You'll all be hit if I die. As an explanation for his desire to get out of the drug life, he says, All the power in the world cant stop a bullet. After leaving Cynthias apartment, however, Scatter is captured by the corrupt policemen, who give him a fatal overdose of drugs and leave his body in Priests car. Scatter, who now runs a popular restaurant, initially refuses to help Priest, but Priest plays on his emotions, claiming that he wants to get out while he is young and before he has to endure the extreme hardships faced by Scatter. Having settled his business obligations, and with his enemies either dead or in custody, Priest and Georgia relax on a cruise in Montenegro. matplotlib is a Python package used for data plotting and visualisation. In SUPER FLY, Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal) is at the top of his game as a Harlem cocaine dealer. Theres another crucial difference between the two films, a difference that marks virtually every encounter, every scene, every moment: firepower. I could be happy with a plain life, a poor one if only you were. Nothing, nothing better happen to one hair on my gorgeous head. Fighting over recriminations about Freddie's death, Priest starts strangling Eddie and leaves him unconscious. [8], In the United States and Canada, Superfly was projected to gross $712 million from 2,200 theaters over its five-day opening weekend. The money rolls in, and soon a couple of corrupt white cops are making aggressive requests to dip their beaks. Curtis Mayfield's soundtrack is also considered to be a classic. What to Stream: The Audacious First Films of the Ant-Man Director Peyton Reed. That character was a stand-in for white oppression, someone Priest finally contrives to walk away from, clean. The lieutenant tells them they can have as much weight, or kilos of cocaine, as they want, and will be extended both credit and protection. For Scatter, I wanted a silhouette that was a little more elevated than a traditional two-piece Adidas track suit., Boxraw contacted Messam after seeing her contributions to Ryan Coogler-directed 2015 boxing movie Creed. Youngblood Priest: You better take real good care of me. Gordon's War (1973) Carl Lee was born on 22 November 1926 in New York City, New York, USA. "[7], Super Fly resonated with many of the post-Civil Rights Movement generation of African Americans, who saw Youngblood as a new example of how to rise in the American class system. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The moral conundrum of drug dealing among African-Americans was addressed mostly by Curtis Mayfields superb soundtrack, which functioned as a kind of Greek chorus. There is a 2018 remake of this movie. AFI champions progress in visual storytelling to empower storytellers, inspire story lovers and further the limitless power of the moving image. The mainspring of the action is a shooting. Filming took place from January to mid-April 1972 in New York City. Its all about the accumulation of wealth and a sybaritic lifestyle. [9] The Congress for Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other organizations attempted to block the film's distribution and pushed for more African-American involvement in Hollywood's creative process. And no motherf***er tells me when I can split. Killed while trying to hunt down Priest. There's a complexity to the character revealed through body language and facial expression in his reactions to everyone around him. Mean Free Path: The mean distance that light travels in the surface before it scatters. Parents need to know that Super Fly is a 1972 movie about a cocaine dealer attempting to make a deal large enough to retire and get out of the business. Scatter, who now runs a popular restaurant, initially refuses to help Priest, but Priest plays on his emotions, claiming that he wants to get out while he is young and before he has to endure the extreme hardships faced by Scatter. Fat Freddie: Listen, Priest, that's my wife you're talking about, man. Eddie: Look, I know it's a rotten game, but it's the only one The Man left us to play. Release Dates While controversial among civil rights groups for its portrayal of African Americans as negative and antiheroes, this film has stood the test of time as a classic of the "blaxploitation" genre. Youngblood Priest: I'm talking to you, you redneck f*ggot. Priest discusses his plan to buy thirty kilos of high-quality cocaine with the $300,000 he and his partner Eddie have, which they can sell for $1,000,000 within four months. A 1972 Blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. Ron O'Neal stars as Priest, an up-and-coming successful cocaine dealer in New York City. Priest's white mistress, Cynthia, is dismayed to learn that