Parents need to know that Super Fly is a 1972 movie about a cocaine dealer attempting to make a deal large enough to retire and get out of the business. [7], The film was released on digital and iTunes on August 28, 2018 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Their argument is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Scatter, who is being pursued by his supplier. Its kind of hilarious take on the extremes of gangs showing their power in color alone. Franklin kills Freddie and Rochelle. On 23 Feb 1973, DV related that Mayfield had filed a letter of complaint with the Academy over its method of selecting nominees. Hes a major drug supplier in bling-driven Atlanta. THE STORY OF THE REAL SUPERFLY CAME FROM CLEVELAND - The characters "Scatter" and "Priest" in the classic Blaxploitation flick, Superfly, were both inspired by infamous Cleveland Black crime boss and. Scatter surprises Priest at Freddie's funeral, ordering him to meet with his supplier Adalberto, after finding out Priest cut a secret deal for more product. HR news items add the following information about the production: Warner >>, James M. Cain's novel Double Indemnity was serialized in Liberty magazine. After "The End" is displayed, the film fades to black, but Mayfield's "Superfly" continues to play for a few minutes until the track ends. But its also less true than it once was. Priest turns to Scatter (Julius Harris), an older and retired dealer who now runs a popular bar and grill, for help in getting Scatter's supplier. It features 13 new and previously released songs, as well as guest appearances from Miguel, Lil Wayne, Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign, Young Thug, PartyNextDoor, H.E.R., Gunna, Sleepy Brown, and Yung Bans, among others. Outcry against the film prompted several groups in Los Angeles, notably the Coalition Against Blaxploitation (CAB) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), to assert that a separate ratings and review board for black films should be set up and overseen by CORE, according to the Jan 1973 LAT article. * Remember Me Forgot Password Tags: Members Only Previous Feds Get First Co-Defendant In Philly Mob Case To Cop Plea, Tony Meatballs Admits Booking Bets Superfly (2018 film) - Wikipedia The Atlanta locale of Superfly seems like the perfect high-low setting, but though Director X exploits a number of colorful locations (a hair salon that turns into a drive-by slaughter, a mansion that looks as big as Versailles), the film has very little visual texture or sense of place. But the new movie puts Priest, Georgia, and Cynthia together in a threesome set in a shower, a trivially smarmy titillation that stands in contrast to a sex scene involving Georgia and Priest in Super Fly, where Parks creates something thats both erotic and non-pornographic. The Student National Coordinating Committee also protested the film as a tool of white oppression.[8]. In commenting on the success of Super Fly at the box office, a Jan 1973 DV article reported that investors Allen and Jenkins had sold their 22 percent interest in the film profitably, and that the principals involved in the production were getting handsome payoffs. According to a 12 Mar 1973 NYT article, the picture had grossed $20 million in seven months, and modern sources added that despite the films controversial nature, it went on to gross more than $30 million by 2007. It holds your attention yet leaves you with nothing."[14]. [3] Principal photography started in Atlanta, Georgia in January 2018. Now, if you don't get me my money *tonight*, I'm gonna put that young girl of your's out on whore's row. Working some jive job for chump change day after day. Three weeks prior, it was moved up two days to June 13, 2018, in order to avoid direct competition with Incredibles 2. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. When we first talked at the beginning, Diddy was inspiration for the Snow Patrol, representing New York flash and opulence, Messam says. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes, and lines from all your favorite films. The women in Priests group play subordinate yet crucial roles in the tradeyet there are other parts of the conspiratorial net in which women are crucially active (suffice it to say that their activities are far from heroic). And no motherf***er tells me when I can split. The gaudy fashions might be as obsolete as the old crumbling '70s New York City that serves as the background to the scenes, but the substance of the movie has ensured that Super Fly remains something more than a relic. Your privacy is important to us. The film is best known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. The hot-tempered Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter disarms Eddie and holds him at gunpoint. Among the films many critics was Junius Griffin, the then-president of the Hollywood branch of the NAACP. He came out of a dance background. 