Themes: Prostitutes, Inner City Blues, Criminal's Revenge
Main Cast: Max Julien, Richard Pryor, Don Gordon, Carol Speed, Roger E. Mosley
Release Year: 1973
Country: US
Run Time: 110 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A box-office success during the early '70s, this blaxploitation flick traces the life of a Bay Area pimp facing drug dealers, crooked cops and fellow pimps ready to settle a few scores. Richard Pryor makes a small appearance as Slim. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Review
Cult film fanatics may find themselves initially stunned by The Mack because it is in many ways the polar opposite of the blaxploitation films it is often lumped in with: the amount of racy and violent content is minimal, the storyline is episodic in nature and the dramatic tone is very heavy and dark from start to finish. It also lacks the polish of films like Shaft and Superfly: the technical quality of the film is frequently raw and the pacing is sometimes inconsistent. However, viewers who can get used to this style will find The Mack to be a rewarding experience because it makes up for what it lacks in polish with a wealth of detail and plenty of raw emotion. The script is rife with quotable dialogue and documentarian-turned-director Michael Campus brings a feverish 'you are there' intensity to the material. The film further benefits from an excellent orchestral soul score by Willie Hutch that adds style and a haunting, subtle sense of dramatic weight to the proceedings. The acting occasionally goes a bit over the top but is pulled through by the sincerity of the actors: Max Julien's performance hits the right mix of carefully guarded vulnerability and deep-seated anger as Goldie and Don Gordon is downright terrifying as his main cop nemesis. There are also several notable supporting performances, including Dick Anthony William's charismatic turn as rival pimp Pretty Tony and Roger Mosley's impassioned work as Goldie's radicalized brother. The work of these gifted actors, combined with the consistent intensity of the filmmaking, brings the material to life in a way that keeps the viewer riveted even when the story loses focus. All in all, The Mack is a one-of-a-kind urban epic and required viewing for anyone interested in the major cult movies of the 1970's. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Annazette Chase - China Doll; Lee Duncan - Sgt. Duncan; Fritz Ford - Desk Sergeant; Stu Gilliam - Announcer; Kai Hernandez - Chico; Junero Jennings - Baltimore Bob; David Mauro - Laughing David; Juanita Moore - Mother; George Murdock - Fatman; Dick Anthony Williams - Pretty Tony; Bill Barnes; Christopher Brooks - Jesus Christ; William Watson - Jed; Sandra Brown - Diane; Norma McClure - Big Woman; Dick Williams - Pretty Tony
Credit
Michael I. Campus - Director, Frank C. Decot - Editor, Willie Hutch - Composer (Music Score), Ralph A. Woolsey - Cinematographer, Harvey Bernhard - Producer, Bud Alper - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert J. Poole - Screenwriter
The Mack is a 1973blaxploitation film starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor. This movie was produced during the era of such blaxploitation movies as Dolemite, however it is not considered by its makers to be a true blaxploitation picture. It is a social commentary, according to ''Mackin' Ain't Easy'', a documentary about the making of The Mack, which can be found on the DVD edition of the film.
The movie deals with the life of John Mickens (AKA Goldie), a former drug dealer recently released from prison who becomes a big-time pimp. Standing in his way is another pimp named Pretty Tony, two corrupt white cops, a local crime lord, and even his own brother (the black nationalist), who try to force him out of the business. The main character was actually a real life former pimp and the movie contains other former pimps as well.
The most famous scene in the movie is the one featuring the "Annual Players Ball". It has become an often-referenced cultural icon. It was the name of Outkast's first single. Also the Player's Ball scene was the theme of Jay-Z's 1997 single Who You Wit and it was parodied most recently by Chappelle's Show, where it became the "Player-Haters' Ball."
Popular urban myth holds that the vernacular term "Mack" is a corruption of the word mackerel, originally derived from french, but is used as slang for a pimp due to the mackerel's tendency to guide other fish to their mates.
The film contains the legendary line: "You know the rules of the game, your bitch just chose me. Now we can handle this like you got some class, or we can get into some gangsta shit." The line has been referenced several times in rap music. The Most Know is from a skit off of Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle and even made an appearance on The Boondocks episode The Block Is Hot.
