THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora

MOVIE POSTERS - 1970s



I'm familiar with it, but I've never seen it. I'll get my hands on the DVD. It's not available on Netflix, but I just ordered a copy via an Amazon merchant.

Directed by Gordon Parks Jr, son of the late photographer and director, Gordon Parks.

Parks Jr was killed in 1979 in a plane crash near Nairobi, Kenya, and is probably best known as the director of Super Fly. So, father and son had 2 of the biggest blaxploitation hits of the era - Shaft and Super Fly.

Shaft Sr died in 2006.


Thomasine and Bushrod (released in 1974) reads like Bonnie And Clyde meets Robin Hood. In short, Thomasine and Bushrod go on a crime spree through the American south between 1911 and 1915, stealing from rich, white capitalists, and giving to Mexicans, Native Americans and poor whites.

I couldn't find any clips on YouTube or elsewhere. I'll put some up when I get my DVD, hopefully some time this week.

If anyone's seen it, share your thoughts...

5 comments:

  1. Sergio said...
     

    Hey I remember seeing this film when it first came out (at the long gone old United Artists theater in downtown Chicago - pretty amazing that I can remember that huh?) and as I recall I didn't like it. Pretty sloppily made (mainly due to a less than adequate budget) and with a meandering boring plot.

    The only good thing was Glynn Turman who plays this West Indian bandit who joins up with the the duo. He's pretty lively and steals the film from them. But once he's gone the film tanks. The film was made to capitalize on the then very public romance between Julian and McGee, the Will and Jada of their day

  2. The Obenson Report said...
     

    You're showing your age Sergio :o)

    I ordered the DVD, so I'll check it out once I receive it, probably some time this week.

  3. Sergio said...
     

    "Showing my age"? Hey, Ive got NOTHING to be ashamed of and prond of it. And my birthday is this Tuesday so add another candle on the cake

  4. Invisible Woman said...
     

    Happy Birthday Sergio to a fellow Capricorn :-)

    Re. the movie; I hate to say it, cause I love the Parks' and I adore Vonetta McGee, but it was pretty...not good.

    Their romance in the film was also borderline abusive at times, which I raelly didn't dig, and the storyline was trite and completely unrealistic :-(

  5. The Obenson Report said...
     

    Happy birthday Sergio. Happy birthday I.W. Happy birthday Tambay. That's makes 3 of us. I'm a Capricorn as well; my birthday was on the 28th of December.

    Alright, I guess that's 2 thumbs down for "Thomasine and Bushrod."

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