Disco Godfather (1979) User Reviews

Bucky what has you done to yoself?

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 12 November 2013]

Another blaxploitation home run from Rudy Ray Moore, star of Petey Wheatstraw and the Dolemite films. Cheap, amateurish, often unintentionally hilarious film about one man's crusade to rid of the streets of "the whack" -- aka angel dust or PCP -- after his nephew Bucky freaks out on the drug. If you've seen a Rudy Ray Moore film before, you know what kind of craziness to expect. If you haven't, you're in for a treat.

First, take whatever you know about movies and throw it out the window. There is no professional filmmaking going on here. It's all crudely staged, badly acted, and poorly written. Well, assuming it's actually written at all. I get the feeling with Moore's films a large amount of the dialogue is made up on the spot. Now this sounds fairly terrible and on an artistic and technical level it is. But you don't watch these movies because they're actually good films. You watch them because they are so bad they're funny.

The action scenes are a farce. Grown men pretending to use kung-fu on one another, emulating what they saw in Bruce Lee movies. Hands and feet supposedly striking but not coming within a foot of their target. There's a hilariously bad sex scene between Moore and a woman that should come as a surprise to no one, given Moore's somewhat effeminate mannerisms.

One of my favorite scenes is where the frustrated doctor cries out to God: "Where are you Mister? Are you with us or just in our minds?" Who would have thought you would find religious metaphysics in a movie called Disco Godfather? But the highlights of the movie for most people would be the PCP hallucination scenes, as well as just about any line Moore delivers in his trademark amateur style.

If you enjoy blaxploitation films or if you enjoy poorly made films that are good for unintended laughs, then give Disco Godfather a shot. While you're at it, try out some of Moore's other movies. Especially Petey Wheatsraw, the Devil's Son-in-Law.

I heart henchmen

[ace-150 · 6/10 · 21 September 2007]

The really amazing thing about this movie is that almost everybody in it ended up having a career. In real films and television shows that you've actually heard of. Seriously, follow the links. I guess that you have to start somewhere. The good news is that there are lots of hot, hairy-chested, black guys in skin tight, low cut outfits. The bad news is that Rudy Ray Moore isn't one of them. He's a bit of a middle-aged blob, and he probably should have kept his man-boobs covered instead of jiggling them in my face. There, I said it. The other amazing thing is that, when the credits roll, there about three actors and about 300 dancers - disco dancers, disco skaters, featured disco dancers, featured disco skaters. Really. Which probably explains why the reporters at the press conference looked suspiciously like the featured disco dancers. Anyway, I think the moral of the story is that you're supposed to smoke angel dust before you watch the movie.

Nowhere Near as Fun as Moore's Other Films

[brando647 · 5/10 · 31 July 2012]

Put yo weight on it! I was born in the early/mid-80s so I grew up well past the prime of disco, so I can't vouch for what makes horrible disco dancing. But if I had to guess, I'd say Rudy Ray Moore sucks at it. Unless contorting your face and stabbing the air with your pelvis constitutes wicked disco skills; I could be wrong. As the 70s were drawing to a close, Rudy Ray Moore was riding that disco high and decided to be a little more socially conscious with his fourth feature. In what may or may not be a serious attempt at an anti-drug message, Moore and director J. Robert Wagoner (and screen writing help from former collaborator Cliff Roquemore) have Moore tackling his most dangerous adversary yet: angel dust. Moore is Tucker Williams, a retired police officer who runs the hottest local disco joint, Blueberry Hill. But all is not well…there is a new drug flooding the streets and the youth are becoming addicted to angel dust. When Tucker's nephew Bucky suffers a mental breakdown from a bad trip in the middle of his club, Tucker makes it his solemn duty to track down the supplier of the drug and clean up the streets. Known as the Disco Godfather, he begins an investigation into its local production at the command of Stinger Ray, a local businessman whose legitimate front is some sort of basketball team he is recruiting for. Or something. I couldn't quite figure out who Stinger Ray was supposed to be. Zaniness ensues.

"Haven't you heard, Godfather? Our children are dying."

