Fred “The Hammer” Williamson stars in this mid-’70s crime drama, which for the right audience is really all you need to know. It’s almost a bonus that the film is actually well done, efficiently directed by veteran Jack Arnold, best known for his string of ‘50s sci-fi films including Creature from the Black Lagoon. Add in fun exterior locations in Santa Monica and Venice and a twisty, rewarding script, and the results are nothing short of delightful.
Buy Black Eye Blu-rayWilliamson plays amateur detective/fixer Shep Stone, an ex-cop who gets by on odd jobs. He’s dating a sexy tenant in his apartment building, but she’s also dating a blonde businesswoman, making for a decidedly enlightened romance. When Stone gets hired to find a missing person, he stumbles across a mysterious walking cane that seems to be an item of interest linked to a religious cult, a porno ring, and an underground drug operation. It’s up to Stone to sort out the players and the pieces, racing against time to close the case before the bad guys close him.
Williamson is reliably great, exhibiting a relaxed, assured portrayal of his character, elevating a role that could have felt stale in lesser hands. Here he adds some comic flair to the serious film, especially when he visits a porn shoot and informs us of the on-set action via his engaged expressions. His co-stars are fairly bland, aside from a surprisingly menacing bad guy turn from Richard Anderson, best known as Oscar Goldman from The Six Million Dollar Man.
The biggest surprise is reserved for the credits, which proudly reveal that the film is a Jerry Buss presentation. Yes, that Jerry Buss, the late owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, who apparently decided to dabble in film production for one film only. I feel like that story would make fine material for a whole other movie, but for now we’ll just have to imagine how it all went down.
The Blu-ray presents the film in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono sound. The 1080p HD transfer is mostly clear of debris, and sound is crisp and clear. No bonus features are included.
I hadn’t heard of the film before its Blu-ray release, but now it’s near the top of my Fred Williamson favorites. Kudos to Warner Archive for bringing this one back to attention.
