Customer Reviews

Let's Do It Again

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am Bill Cosby's biggest fan, from his comedy albums in the 60s all the way through his TV sitcoms in the 80s and 90s. The "trilogy" he did with Sidney Poitier (Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action) are absolutely hilarious! Let's Do It Again is the funniest of the three and from the plot to the costumes to the dialogue to the singing (Bill's "Ode to the Champ" is my favorite!) you will be in stitches. This movie was thoroughly entertaining, and it leaves you longing for a return to a time when sex, gruesome violence and profanity did NOT rule the film industry. You have GOT to see this movie!

This is one of the few movies I can say I was waiting for to arrive on DVD. Yes, its campy corny, and predictable, but it has something for me at least that a lot of movies dont; it just makes you feel good and have a good time watching it.

Bill Cosby and Sidney Potier had great chemistry together in all three of their films. Uptown Saturday Night was more critically acclaimed, but this film is just more fun.

The Characters names are still unforgetable: 40th Street Black, Bootney Farnsworth, Kansas City Mack, Jody Tibbs and of course Bill as Mongo Slade. Great Stuff.

The Soundtrack with the Staple Singers still makes you move even though the songs are about 30 years old; the mark of hitting the bullseye musically. One thing that must be mentioned is the mostly black cast for a film of this kind was not the norm back when this film was made and the actors in the film all were either stars in their own right, or would be stars later.

Best scene in the movie without giving too much away for those who have not watched it: the final boxing scene and the aftermath; just plain funny.

Anyway, go out and get this DVD. You will be sure to enjoy it. The whole family can watch it also as I can't recall hearing any foul language.

Highly recommended

Length:: 1:58 Mins

The only movie I've ever known Bill Cosby to have done back in the days was "I Spy". I came across "Let's Do It Again" while working ironically in the Navy onboard USS Enterprise. I watch the movie not knowing what to expect, and didn't find a dull moment anywhere. John Amos and Jimmy Walker only made the movie more funnier than what it was. Even people younger than me that I put on to this movie who love Cosby enjoyed it because it's just good, clean fun. The same elements you hardly see in movies today. If you haven't seen this one, buy it, rent it, do what you have to do!!! You will NOT be dissapointed!!!

LET'S DO IT AGAIN is an excellent movie. In addition to Bill Cosby and Sidney Poiter's good comic chemistry, the rest of the cast provides laughs and are all around quite entertaining. I particularly enjoyed John Amos as KANSAS CITY MAC. Speaking of KANSAS CITY MAC, the names used in this film are also quite creative; Mongo Slade, Bubba Chops, Fishin Chips Freddi, Jody Tibbs, Bootny Fansworth, just to name a few.

So all in all this film about two down on their luck guys who try to scam a couple of bookies is a very entertaining and creative film. Many buddy films afterward have been infulenced by this film.

I first saw this film in Atlanta in the late 70s - my lord was it funny! 20+ years later I watched it again anticipating the humour might have somewhat waned over the years...how wrong I was! I was doubled over in hysterics! The grand doyens of black cinema and comedy give wonderfully memorable performances. This film is an absolute treat. A great film with an awesome soundtrack to boast too.

Of all the movies I have seen in my entire life, this is my favorite movie, I highly recommend this movie to everyone, I collect DVD's, this should have been one of the first movies on DVD. I hope this will happen very soon. I laugh everytime I watch it.

Look this movie is a classic, with the big hats and the funky vibe, but why is this not on dvd with behind the scenes add ons. The shame!

I really enjoy all of the old black movies and i would really like to know if these movies are going to be offered on DVD and when. Take time out to watch the whole collection you will not be disappointed at all.

Following up on their success from 1974's Uptown Saturday Night, Sidney Poitier (A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) and Bill Cosby ("I Spy", California Suite) paired up again for this film aptly titled Let's Do It Again (1975), which was followed by their third outing titled A Piece of the Action (1977). Directed by Poitier, Let's Do It Again featured a particularly strong supporting cast in Calvin Lockhart (Uptown Saturday Night), John Amos ("Good Times", Die Hard 2), Ossie Davis (Do the Right Thing), Denise Nicholas (A Piece of the Action), Lee Chamberlin ("The Electric Company"), Julius Harris (Live and Let Die), Mel Stewart (Hammer, Trick Baby), and Jimmie Walker, who was on top of the world at the time for his role as the character James 'J.J.' Evans, Jr in the hit television series "Good Times", in his first silver screen appearance. Also, keep and eye out for former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, sans his Foreman Grill, and Jayne Kennedy (The Muthers), former Miss Ohio and one of the first women to land an NFL announcing gig, in bit parts near the beginning (Miss Kennedy `legs' scenes are worth watching more than once).