The movie begins with a nearly ten minute sequence of disco dancing at Blueberry Hill with Moore chanting "Put yo weight on it!" in a failed attempt to institute a new catchphrase, presumably to pad the running time to feature length. You need to have a bit of patience with this movie because it has a tendency to cram in a disco break randomly, regardless of how it brings the story to a screeching halt. If Moore and the filmmakers had intended to do a serious movie to address a serious social issue, they probably shouldn't have made the drug portions so hilarious. The people high on angel dust in this movie are just too funny, accurate or not. I've never witnessed anyone high on the drug, and I have my doubts that the writers were overly concerned with research. Disco! There's a scene where the Disco Godfather is given a tour through a facility where people recover from angel dust, but it doesn't quite have the effect I think the filmmakers were going for. The movie has the usual bits of awesome we've come to expect from a Rudy Ray Moore movie: cheesy effects, horrible acting, and moments of total absurdity. There's a point where the Disco Godfather battles a cowboy. No joke, a cowboy. And the cowboy is using a whip. It's just so bizarre and misplaced, and I totally love moments like it.

I do need to give this movie some credit. It is the first Rudy Ray Moore movie I've seen with structure! There aren't multiple plot lines going in random directions, but one solid story of the Godfather's battle against angel dust. The problem is that the movie is just boring. It's weak. I watch Moore's movies for the absurd characters, low production value, and strange attempts at action. We don't get much of that here. With the quasi-serious tone, we lose a lot of the WTF factor that makes Moore's movies so fun to watch. DISCO GODFATHER is a difficult movie to remember after seeing it because there really isn't anything memorable here. I honestly didn't care about this movie for 90% of it until the final battle at the angel dust production plant. Moore busts out with his weird brand of kung-fu as he battles his way into the plant until *gasp!* he's exposed to angel dust! Moore's nightmare on angel dust makes it worth the hassle of watching his movie. It's the best Moore moment since the final battle through the house on the hill in THE HUMAN TORNADO. Oh, and we get some of the regular cast in the movie. Jimmy Lynch and Jerry Jones return, and Lady Reed is relegated to a minor role that spares us her usual painful line delivery. In the end, the movie fails to live up to any of Moore's movies that came before it. It doesn't have nearly as many laughs, and it has 100% more disco. If it weren't for the awesome finale, I probably would have marked it even lower.

143

[willie-40 · 9 August 1999]

Rudy Ray Moore's performance in the Disco Godfather is a thing of beauty. Classic lines include "Why, Why 143?", "You call him in Florida little lady, I got a friend out there.......alone", "Call the ambulance and when they get here, tell the driver what he has hayad". All great, and the continued run ins with telephone man are classics as well. Nothing can keep the laughs from coming when he attempts to knock the phone man out with the wrench, and then exclaims "Damn!". Great movie, a little slow at times(the drug political speech) but definitely good enough to put your weight on it put your weight on it put your weight on it!

Words can't describe Disco Godfather

[jfurdell · 1/10 · 28 March 2002]

Must be the worst film ever made. Certainly the worst "blaxploitation" film, it tried to steal from every popular '70s genre it could... kung-fu, the drug-revenge flick, disco dancing. And it failed, failed, failed. The best scene:

[Disco Godfather is kung-fu fighting a bunch of thugs as a Random Jogger, dressed in powder blue jogging suit and with a towel around his neck, jogs by.]

RJ: Hey man, you need some help?

DG: This is an angel dust factory!

RJ: ANGEL DUST?!

[Random jogger whips off the towel from around his neck and assumes a fighting pose.]

RJ: Let's kick some ass then.

Simultaneously the greatest and worst film ever made

[tomgillespie2002 · 3/10 · 24 March 2011]

It's rare that a film can be simultaneously the greatest and worst film ever made. Herschell Gordon Lewis regularly almost achieves this, notably with his disease-inducing classic The Gore Gore Girls, a film that is so balls-out awful, offending every possible sense in every conceivable way, yet making you laugh so hard that the negatives threaten to almost become redundant. The Grindhouse and blaxploitation genres are 99% awful films. You watch the trailer and wonder how it can fail to be anything but a masterpiece. But then you watch the film and wonder how the director can stretch it out to a 90-minute movie, and also how you can possibly stay awake amongst all the visual crud on display. Yet Disco Godfather is somehow different. Yes, it's awful. It really is. But it's also very, very special.

Tucker Williams is a retired cop who now spends his days wearing crappy, Salvation Army-esque sparkly spandex suits and has re-invented himself as the Disco Godfather. When he's not DJ-ing and demanding that the crowd 'put their weight on it!', he also indulges in a bit of dancing - that is moving his hips in uncomfortable looking motions while brandishing his disturbingly wide and sparkly white grin. But when a new drug hits the street, the Godfather must put aside his disco days and use his street experience to tackle to scum that is putting the 'whack' on the streets, killing the youth and sending one of his family members crazy.

