One of the earliest Blaxploitaion films is TROUBLE MAN, a 1972 entry about Mr T…
…no, not THAT Mr. T! THIS Mr. T…
Thank you! This Mr. T is played by Robert Hooks, a tough talking private eye who drives a big-ass Lincoln Continental and “fixes troubles” on the mean streets of L.A. T gets hired by gangsters Chalky Price and Pete Cockrell to protect their crap games, which are getting ripped off by masked gunmen. Things go awry when Chalky shoots one of the heisters, a dude named Abby who works for rival gangster “Big”. Abby’s body is dumped and word is on the streets T did the killing. Police Capt. Joe Marx puts the heat on T, as does “Big”, so T arranges a late night summit between “Big”, Chalky, and Pete at Jimmy’s Pool Hall . “Big” arrives, but before Chalky and Pete do, some cops raid the joint. These…
I just got back from watching an early screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Now, what does this have to do with the latest “Song of the Day” featuring musical legend Marvin Gaye. Well, I’m glad you asked. The song gets mentioned by a major character in the film and gets some airplay towards the end. The lyrics of the song itself could almost be synonymous with the storyline for this follow-up to Captain America: The First Avenger.
The song is also the theme song to the 1972 Soul Cinema Classic film production Trouble Man.
While the song remains a classic R&B song that does consistent radioplay I’m sure it won;’t hurt for new listeners coming to listen to it even more after experiencing it for the very first time watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Trouble Man
I come up hard, baby, and that ain’t cool! I didn’t make it sugah, playin’ by the rules! I come up hard, babe, but now I’m fine. I’m shakin’ trouble sugah, & movin’ down the line. I come up hard, but that’s OK. ‘Cause
Trouble Man don’t get in my way!!
I come up hard, baby!
I mean fo’ real, baby, cuz I’m a Troubled Man! Gonna keep movin’, gonna go to town. I come up hard, and now I’m gettin’ down! There’s only 3 things that’s fa sho*: Taxes, death and trouble
This I know, baby. this I know. Yeah, you never let it sweat you baby,
Whooooo
Got me singin’, yeah, yeah, hooo
I come up hard, baby, I had to fight! To keep my dignity with all my might! I come up hard, I had to win! Then start all over. And WIN AGAIN!! I come up hard, but that’s OK! ‘Cause Trouble Man don’t get in my way
Hey,Hey!
Now I been some places and I seen some faces I got my connections they take my directions Don’t care what they say. that’s OK, they don’t bother me I’m ready to make it, don’t care ’bout the weather Don’t care ’bout no trouble, got myself together No laughin’, no cryin’, my protection’s all around me
I come up hard, baby I mean for real, baby With the Trouble Man Movin’, goin’ tight I come up hard, come on, get down There’s only 3 things for sure: Taxes, death and trouble
This I know, baby, baby This I know, baby, baby Hey now, let it sweat, baby
I’ve come up hard, but now I’m cool I didn’t make it, baby, playin’ by the rules I’ve come up hard, baby, but now I’m fine I’m shakin’ trouble, sure movin’ down the line
Since we’re coming down off the Oscars, I’ll start this latest edition off with the trailer for The Sicilian Connection, an Italian rip-off of 1971 best picture winner, The French Connection. I haven’t seen the actual movie but I love the music that plays in the background of this trailer.
2) Dirty Gang (1977)
This is another Italian crime flick. This trailer is worth it to just see that wonderful credit “Tomas Milian as Trash.”
I’m so happy to include this trailer because I think Arleigh will love it. David Carradine and Richard Roundtree fight a prehistoric something-or-an0ther. Michael Moriarty’s in this which can only mean that this is a Larry Cohen film.
“Egypt…a nice place to visit but would you want to die there?” Not surprisingly, this is an Italian film that was released in the wake of Dawn of the Dead and Zombi 2.
I kinda feel that this trailer runs a little bit long but then again, I’m not big into Kung Fu films that don’t star Uma Thurman. Still, this is one of those pure grindhouse trailers that has to be seen to be believed.
Through the Shattered Lens 