Super Fly (1972)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Gordon Parks Jr.

Writer:

Phillip Fenty (writer)

Release Date:

4 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Never a dude like this one! He's got a plan to stick it to The Man!

Plot:

Super Fly is a cocaine dealer who begins to realize that his life will soon end with either prison or his death...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Racial Slur | African American | Convertible | Racism

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ron O'Neal	...	Priest
Carl Lee	...	Eddie
Sheila Frazier	...	Georgia (as Shiela Frazier)
Julius Harris	...	Scatter
Charles McGregor	...	Fat Freddie (as Charles MacGregor)
Nate Adams	...	Dealer
Polly Niles	...	Cynthia
Yvonne Delaine	...	Mrs. Freddie
Henry Shapiro	...	Robbery Victim
K.C.	...	Pimp
James G. Richardson	...	Junkie (as Jim Richardson)
Make Bray	...	Junkie
Al Kiggins	...	Police
Bob Bonds	...	Police
Fred Rolaf	...	Police

Also Known As:

Superfly (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Sig Shore Productions

Trivia:

The script was only 45 pages long, which explains why there are so many shots of people walking, driving, etc.

Goofs:

Continuity: The foot chase at the beginning seems to be shot out of order. The junkie either has his hat on or he's holding it.

Quotes:

Youngblood Priest: Can you dig it?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Madea Goes to Jail (2009)

A film that influenced a generation.

Let me put in my two cents about this film.

If you weren't around when this film was released...you're going to miss much when writing a review. Let me try to help:

This film IS about an urban drug dealer that "sticks it to the man". This was NOT a known concept of that time which is why it attracted so many movie goers. What was ALSO interesting was the casting of the light skinned, straight haired actor Ron O'Neal as "Superfly" to "stick it to the man". "The Man", usually white in these films, formatically had to brace the rath of very dark skinned blacks. But here was something... different! "The Man", was really "The Law Establishment". And was "Superfly"...urban? New Concepts of the time.

Another thing: Curtis Mayfield HATED the theme of this movie. He was going to turn down writing the soundtrack when he thought it may be better to counteract this theme by writing POSITIVE messages for the audience to hear. Before "Saturday Night Fever", Curtis Mayfield wrote the ground breaking music to "Superfly". This made the film even more popular.

This was a low budget film released at the very beginning of the black film experience, and was meant to be the opposite of "Shaft" not a parellel to it. But based on the success of Shaft, Warner Bro's needed a project to enter in this arena and greenlighted "Superfly".

This film began a M-A-J-O-R fashion trend that was hard to overcome (only the Disco era of the late 70's knocked this one out.)

And that is "Superfly" in a nutshell.

"Priest", played by Ron O'Neal was 'supercool', he was slick, he had a nice existence, he was a drug dealer that you DIDN'T know was one -- not by outward appearances anyway...that didn't get his come-uppence at the end of the film, he GAVE it.

It is amazing what an impact "Superfly" had on the culture of that time. In looking at it now, it may look cheap, but it IS a timecapsule of fashion, of music and of breaking a movie taboo that all drug dealers are lowlifes and must be killed in the end.

About that fashion: This began the trend of white surban-ites dressing like pimps trying to be cool. Little white kids were wearing "maxi" coats with "Superfly" hats to Jr. High School and High School!!! Dancers were wearing platform shoes, etc., on American Bandstand!!! You think Hip-Hop did it? Where have you BEEN!!!

"Superfly" is one of the rare films that you must experience beyond judging it on how good or bad it is to watch...Rent this film to see how a film can INFLUENCE a culture.