[.ca] Dolemite (ISBN 6305310963)

From Amazon.com:
Who's the baddest motherf****r to blow onto blaxploitation screens? Forget Shaft and just ask X-rated comic and "godfather of rap" Rudy Ray Moore. He'll give you the gospel of Dolemite. Street hustler, pimp, and all-around ghetto superhero Dolemite began life as a character in Moore's nightclub act and was a natural character for his self-financed film debut, a revenge tale set on the corrupt streets of L.A. Dolemite is sprung from prison by an impossibly understanding warden so he can find the drug-dealing, gun-smuggling crooks who framed him. With the help of his all-girl army of kung fu killers and the most flamboyant wardrobe this side of Cher, he lays waste to dozens of bad guys while spouting his funky raps. Thick, slow and sleepy, Moore is neither a natural actor not a convincing martial arts action hero, but his lazy line deliveries are great, lyrical cascades of four-letter words and "ghetto expressions," and he performs two of his most famous stand-up raps, "Shine and the Great Titanic" and "The Signifying Monkey." Dolemite is not a particularly competent movie--the direction (by costar D'Urville Martin) is clumsy, the performances flat, and microphones peek in from time to time (get that video letterboxed, Xenon!)--but the outrageous mix of nightclub rap, kung-fu action, and Moore's four-letter dialogue turned it into an instant urban hit and has kept it alive as a cult classic. Dolemite returns in The Human Tornado. The DVD also features clips from the documentary The Legend of Dolemite and the complete lyrics to his raps. --Sean Axmaker

Rudy Ray Moore: Blaxploitation God:
So there's really not anything that's actually "good" about this movie. The boom mike has a starring role, the acting is completely atrocious, and I can't remember what the story was 5 minutes after watching the film. Even so, this movie is totally and wonderfully great. It posesses in spades what many hugh blockbuster do not have: soul and inspiration. Rudy Ray Moore is a middle aged, pretty flabby dude. By looking at him, I'm simply not going to buy into him being a kung fu master and Don Juan to all the ladies. But he seems to believe that he is, and this giddy fun manages to translate to the film. Don't pop in this DVD if you want a well-made, conventional film; "Dolemite" sits firmly in cult territory. For the cult film lover though, it's hard to disparage bad kung fu, kung fu prostitutes, a hero that commits some pretty serious crimes (which the movie wonderfully fails to adress) and strange and bewildering proto-rapping from Moore himself. This movie is endlessly rewatchable.

One of The Funniest Movies of All Time !!:
Dolemite actually hit the big screens in 1973. Note to viewers Dolemite is an extremely cheap low-budget movie. But the film itself is really a pioneering comedy/action that propelled blaxpoitaion to its climax in the mid-to-late 70's. Ironically, even though this movie is labeled as exploitative, It reciprocates the roles of racial dominance, which was unheard of at the time. Ever since Tinsel Town's early days, African-Americans along with other ethnic groups were beat down, slapped, kicked, mauled and were the butt of many jokes. In this movie Rudy Ray Moore is beyond a figure of dominance. The world revolves around him. I honestly think that he was the first African American to reverse the extreme force used against blacks back to the authoritative figures (cops). At that particular time in America, African Americans needed to see films like Dolemite. This movie is loaded with 70's style shock value. Also, in case you didn't know Dolemite was probably the first person to recite witty rhymes to beats long before the actual birth of hip-hop culture itself in the South Bronx( see DJ Kool Herc). Some of the scenes are a little choppy but this movie ranks with the elite, as far as comedy goes. With a supporting cast consisting of Willie Green, Queen Bee, and Hamburger Pimp, you can't go wrong with Dolemite. You Insecure, No Bizzness Born, Rat Soup Eatin, Muthafu*%az.

Not the best....but I understand the history:
I love Blaxploitation films and having not seen Dolemite I got it out at the local video store, having now watched the film It's the only time I've actually felt white watching a Blaxploitation movie. The film is anti-white as such but I feel you really do have to be black to get most of the jokes etc.. The film overall is pretty boring and the acting not the best but I do understand why many black people love this movie out of all the Blaxploitation films. I collect these movies but I'm afraid this one will not be in my collection.

Don't Buy It For Quality, But for Laughs!:
As an avid fan of the Blaxploitation Genre, you find that quite often, people shoot down these classics. The reasons ranging from Bad acting to terrible DVD Quality. However, if you don't try and dissect these films, but just watch them, then you will be greatly entertained. "Dolemite" is no doubt a prime example. I own the Box Set of "Dolemite" films, and it is very much worth watching. I see hanging mics, and various other mistakes in filmmaking (including poor editing of a love scene), but I found myself laughing until I cried. In addition to that, I have borrowed some very memorable lines for conversations at work!!!

CLASSIC!!!!!!:
This flick is classic!!!!! It's not only funny as hell, it has some interesting characters!! Like Queen Bee, and Dolemite's Kung Fu girls, the Hamburger Pimp, Blakeley the cop, Joe Blow...the lover man...."you should be paying me!!", Willie Green and Dolemite himself!!! The styles, with the clothes, the talk, and all that. The direction is horrible, so is the acting, but that some of the things that makes it funny!! But I still love it. Look out for all....Look the scene where they show the band playing at The Total Experience. For about a few seconds (good enough to see the singer's face....(I think is is on the piano, can't see what he is actually playing) You will see a very, very young...James Ingram....(for all those R & B kats that know who he is) That is him...Still looks the same, but with a perm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!