Poitier and Cosby play a couple of Atlanta working class stiffs Clyde Williams and Billy Foster, respectively, both of who are members of a lodge in need of a new home, as the city is planning on tearing down their current location. The lodge has raised some monies, but not nearly enough to fund a new building, but Billy has a plan...one that involves Clyde using his ability to hypnotize. The men, along with their wives, played by Nicholas and Chamberlin, leave Atlanta for a weekend getaway in New Orleans (Billy and his wife are celebrating their anniversary), the lodge's money in hand, with the intent on taking the funds and betting on an extreme underdog in that of Bootney Farnsworth (Walker), in an upcoming boxing match. It's a sucker bet to be sure, one that the local big time criminals Kansas City Mack (Amos) and Biggie Smalls (Lockhart) are only too happy to take, that is until they lose because Clyde put the whammy on Bootney, making him believe he's the greatest fighter there ever was...after Bootney slaughters his opponent, Clyde and Billy collect the winnings, remove the whammy from Bootney, and return home, but Kansas City Mack figures out what happened, finds the boys, and now wants to put them to work fixing another fight not only to get his money back, but also to put his rival, Smalls, out of business at the same time. The boys have little choice but to participate in Mack's scheme, but they do develop their own double-cross, one that will score their lodge the funds necessary for a new nursery while getting both Kansas City Mack and Biggie Smalls off their backs for good, if things go as planned, and that's a big if...

Of the three films Poitier and Cosby did together in the early to mid 1970s, this one's probably my favorite, with Uptown Saturday Night (1974) and A Piece of the Action (1977) coming in a close second and third, respectively...regardless, all three films are just a whole lot of fun, as Poitier and Cosby played off so well against each other, assisted by a wonderful supporting cast each time. What's so interesting about these movies is they were originally presented as an alternative to black audiences as the cinema, at the time, was inundated with blaxpoitation films, but ended up appealing to a wide range of audiences due to the fact they were just so entertaining. Perhaps the funniest bit in this film, besides Cosby's character's flashy wardrobe when he's disguised in his underworld alter ego Mongo Slade, is the sequence after Jimmy Walker's character is hypnotized with confidence up the waz. After knocking put his sparring partner, Bootney subsequently tears up the gym, knocking a punching bag through the wall and a speed bag out the window to the amazement of everyone (most of all his trainer) in attendance. Some aspects of the feature are terribly dated, i.e. the wardrobe sported by some of the characters, and the gangsters seemed particularly goofy (I found it difficult to believe at times Kansas City Mack or Biggie Smalls could hold down large, criminal operations due to the ineptness of themselves and their respective crews), but this was all done in good natured fun, so we weren't meant to take any of it too seriously. Cosby's character is just a whole lot of fun to watch, whether he's sticking to the script, or improvising his own bits. Another aspect that really helped make this film was the soundtrack by the legendary Curtis Mayfield, featuring The Staple Singers and their smooth tune "Let's Do It Again". His best work, in my opinion, was done on the 1972 film Superfly, but his efforts here are certainly outstanding. I did think the feature ran a bit long (pushing the two hour mark), and Poitier could have shaved about ten minutes off and still had a strong film, but he did keep things moving along well. The story does get slightly convoluted during the latter half of the feature as Poitier and Cosby's characters get their wives involved in an effort not only to score some much needed funds, but also to shake the criminals off their tails, but given this is a comedy, the more outlandish the situations the better. Perhaps it's also important to note the characters within the three films, while very similar, are not the same so the films that followed Uptown Saturday Night aren't sequels, but basically follow ups. If you're looking for some lighthearted fun featuring some crazy characters in even crazier situations, then I'd recommend checking out this film, along with Uptown Saturday Night (1974) and A Piece of the Action (1977), as all certainly fit the bill (again, since Let's Do It Again and A Piece of the Action aren't actually sequels, the order in which they're seen doesn't really matter).

The picture, provided in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), looks sharp and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes through clean. The only extras included on the DVD are subtitles (available in English, Spanish, and French), along with a feature length commentary track with screenwriter Richard Wesley and New York Press film critic Armond White. Too bad Warner couldn't pull together some of the principal players for a commentary track as I would have really enjoyed hearing both but Poitier and Cosby comment on their film, but oh well...

Cookieman108