The first half an hour genuinely tested my patience with endless shots of people dancing in a disco while the Disco Godfather shouts an endless of array of quotable lines over the microphone. And the same disco song playing over and over and over again. And then a bit more. But then the 'plot' kicks in and it becomes a riot. From the moment Disco Godfather is paid a visit and is told about his nephew Bucky, lying in a hospital bed, going out of his mind from 'whack' intake, and he stares her in the face and says 'where is Bucky, and what has he ha-yad?', I knew this was an instant classic. Rudy Ray Moore, who plays the eponymous Godfather, was primarily a stand-up comedian in the same vein of Richard Pryor. Thank God the man was good at comedy (I hear) because he would have been laughed out of the audition room if he hadn't. The man is awful at acting. And thank God for it.

The film has so many classic moments it's impossible to comment on them all. An early scene has an ambulance driver, on the scene to rescue another victim of the whack, refer to Tucker as 'Disco Godfather', regardless of the fact that they have never met and the man looks like he wouldn't be seen dead in a disco. Another great scene has the Godfather kung-fu kicking the ass of a gang of henchmen, only to call on a passer-by for help, who coincidentally also possesses the ability to kung-fu kick the ass of henchmen, and proceeds to do so. A film of many delights, and I urge anyone who breathes to track this down and watch it. I feel aggrieved that I have to give this film one star. But I have to, it's phenomenally awful, and the laughs are unintentional. But they are there, and I loved it. You'll be shouting 'put yo' weight on it!' for days.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

A Dangerous New Drug

[Uriah43 · 3/10 · 10 December 2018]

Having retired from law enforcement "Tucker Williams" (Rudy Ray Moore) has since become the owner of a popular discotheque in Los Angeles known as "Blueberry Hill". And one of the main attractions at this disco is the disk jockey who goes by the name of "the Disco Godfather"--none other than Tucker Williams! But then one night something terrible happens when Tucker's young nephew "Bucky" (Julius Carey) has a bad reaction to some angel dust given to him by someone he thought was his friend. Needless to say, the sudden hospitalization of his nephew infuriates Tucker who had never heard of this new drug and after seeing other patients in such dire circumstances he vows to find the main supplier and bring him to justice. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I enjoyed this trip down memory lane when disco was so popular. Unfortunately, the movie itself wasn't that good due in large part to the bad acting and rather weak action sequences. That being said, I have rated it accordingly. Below average.

Put your weight on it!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 12 April 2020]

Rudy Ray Moore is at his most amusing in this late-in-the-game Blaxploitation entry, playing Tucker Williams, the bombastic owner of a disco nightclub. When Tuckers' nephew Bucky (Julius J. Carry III, "The Last Dragon") flips out after taking angel dust, Tucker vows to do his part in eliminating this nasty drug from the streets of the 'hood. His nemesis will be the flamboyant Stinger Ray (Hawthorne James, "Speed"), a legitimate businessman who also dabbles in crime, and who wants to create a new basketball league that will hire castoffs from the NBA.

"Disco Godfather" is not particularly slick or distinguished, but it still does its job, entertaining solidly for 98 straight minutes. It alternates between taking itself seriously as a message movie, and pulling out all the stops in various music / dance sequences. The soundtrack is great funky stuff all the way, serving as perfect accompaniment for these wacky goings-on. In addition to various martial arts action scenes, the film gives us assorted doses of surrealism in the attempt to approximate the hallucinations that the drug users experience. It's weird, wild, consistently amusing nonsense.

RRM is fun, and is particularly hilarious when the script calls for him to emote. He's enthusiastically supported by old cohorts like Lady Reed (as Mrs. Edwards) and Jerry Jones (as Dr. Fred Mathis). James is a hoot as the villain, while Carry has an appealing presence as the kid who could potentially be throwing his basketball career down the drain. A young Keith David ("The Thing" '82, "They Live") makes his uncredited film debut in a bit role as a club patron.

Fun stuff overall.

Seven out of 10.

This is Dreadful

[AGood · 1/10 · 19 February 2020]

I first heard of Rudy Ray Moore after seeing Eddie Murphy's fantastic biopic last year on Netflix. Over Christmas I bought Dolemite and the Human Tornadon Blu-Ray. I loved both.

They had such an innocent charm to them. But I did notice they seemed to like to have the odd filler scenes to make out the runtime and without them the films would be both 60mins long.

