The Slams

THE SLAMS-1973-"Why'd ya do Curtis? Ya know you can't mess with the man".  Jim Brown is Curtis Hook who's thrown in jail after a botched robbery. The mob has put a contract out on him because he took drugs and money from them in the robbery. "This shit is crazy" Hook declares after being attacked. 


Ted Cassidy (TV's lovable Lurch on THE ADDAMS FAMILY) is Glover, a sadistic inmate who pours molten metal on a squealer. Frank DeKova (TV's lovable Wild Eagle in F-TROOP) is Capiello, a very mean imprisoned gangster who wants Hook to work for him. Since Hook is sitting on a lot of stolen money everyone is on his case including a corrupt captain (Roland Bob Harris). Added to this he's in between a racial prison war. His girlfriend Iris (Judy Pace) tries to help Hook through Mr. Barney (Paul Harris), a pimp surrounded by several topless women who says what Hook really needs is a "good white Jewish lawyer"! It gets more far fetched as it progresses ending with Hook's big escape and he and Iris living happily ever after on their tainted money. 


This forgotten blaxplotation pic was made the same year as Brown's better known SLAUGHTER'S BIG RIP-OFF. Also with Quinn Redecker (also in SPIDER BABY) as the warden, Dick Miller in a small humorous role as a cab driver, Jan Merlin and John Lupton in one scene. 


Director Jonathan Kaplan made other features like TRUCK TURNER, OVER THE EDGE and HEART LIKE A WHEEL before going into TV (ER, LAW & ORDER). Gene Corman produced this MGM release.


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Sleaze with Stars

 


POOR PRETTY EDDIE-1975-Leslie Uggams plays singer Liz Weatherly (apparently known for singing the Star Spangled Banner on TV). When her car breaks down in the back woods somewhere she runs into some demented hillbillies at restaurant/motel. It’s run by floozy digusto drunk Bertha (Shelly Winters) and her Elvis impersonating psycho lover Eddie (Michael Christian). Unfortunately, Bertha gets jealous when Eddie decides to hold Liz prisoner. Ted Cassidy (former TV 's Lurch) is the hired hand who they both order around. Slim Pickens plays a perverted redneck sheriff with an idiot assistant. It’s a pretty sleazy and bizarre film with the low light being the sicko scene of Eddie raping Liz inter-cut with a scenes of Cassidy and some other rednecks watching two dogs humping (while a country love song plays)! After some weird goings on Eddie wants to marry Liz. Dub Taylor plays the Justice of the Peace. Cassidy seems to die twice but manages to break up the wedding ceremony where Liz get her revenge (while "Amazing Grace" is heard).

Director Richard Robinson made other unusual movies like ADULTERY FOR FUN AND PROFIT and IS THERE SEX AFTER MARRIAGE?. Cinematographer David Worth may have been a co-director.

I really wonder about some of the casting in this movie. Pickens, Cassidy and Taylor would have done anything, but two years later Uggams played a major role the hot mini-series ROOTS. Was her singing career so non-existent that she had to do this? Winters was an Oscar winning actress. WTF??

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