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The Mack
Studio: New Line Cinema
Year: 1973
Rated: R
Film Length: 110 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1)
Blaxploitation film is a type of film oriented
to black audiences that developed in the late
1960s and flourished up through the late 1970s.
The term "blaxploitation" was first employed
in the June 12, 1972 issue of New York magazine
to characterize such films, specifically Superfly
(1972). These films full of snappy street
language, outrageous pimp suits, and comic-book-style
action -- have raged many over whether they are
valid popular artwork or just demeaning to the black
race. By 1976 Blaxploitation was beginning to
flounder. Studio executives started seeing greater
numbers of blacks at mainstream movies and decided
that it was no longer necessary to cater specifically
to that audience. Thus, the craze slowly withered away.
Perhaps one of the better known blaxploitation
films of that era is The Mack, an insider's
glimpse into the world of pimpin', focusing on
drugs, corruption and street justice of the day.
As the movie begins, we fund Goldie(Max Julien)
and his sidekick Slim (Richard Pryor) shooting it
out with the cops. Goldie's nailed for the incident
and winds up spending five years in the slammer.
Once released, the sharp, smooth-talking hustler
finds himself back on the streets winding up at the
top of the pimping game.
Meanwhile, his Brother Olinga (Roger E. Mosley)
promotes peace and brotherhood within the community,
vowing to clean the streets of the type of people
that his brother has become.
Trouble, however, comes in the form of two corrupt
white cops and a crime lord who wants him to return
to the small time. After a tragic ending however,
Goldie must suddenly re-examine his life.
While the film is typically another one of those
awful exploitation films you have come to expect,
it manages to take a slice of life and presented
it as realistically as possible. There are some
interesting moments such as Player's Holiday, a
weekend full of fun for pimps where they all get
together for picnic and baseball. If that wasn't
enough, we get to watch the 'Pimp of the Year' year
awards where Goldie earns his Mack status.
How is the transfer?
Don't expect miracles.
Though this is probably the best that The Mack
has ever looked, it still looks and sounds pretty
awful on DVD.
It's obvious the film print has been cleaned up,
but you can't take a low-budget film like this
and expect miracles -- especially with the way DVD
magnifies every piece of film impurity.
In short, the film looks like a dated 70s flick.
Colors are faded and the film is plagued with a
rash of film grain. The film lacks any detail
whatsoever -- especially in the night scenes that
are just overcome with blackness (no pun intended).
The 5.1 DTS mix is about as lackluster as the
film quality, though I was surprised at the few
times the rear channels supported some nice street
and crowd effects. Otherwise, the film's soundtrack
lacks any sort of dynamic range, as the dialogue
comes across as too "shrill" through the center
channel, often sounding overmodulated.
Special Features
The Mack joins the collection of Platinum
Series titles from New Line Cinema. These DVDs
are known for going the extra mile in providing
additional content that enhances the film experience.
This Platimum Series DVD includes a feature-length
audio commentary by star Max Julien, Director
Michael Campus, Producer Harvey Bernhard and other
members of the cast.
An original documentary, Mackin' Ain't Easy
reunites the cast and Director for a look back
at a film that (as Director Michael Campus puts it)
was a miracle in the making. The film was written
by Producer Harvey Bernhard who was just fascinated
of how a guy could possibly control a bitches mind
(his words -- not mine). Max Julien was given
complete control of the film, able to bring in the
people he wanted to be involved with, and even
more so, able to make a political statement about
the condition of black people in America. The film
was largely based on life in 1972 Oakland, a
volatile community where black people were being
shot on the street. The filmmakers were inspired
by the Ward Brothers who ran underground Oakland.
The rest of this documentary features filmmakers
and artists who examine this film (as well as others
like it) and explain why this film is still so
influential today.
(length: approx. 38 minutes)
Final Thoughts
Certainly, this film is going to appeal to those
that have an acquired taste in blaxploitation
cinema. Personally, I sort of enjoyed watching
The Mack, a film that helped set the tone
and pave the way for bigger movies like Superfly
and Shaft. It's also interesting to
note that there is still much debate as to whether
blacks are still receiving a fair and honest portrayal
in movies and television.
Release Date: September 3, 2002