Last week I seen Disco Godfather was out on Blu-Ray so picked it up. And my God this is dreaful. It is almost incoherent with any plot and is just non stop filler scene after filler scene.

I turned it off after 45mins and have returned it to where I bought it from.

The film will have pauses while you see people dancing while RRM will be a DJ not saying anything interesting. This will go on for at least 5-10 mins at a time. Or long drug induced hypno scenes that go on for a long time. And then one hypno scene after another. Then random people doing speaches about the effects of PCP drugs and all sorts.

This film is filler after filler. And is not even a patch on Dolemite or its sequel. Infact I would say RRM is not even the star of this movie.

Put Your Weight On It!

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 29 April 2013]

A retired cop becomes a DJ/celebrity at the Blueberry Hill disco -- he is the Disco Godfather! All is well until his nephew flips out on a strange new drug that is sweeping the streets, called "angel dust" or PCP.

What the heck is this? A disco movie? A drug movie? A police movie? I have no idea, and it seems that nobody else does either. And yet, it works... goodness gracious, it works. This is one crazy film and anyone who is into b-movies or cult films is sure to enjoy it.

I do not know much about PCP, but the effects it has on the people in this movie definitely make me want to stay away. These same effects might cause other people to seek the drug out. More than 30 different analogues of PCP were reported as being used on the street during the 1970s and 1980s, though, so who knows what you might be getting.

Another home movie from Rudy Ray Moore.

[planktonrules · 1/10 · 11 November 2013]

It's very hard to review the films of Rudy Ray Moore. They are horrible in so many ways yet apparently some people think that is intentional. All I know is that this film is like the last movie I saw of Moore's--completely unprofessional and looking more like a home movie than a real film. The acting (especially by Moore) is often terrible as many of the 'actors' have trouble reciting their lines, the plot is VERY thin (as most of the time the film just consists of folks disco dancing) and the production values are from the Ed Wood Jr. school of film making.

Rudy Ray Moore stars as Tucker Williams, a.k.a. 'The Disco Godfather'. He mostly hangs around the disco but is called to action in response to an outbreak of PCP in the ghetto. The scenes at the mental hospital of all the angel dust victims is unintentionally hilarious but it stirs Tucker to act. However, nothing really occurs for a long time after this meeting--you mostly see folks disco dancing the night away! Later, the plot, such as it is, slowly is revealed and Tucker uses his 'Disco Squad' to thwart evil. Tucker is one bad mo', as he uses his kung fu skills* to stop the baddies.

I actually happen to like blacksploitation films and have probably reviewed more than just about anyone. Quality-wise, Moore's films are in a class by themselves--they are THAT bad. Good for a laugh but too slow to make them must-sees for bad movie buffs.

*The kung fu, like in Moore's first film "Dolomite". The blows don't even come close to landing and it looks like a middle aged guy trying to fake martial arts skills--which is exactly what is happening. It's sad...and funny.

Do you want to join the disco squad?

[iago-6 · 8/10 · 17 March 2006]

Trust me that there is many more hootworthy elements in this film than I could ever hope to write about. There are definitely more stunningly tacky visuals than I could ever capture. This is a movie that demands to be witnessed. I had never seen a Dolemite film, though I had heard of them, and I had no idea that this was a Dolemite film when I saw it in a discount video store about a year ago. Though actually it's a Dolemite film in name only, as Rudy Ray Moore plays another character in this one—a character who swears less.

Probably the highest highlight in this film is the opening sequence, in which Disco Godfather (hereafter DG) is introduced. Everyone is grooving to the generic, repetitive, lyric-free disco music, then DG comes out in his skin-tight pale blue lycra outfit, open to his waist. He grinds obscenely for a few minutes, then makes his way to the DJ booth, where he energetically twists knobs on his console to no audible effect. He shouts rhyming Dolemitisms to the crowd, the most frequent being exhortations to "Put your weight on it!" He repeats this directive 24 times throughout the movie. I counted.

Meanwhile, DG's nephew Bucky, a promising basketball player, is lured away from his girlfriend, who is sporting this hideously bizarre hairdo in which her fro is tied off in a frizzy ponytail hanging off one side, making her head look like a comet or something. Anyway, Bucky is lured into one of the top 5 pimpmobiles of all time, where he consumes angel dust. He then comes back into the disco, where he proceeds to hallucinate. Please note that the several different characters who take angel dust all seem to have the exact same hallucination. Such is the power of angel dust, I guess.

