Dolemite DVD Review from Xenon Pictures!
It’s hard to weigh up the legendary, Rudy Ray Moore. I own a couple of his albums and his witty street chat over basic funky tunes is totally another world. I like his style, and his XXX rated stories make you laugh so hard you wanna slap yo’ nearest and dearest. His rhyming ways influenced so many Hip Hop artists – true Hip Hop artists from the golden era such as Schoolly D, Big Daddy Kane, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Too Short, 2 Live Crew and so on. Recently, Eddie Murphy played him in the Netflix biopic, Dolemite Is My Name, so his name lives on some more.
Movie wise, Rudy financed, acted in, wrote and did just about everything guerrilla style over his most active years (‘75-‘79) but it’s a bit of a mixed bag of creations. Whilst the majority claim Dolemite to be his masterpiece, his uncut trunk of spunk, I have always loved Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son in Law (named after the infamous blues artist) far more. Perhaps because Rudy didn’t have as much input in the writing. I feel that a lot of his vinyl power becomes lost on screen when he slows everything down to deliver some of his rhymes.
That’s not to say I don’t love Dolemite for what it is. The movie is a low down dirty vanity project, the similar kind of thing you find modern day NYC workhorse, Sean Weathers doing with Scumbag Hustler (see review of Scumbag Hustler here) and The Fappening (see review of The Fappening here) but minus the gratuitous sex and realistic violence.
Dolemite is a cartoon and totally makes sense in being so. Rudy created the character on-stage, then on record, so it’s the natural progression. Unlike the genre giants of that time which I totally adore, Black Caesar (see review of Black Caesar here), The Mack, Slaughter, plus so many others. Dolemite isn’t delivering a message, it isn’t bothered about looking good, and it just wants to rub itself in your face. Shit, why not? It has action, chase sequences, and much more on a very slim budget.
“Okay, Dolemite,” says a prison guard as he ushers said man out of his cell, “The warden wants to see you.” Dolemite curses, “Shit! What the hell does that rat two bit muthafucka want?” In the office waits his main girl, Queen Bee. For two years she’s been fighting to prove his innocence, and the warden is starting to believe her. Some possible evidence is looming, but has to be proven. He’s serving 20 years for possession of loads of stolen furs and narcotics, however it seems it was a complete set-up. The warden is backing this because since Dolomite has been inside, the drugs and violence has gotten worse in the streets of his neighbourhood. His nephew has been killed as well, which gives Dolomite a personal level. Dolomite is going to be released, only the warden, the governor, Queen Bee, and a mysterious FBI man who will remain unknown ‘til the time comes, knows about why he is out again.
As he leaves, the warden says, “Oh, Dolomite. You know someone by the name of Willie Green?” Dolemite looks mad (well, a different level of mad cause his expression looks like a constant state of pissed off throughout). Queue the music, and lyrics about Willie Green. This cat is as bad as Dolemite.
After the credits, he leaves and dresses in his sharp pimp gear ‘cause his girls have come for him, including some new faces from when he went inside. “What’s your name?” he asks a girl. “Chi, as in Chicago.” she purrs. He grins. “Girl, I hope you ain’t as cold as the windy city, cause the way I’m feelin’ is gonna warm you up.” Off they all go in his big Cadillac until some mean lookin’ muthas start tailing them as they cruise along some dusty highways. Our man, Dolemite isn’t fazed, he traps ’em and shoots ’em good.
Back at his pad, Queen Bee tells him how it is on the streets now, plus how she has had his girls trained in karate for protection. Dolemite settles in, making out, and just happy to be out. A brief interlude introduces Willie Green as he walks through his kingdom of girls, peeping into rooms where clients are getting various treatments. This man is large.
Next morning, two of the officers who busted him on the fake charges years back get hold of him. Dolemite isn’t impressed. “Maan, move over an’ let me pass, b’fore you have to be pullin’ these Hush Puppies out your ass!” he says, complete with a boom mic in shot. They frame him again so he’ll leave town, then rough him up, but Dolomite kicks both their asses quick n fast. “That’s for fuckin’ with me, you no good business, insecure muthafuckas!” After he leaves and they recover, they go looking for him.
