Those who do not possess a knowledge of 70s Blaxploitation films may only be familiar with the name Super Fly by the poorly received remake that was released in 2018. If you want the real deal, cult favorite, you need to go back to 1972 when you had theater actor Ron O’Neal creating an iconic character in Youngblood Priest. A year prior, Gordon Parks had made the hit film Shaft, which featured Richard Roundtree as the titular hero. Parks used this success to help finance Super Fly, the directorial debut of his son, Gordon Parks Jr. The film was made for less than $100,000 and went on to earn over $25 million at the box office. The film remains an important part of 70s cinema that is worth revisiting as the landmark achievement that it was.
Youngblood Priest (Ron O’Neal) is first shown in bed with his white girlfriend, Cynthia (Polly Niles), by his side and a coke at the ready. Priest is a drug dealer who has created a mighty successful operation, but he is looking to get out of the business. He has amassed a nice life from the outside, yet he is afraid of staying in the game too long and losing his life or humanity. Priest is looking to convince his partner, Eddie (Carl Lee), to embark on one final massive coke deal where he can set himself up well enough to start fresh somewhere else. The pair take the $300K they have and look to buy thirty-kilos of coke that they can turn into $1 million in just a few months. Priest must turn to his old friend and mentor Scatter (Julius Harris), who himself has made a successful departure from the drug trade. While Scatter reluctantly agrees to help out Priest, it does not take long before he runs into a roadblock that is often the case for African Americans: white men. The powers that control the flow of drugs in the city happen to be powerful white men that are intent on keeping Priest on a short leash. Priest must either be beholden to “The Man” or find a way to turn the tables.
Super Fly is not a particularly complicated movie, but it has sustained over the years due to the limitless style that is oozing off the screen. The majority of this can be contributed to the iconic Curtis Mayfield soundtrack that was a cultural phenomenon. Mayfield’s songs give the movie an undeniable groove while also serving as a bit of extra exposition. Priest also has an impressive wardrobe and automobile that ratchets up his cool factor one hundred fold. Even at a scant 90 minutes, the movie does not have a lot of plot to burn through. It feels as though almost half of that running time is stylistically shot walking or driving sequences accompanied by the hit soundtrack. There is even a fairly tame bathtub sex scene with his other main girlfriend, Georgia (Sheila Frazier), which goes on way longer than one would expect. The film wears its low budget as a badge of honor. There are obvious technical limitations and mistakes, but those things are not the point of the film. Super Fly is coolness personified. It allows the “hero” to get one over on “The Man,” which allows it to function as escapist entertainment and a bit of social commentary.
Video Quality
Super Fly comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of the Warner Archive with an excellent 1080p transfer that makes the film look better than it ever has. As this was a very low budget production, the film is very gritty and soft, which matches the sordid, old school New York City on screen. This transfer maintains the natural film grain, which allows details to shine through without being scrubbed away. Black levels are appropriately deep without showcasing any nasty noise or compression artifacts. Colors are mostly stylistically subdued, but some of the wardrobe does bring a bit of liveliness to the presentation. Textures are nice and detailed throughout the runtime. Print damage and dirt are virtually nonexistent due to the care that was put into this new master. It may come from limited means, but Super Fly really shines on Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that perfectly represents the film as it was intended. Curtis Mayfield’s iconic score really steals the show both creatively and sonically within the mix. It drives the movie forward while not stepping on any of the dialogue. Due to the nature of the production, some of the dialogue had to be added in post-production ADR, which results in some lines not being perfectly synced. The filmmakers did not always have the best tools for capturing sound so those looking for the best fidelity may be a bit disappointed. The track is more than respectable when you understand how the movie was made. Warner Archive has done a great job with making it sound as good as it can.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Todd Boyd, professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the author of The Notorious Ph.D.’s Guide to the Super Fly 70s, provides a very incisive commentary track for the film. Boyd discusses the film’s cultural significance in depth and goes to great length to put the story into the proper context. Boyd is nearly as cool as the film itself as he waxes poetic about Priest’s clothes, ride and more.
- One Last Deal – A Retrospective: A twenty-five minute look back at the enduring impact of Super Fly with the surviving cast, crew and cultural scholars. The development of this film from financing to production to release is a fascinating ride that is worth exploring. You understand that with the script being 40 pages, the movie had to coast on style.
- Ron O’Neal On The Making Of Super Fly: A six-minute conversation with Priest himself, Ron O’Neal, at the time of the film’s original release. The refined, theatrically trained actor discusses the responsibility he felt taking on a character that showed greater black representation on the big screen. It’s a great little interview that reveals a lot in a short amount of time.
- Curtis Mayfield on Super Fly: A seven-minute audio interview with composer/performer Curtis Mayfield in which he discusses how he felt writing his first movie score and how he approaches making music.
- Behind The Threads: A nearly four-minute featurette with costume designer Nate Adams showing off some of the fly wardrobe from the film. This highlights the benefits of holding on to old clothes even when your wife bugs you to get rid of them.
- Behind The Hog With Les Dunham: A four-minute discussion with the creator of Priest’s signature El Dorado. Dunham discusses what went into customizing the ride in a very passionate manner. You will leave this hoping his business started picking up like it did back in the heyday of customization.
- Trailer: A two-minute slice of pure fly energy as that signature Curtis Mayfield sound pumps through the speaker while a narrator takes you on a brief journey with Youngblood Priest. It does a great job of capturing the tone of the movie.
Final Thoughts
Super Fly is not the most technically proficient film ever made, but it is a ton of fun and has style for days. The film has endured for nearly fifty years as a landmark film in 1970s filmmaking. Warner Archive has provided a gorgeous Blu-Ray with top-notch audio and visual elements along with some ported over special features that are worthwhile. If you have not dipped a toe into the Blaxploitation waters, this is the perfect entry point. Recommended
Super Fly can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
