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Top of the Heap (1972) - Blu-ray Review

4 beersA goddamn bottle of wine!  This is the statement uttered when a hard edged DC cop tries to bust a fellow brother threatening to shoot the bus driver over a miscount of his $.40 fare leads to accusation and suspicion.  This is followed by a dream sequence in which a naked Christopher St. John, who wrote, directed, and starred in this tale of race and reefer madness, smashes his bare fist through a very large and very green watermelon before sharing it with an equally naked woman.   

Say what?  Well, it all seems to stem from the death of his mother and his flat-out refusal to travel to Alabama to be there for the funeral.  Honestly, the best way to describe this movie is by envisioning a more poetic version of Shaft.  And while that film also starred St. John, he leaps over Shaft’s successes with a very sober look at the black experience in a world full of white privilege.   And his old woman, Viola (Florence St. Peter), isn’t much help as he struggles to navigate through it.

Bursting with metaphors left and right, including a long running one in which St. John is an astronaut trying to "escape the machine", Top of the Heap shoots to the very tippy top of the Blaxploitation Must-See list thanks in large part to its fantastic contextualism as one honest American faces down drugs, discrimination, and disappointment as a black cop, passed over time and time again for ANY promotion due to the color of his skin.  He is seen as a lot of things by the world around him.  What no one recognizes, though, is that Sergeant George Lattimer is a man.   Some see only the badge.  Some see the skin color.  Some see both and call him out as a black pig.  Most, like his wife and girlfriend, see nothing at all. 

And George sees anything but reality; in fact, he surrenders to the pensive annoyance of it all until, as one moment suggest, the earth itself explodes.  All men are created equal, huh?  My ass!

He is surrounded by bigotry; he even has to reinforce it as one of his job duties, busting brothers and sisters and sending them to prison instead of rehab.  We quickly learn – as he escapes into an imaginary world of moon landings and hot blonde nurses willing to give him their all – that he is at odds with himself and his surroundings.  Fantasy is quickly overruling the starkness of his reality and he is all too willing to give in.

Large portions of St. John’s movie fail to connect at the moment of their happening; it's only upon reflection that it all comes together.  This merely adds to its appeal as the world comes crashing down George and his every move.  A black man can’t get anything in America.  That seems to be the point of the picture.  Well, one of them and, in all honesty, not much has changed.  One look at the evening news will confirm that for you.  Perhaps knowing how history would turn out, St. John addresses the static stations of the African American experience here in America and, specifically, in the big blustering cities of this country.

So what if it is more of a statement than it is a movie?!  Code Red, who have lovingly handled the upgrade of the b-movie, know it’s the goddamn shit.  George Lattimer has walked on the moon.  What have you done with your life, you faceless muthas?!

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Top of the Heap (1972) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
90 mins
Director
: Christopher St. John
Writer:
Christopher St. John
Cast:
Christopher St. John, Paula Kelly, Florence St. Peter
Genre
: Drama
Tagline:
He was a violent man...trouble was--he was also a cop.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Ain't gonna be no days like that. You gonna have to shoot me right in my face."
Theatrical Distributor:
Fanfare Films
Official Site:
Release Date:
June 2, 1972
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
June 30, 2017
Synopsis: George Lattimer (Christopher St. John, SHAFT) knows all about deadly force. His home life is a disaster. His mistress treats him like a stranger. His superiors hate his guts. And he been a street cop for 12 years – with no promotions. George Lattimer is a walking time bomb about to get off – unless he can reach the TOP OF THE HEAP!

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Top of the Heap (1972) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Diabolik DVD
Available on Blu-ray
- June 30, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles
: None
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Code Red presents this Blaxploitation flick on 1080p from a transfer mined from the original negative.  For fans of the genre, Top of the Heap is not to be missed.  The colors are strong.  Black levels are solid and the locations – within the city of Los Angeles and what looks to be Paramount's backlot – are laden with nice details.  There’s a slight texture to the print, which is appreciated.  Bits of dirt and debris pop throughout the presentation.  Framed in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the movie looks as fresh and as furious as day one of its life.  A strong DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track carries the adequate sound track.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

  • An original trailer is the sole special feature.  Be happy this one is one blu-ray, man.
  • Original Trailer

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Top of the Heap (1972) - Blu-ray Review

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