Anyway, DG (his name is Tucker, but I prefer Disco Godfather… don't you?) inquires after what Bucky has had. Only he pronounces it "Heyad." The bizarre, declarative way in which Rudy speaks is one of the bizarre pleasures of this movie, and apparently of all the Dolemite films. Anyway, a helpful doctor tells him that Bucky has had Angel Dust, and that if DG stops by the hospital the next day he'll deliver a great deal of exposition about its effects. DG does, and we are given a tour of an asylum for angel dust users, all of whom have apparently lost their minds. One of them, we are told, roasted her baby and served it to her family.

Meanwhile, some reporter is doing a piece on Disco Godfather, and, after viewing the gyrations of his practicing dancers, is told: "As you can see, if you want to be a member of the disco squad, you have to get funky and get down." DG shows up, and diverts the focus of the article away from his nightclub and to the menace of angel dust. The reporter, not irked at all that she came to do a piece on a nightclub scene and is being sidelined into delivering the rantings of an anti-drug crusader, acts as though the fact that this one nightclub owner is against angel dust is a "scoop," gets one tepid quote them takes off, promising to put the story "on the front page." I can see the headline now: "Some nightclub owner is really, really against angel dust." Later DG exclaims: "Somebody knows I'm out to get them." Uh… could it be because you put an article about it in the paper? We are then treated to a performance of the disco skate dancers, featuring this one guy who I am basically in love with. He is a big mustachioed 70s hunk who chooses to wear a tank top with skin tight shorts which hug his quite fetching ass and showcase his ample basket as he is performing his deft skate dancing moves. I should also mention that this film contains what may be the largest amount of footage of people simply GYRATING that I have ever seen in one movie.

So anyway, then DG attends an anti-angel dust rally whose theme is "Attack the Whack." IT is supported by the all-female "Angels Against Dust," where Carol Speed is giving a speech. I can only assume that Ms. Speed, who was in Abby and The Mack, is only here (and received second billing) for her name, as she only appears in this one scene. She obviously didn't spend much time learning her lines, as she advises the group that she wants to "Whack the attack against angel dust." It's funnily realistic, as it perfectly, if unintentionally, captures the spirit of a public official who knows and cares nothing about a certain civic problem, and is on hand just to garner votes. Later, our friendly doctor says he wants to "Fight a thing that might save the lives of thousands of young people." A second later Ms. Speed is heard chanting "attack the whack" when she is obviously not speaking at all. Apparently they didn't have the budget for reshoots on this scene, as it contains the absolute most errors of any part of the movie.

And please no not miss the innovative use of animation mixed with live action to enhance certain scenes.

This movie has an essential sweetness and earnestness that, in addition to it's off-the-chart cheesiness in absolutely every way, makes it a special addition to any video collection.

--- Check out other reviews on my website of bad and cheesy movies, Cinema de Merde. Find the URL in my email address above.

Unlike other godfathers, he doesn't run drugs. He runs them off.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 30 July 2023]

A fun energetic wacky and fast moving blaxploitation movie that goes on to promote something that other blaxploitation movies didn't: the cleaning up of drug dealers from the black community, led by disco owner Rudy Ray Moore. As the Liberace of the blaxploitation genre, he's a delightfully flashy dresser, equally flamboyant in his personality too, and determined to bring down the street drug industry that got his smart young nephew Julius Carry to overdose on PCP.

There's an unintentionally funny scene where the Aunt Esther like mother of a female victim of PCP decides that she's going to use faith to clean up her daughter, and while the poor girl is having convulsions, her mother and a bunch of church ladies saunter around her bed as if she was possessed like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist". I couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of the moment. While the film isn't exactly the best acted (mainly due to poor sound that has the actors sounding forced), it's very watchable, and certainly well intended.

Moore isn't the greatest of actors, but he's got charm and sincerity, and he's not exactly playing "Othello". Hawthorne James is a great sleazy villain. Honestly have to say this is one of the best later blaxploitation movies because it grabs the viewer's emotions and doesn't let go. Carry shows great promise as Moore's nephew and I wish he had done more A grade work.

Put Your Weight On It...?

[Mr. Pulse · 3/10 · 17 March 2000]

I have seen the terror that is "The Avenging Disco Godfather." And all I can say is, "Huh?" This movie is really weird, even for a movie with the words "Disco" and "Godfather" in the title.