Then we’re introduced to Creeper, a broke ass crackhead dude hassling some free food and walking to a funky beat. He’s wild. He reminded me a lot of Richard Prior’s crackhead character he did live on stage sometimes. Anyhow, Dolemite is stopped by a large group of locals and one guy has bet his boys that it is the Dolemite who’s performing soon. He agrees to freestyle some story rhymes for them including The Great Titanic off his Eat out More Often LP. These guys are paid to snigger and laugh before he gets to the funny parts and Rudy looks truly smug as hell reciting his stuff to them. This goes on for a very long time. Listen to the albums instead and just skip this bit.
Creeper comes across our man afterwards. He makes a deal with Creeper to listen out on the street, Dolemite needs to find a way into what is going down. Back at Creeper’s place, whilst shooting up, Creeper mentions Dolemite’s nephew, Lil Jimmy as he begins to nod out. Dolomite tries to get more from him. Midway through telling his tale, some huge heavy afro-wearing blokes come in and blasts Creeper. Dolemite fights with them, kills a couple, then the two cops arrive and cuff him.
With some help in higher places, Dolemite is soon back on the block and decides to go to war, first by taking his club which his nemesis owned due to a huge debt. “Tell Willie Green, I want him out in twenty four hours, and twenty three of ’em are already gone!” then beats down some of Willie’s henchmen. Next he checks out how good his karate trained girls are. As he watches them, he comments to Queen Bee, “I tell you what, I wouldn’t wanna tangle with them tigers.”
“Girls,” he addresses his personal army, “We have our club back. But there will be problems. Problems from the blacks and the whites. But from what I saw from this demonstration, I know damn well we can handle it.”
Yeah, they sure do. In fact, most of the girls aren’t trained actresses, and this works in the favour of the fights, for their faces don’t change expression too much so they look cold. The girl who kicks down a huge guy who’s just called her a “dirty black bitch” doesn’t move a facial muscle as she slices into him with a straight razor. It’s fucking chilling. There’s nothing too fancy and over choreographed about the martial arts used, just basic but again works well in the set up.
Just when you reckon it’s over, as Willie Green falls, nope, Dolemite goes further up the chain as we discover how deep things are and the real gangsters are taken on.
Dolemite has pulled in a quality talent to join the cast, one D’Urville Martin of Death Journey, Disco 9000, Hammer, and Black Caesar. He plays Willie Green to perfection (and he also directed this!!). The rest of the cast hold their own against the script, but he really kills every scene he’s in. A couple of cast members returned decades later for The Return of Dolemite.
The film becomes a game of “spot the boom mic” and that makes it so cool. Dolemite is a labour of love that cannot be taken seriously and shouldn’t be. Rudy has made his character breathe life for a reason – to entertain. For sure, it cannot touch some of his later films for that entertainment value, but this is a raw slab of meat waiting to be tenderised by our eyes.
There’s a few alternative plot lines such as Reverend Gibbs and his stash of weapons waiting for a revolution, and a chance or two for Rudy to spit his rhymes to much over-the-top joy of those around him. But he does do Signifying Monkey on stage in the club and that feels just right.
Extras are slim pickings, radio spots, trailers, however there’s a neat quick (with terrible sound) walk-around the locations used in a few of his movies with Rudy Ray Moore shot around the time of this DVD release. Rudy still knows how to dress sharp and his story telling skills are fascinating.
There’s a special thanks to the Chuck Norris Karate School in the credits. Damn, now you know you gotta love this. Rest in peace James Ingram (of Revelation Funk), who played the awesome club keyboardist. He passed away last year and was a very skilled chap.
Directed by: D’Urville Martin | Written by: Rudy Ray Moore, Jerry Jones | Produced by: Rudy Ray Moore, T. Toney | Cinematography by: Nicholas Josef Von | Music by: Arthur Wright | Edited by: Jack LaMantain | Special Effects by: Harry Woolman, Von Dutch | Cast: Rudy Ray Moore, D’Urville Martin, John Kerry, Vainus Rackshaw, Lady Reed, Brenda DeLong, Wesley Gale, Howard Jackson, Princess Lilio, Luther Fear | Year: 1974 | Country: USA | Language: English | Color: Color | Runtime: 1h 29min
Distributor: Xenon Pictures
DVD SPECS:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Region: NTSC R1
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
– Trailers
– 1970’s Radio Spots
– Location Tour with Rudy Ray Moore