2019 AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. The Custom Scatter node has the following attributes: Surface Color: The overall color of the surface. Hugh Hart has covered movies, television and design for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wired and Fast Company. Priest demands his half of their profits from Eddie. The man behind one of the more inventive Marvel franchises has a mercurial and fascinating track record. Unsurprisingly, cocaine use is frequent. He has a now-iconic charisma, "cool" in the classic sense of the word. Release Dates All rights reserved. The article noted that Mayfield was not qualified for a nomination for Best Dramatic Score because five songs needed to be submitted, and Warners only submitted three. Although the article stated that Mayfields manager was contemplating filing suit against the Academy, the action was not taken. Radius. The original Priest, played by Ron O'Neal, famously sported leisure suits and floor-length overcoats, but Trevor Jackson's version of the drug dealer favors a less flamboyant style drawn from AllSaints, Burberry and German designer Phillip Plein. I remember Curtis Mayfields great music and the way Ron Neal carried himself. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. | By the time filming began in Atlanta, Messam had assembled a jaw-dropping set of outfits sourced from such as labels as Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Fear of God, Zara, H&M and Topshop. O'Neal reprised his role as Youngblood Priest in the 1973 film Super Fly T.N.T., which he also directed. 2023 Cond Nast. Now we're through talkin'. He can wear a slick duster overcoat and fedora one day, and a stylized track suit the next., Messam acquired Scatters track suit from UK athletic wear company Boxraw. Cynthia is killed, and Priest and Georgia set fire to the mansion. Orson Welles's onscreen credit >>, The working titles of this film were The Difference and The Persuader. As he is escorted outside to be booked in another precinct, Freddie attempts to escape and is killed when he dashes in front of a car. Priests white mistress, Cynthia, also sells to her friends, although she is dismayed to learn that Priest does not return her love and is planning on quitting the business. 'Superfly' remake worth it for the hair and costumes alone Official Sites No car can outrun fate. He voices his sense of vulnerability from the heights of his terrace overlooking the city: This can all be taken away for stupid shit. He hammers the movie home in a one-liner reserved for the end, but to quote it is to make the whole plot unravel. However, w. Priest spends the rest of the film dancing among a trio of forces who are out to put the screws on him: the cartel, led by the always lively actor Esai Morales; the thugs of Snow Patrol; and a pair of corrupt white officers, played by Brian F. Durkin and Jennifer Morrison, who shake him down for a million dollars. Shot in a functional, slammed-together manner thats less sensually stylish than youd expect from a music-video auteur, the film is a competent yet glossy and hermetic street-hustle drug thriller, less a new urban myth than a lavishly concocted episode. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. She upends the stereotype by digging into the role with relish. 4 Mar. Although the timid Freddie abhors violence, he agrees and accompanies a member of Priests family of lower-level dealers to commit the robbery. Film Review: 'Superfly' - Variety (Hes played in the earlier film by Ron ONeal; in the remake, by Trevor Jackson.) [6], At the time of its release, there were many African-Americans that were displeased with the images of themselves portrayed in films such as Super Fly, Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassssss Song, and Shaft. After getting mugged by two junkies, he realizes that his profession will eventually only end in death or prison, so he decides it's time to call it quits. [4] The film was financed by two directors: Gordon Parks, who had directed the 1971 film Shaft and Sig Shore, who produced Super Fly, and played Deputy Commissioner Riordan, or "The Man" in the film. Motion Picture Association, Inc. I don't know nothing else but dope, baby. Families can talk about the "blaxploitation" genre. Like his father, Parks, Jr. was also a well-known still photographer. As the soundtrack's composer, Mayfield was the only other person in the production who earned revenue approaching Shore's. She then scoured stores in New York, explored off-the-grid spots in Atlanta and scoured the web for online purchases. I mean, maybe this is what you're supposed to do, maybe this is what you're growing to. While this new development excites Eddie, Priest is still determined to get out of dealing and decides to commit to his girlfriend Georgia (Sheila Frazier). (Click here to read about the 2018 remake.) Priest is then picked up by the lieutenant and other policemen and taken to the waterfront, where he is confronted by Reardon in person. Priest, so-called because the tip of the cross he wears is fasioned in the shape of a spoon, with which he frequently samples his wares, yearns to leave the life and go straight, despite the money he makes. This Superfly has original songs by the hip-hop artist Future, whos also a producer of the film. After the men leave, Priest finds his partner, Eddie, and asks him how much cash they currently have. When a scene takes place in the budget furniture store he uses as a legit front, its news to us, because the setting drops in out of nowhere. Understand the basics of the Matplotlib plotting package. Why do you think that is, and how does it heighten the action? Making his feature directorial debut, Director X whose background is in music videos (Rihanna, Drake, Kendrick Lamar) shoots in Atlanta instead of Harlem, glamming up the story with fast cars,. Later on I found out, Big Boi has that hat, Bank has