Our hero, and yes the Disco Godfather is a hero, not Marlon Brandon in polyester, is a disco clubowner who is alarmed by the rise in Angel Dust (or PCP) in his fun-loving disco community. Luckily, the Disco Godfather is also an ex-cop (Little did you realize most ex-cops open disco clubs when their pension kicks in), so he decides to take the war against PCP to the streets, in his own daring and particular idiom.

There's little more I can say about this film with a straight face. No one had any clue what they were doing when they made this movie. Here's a list of my favorite faux paus:

-The Godfather's affinity for the phrase "Put your weight on it!" which he proclaims to his club denizens at least twenty times during the movie. The meaning of the phrase is never explained.

-The fact that the "wakka-cha-wakka" laden soundtrack pumps really loudly, even during the dialogue scenes, to the point where you can't even hear the people who are talking.

-The strange Angel Dust trips that last for months (!) and all include this weird looking hag lady, straight out of an Evil Dead movie.

-The terribly directed and choreographed martial arts scenes. In the climactic one, the Disco Godfather is avenging whatever it is he's avenging, and a jogger off the street stops and helps him. The duo fends off their attackers, and never speak again.

-The obligatory white captain of the police force, who is quite possibly the worst actor I have ever seen. He doesn't even know which way to face during dialogue scenes, and looks at his shoes in EVERY close up.

I could go on, but I think the point has been made. The film is lots of fun up until the metaphysical (read: dumb) ending that drags on and on for about 10 minutes, and is a suprising bummer for such a goofy, campy film. Still, lots of fun if you know what you're getting into.

Kickin asses, gettin' wimmenz, savin' chilrenz.

[Craig-32 · 29 May 1999]

Disco Godfather is, quite possibly, the worst film ever made. I think that Rudy Ray Moore could have feasibly wiped his tail with the celluloid and the end result would have been a more worthy feature.

Then again, Disco Godfather is probably one of the most entertaining movies I've ever seen. Aside from the three-hour-long roller-skate-disco-dance sequences and the rants about the evils of PCP, the film (and I say "film") is a karate-fightin', rappin-rhymin', booty-shakin', disco-quakin' good time! When Rudy Ray delivers lines like "But how? AND WHY?" with a knowing glance toward his captivated audience, you know you are putty in the hands of a master craftsman. The film's supa-fly climax, a spontaneous kung-fu fest at a PCP warehouse, is one of cinema's finest moments. Just sit back, let the fists fly, and let the carefree spirit of Rudy Ray Moore's 1970's America take you away.

Worst film I have ever seen

[betelguese_1 · 1/10 · 4 June 2003]

In college, my friends and I would have "Bad Movie Night" once a week with the goal of finding the worst movie possible and watching it over beer, chips, and popcorn. While there were good challenges from Dr. Tarr's Torture Dungeon, Cycle Vixens, and Cheerleaders Wild Weekend, Avenging Disco Godfather was so bad, it was actually good. Well, in a bad sort of way. Too serious to be a parody and too ridiculous to be a morality play, AVD was putrid throughout. The 10-minute acid trip scene would only be interesting if you were actually on acid...and then only maybe.

You may love Dolemite. You may love disco. You may not love this movie.

[bssweb · 2/10 · 9 July 2000]

As a fan of all of Rudy Ray Moore's 70s films (from Dolemite to Petey Wheatstraw), it's surprising that this film doesn't do much for me. Or maybe it's not so surprising.

Hardcore Moore fans will enjoy the film's lighter moments such as the hilarious delivery of lines like, as another reviewer mentioned, "you stupid son of a b****" and "put some weight on it" 181 million times. And most bad b-movie buffs won't be able to get enough of the campy performances by people like the Disco Skate Dancers as well as the do-it-yourself karate that characterizes Moore's earlier great films.

But this film is heavy, not "lighthearted" action-oriented like the others. There's nothing funny about Angel Dust. But the hallucination scenes in this film are (unintentionally) among the funniest. And that disturbs me. Not to mention the way this film ends "unresolved" with our hero left to disintegrate before our eyes as viewers wonder "well, what in the hell happened?"

While this film is redeemed by the gloriously ridiculous disco sequences and exciting action scenes, "Disco Godfather" is supposed to be a serious look at PCP addiction. After seeing this film, you'll agree that it's difficult to take both the serious road and the humorous road with a topic like that. Especially when there's no solution in sight.

Rudy Ray Moore pictures usually leave us with a big grin on our faces. "Disco Godfather" will only leave you with a look of confusion and is only recommended for hardcore fans of the Rudy Ray series.

