AKA Girls' Hotel AKA The Murder Gang
Year:  1975

Reviewed BY-Sean Patrick Dolan
Director:  Al Adamson
Cast:  Timothy Brown, Russ Tamblyn, J.C. Wells, Regina Carrol, Tanya Boyd, Al Richardson
This DVD release of BLACK HEAT was my first introduction to Seduction Cinema, but if this release is typical of their work, it certainly won't be my last.  Presented on Seduction's "Retro Shock-O-Rama" line, BLACK HEAT is an Independent Internal Pictures film produced by Sam Sherman and directed by Al Adamson.  Independent International films were huge in drive-ins and grindhouse in the 1970's, and neither Adamson nor Sherman need an introduction to fans of exploitation films of that era.  Included with this release is a collector's booklet with poster reproductions and an article written by Chris Poggiali and David Konow covering the oddly  brilliant origin of this film and its marketing campaign.  While collaborating on BLACK HEAT,  Sherman and Adamson had the goal of making a film that could gather audiences in two diverse markets- the blaxploitation audience in the inner city theaters and the sexploitation audience at the drive-ins.  To achieve this, the duo came up with a simple but brilliant strategy- film a movie with elements of both genres, shoot a different opening scene for each audience, and release the film under two titles (BLACK HEAT and GIRLS' HOTEL, respectively).  The film was released yet again under a third title, THE MURDER GANG, to appeal to the action oriented foreign markets.  It was not uncommon for this film to play at the same venue under two- or even all three- of it's titles.

 


Okay, enough backstory, on to the film itself.  Two bad muthas, the dark and imposing mob boss Guido (J.C. Wells) and his violent henchman Ziggy (Russ Tamblyn) are making a big money deal with a group of Colombian rebels- we're talking guns for narcotics, a shitload of both.  L.A. Cops Tony (Geoffrey Land) and "Kicks" Carter (Timothy Brown) are out to stop them, because the FBI can't.  With the help of their poolhall snitch Alphonse (Al Richardson) and Kicks' gorgeous TV news reporter girlfriend Stephanie (Tanya Boyd), the two "dynamite brothers" discover Guido's source of funding- a series of bank robberies, all inside jobs, that are tied to a group of women living at the Queen's Court apartments.  Ziggy and his woman Fay (Darlene Anders) run a nonstop drugs and gambling party at the Court, and when the women fall in debt and get desperate for cash, they are coerced into participating in the robberies.  The action heats up fast as Kicks and Tony put the squeeze on Ziggy, which leads to Tony's murder, leaving Kicks and Stephanie to avenge his death and put Ziggy and Guido away permanently.

This film starts out slow, but picks up pace in the middle and ends with a bang.  I found most of the trappings of blaxsploitation absent here, aside from some "jive turkey" dialog and fairly liberal use of the word "nigger".  But you do get ample opportunities to reminisce about the groovy clothes and the fancy cars that cats wore and drove back in the day.  Again, curiously absent were many of the trappings of the sexploitation flick, but Kicks does hit the sack with Stephanie once, and Tanya Boyd is worth the wait, believe me.  Also present is a disappointingly brief lesbian advance, as well as a nasty gang rape scene which occurs after a girl bets herself on a full-house hand- a sobering reminder that four-of-a-kind wins.   

 

 


However, what the film lacks in genre elements, it easily makes up for in action and enthusiasm.  Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Timothy Brown (NASHVILLE, STUD BROWN) has the perfect look and attitude as Kicks Carter, and Tanya Boyd (ILSA, HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHEIKS, "DAYS OF OUR LIVES") is stunningly sexy as the plucky reporter Stephanie.  The heavies Guido and Ziggy were both ruthlessly portrayed, by J.C. Wells (NURSE SHERRI) and Russ Tamblyn (TWIN PEAKS), respectively.  There are plenty of shakedowns, fistfights and gunbattles in this film, topped off with a series of well executed car chases and a frenetic finale.  And an unbelievably cliched (in a good way) retro score and a truly cool, eye-grabbing title sequence by cinematographer Gary Graver (SATAN'S SADISTS, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) and title designer Bob LeBar, and this one is definitely a winner- surprisingly artistic and an ultimately satisfying case of good dirty fun.



Seduction has loaded this DVD with extras, starting with the collector's booklet and a full running commentary by producer Sam Sherman. Other extras help to give an appreciation of just how brilliantly this films was altered and re-marketed its different incarnations.  Just note the difference between the two trailers provided here, one for BLACK HEAT and an alternate for THE MURDER GANG.  Also present is a completely different title sequence for GIRLS' SCHOOL and a "deleted" scene, which is obviously the alternate opening scene for the same.  There is also a "lost" sex scene, which was probably cut to keep the movie in at a theater friendly running time of 92 minutes.  Last but not least, you get a handful of previews for other Independent International releases out on Seduction's "Retro Shock-O-Rama" DVD.  The only thing to complain about on the extras front is the surprising lack of an easy access chapter menu.  On the technical side, the visual presentation here is excellent but the audio suffers from an uneven mix- the soundtrack is jacked up too high, leaving dialogue hard to catch at times.



 Story:  4.0 Bitch Slaps
Extras:  4.5 Bitch Slaps
Picture: 4.0 Bitch Slaps/Audio:  3.0 Bitch Slaps
Overall DVD:  4.0 Bitch Slaps

For more info on this DVD and more visit Alternative Cinema

 

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