Storyline Looking to spend a swinging summer at Lake Arrowhead, Carla, Beth, Brea,
Heather, and Heather s shapely cousin Paula head to the picturesque
hills for a little R&R. The usual raised eyebrows from the resort s
male crowd follow them wherever they go as they split up and find summer
jobs, spend a little refreshing time in the water, and fall into the
occasional seasonal romance. But soon a shadow s cast over the girls
sunny vacation when a mysterious murderer begins picking off the lake s
bevy of beauties. Can the killer be stopped before the coeds summer fun
ends in bloody chaos?
Storyline A gorgeous girl named Katie inherits her deceased uncle's business and
decides that she too can be a businesswoman and hire two hot
girlfriends. Katie doesn't like the brothel part so she gets rid of that
and is soon giving legit massages. The mob doesn't like this and Katie
is quickly being muscled by mob goons to turn up the heat or pay. Katie
soon discovers more about the massage-parlor than she had wished.
Blaxploitation Pride Review
I couldn't resist entering this show on to the website as Modern Blaxploitation. To be fair, I will exclude any opinion I have on the Marvel Comics aspect of the show, but explain why this show fits the mold of Blaxploitation.
The show takes place in Harlem, New York, which is home to some of the most famous Blaxploitation films ever made, such as Across 110th Street, Black Caesar, Cotton Comes To Harlem and Hell Up In Harlem. Even many of the Race Films that have been posted on this website is home to the great city of Harlem. But it's not just Harlem that makes Luke Cage a Blaxploitation film, but all the elements that we seen from characters like Black Belt Jones, Tommy Gibbs, Cleopatra Jones are found in the show. The coolness, smooth talking, gangster mentality, pride in Black American culture, style, music, jive talk, disposition are common elements of the show that gives such a Blaxploitation feel.
The plot of the show is rather simple in that Luke Cage, a mysterious man residing in Harlem, has found his purpose in life unexpectedly to him and those that he is around. Somewhat indestructible to the average human, he becomes the 'Robinhood' of the hood after a close friend is killed by a goon of Luke Cage's nemesis, Cottonmouth, owner of the luxurious club, Harlem's Paradise. Cottonmouth is a gangster with close ties with the unforgiving, Willis Stryker (a.k.a. Diamondback) whose vengeful hate for Luke Cage leads to a classic hero versus villain action. Cage looks to help the people of Harlem keep corruption and detriment from the streets, but his mysterious ways have spark an obsessive pursuit by NYPD detective, Misty Knight because wherever Cage goes, trouble closely follows.
But what really set the show in the mood of Blaxploitation, which is an important element of Blaxploitation films, is the music. Produced by Adrian Younge (from the Black Dynamite soundtrack) and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the soundtrack offers the hard hitting funk and dramatics we love to hear in Blaxploitation films. True to the nature of library and production music of the 70s, these producers enlightened the show with some of the most brilliant display of versatility of a Blaxploitation movie soundtrack that you'll ever hear. It's obvious that these producers are talented, but they also have studied and paid much respect to their predecessors of Blaxploitation music producing. The producing features a mixture of hip-hop elements, which is true to the modern African-American culture, so while the music could have an out-dated feel, the hip-hop aspect keeps it very relevant to 2016.
Tracklist 01. Good Man 02. Mesmerized (Original Soundtrack Version) 03. Ain't It a Sin 04. Stop And Look (And You Have Found Love) 05. 100 Days, 100 Nights 06. Diamondback Arrives 07. Final Battle - Part 1 08. In the Wind 09. Diamondback's Trap 10. Blue Fusion 11. Final Battle - Part 2 12. I'm Luke Cage 13. Street Cleaning 14. The Ambush 15. End Theme 16. Coffee at Midnight 17. Red-Handedly Blameless 18. Always Forward Pops 19. Unveil the Bride 20. Shameek's Death 21. The Plan 22. Requiem for Phife 23. We Had Coffee 24. Pops Is Gone 25. Theme 26. Greed Becomes Me 27. Bulletproof Love feat. Method Man 28. Microphone Check Five'O 29. Luke's Freedom 30. Uptown Claire 31. Shades Beware 32. Misty Resolute 33. Fresh Air 34. Kinda Strong 35. Big Man Little Jacket 36. Scarfe's Dying 37. Claire's Wisdom 38. Gun Threat 39. Bad Love 40. Finding Chico 41. I Am Carl Lucas 42. Crispus Attucks 43. Hideout 44. Cuban Coffee 45. Like a Brother 46. Cottonmouth's Clamp 47. Survival 48. Cottonmouth Theme 49. Luke Cops 50. Crushin' On Reva 51. Beloved Reva
Overall, this show fits the mold of how Blaxploitation is defined here at BP. The Blaxplotiation era may be nearly 40 years past, but that doesn't mean that we can't have an ode to the genre from time to time.