Customer Reviews

Detroit 9000 [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is classic Blacksploitation! I am such a huge fan of the genre, that when I heard a soundbite from Detroit 9000 on the Jackie Brown soundtrack, I knew that I had to see the movie. And, even better, it had Quentin Tarantino's stamp of approval. More than enough for me!

A gritty, tell it like it is white cop is assigned to find the men who robbed the fundraiser for the first black man to run for Govenor of the state of Michigan. When he realizes that he can't do it alone, he reluctantly agrees to let a young black cop, who happens to be an up-and-comer, help him out. What follows is a mess of gun fights, funky music, and dead pimps. All culminating in probably one of the biggest shootouts/chase scenes in film history! My jaw was dropped and my eyes were open in amazement as Detroit cops and the robbers chased each other all over town whilst expending thousands of rounds of ammo. The ending came as quite a surprise, and nothing that I had seen coming. This film is a very good movie, especially for blacksploitation, and it is a total blast. I watched this on a Friday night with some friends, made some remarks(ala Mystery Science Theater 3000), and totally had a great time. If you like blackploitation, see this. If you like action films, with millions of bullets, and bloody gunfights, see this. And if you like cop movies with great chase scenes, see this! I would love it if Tarantino remade this film, and put Sam Jackson in it. A lot of fun, and worth your time. Hey, if you took the trouble to look it up, do yourself a favor and see it.

This is the only non-documentary film that I know of to capture anything of the life in Detroit experience. It is a must-see film for anyone who's spent any serious time in Motown. There are classic Detroit scenes such the drive up the Cobo Hall ramp, a dialogue scene in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inside Cobo, the old Top Hat Coney off Grand Circus Park, a functioning Book-Cadillac Hotel, a skyline before the RenCen, and even a B.C./Marathon sticker and Detroit Tigers "Bill Freehan in action" calendar! This film has early-70s Detroit written all over it. Yet, this film also goes beyond its local setting as well. Its no wonder Tarantino has a special regard for this film. It shows the racial hypocrisy of institutions and the establishment. There is racial opportunism and strife among the politicians and police chiefs. So it is no mistake that the criminals in this film are the only ones racially mixed working in cohesion. The final chase scene is not actually a chase but a slaughter akin to the S.W.A.T./Patty Hearst scene. All the establishment figures are out for themselves, yet they lie continually about racial harmony to hide their ambitions. The thieves are out for themselves yet they're together and have put aside their racial differences. This is a unique film. Too bad the acting wasn't better. Also the editing is a bit staid. Once you get behind these rough spots you'll see a film with a very compelling story line.

This movie would have never caught my eye if it wasn't for Tarantino. I'm a huge fan of Tarantino, but I can't honestly see what Tarantino did to make it better, except put his name on it to get people to buy this classic film. The pure acting of Scatman Crothers and Alex Rocco make this movie flow. It has a wonderful plot and dealt with racial and other real issues. I think it wasn't that big of a hit when it was first released because people just didn't want to see films like that then. Today on the other hand, as Tarantino realized, people love films such as Detroit 9000. Absolutely brilliant!

This crime drama/mystery is set in a post-riot Detroit, and touches on many issues that Motown has yet to resolve.

First we have an elegant, well scripted political fundraiser for the potential first black governor of Michigan. This event is held at the still open Book-Caddilac Hotel, and you will see a number of Detroit landmarks in this film that were still in use at this time (1973), and today they are either gone (Union Depot, JL Hudson), or remaining as a ruin (Caddilac Hotel).
The event is robbed and the first charge made is that if this was a "white" event there would have been a better police pressance to protect it. That about sets the tone for this movie.............

A veteran white detective, gets paired with a younger, black rising star to solve the crime. In the interim we are shown the world of lingering racism, black on black exploitation, and the ever corupt world of politcs no matter what race the politicians are, and the politics of religon (no that is far from a new concept).

This movie is VERY graphic in the chase scene (most of it filmed on the approach trackage to the then already closed Union Depot), and the business side sex is featured as well.

A very well done film (rescued by Quentin Taratino) that is far above the "Blacksploitation" film genre of the 1970's. A strong soundtrack adds the perfect background for many of the scenes, and the group of singers at the hotel, after the bobbery add a touch of the macrabe to the aftermath.

.and Detroit continues to grapple with these issues today.
on Fort Street).

if you like crime dramas this is a must see from the 1970's it has one of the best chase scenes (on foot) that you will ever see. rivals movies like across 110th st and the french connection. good enough to be remade by tarrantino for release this year.

This movie is truly more than a standard exploitation flick (not that there's anything wrong with that). Sure, there's some stilted acting and neon orange blood, but beyond that there's a pretty darn good story, and some of the best location shots of Detroit next to "8 Mile". The plot twists will actually surprise you, and the amount of locations will make you wonder how they got enough money to pull this off. "Detroit 9000" is the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" of Blaxploitation, in that it goes beyond the genre but still keeps the mainstays intact. Highly recommended, although I wish the dvd had more (any) special features. Epic.

If you are a collector of blaxploitation films add this DVD to your collection it is the basic blaxploitation film nothing really great a few actors/tress that people may be familiar with if you grew up in the 70's;however it was made by Quentin Tarantino and I am not a big fan of his. I like maybe two movies that he made.

rare police movie that I can with a grudge give 2 thumbs up. lots of action

There is a fund-raising party in Detroit to support a politician who wants to be the next governor. But a half-dozen masked men show up and rob the attendees of their money and jewelry. They make a getaway, the police are under pressure to solve the crime in a few days. The Detroit river police pull a trunk out of the river. The body had its legs cut off. One was cleanly done as if by a surgeon, the other leg was crudely cut off with a hacksaw. Is there a connection here to the crime?

The police lieutenant begins to check out sources of information. We see his personal life, a wife who is permanently hospitalized. There are the usual shoot-outs, killings, and car chases that are the on the menu of any Hollywood action picture set in a city. We learn how that gang knew about that party. A canary tries to help an old friend, and suffers the usual fate. Each gang member is discovered, chased in a running gun battle, then dies in a flurry of gun shots.

One detective learns where the loot was hidden and where it was supposed to go to avoid the usual police searches. The lieutenant takes the suitcase to find the head of the organization. But he overlooked one minor detail. There is another chase and shoot-out to get the rest of the gang, a typical ending to these kinds of films.

The background scenes show Detroit, but it could have been any other big city. This is a good action film, but not as interesting as "The Asphalt Jungle". The language reflects the 1970s. If it had been made in the 1930s it would probably have been set in the Wild West.

Tough, gritty crime drama; finally gave Hari Rhodes a shot at starring role (remember him as the early on drug pusher in "Sharkey's Machine?). One of the better flix from the so-called blaxplotation era.