Truck Turner (1974)

"Turner's like a bulldog with eyes up his ass!", 9 February 2008

Truck Turner (Issac Hayes) is a former football star turned bounty hunter. His latest case puts him on the trail of a notoriously vicious pimp named Gator. Though it's not his original intention, Turner kills Gator during a gunfight. This is when all hell breaks loose in Turner's life. It seems that Gator's main woman, Dorinda (Nichelle Nichols), isn't too happy about losing her man. She offers Gator's girls and the cash they can bring in to the pimp who can bring her the head of Truck Turner.

Issac Hayes may be more of a singer than an actor, but as Truck Turner, he's incredible. Hayes is one cool cat! Whether it's chasing baddies across a rooftop, pulling out that cannon of a gun he carries, or driving in a high speed chase, Hayes pulls it all off and is believable every step of the way. The film also manages to mix some very nice comedy into all the action. Gator's funeral scene is a scream and real highlight of the film. As you might expect, Hayes did the soundtrack. While the music may not be as memorable as what he did for Shaft, it's still nothing short of phenomenal. Hayes is joined by a very solid group of co-stars including wonderful performances by Yaphet Kotto (as the mega-pimp Harvard Blue), Alan Weeks (as Turner's partner Jerry), and Annazette Chase (in the small but pivotal role of Turner's girlfriend). Kotto's always a favorite of mine, but I was just as impressed by the work of the "unknowns". But the real stand-out in the cast is Nichelle Nichols. What a woman! Who knew she had that kind of performance in her? Watching her slapping around whores is a long way from Commander Uhuru on Star Trek.

8/10