Blaxploitation was a staple of the 1970’s, and like all genres there are good ones (see Film Detour Episode 2) and bad ones. John Huston once said “We can make ’em BAD too, if that’s what they want”. Gordon Parks Jr. answered that clarion call with “Three The Hard Way”, starring Jim Brown, Fred “The…

Warren Oates is one the great screen actors of all time. He’s easily as good as Brando, De Niro or Daniel Day Lewis. In this episode of Film Detour he leads a disparate party through the Utah Desert. Captured spectacularly by cinematographer Gregory Sandor, masterfully directed by Monte Hellman, co-starring the nastiest Jack Nicholson this…

Take Dustin Hoffman in his 1970’s prime, mix him with some nitro glycerin (stir gently) and you’ve got Max Dembo, in the classic crime drama Straight Time. Brilliantly directed by Ulu Grosbard, this movie set the gold standard for all heist movies to follow. In it Hoffman delivers his most explosive performance ever as an ex-con trying to go…

Ride In The Whirlwind Monte Hellman is the great unsung hero of filmmaking in the 1970’s. A highly skilled writer, director, editor and photographer, a true Renaissance man. He created beautifully unconventional films in his unique and uncompromising style. In this two part series we will focus on two “revisionist” Westerns he made with Jack Nicholson…

Here’s an idea. Take James Bond (Sean Connery fresh out of his 007 tux), strip him down to almost naked, give him really long hair tied up in a braid, a sorta Village People handlebar mustache, red bandoliers crisscrossing his bare, hairy chest, a red jockstrap kinda thing to cover his privates, thigh high leather…

How many hard boiled detectives do you know who’d go out at three o’clock in the morning to buy their kitty its favorite brand of cat food? Only one. Philip Marlowe, played oh so languidly by Elliot Gould, in The Long Goodbye. Expect the unexpected when veteran director Robert Altman brings Raymond Chandler’s classic 1940’s…

When you were young what frightened you? Clowns? Your old crone first grade teacher? The thing under the bed? Being abducted by a coven of witches and sacrificed to Satan on a stone alter? Yes, obviously it was the latter.  So travel along with us to Whitewood. We’ll be staying at the Raven’s Inn (AKA Horror Hotel).Christoper Lee will be waiting to check…

In this corner, the “black private dick, that’s a sex machine to all the chicks”, SHAFT!!! In the opposite corner, the “hard to understand, what a hell-of-a man“, SUPERFLY!! John Knapich and Bob Muller discuss Blaxploitation in this 1970’s SHOWDOWN!   Two films, Two directors. Father pitted against Son, in an ALL OUT battle!! WHO will…