Which Way Is Up? (1977) – Richard Pryor plays three roles – a beleaguered, sex-starved farm worker named Leroy Jones; the farm worker’s randy old father Rufus; and the hypocritical town preacher Rev. Lenox Thomas – and Pryor has never been so outrageously funny. The lives and love lives of these three men cross and crisscross as Leroy tries to get his life back on track. The fun kicks into high gear when Leroy moves from labor to management. He tries to juggle his wife and his girlfriend, but the only peace he can find is in the arms of the Reverend’s wife! It’s a case of too many women and too little time. No wonder he doesn’t know Which Way Is Up?

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976) – In the world of 1930s Negro League baseball, a spirited team of renegade players travels around the Midwest looking for that one big score. Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones star as three barnstorming ballplayers who take on prejudice and their own League’s unfair rules while stealing cars, food and home base – anything to prove that they’re the best team around. It’s a showdown of brains over booby traps and sportsmanship over racial segregation as Bingo Long’s All-Stars swing their way to a winning season.

For thoughts on Richard Pryor Double Feature: Which Way Is Up? and The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Nj7nOR-2yJ8?t=48]

Video Quality

These two titles are included on a single Blu-Ray disc courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment with older 1080p masters courtesy of Universal that result in a passable, yet unspectacular transfer. These forgotten films were never going to receive a 5-star treatment, but the basic masters are largely in decent enough shape. Compression artifacts are the biggest issue thanks to the company’s poor track record in this department. While the masters are not in top form, they could look better with a stronger encode.

The transfer has thankfully not been majorly scrubbed of its natural film grain, but there are fairly consistent underlying specks of damage to these prints, particularly Which Was Is Up?. Both films have a narrative which takes them to numerous different locations, and this allows for some nice, vibrant colors that make the films pop visually in an exciting way. Skin tones look pretty natural, yet the black levels leave a bit to be desired and highlights can run a touch hot at points. The disc shows off some details in the production design and clothing in most instances, but there are moments of softness present in some shots. Mill Creek Entertainment has served up a middling transfer which does the job, but it doesn’t do it flawlessly.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the intention of these films quite well, and they impress much more than the video side of the equation. The dialogue holds up favorably, coming through clearly without being drowned out by the music or sound effects. The score is much more a character in Bingo Long, and it is presented with great clarity. Songs also maintain a pleasing fidelity as they fill up the room. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the din of crowds at the ballpark to specific mechanical sounds in the factory of Which Was Is Up?. These tracks avoid most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. Everything is represented in an enjoyable manner. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

There are no on-disc special features.

Final Thoughts

Which Way Is Up? and The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings have some very dated elements which can be a bit frustrating and hurtful to modern audiences, especially in the case of the former. Which Way Is Up? has very few redeeming elements throughout its unpleasant runtime. Bingo Long, on the other hand, is a really enjoyable historical sports film which evokes the feeling of A League Of Their Own, only for the Negro League. The reduced presence of Richard Pryor himself may be why this one succeeds, as he is also one the weakest parts of this film. We are still fans of Pryor in general, but these are not two of his best appearances. While we would actively avoid Which Way Is Up?, we would say Bingo Long is strong enough on its merits to recommend a viewing. Mill Creek Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a serviceable A/V presentation and nothing in the way of special features. These could use a fresh master, but those who have been clamoring for these titles should be glad to own them in HD.

Richard Pryor Double Feature: Which Way Is Up? and The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Mill Creek Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.