Superfly

Viewed three decades after its release, Superfly seems more like a camp curio than a bona-fide classic, a blaxploitation thriller that offers the best of that short-lived genre (most notably the extraordinary Curtis Mayfield soundtrack and Ron O'Neal's charismatic anti-hero performance as the Harlem cocaine dealer Youngblood Priest), as well as the worst (a misogynist view of women, a weak ensemble that cannot match the power of the central star performance, and haphazard production values that place a heavy emphasis on style over substance--and we're talking 1970s style, which is perhaps the ultimate oxymoron). Superfly created shockwaves upon its release by placing a drug peddler in the iconic center of the film, sparking a controversy that reached its apex when the NAACP stepped in to ask Warner Bros. to kill off O'Neal's character at the end (they didn't, but the failure of the inevitable sequel stopped the series immediately and virtually wrecked O'Neal's career). Viewed through contemporary eyes, however, Superfly seems like a self-important B-movie from a time when the novelty of incorporating African Americans into the Hollywood system was squandered on violent, rickety, and formulaic action flicks unworthy of anyone's talents. One can easily get a few cheap laughs today at the outlandish costumes and tacky art direction, and O'Neal's flowing mane is perhaps the most beautiful hair ever worn by a movie tough guy, but as a work of compelling drama, Superfly is anything but super. Presented in a decent widescreen transfer, Superfly debuts on an extras-laden disc that includes the documentary "One Last Deal: A Retrospective," which looks at the film's impact; commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd, USC professor of cinema and television and author of Am I Black Enough for You: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond, and archival featurettes (interviews with O'Neal, Mayfield, and costume designer Nate Adams). Very optional. (P. Hall)