Priest does not return her love and is planning on quitting the business. Once Priest decides to pursue his last score, he seeks help from his mentor in crime, Scatter, played by an avuncular but cautiously sinister Michael Kenneth Williams. If I quit now, then I took all this chance for nothing and I go back to being nothing. There's brief female nudity (breasts and buttocks) and one extended sex scene in a bath tub; characters moan with pleasure as the camera moves in slow motion up and down their bodies. The Atlanta locale of Superfly seems like the perfect high-low setting, but though Director X exploits a number of colorful locations (a hair salon that turns into a drive-by slaughter, a mansion that looks as big as Versailles), the film has very little visual texture or sense of place. [The soundtrack album did feature the lyrics written for the song by Mayfield.] The article also reported that the distribution arm of Shores company, Plaza Pictures, would distribute Super Fly, but in mid-Apr 1972, Var reported that neither Plaza company would be involved with the film. Priest turns to Scatter (Julius Harris), an older and retired dealer who now runs a popular bar and grill, for help in getting Scatter's supplier. And indeed, when they pop up, they infuse the movie with fresh rhythm. I'll tell you what you do, you go get you a gun and all those black folks you keep doin' so much talkin' about get guns, and come back ready to go down, then I'll be right down front killin' whitey. There's also marijuana and cigarette smoking and drinking. All Rights Reserved. Later on I found out, Big Boi has that hat, Bank has that hat, King Luther has that hat. Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal), an African-American cocaine dealer, enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in Harlem. .st0{fill:#FFFFFF;} SuperFly (2018) Cast & Crew Cast; Crew; Trevor Jackson Youngblood Priest Jason Mitchell Eddie Michael Kenneth Williams Scatter Lex Scott Davis Georgia Jennifer Morrison Detective Mason Kaalan Walker Juju Esai Morales Adalberto Gonzalez Andrea Londo Cynthia Big Bank Black "Q" Big Boi Mayor Atkins Jacob Ming-Trent Fat Freddie . Priest spends the rest of the film dancing among a trio of forces who are out to put the screws on him: the cartel, led by the always lively actor Esai Morales; the thugs of Snow Patrol; and a pair of corrupt white officers, played by Brian F. Durkin and Jennifer Morrison, who shake him down for a million dollars. She very classic with a bit of glam, dressing in fur coats and elegant, sexy pantsuits. Costume designer Antoinette Messam got hired on December 18 to costume the suave hustlers of Superfly and on January 19, cameras rolled in Atlanta. During a verbal altercation with militant African Americans in his community, the lead character talks of getting involved in their cause if it involves "killing whitey" and "organizing an army to do that.". This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 20:33. Fat Freddie is pulled over by corrupt cops Franklin and Mason. Taking design cues from Pharrell Williams fashion line Billionaires Boys Club, she dressed one Snow Patrol member, played by rapper Big Bank, in fluffy fur coat and fedora. So he didnt spend as much time rehearsing this, but hes a pro. (screenplay by) Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Curtis Mayfield Cinematography by James Signorelli . What are some other movies with unforgettable soundtracks? [1], The soundtrack for the film was curated by American rapper Future, who also acted as a producer on the film. Priest explains that he hired contract killers to murder Reardon and his entire family should anything happen to him. The first film titled Super Fly (two words instead of one) was a low-budget affair with a gritty look and a claustrophobic feel. The man behind one of the more inventive Marvel franchises has a mercurial and fascinating track record. The film opens as the name ROCKY pans across the screen, filling the frame. Youngblood Priest: You don't own me, pig, and no motherf***er tells me when I can split. Instead of paying off Mason, Priest tips off police and she is arrested for cocaine possession. .st2{display:none;fill:none;stroke:#979797;stroke-linecap:square;} If you go back and watch a vintage blaxploitation film like Super Fly (1972), it has a time-capsule quality that only enhances the low-rent documentary scuzziness of its atmosphere. But getting out isn't as easy as Priest hopes when it's revealed that the actual supplier from the police is higher up the chain of command, and this supplier wants Priest dead if he quits. I am new in PyTorch and I have faced one issue, namely I cannot get my torch_sparse module properly