Ah need an ab boo lance after this

[ptb-8 · 3/10 · 24 January 2011]

45 minutes of stupefying disco awfulness followed by 45 minutes of brain busting psycho angel dust drama = 90 mins of DISCO GODFATHER. Here I was gleefully looking forward to an epic of THE APPLE proportions and what did ah git? Angel Dust baby! Angel dust on da disco floo-wah. Call me an am boo lance....... Rudy Ray Moore certainly is a one of a kind..and I struggled to get me thru the final sequence of hallucinatory kung fu warehouse fights and dungeon ghastliness because I never have seen a film lose it's way so completely. DISCO GODFATHER needed to stay firmly on the roller disco floor with all the other dancing wannabees and leave the drug lecture outside with Bucky, the 7ft he-man nephew. Rudy Ray Moore is terrific as the caring sharing flab-man in blue silk jump suit and silver shoes of the title... and the music for the most part is great, but oh dear, once the action leaves the dance floor, this dancing dictating Godfather becomes a religious revival meeting bore. Watch the first half only. Stop after the roller disco dude in his underpants does his spin thing.

The Godfather Of The Disco!

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 29 September 2014]

Although this film I'm sure was not considered for any awards or anything, I still enjoy watching it every once in a while. Rudy Ray Moore is Tucker an ex cop, now club owner, Dj and is known of course as The Disco Godfather. His favorite nephew(Bucky) an awesome basketball player and possible NBA prospect gets messed up on Angel Dust. This enrages The Godfather Of The Disco and he focuses all his energy on raising awareness in the community and takes it to the streets and starts knocking heads. Disco Godfather is not in the same class as classics like Dolemite and Petey Wheatstraw, but Rudy and company still deliver the goods in this very funky, very low budget blaxsploitation feature. As a huge fan of outrageous stuff like this and of course Rudy Ray Moore, I enjoy and appreciate this film for what it is. Disco Godfather is simply good entertainment in its purest form. Yes, the production value sucks, the acting is terrible and Rudy's fighting skills are even worst. Its all good though because it is fun to watch. What Rudy lacks in acting and fighting skills, he more than makes up for with his unique ultra cool persona and great screen presence. Plus to boot the film has a very strong and positive anti drug message. Thumbs up, I can dig it!

Don't. Please.

[lifeinaglasshouse999 · 1/10 · 15 August 2006]

Please, for the love of God, do whatever you have to do to avoid seeing this film. If you value your time and sanity, go to YouTube, watch the preview, say "put your weight on it" about 12 times, and wash your hands of the whole wretched affair. The preview makes it look like it MIGHT be 90 minutes of absurd genius, but rest assured--this is one of the single worst films ever made. Up there with "Troll 2"..."Manos"..."Attack of the Killer Shrews"...."Red Zone Cuba"...."Skydivers"...."Plan 9 from Outer Space." Like those, but not even funny to laugh at. Dear God, stay away from this movie.

Let me put it to you like this. Imagine, if you will, that you are trapped in a godawful home- video recreation of "Saturday Night Fever," and Rudy Ray Moore will not stop yelling, "Put your weight on it! Put your weight on it! I'm the Disco Godfather! Put some soul in your stroll! Dip in your hip! Glide in your stride! Put your weight on it!" Now add to that piquant little fantasy a whole battalion of flashing lights, some terribly executed "trippy drug freakout" sequences, more disco dancing than ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN THE ENTIRE DECADE OF THE 1970s, and a completely meaningless and terrible storyline vaguely concerning Dolemite crusading to rid the 'hood from the terrors of PCP. Punch that up with exactly 2 (two) brief fight sequences, both of which have their highlights featured in the trailer (and seeing #2 boiled down to a series of jumpkicks is really very preferable to the genuine article), several interminable speeches about drugs and violence (one of which is delivered by a police commissioner into a phone which has not been dialed yet), and you have the recipe for a truly, truly wretched piece of cinema. I watched everything but the first half hour on fast-forward, and it still felt like I lost the better part of my youth.

Right on, brother... Right on...

[ronspencer547 · 6/10 · 10 May 2014]

I thought I'd spoke on this good-bad film, but I guess it didn't take This is set during the PCP craze that rocked black neighborhoods in the mid-1970s. Then folks started freebasing and you stopped hearing about "Sherm" Alley. It became "Crack Alley." If you don't think this place existed, I can take you...

