Review: Black Gunn

Blu-ray: Black Gunn (1972)

A group of black revolutionaries (BAG…Black Action Group) rob a Mafia run gambling operation of not only their cash, but also their highly confidential ledger books. Scott (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) is a part of BAG and is also the younger brother of Gunn (Jim Brown) who is a successful nightclub owner. When Gunn finds out that Scott is involved, he does his best to protect his brother, but when Scott is eventually gunned down (no pun intended) Gunn goes looking for revenge.

While slower paced than a lot of other blaxploitation movies, Gunn contains all the usual highlights: fights, nudity, blood, gun play, big hair, even bigger heels, racial slurs, car chases (where Gunn drives a white Rolls Royce) and a soundtrack by Tony Osbourne that is so funky you’ll find yourself inadvertently sashaying across the living room when you finally get up from the couch.

Jim Brown is fantastic as always and is once again totally convincing as the kind of guy whom you wouldn’t want to spill his pint while on a night out. With the aforementioned Martin Landau in the cast too, the acting can’t be faulted. Add to this another great portrayal of a creepy character by Bruce Glover (who you may well remember as one of the assassins in Diamonds are Forever) and you’ve already got 3 good reasons to buy.

While not the best entry in the blaxploitation genre, Black Gunn is a solid introduction if you’ve never dipped your toes into it before, and is also an enjoyable 96 minutes for those who are already familiar with the genre. The VERY bright blood always raising a smile from me whenever anyone gets shot…which happens quite a few times.

A great addition to anyones collection.

Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Fabulous Films.

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