installed. After Priest leaves with the cash, Eddie betrays him by phoning the lieutenant. If you are a California resident, California law may consider certain disclosures of data a sale of your personal information (such as cookies that help Motion Picture Association later serve you ads, like we discuss in our. The unit publicist on the film, David Parks, was Parks, Jr.s brother. What does it mean, and how is Super Fly an example of the genre? In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]. It ended up grossing $6.9 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $9 million), finishing sixth at the box office. Jackson does cool almost too well. The new HBO film dramatizes the effect of culture and politics on the most intimate extremes of a persons lifeand how particularly distorting and damaging this collective power has been for women. Youngblood Priest: Supertones' sixth album Hi-Fi Revival As the soundtrack's composer, Mayfield was the only other person in the production who earned revenue approaching Shore's. It was released on August 4, 1972. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Juju suspects Priest of a hit on Snow Patrol and plans to retaliate. I am Director X. Im the director of Superfly 2018. In Jan 1973, trade papers reported that although it previously had been announced as under consideration as a nominee, Mayfields song Freddies Dead had been ruled ineligible for entry in the Best Original Song category because it appeared in the film only as an instrumental. Three weeks prior, it was moved up two days to June 13, 2018, in order to avoid direct competition with Incredibles 2. But we cant do these things right away. Cynthia is killed, and Priest and Georgia set fire to the mansion. Scatter Stephens was murdered gangland style on September 10, 1967, gunned down in front of flabbergasted patrons inside his iconic Scatter's Barbeque joint in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood on E. 125th Street, after running afoul of the local Italian mafia. Brought in by his mentor Scatter at a young age, he has been dealing drugs ever since and lives like a king with his two girlfriends, Georgia and Cynthia. Keep up with The Credits for the latest in film, television, and streaming. Writing Credits Alex Tse . The picture reportedly cost less than $500,000 to make and was acquired for distribution by Warner Bros. after its completion. He lacks Parkss canny compositional wit, his sense of the dramatic power of practical attention to time and space. Scatter is captured by the corrupt policemen, who give him a fatal overdose of drugs. After the police leave, Eddie is elated by the new situation, claiming that they are set for life, although Priest is still determined to quit after selling the thirty kilos. Controls how far light can scatter through the surface. "Pusherman," "Little Child Runnin' Wild," "No Thing on Me," "Give Me Your Love" and "Superfly," music and lyrics by Curtis Mayfield. The famous soundtrack by R&B and soul legend Curtis Mayfield, who had a cameo in the film with his band, actually outgrossed the film. There's also marijuana and cigarette smoking and drinking. See our. Working some jive job for chump change day after day. New York City--Harlem New York United States. We're out here building a new nation for black people. Hes wearing the jacket as he counts stacks of money. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. When I pulled out a jacket that establishes Priests character, X said Is that Alexander Wang? He did a promo for them so he recognized the jacket right away.. No car can outrun fate. He voices his sense of vulnerability from the heights of his terrace overlooking the city: This can all be taken away for stupid shit. He hammers the movie home in a one-liner reserved for the end, but to quote it is to make the whole plot unravel. Messam put together the wardrobe guided by Director X, who previously shot music videos for Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar before rebooting the 1972 blaxpoitation classic. We get almost no sense of the dailiness of Priests existence. He has a now-iconic charisma, "cool" in the classic sense of the word. All rights reserved. Photo Credit: Quantrell D. Colbert. The film is well known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Eddie feigns allegiance with Snow Patrol, and tricks them into an ambush where they are killed by Mason and other cops alerted by Priest. That night, Priest enjoys a romantic bath with his girl friend Georgia, although she disapproves of his drug usage. Super Fly stopped airing in 1970. . He was an actor and writer, known for Super Fly (1972), The Connection (1961) and The Doctors and the Nurses (1962). Their argument