SlaughtersBigRipOff

Slaughter’s Big Rip Off (1973)

Slaughter is not the kind of man that you want to mess with. So when the mob ends up killing some of his friends in an effort to kill Slaughter the fight is on. But to get to the mob he has to first get around some dirty cops and a mob hit man named Kirk (70s icon Don Stroud) that is brought into town specifically to kill him. When a cop offers Slaughter a way out that involves stealing a book filled with names that will take the mob down he goes for it. But after the cop is shot, the mobsters get their book back and they kill Slaughter’s lady the action really gets intense. Slaughter breaks out the machine gun and heads off to get the bastards. Along the way he wrecks their organization and for his trouble is given a one-way ticket to France. Some cities can only take so much Slaughter before they need a break!

This is a really cool movie that I’m surprised I’ve somehow missed until now. The action starts right off with the mobs first attempt to get Slaughter and never lets up. Anytime you get to see the back of a guys head blow off in the first five minutes of a movie you know you are in for a treat! The rest of the story is easy to follow and filled with action that never lets up. Also unlike many other revenge flicks this movie has a very satisfying ending where the bad guys get there and Slaughter gets to say some cold shit to them before they die. The actors are perfectly cast in their roles; including Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon as the crime boss Duncan. I’m not sure the guy is much of an actor, but he is really fun in this role. Jim Brown as Slaughter is the perfect balance of badass and cool. Some of his dialogue is silly, but somehow Brown pulls it off in and makes it work.

One of the reasons this movie stands out from so many other Blaxsploitation movies that I’ve watched is the killer music, which was written by the godfather of soul James Brown. Not only does this heighten the overall cool factor of the movie, but is also creates a smooth atmosphere that works well with the story and performance of Jim Brown. Beyond that the action scenes are well choreographed and entertaining, which is where having a professional athlete as you star helps out. In addition to the music the picture and sound, while not overly creative or innovative, are professional. This was one of director Gordon Douglas’ (Them, Robin and the 7 Hoods) last films and his experience in making a solid film shows.

This is one of the better Blaxsploitation movies and next to the Dirty Dozen my favorite Jim Brown movie. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Slaughter’s Big Rip Off for your collection. You can get it pretty cheap and is worth every penny.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer