own personal disappointments have left her embittered, and she only offers encouragement to her adopted daughter, Netta (Leslie Uggams). When Netta, a successful teacher, returns to visit the family, she may be the voice of guidance and hope Billie Jean desperately needs.

Link to soundtrack review
Black Girl (1972) - Ed Bogas