Black Caesar & Hell Up in Harlem: Fred Williamson Rules the Streets Again

Fred Willamson is one of those actors who demands your attention on screen. He has a presence and delivers the goods regardless of the movie he’s in. Meeting him at Weird Worcester last year was one of the highlights of my personal exploration around conventions. He is one of a kind and has starred in a multitude of films over the years.

One of his first huge hits came via Larry Cohen and was called Black Caesar (see review here). This film was symbolic and very important in the burst of black lead action movies in the ‘70s. It spawned a sequel, Hell Up in Harlem, which I personally hate beyond typed words for altering the conclusion of the original when it could have been easily salvaged with a bit of thought.

Eureka Entertainment are releasing both movies soon on Blu-ray and the set is available for pre-order, with a street date of January 18, 2027.

I hope they use the unedited sound finale for Black Caesar as per the large box UK VHS and not the screwed-up version MGM put out on basic DVD.

Special Features:

Limited edition O-card slipcover featuring new artwork by Sam Gilbey [2000 copies]
Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring writing on Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem and the blaxploitation genre by Mikel J. Koven, author of Blaxploitation Films [2000 copies]
1080p HD presentation of both films on Blu-ray
Original English mono audio tracks
Optional English subtitles (SDH)
New audio commentaries on Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem with Steve Mitchell, director of the 2017 documentary King Cohen
Archival audio commentaries on Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem with writer, director and producer Larry Cohen
Godfather of Harlem – a newly edited, previously unseen interview with Larry Cohen on Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem originally shot for King Cohen
Trailers