Dolemite | Blu-ray Review

Vinegar Syndrome launches its new Blaxploitation Blu-ray/DVD series with the venerable Dolemite starring Rudy Ray Moore as the iconic persona, often overshadowed by more popularized stars such as Pam Grier, Richard Roundtree, Fred Williamson, or William H. Marshall. The genre, rather loosely lassoed from 1970 to 1979, was in high gear by the time Moore got his feet wet with this surprise hit, which he co-wrote and was directed by co-star D’Urville Martin, the actor making his directorial debut here. Moore, otherwise known as The Godfather of Rap, having influenced countless contemporary musical artists, such as Snoop Dogg, began as an R&B singer before gaining notoriety as a sexually explicit comedian in the early 1970s. With his earnings, he financed this film venture with Martin, which was meant to showcase the ‘ultimate ghetto hero,’ in a career move not unlike Isaac Hayes, who appeared in the previous year’s Truck Turner.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of his friend and co-owner of their joint whorehouse, Madame Queen B (Lady Reed), incarcerated pimp Dolemite (Moore) suddenly finds himself released from prison due to being framed by rival Willie Green (D’Urville Martin) on an erroneous drug charge so he could steal Dolemite’s club, The Total Experience. Eager to reclaim his property and status, Dolemite agrees to work with the FBI to take down his rival. In his absence, Queen B taught Dolemite’s girls Kung Fu so they could also continue to preserve their boss’ interests.

Expectations may be a bit high for a film once referred to as the Citizen Kane of Blaxploitation films, especially considering how rough around the edges it is. Martin, who played a noted villain in several of the genre’s best known films, is almost nonexistent here, a mere shadow in a vehicle meant exclusively to feature Moore. And what a showcase it is.

Eschewing anything resembling a rational plot, Dolemite is mostly concerned with reassuming his rightful place as a King Pimp of South Central who uses kung-Fu to take out his rivals. Screenwriter Jerry Jones appears as Blakely, a cop intent on saving the day and figuring prominently in the second half of the film. As Queen Bee, Lady Reed is a mere hint of female agency in a sea of chauvinism, and as such, plays a minor role in Dolemite’s grand legacy (the actress would, however, be featured in Rudy Ray Moore’s next four consecutive features).

Dead space abounds in the film, swarthy stand-up comedyu routines seemingly included as filler for the running time, broken up by too many poorly choreographed fight sequences to count. Laughably wooden performances are prominent amongst the supporting cast, and the only real bright spot is Moore, who despite being inarticulate and portly, demands attention, partially thanks to a persona completely in opposition of what’s we’ve been conditioned to view as customary regarding star quality or screen presence.

Though everything about Moore as a cinematic staple seems unlikely, there’s something equally invigorating about his presence, oblivious to polish in favor of showcasing his own fantasies (like an early sequence where he strips down in the prison parking lot to change into his pimp suit while flabbergasted prison guards observe). Basically a carousel of drugs, sex, and haphazard violence, Dolemite will either tickle your exploitation fancy or potentially underwhelm.

Disc Review:

Vinegar Syndrome breaks out big with their first series installment, restoring Dolemite from a long-lost 35mm print, the title’s debut on Blu-ray. While the packaging and restoration have been administered with care, the cheapness of the production can’t be polished away. Strangely, DP Nicolas von Sternberg (son of the famed auteur Josef von Sternberg, who would lens Martin’s second feature Disco 9000 as well as Petey Wheatstraw) also makes his debut here, though it seems there was little attempt in his framing to mask the lack of rehearsal in choreographed fight sequences, further enhanced by some incredibly terrible editing and dialogue dubbing. Still, the legacy of Dolemite is not to be dismissed, as indicated by a gaggle of special features on the disc, which is available in two framing options, the intended 1.85:1 and an alternate ‘boom mic’ version. A historical commentary track from Rudy Ray Moore’s biographer Mark Jason Murray is also available, plus the film’s theatrical trailer as well as its sequel, The Human Tornado.

I, Dolemite:
This 24 minute feature focuses on Moore, with his biographer Mark Jason Murray on hand to elaborate on the performer’s humble beginnings and rise to fame. Interview footage of Moore, along with clips and photo stills are included.

Lady Reed Uncut:
This 23 minute segment features Lady Reed discussing her beginnings with Rudy Ray Moore.

Locations – Then and Now:
This near two minute feature revisits several of the Los Angeles locations where filming took place over forty years prior.

Final Thoughts:

A roughhewn first feature from D’Urville Martin, the title nevertheless brought Moore to prominence and fostered a lucrative film career. Vinegar Syndrome will soon release other notable titles from Moore in their continuing series, such as the sequel, The Human Tornado (1976) or the peculiar fantasy film Petey Wheatstraw (1977), together showcasing a much more impressive growth from Moore as an entertainer.

Film Review: ★★/☆☆☆☆☆
Disc Review: ★★★½/☆☆☆☆☆