This picture is low end for sure but there is a sincerity in it's message. A decade later, Spike Lee tried to say something about the crack epidemic, but didn't fair quite as well. What was Jungle Fever about when you think about it. The social milieu of Disco Godfather is rooted in genre(the detective story.) Maybe that's why it succeeds where others failed. I don't know... there was more heart here than in many a modern black film. and the karate sequence! what the--

...where...am I...is this...really..happening?

[zelig77 · 1/10 · 25 February 1999]

Usually, I LOVE cheesy movies, but this movie is SO PAINFUL!!! It is so incredibly boring! They spend about 10 minutes fighting drug lords, and abot 75 minutes dancing! When they do speak, it's usually funny. The problem is, there's not that much dialogue to choose from! Maybe I was just tired when I watched this movie (which I own, by the way) I think I need to see it again. What am I saying!!??? Just to let you know my threshold for punishment, let me tell you that I've seen Manos: the Hands of Fate at least a dozen times! I've watched Disco Godfather once! Many people gave this movie good ratings, presumably because of its cheesy/cult qualities, but I had to give it a 1. At least Manos had a little better pacing. Maybe MST3K could save it for me. As it stands, this is quite possibly the most painfully boring movie I've ever seen! I will watch it again though, I'm a masochist!

Crazy.

[kungfuel · 8/10 · 14 August 2002]

On recommendation of one of my friends, I picked up this movie. It was at Wal-Mart on DVD for $10, so why not?

The many disco scenes were refreshing to see, and seeing Rudy Ray Moore himself get down to the disco grooves was highly impressive. However, this is not one of his best works!

A large portion of this movie is just Rudy Ray saying how much he hates those who use PCP, and keep it on the streets. He's going to get revenge by [messing] up some mother[messers]!

Personally, I like my Dolemite movies with a ton of cursing and lots of action scene, not a serious message. However, the "trip" scenes, where people are freaking out because of the PCP, are well worth this. Quite possibly some of the freakiest cinematography I've ever seen.

I liked this movie mostly for the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes. Everything else is just filler, so you might as well watch the first fifteen minutes, go to any Drug Abuse information site and learn about PCP on your own, then come back and watch the last.

OVERALL, I would give this movie a 8/10, because the good outweighs the bad. Must see if you are a fan of Mr. Rudy Ray Moore.

A broken movie. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be watched, though.

[degeneraatti · 1/10 · 30 September 2014]

Yes, Disco Godfather is awful. Movie-wise, it has zero redeeming qualities, although roller-skate disco-dancing does come close. What it has is a plethora of hilarious mistakes, jumbled jive-dialogue, a lack of suspense where such is indicated, a preachy message, and many other little gems that will stick with the viewer for long time.

Everything starts with the title of the film. It's hard to think a movie named (Avenging) Disco Godfather is something else than so-bad-it's- good. There is, indeed, plenty of disco. For the uninitiated it might be too high of a dose for a first time. What I mean is that Thank God It's Friday is a lightweight compared to this, and that film was a record company brochure in film format. And yes, there is much Godfather. When he is not busy spinning some hot tracks to all the funky people at the club and making them offers they can not refuse ("put your weight on it!"), he fights drugs in both word and deed.

Alas, all this fun does not equal movie glory. Rudy Ray Moore rummages through the film like he's on a bad trip. Which must be how he felt, because this film has approximately 10-15 minutes of content, depending on who's counting, and the rest is utter padding. It's just not going anywhere, and the stalling that is the status quo is quite uninteresting beyond the giggles.

If you feel like snorting some of this disco jive and laughing hysterically whenever you remember it, Disco Godfather just might be your drug of choice. For those looking for more than a short fix better steer clear.

"He's the Godfather of the Disco!"

[Backlash007 · 27 January 2002]

"Put your weight on it, put your weight on it!" Rudy Ray Moore scores big with another memorable blaxploitation hit. That's right, Rudy's back and he brought with him a great theme song boasting his title as the Disco Godfather. Rudy plays ex-cop Tucker Williams who's become the best DJ in town. But when his nephew Bucky turns to drugs, then Rudy Ray turns into Dolemite.....whoops, I mean the a$$ whooping, drug bashing, head whacking, Godfather of the Disco. They don't get much funnier than The Disco Godfather. Especially the PCP trips that Bucky endures and the drug ward of the hospital where everyone is "whacked" out of their heads. It's not as good as Dolemite, but Rudy's still the man. Can you dig it? So if you're looking for a good time, then Rudy Ray is "your tower of power, the man of the hour, too darn sweet to be sour!"