John Hudson and I take on a classic Blaxploitation film!
TRUCK TURNER (1974) stars the great Isaac Hayes as the titular character, a modern-day bounty hunter in Los Angeles. Along with his partner he tracks down people for bail bondsmen which is a far more dangerous job than you might expect. Sadly, this is the only lead role Hayes was ever afforded and it was offered to him so the producers could also get him to provide the film’s score. Luckily for fans, he handles both creative opportunities well. In fact, I find the music he supplies for this film to be superior to his Oscar winning SHAFT score. Check it out and let us know what you think.
There has been an ongoing conversation about the best Blaxploitation films for decades but nearly every fan will put this film in their top five. It plays like a western set in the 1970’s with bad guys getting their comeuppance in suitable, violent ways. The story is fast paced and exciting with plenty of colorful characters peppering the trail Truck follows while dealing with scumbags. The film was originally written for a very different cast in mind but, once the change was made, the collaborative spirit of the production made for a satisfying film. Besides Hayes as Mack ‘Truck’ Turner the cast is stacked with excellent character actors such as Scatman Crothers, Charles Cyphers, Dick Miller, Sam Lewis and a brilliant villain role for the great Yaphet Kotto. Plus, if you ever wondered what it would be like to see Lt. Uhura from Star Trek whip a stable of prostitutes into line, this is your chance. Whew!
If you have any comments about this movie or any other film we’ve covered on the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.
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