2 reviews
Christopher Joy (Curtis, Up In Smoke) in his only starring role is Big Time Eddie Jones. A small time hustler specializing in fake injury lawsuits. When threatened by his loan shark he turns to robbery to pay him back. Problem is he unwittingly robs the mob. Yes the story is pedestrian but fun. Christopher Joy brings some charisma to his role along with a few other colorful characters. I gave an extra point for the music by Smokey Robinson. Not available on dvd but it's currently on youtube. If you like these 70s movies it's worth a watch. A footnote in the story of blaxplotation. Be sure to check out Joy in the excellent 1979 film Seven.
Christipher (yes, it is spelled that way) Joy stars as Eddie "Big Time" Jones, a small time conman who is running insurance scams to get by. He accidentally (haha) hits the big score when he robs some mob guys and they have $100,000 in a briefcase. The film was just so-so, but is interesting in that it was produced and co-written by Smokey Robinson (who contributed several songs) and Leon Isaac Kennedy (whose wife Jayne is also the female lead). Robinson spoke to papers at the time of its limited release and emphasized how he wanted to make more family oriented black films that eschewed the violence of the blaxploitation films of that era. He achieved his goal, but it is also probably why the film didn't do well as it is pretty innocuous stuff. Example of their kind of joke: A recurring visual gag every time a mob guy is onscreen is to have a really big pizza nearby. It is the only film Robinson produced. Cheech & Chong fans should recognize Joy as Curtis from Up In Smoke (1978). He is funny but you could imagine someone like Richard Pryor doing a lot better with the material. The real reason to see it are two great supporting performances: Roger Moseley as loan shark/pimp J. J. and Art Evans as a private eye who insists on always talking like Bogart.