that hat, King Luther has that hat. 26 Jan 2023 07:44:06 . The new HBO film dramatizes the effect of culture and politics on the most intimate extremes of a persons lifeand how particularly distorting and damaging this collective power has been for women. Eddie: I went along with that thing of yours about getting out cause I had nothing else. Messam put together the wardrobe guided by Director X, who previously shot music videos for Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar before rebooting the 1972 blaxpoitation classic. A 1972 Blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. Ron O'Neal stars as Priest, an up-and-coming successful cocaine dealer in New York City. Priest and Eddie are joined by Freddie, who turns over the money he stole. New York City--Harlem New York United States. What are some other movies with unforgettable soundtracks? How Superfly s' Costume Designer Curated the Sensational Look Courtesy Sony Pictures. Adalberto kills Scatter, having realized he was stealing from him. David Remnick talks with Dean Baquet, the executive editor of the Times, and Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for the paper, about reporting on Trump and the perils facing American democracy. The famous soundtrack by R&B and soul legend Curtis Mayfield, who had a cameo in the film with his band, actually outgrossed the film. Movie Info. [11], After an initial gross of $24.8 million, the film was re-released in 1973 and earned $2 million in US and Canada rentals. He seems almost as influenced by Brian De Palmas Scarface (itself a remake) as by the original Super Fly. Witness the bright oranges and subsequent neon colors in the movies opening scene: a tracking shot of an underground nightclub, depicting Priest on a mission to collect money owed. So maybe its heartening, in a way, that Super Fly once meant something and that the new Superfly, for what its worth, means next to nothing. According to a 17 Sep 1972 NYT article, the project was initially brought to Shore by first-time screenplay writer Philip Fenty after Fenty and actor Ron ONeal, a longtime friend, had worked together to develop the story. The wide shots are really stunt people. (screenplay by) Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Curtis Mayfield Cinematography by James Signorelli . He confides to a lieutenant, Eddie (Jason Mitchell), that he wants out. As Priest, Ron ONeal had a charisma and enigmatic elegance that stood out in the Harlem back rooms and alleys where he did his business. Georgia pleads with Priest to quit immediately, as she does not care if they are poor, but Priest maintains he must get the money, because his criminal record will make it difficult for him to find a job. .st1{display:none;fill:#FFFFFF;} The original red and black Warner logo is replaced by the updated AOL/Warner logo used at the time of DVD release. You aint that good., The close call and its concurrent threat of a gang war compel Priest to take stock. Lex Scott Davis and Trevor Jackson in Superfly, a remake of a 1972 classic about power and corruption. Both allude to the endemic racism thats rooted deep in American power, and both movies link racism to official corruption. Both movies tell the story of Youngblood Priest, a coke dealer looking to make one last big score and then get out. Junius Griffin, the head of the Hollywood branch of the NAACP stated, "we must insist that our children are not exposed to a steady diet of so-called black movies that glorify black males as pimps, dope pushers, gangsters, and super males. Priest, whose real power is information (hes got it on everyone), is surrounded by player-predators who are less cunning but more crudely violent than he is. During a verbal altercation with militant African Americans in his community, the lead character talks of getting involved in their cause if it involves "killing whitey" and "organizing an army to do that.". Super Fly Quotes The first name of actress and former model Sheila Frazier, who made her debut in Super Fly, is spelled Sheila in the opening cast credits and Shiela in the ending credits. Besides pimpin'? Superfly (1972) Cast and Crew - Cast Photos and Info | Fandango Carl Lee, who played Eddie, enjoyed television fame until he abused drugs in particular, heroin. Controls how far light can scatter through the surface. Times reviewer, Jay Cocks, irritated by the pictures stereotypes and lack of technical proficiency, declared: What makes a crummy little movie like Super Fly worth getting angry about is the implication behind it: that movies made for black audiences have to be, or can easily be, so casually and contemptuously awful. The HR critic, on the other hand, praised the film as one of remarkable power and a revelation, technically, that realistically captured the struggle confronting those ghetto denizens who refuse to accept the life to which they have been consigned. Theres no spiritual dimension, no sense of genuine civic aspiration. The earlier film takes place mainly in daylight, on the streets of New York, which its director, Gordon Parks, Jr., approaches with a vitally textured, documentary-like range and avidity. For all its tossed-off flash, Superfly goes beyond the mere intricacy of its audacious plotting to suggest the cruelty, the horror, and the deceit at the heart of the American body politic. Trevor Jackson in Superfly, a remake of the 1972 film by Gordon Parks Jr. Director X narrates a sequence