is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Scatter, who is being pursued by his supplier. Another quality that distinguishes Super Fly from other blaxploitation films was the technical crew, the majority of which was non-white, constituting the largest non-white technical crew in its time. Priest confides in his second-in-command Eddie that he wants out of drug-dealing, and has a plan. Making his feature directorial debut, Director X whose background is in music videos (Rihanna, Drake, Kendrick Lamar) shoots in Atlanta instead of Harlem, glamming up the story with fast cars,. Now, if you don't get me my money *tonight*, I'm gonna put that young girl of your's out on whore's row. Franklin kills Freddie and Rochelle. A remake of the 1972 blaxploitation classic trades in its drug-dealer-as-outlaw-capitalist mythology for a glossy, slammed-together genre flick. But its also less true than it once was. Made by movie fans, for movie fans. You really shouldn'tve f***ed with my money, Freddy. Superfly reflects the gun-madness of modern American society, with drug dealers and police alike bearing arsenals-worth of military-style firearms and using them with a chillingly casual frequency. With such a big score, they will be able to retire comfortably and find other employment, although Eddie protests that crime is the only option left to them by The Man. Priest is determined, however, and that night, approaches Scatter, a retired dealer who started Priest in the business. The earlier film takes place mainly in daylight, on the streets of New York, which its director, Gordon Parks, Jr., approaches with a vitally textured, documentary-like range and avidity. The remake runs twenty minutes longer than the originaltwenty minutes that detail Priests audacious maneuverings and their grim effects in milieux left unexplored by the earlier film. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 27 reviews, and an average rating of 7.3/10. The Snow Patrol holds court at a high-end strip club, where its minions spend the night throwing money down from the balcony in an autumnal flutter of falling bills. Cynthia: [after refusing a snort of coke because Priest is going to leave rather than stay for sex] Some things go better with coke. The film was shot by director of photography James Signorelli, who would go on to become the film segment director for Saturday Night Live. But his supplier and mentor, Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams), refuses to increase Priests supply, so Priest takes matters into his own hands and attempts to deal directly with Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales), the head of a Mexican drug carteland, in so doing, he enters a labyrinth of menace. Now, if you don't get me my money *tonight*, I'm gonna put that young girl of your's out on whore's row. I'm just trying to make it real, baby like it is. Some contemporary and modern sources list the films title as Superfly, although the opening title card and copyright records list it as two words. Youngblood Priest: [while Reardon's pointing a gun at him] Kill me, Reardon! Priest demands his half of their profits, and when Eddie protests that they should keep selling, Priest asserts that Scatter was murdered by the police, and that they also are in danger. He has two live-in girlfriends, the quietly sophisticated Georgia (Lex Scott Davis) and the younger, flintier Cynthia (Andrea Londo). Like his father, Parks, Jr. was also a well-known still photographer. thecredits-expanded-wt. The first name of actress and former model Sheila Frazier, who made her debut in Super Fly, is spelled Sheila in the opening cast credits and Shiela in the ending credits. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was like the fastest production ever!, says the Jamaican-born designer. Trevor actually has been doing capoeira for maybe 10 years, so hes really excited and really capable to do these kinds of things. Georgia: Look maybe you should get out now now before something really bad happens. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "The return of "Freeway" Ricky Ross, the man behind a crack empire", "Trevor Jackson & Jason Mitchell To Star In Sony's 'Superfly' Remake From Director X; Future & Joel Silver To Produce", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Super_Fly_(1972_film)&oldid=1136581494, United States National Film Registry films, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lucky Scott as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield Experience), Craig McMullen as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield), Tyrone McCullough as Himself (The Curtis Mayfield), This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 01:45.