I've never heard of The Guy From Harlem until I saw it listed on the 50 Drive-In Movie Classics released by Millcreek Entertainment. I've seen a few blaxploitation films some terribly awful and some very interesting, specifically I got interested in those films which had funky music and the 70's vibe on them such as the masterpiece known as Shaft, and today's flick sort of pays homage to Shaft, and many blaxploitation films that were made during those years. So what should you expect from The Guy from Harlem? Well, let me give you a hand my friend
The Guy from Harlem is to be considered probably one of the worst films ever made, which tranlastes for B movie lovers as a great flick to watch. I have no idea why this movie keeps on being ignored when people talks about the worst movies ever made.
Nice opening titles!
These are actually the opening titles.
Suave!
This is basically a feature-length home movie from 1977. The acting - if you want to be respectful and call it acting - is beyond lame. Lines are stuttered and the "actors" are unbelievably wooden and fake. No one has the abilty to act naturally, but they give it their all which is part of the fun I guess. The lead actor who plays the title role is a smooth-talking suave Shaft wanna-be private eye, who gets his nose into solving a few related cases that also involve saving a few pretty girls in succession. Of course, even though he is warned not to hit on the girls, Mr. Smooth lays his smooth moves the second he is alone with each of them. No ebonics for him - he speaks extremely eloquently as he charms the girls he is saving out of their clothes. He is so smooth he even hides them out at the apartment of some other girl he knows.
70's Deco art.
Shall we?
The original Jessica Simpson.
Exploitation.
I'm all clean now, shall we?
The whole set of fight scenes must be seen to actually be believed. They are the most fake fight scenes you have ever seen. At one point after the very skinny lead guy beats up a bunch of toughs, he actually even refers to himself as the title role as he says "Tell him the guy from Harlem sent you!" The camera rarely moves and often it just films long shots as if you are watching a play. A very bad play. And yep, incredibly, unbelievably, there are two scenes that are actually done TWICE each, repeated one after the other. You actually see the actors stumble through the same set of lines twice. Did they just have money for two re-shoots? And one double-scene would be bad enough - but two?? It's incredible.
No stunt men, real men.
So?
a Transvestite spy?
Check my cool office.
No need for a laptop, got a white phone yo!
Set the table you scum!
Can you dig it?
Mortal Kombat!
Iron Fist.
Oh wait! there's more! The big finale ends and everyone can go home. But wait, not so fast! The very big, mean and muscular bad guy challenges our skinny Mr. Smooth to a fight. And he accepts! And our skinny hero from Harlem WINS! And then it seems our Guy from Harlem, who sleeps with any female who crosses his path, is going to get married! To a girl he just met! And the whole flick is that logical. So, if you like bad movies, this is a film that truly must be seen.
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