from the film featuring Trevor Jackson and Michael Kenneth Williams. Superfly saves its most righteous physical violence for its finale, and its a sequence that will probably enrage anyone whos ever uttered the phrase Blue Lives Matter. The entire denouement has a nice satirical sting, pushed along by the rapper and songwriter Big Bois droll turn as an incumbent mayor hungry for re-election. There's brief female nudity (breasts and buttocks) and one extended sex scene in a bath tub; characters moan with pleasure as the camera moves in slow motion up and down their bodies. Both enraged and scared, Priest gives the information on Reardon and an envelope of cash to two mafia men and takes out a $100,000 contract on "the Man's" life. The first name of actress and former model Sheila Frazier, who made her debut in Super Fly, is spelled Sheila in the opening cast credits and Shiela in the ending credits. AFI|Catalog - Super Fly Mason threatens to expose Priest's dealing if he does not work with her. [10] The filmmakers maintain that it was their desire to show the negative and empty aspects of the drug subculture. One lengthy sex-in-the-shower scene between the characters played by Mr. Jackson, Ms. Londo and Ms. Davis has a nearly risible box-checking quality. All these corrupt agents of the law are white; Priest and his circle, as well as the entire Snow Patrol, are black; and, clearly and bitterly, Superfly puts ingrained American racism and its resulting inequities, injustices, and outrages at the center of the filmmost conspicuously, in its depiction of the ease with which white police officers can get away with summarily executing black people and even be celebrated for doing so. Additionally, according to the Jan 1973 DV report, Curtis Mayfield, the composer of the films score and hit songs, was estimated to be receiving about $5,000,000 from performance and royalties from the more than 2,000,000 albums and singles sold to that point. They discover cocaine and find Eddie in Freddie's contacts. The Snow Patrol members leave while Priest gives the victim money and directs them to the trauma center. SuperFly (2018) Cast and Crew - Cast Photos and Info | Fandango His competition is a flamboyant and much larger outfit known as the Snow Patrol, led by Q (Big Bank Black) and recognized by their all-white attire. "Scatter" Stephens Was A Cleveland Street Legend & The Real Superfly 2 years ago Scott Burnstein You are unauthorized to view this page. He isnt a bad actor, but its not like he finds many gradations within a young hustlers survivalist pout. Adalberto threatens Priest, telling him that he can never get out of the game. If I quit now, then I took all this chance for nothing and I go back to being nothing. The film was directed by Director X, written by Alex Tse and stars Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Michael K. Williams, Lex Scott Davis, and Jennifer Morrison. The soundtrack alone generated about $5 million in profits one of the first film soundtracks to earn such a sizable return primarily from the biggest singles "Super Fly" and "Freddie's Dead". We get almost no sense of the dailiness of Priests existence. It's time for you to start payin some dues, nigga! Super Fly (Film) - TV Tropes The article also reported that the distribution arm of Shores company, Plaza Pictures, would distribute Super Fly, but in mid-Apr 1972, Var reported that neither Plaza company would be involved with the film. The first film titled Super Fly (two words instead of one) was a low-budget affair with a gritty look and a claustrophobic feel. That night, after picking up the kilo from Scatter, Priest and Eddie are apprehended by several policemen. Those released in the previous decade could probably be counted on one hand. Web. Supertones' sixth album Hi-Fi Revival Priest, so-called because the tip of the cross he wears is fasioned in the shape of a spoon, with which he frequently samples his wares, yearns to leave the life and go straight, despite the money he makes. Although this plan was much discussed throughout the mid-1970s, it was not implemented. AFI champions progress in visual storytelling to empower storytellers, inspire story lovers and further the limitless power of the moving image. Parks, Jr. added that he and other black directors wanted to become a Fellini or a Bergman. Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter holds him at gunpoint. Trevor Jackson Re-invents the Sleek Priest, The original Priest, played by Ron ONeal, famously sported leisure suits and floor-length overcoats, but Trevor Jacksons version of the drug dealer favors a less flamboyant style drawn from AllSaints, Burberry and German designer Phillip Plein. I had a VHS copy in my collection of Blaxploitation films, which I loved to watch because I loved the fashion. [1], The soundtrack for the film was curated by American rapper Future, who also acted as a producer on the film. I am Director X. Im the director of Superfly 2018. After the police leave, Eddie is elated by the new situation, claiming that they are set for life, although Priest is still determined to quit after selling the thirty kilos. "[7], Super Fly resonated with many of the post-Civil Rights Movement generation of African Americans, who saw Youngblood as a new example of how to rise in the American class system. Common Sense and other associated names and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 41-2024986). When Priest reacts hostilely, Georgia explains that she loves him and wants to help him cope with the difficulties of street life. Fighting over recriminations about Freddie's death, Priest starts strangling Eddie and leaves him unconscious. Eddie has his back but Scatter refuses to help. [The soundtrack album did feature the lyrics written for the song by Mayfield.] Superfly (one word) the remake and the original Super Fly (two words, from 1972) are in many respects similar. And that robs Superfly of the dramatic flavor a good underworld drama needs. Special Nodes - Poser Unsurprisingly, cocaine use is frequent. According to modern sources, K. C., who played a pimp in the film, was a pimp in real life and owned the car driven by Priest. I'm to the point where I ain't afraid to die. Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. The lieutenant reveals that he is Scatter's supplier and that they can have as much "weight," as they want, and will be extended both credit and protection. "Future to Co-Produce Director X-Helmed 'Superfly' Remake", "What's filming in Atlanta now? The hot-tempered Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter disarms Eddie and holds him at gunpoint. With such a big score, they will be able to retire comfortably and find other employment, although Eddie protests that crime is the only option left to them by The Man. Priest is determined, however, and that night, approaches Scatter, a retired dealer who started Priest in the business. There's a complexity to the character revealed through body language and facial expression in his reactions to everyone around him. But Priest wants out of dealing and comes up with a plan to make it happen. ONeal, Shore and Parks, Jr. vehemently defended the film many times, with ONeal, in an Oct 1972 LAHExam interview, pointing out that the picture presented a true slice of Harlem life and that Priest triumphs at the end by using his wits, not just physical force. The Cycles Shader Encyclopedia Blender Guru In SUPER FLY, Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal) is at the top of his game as a Harlem cocaine dealer. But the experience of watching these movies is very differentas different as night and day. Is More Colossal Than Ever Imagined; Dinos Still Rule With $60M+ Second Weekend", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Superfly_(2018_film)&oldid=1140373587, Fictional portrayals of the Atlanta Police Department, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. I'll tell you what you do, you go get you a gun and all those black folks you keep doin' so much talkin' about get guns, and come back ready to go down, then I'll be right down front killin' whitey. That's the American Dream, nigga! Eddie is elated by the new situation, claiming that they are set for life, although Priest is still determined to quit after selling the thirty kilos. "Superfly," Reviewed: A Classic Remade for a Gun-Mad Age The film's soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield was well enough received that he was sought for other soundtracks. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, Trailers from Hell Presents: The Movies That Made Me: Alex Tse, hair stylist: second unit (as Steven A. Battaglia), key hair stylist (as Talya R. Melvey) / key hair stylist, production supervisor: second unit / second unit, second second assistant director: second unit, assistant property master / property master: 2nd unit, assistant property master: 2nd unit (as Suzu Tran) / props buyer (as Suzu Tran), second boom operator / sound mixer: splinter unit, re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor, visual effects executive producer: Southbay, assistant visual effects editor: Outpost VFX / roto/prep artist: Outpost VFX, visual effects executive producer: VFX Legion, compositing lead: Southbay (as Aaron Gerard Chiesa), visual effects executive producer: Crafty Apes, visual effects production manager: Southbay, 3d artist: Crafty Apes (as Patrick Sullivan), visual effects production manager: VFX Legion, visual effects artist: Southbay (uncredited), visual effects editor: Outpost VFX (uncredited), digital compositor: VFX Legion (uncredited), executive vfx supervisor: southbay CCO (uncredited), stunt double: Brian F. Durkin (uncredited) / stunt driver (uncredited), precision driver/precision car coordinator (uncredited), covering stunt coordinator (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited), stunt performer/stunt driving double: Trevor Jackson (uncredited), stunt double: Lex Scott Davis (uncredited), stunt driver: camera bike rider (uncredited), stunt double: Jason Mitchell/Jacob Latimore (uncredited), stunt driver (uncredited) / stunt driving double: Trevor Jackson (uncredited), stunt double: Dominique Madison (uncredited), first assistant camera "a" camera: second unit, camera operator: "a" camera (as Kirk Gardner) / steadicam operator (as Kirk Gardner), assistant chief lighting technician / best boy electric, first assistant camera: "b" camera, second unit, additional set lighting technician (as Mark Sunderland), assistant colorist: Company 3 (uncredited), key assistant location manager: second unit, production assistant / promotional services, key set production assistant: second unit, stand in: Jared Losano / stand in: Kevin Young / stand in: Kurt Yue, production coordinator: title sequence design, production assistant / set production assistant: 2nd unit.