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The Human Tornado - Blu-ray Review

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Comedian Rudy Ray Moore returns just in the nick of time to save all the fine ladies from racist cops and bad attitudes everywhere.  This time – one year after his original outing – his mission against The Man stretches all the way from rural Alabama to Los Angeles and involves a whole new crew of villains, pimps, and opening acts.  Yes, opening acts.  Moore is, after all, an entertainer with his own touring show so why not promote the hell out of it? 

And that’s why The Human Tornado – which out-performed the original – is still a massive win.  Moore teams up with director Cliff Roquemore, a Detroit-graduate with a heavy background in theater, and breaks the fourth wall, establishing a sort of connection with his audience that is, at once, more profound than in the original.  He’s no longer a pimp on a special assignment for the the government.  For the second trip, Moore embraces his comedy tour and presents Dolemite as himself.  Moore is, of course, working as his alter ego Dolemite, aka The Human Tornado and dares not disappoint the fine ass ladies who swoon at his gaudy pants, high kicks, and ultimate sexual prowess while attending his raunchy show. 

Never one to refuse an empty hand or a woman's wish, Dolemite is a very generous man.  He raps at night, shares his fortune and fame with the less fortunate during the day, and karate kicks political correctness in the jaw at all hours.  He, too, offers his body to dissatisfied wives and that is how he gets in a whole mess of trouble in The Human Tornado.  As the movie opens, he is caught, pants down, shagging the white sheriff’s lonely wife.  Of course, the cartoonish sheriff (J.B. Baron) and his band of merry honkies are wild-eyed racists and come into Dolemite’s crib with shotguns blazing so, by all means, get on with your bad self Dolemite and please that lonely wife with your talented abilities in the sack.  Earn that nickname, buddy. 

Moore in the role of Dolemite is an unstoppable force of defiance and outrageousness.  He offends like noneother and is candid, crass, and wildly entertaining.  And, after the success of the original flick, the rhyming Blaxploitation icon was bound to get another movie with even more jive-talking flow, you rat soup eatin’, mutha-FUCKA. 

The Human Tornado is a wicked sequel.  It is unrestrained and even more insane in its technique.  This is guerilla filmmaking at its most outrageous.  True, the scenes involving Moore’s stand-up remind viewers of his Don Rickles-like nature but the jokes are raunchy as fuck and the film, surrounded by overdubbed quips, instant replay stunts (proving that Moore did his own work), and lots of nudity, actually offers a better vision of its hero.  Even the production value has improved.  The film just doesn’t act like it. 

Written by Jerry Jones, the film – thanks to Roquemore’s unique vision of Dolemite as a sort of foul-mouthed cartoon hero – is street-styled filmmaking at its most gonzo.  Just look at the opening credits.  If you thought the original Dolemite – which I rapped about a little over a month ago - was wild, just wait because its sequel – complete with a hilarious sexual interlube (pun intended) involving a nymphomaniac, Dolemite as an art dealer, and a bunch of male dancers – definitely pushes boundaries. 

The second adventure of Dolemite eventually involves taking down the LA mafia kingpin Cavaletti (Herb Graham), who is kidnapping and torturing the barmaids of Queen Bee (Lady Reed) in a move to control the entertainment capital of the world.  Dolemite, still on the run from the pissed-off cop with the wife he screwed,  is joined by Ernie Hudson as Boe, one of the members of his posse, and shows off more gaudy clothes than thought possible.  He does, after all, have a reputation to live up to so he joins in on the fight to, once again, come to Queen Bee's rescue. 

The Human Tornado is a great (and crazy) example of filmmakers not giving one single FUCK during the Blaxploitation era of filmmaking.  It seriously has nothing to lose and transforms Dolemite into a kung-fu version of Captain Caveman,  complete with vocalizations that would make Mel Blanc proud, who eventually goes toe-to-toe with karate champion Howard Jackson. 

Imagine it, brothers and sisters.  A sequel that doesn’t suck.  What a beautiful world that woukd be to live in.  The Human Tornado rocks a shotgun straight up the muthafuckin' ass of mediocrity. 

BOOM!

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[tab title="Film Details"]

The Human Tornado - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
98 mins
Director
: Cliff Roquemore
Writer:
Jerry Jones
Cast:
Rudy Ray Moore, Lady Reed, Jimmy Lynch
Genre
: Action | Comedy
Tagline:
Nerve-shattering ...Brain-battering ...Mind-splattering ...A ONE MAN DISASTER!
Memorable Movie Quote: "You need a ride, honey? Well, I'll tell you what I'll do... I'll give you a ride... for a ride! Hee! Hee! Hee!"
Distributor:
Dimension Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
October 2, 1976
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
May 31, 2016
Synopsis: One of several Rudy Ray Moore films, THE HUMAN TORNADO is part of the on-going adventures of Dolemite: a signifying' super-hero. Dolemite comes to the rescue of Queen Bee, whose primarily black Nightclub is threatened by White Mafia types.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Human Tornado - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 31, 2016
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Vinegar Syndrome prides itself on restoring cult films.  Their release of The Human Tornado is a great example of their quality of work and is the second in a series of expected Rudy Ray Moore restorations, including Petey Whitestraw and Dolemite.  Fully restored in 2k from a recently discovered 35mm negative, the 1080p transfer is gloriously gritty with eye-catching details, a nice layer of grain, and solid black levels that add a bit more depth to the picture than ever seen before.  The film’s original mono 1.0 DTS-HD MA soundtrack, which also supplies clean dialogue and a funky soundtrack, is the only source of audio so you will need to TURN IT UP.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Rudy Ray Moore’s biographer, Mark Jason Murray and co-star Jimmy Lynch provide a very interesting and knowledgeable commentary.  Fans will enjoy this one.

Special Features:

Once again, Vinegar Syndrome brings out the cream of the crop for the supplemental features.  They continue with Part II of their I, Dolemite feature and dive into the fact that even Moe Howard of The Three Stooges was a fan and encouraged Roquemore to work with Rudy Ray Moore.  There are audio interviews with Moore and Jackson since both have passed.  Der Bastard, a German dubbed version of the movie, is also included.  Hilarious!  The 1976 ad campaign is covered in the still gallery.  Rounding out the collection is the playable soundtrack and trailers for Dolemite and The Human Tornado.

  • I, Dolemite Part II (18 min)
  • Der Bastard (96 min)
  • Still Gallery (2 min)
  • Radio Spot (1 min)
  • Trailers

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