The “blaxploitation” genre is an especially fascinating one. A product of the 1970s, it came about due to a variety of coalescing factors, from a gradual change in race relations brought about at the time to more readily-available resources for independent creators. Despite the negative connotations the name suggests, blaxploitation films filled a niche in the moviegoer market at the time: they were films made by black filmmakers for predominantly black audiences, featuring black characters overcoming issues the black community faced. It also helped that these films are thoroughly entertaining, displaying a passion for filmmaking that overcomes low budgets and questionable production quality.
It’s important to know this for Michael Jai White’s upcoming western, The Outlaw Johnny Black. A spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite, White’s own hilariously-over-the-top tribute to blaxploitation films, The Outlaw Johnny Black will see him transported to the wild west in an equally-off-the-wall adventure. Seeing as how Black Dynamite is still thoroughly beloved by those who’ve seen it, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about The Outlaw Johnny Black before it hits theaters on Sept. 15.
Black Dynamite Was a Passion Project
The original Black Dynamite was created primarily as a passion project between Michael Jai White and Scott Sanders. Directly inspired by the same kinds of movies White had showcased in viewing parties, Black Dynamite went the extra mile in replicating the blaxploitation experience through how it was made.
Black Dynamite was shot on era-appropriate Super 16 film, giving it a saturated, grainy look ripped straight out of the 1970s. With a purposefully low budget, several production errors common in amateur blaxploitation films, including visible production equipment and flubbed lines, were purposefully included. It not only added to the film’s humor but also gave that tiny extra amount of authenticity in replicating how these films were made.
While The Outlaw Johnny Black looks like it’ll forego some authenticity in favor of high-definition footage, it’ll no doubt retain a similar level of passion compared to Black Dynamite. Plenty of Westerns from the era, including the likes of Thomasine & Bushrod and Buck and the Preacher, do for the Westerns what Dolemite and Petey Wheatstraw did for action films. Outside of telling a story synonymous with the genre, be it one of revenge or romantic heroism, it’ll also be an opportunity for White to perform in a genre he hasn’t had an opportunity to shine in.
Michael Jai White Plays Johnny Black
It goes without saying that Michael Jai White had an absolute blast playing his eponymous character in Black Dynamite, meaning that The Outlaw Johnny Black shouldn’t be any different. While the film’s rating has taken a noticeable bump down from an R to a PG-13 rating, we can still expect a similarly manic, boisterous, and hilarious performance out of our heroic outlaw.
But Black Dynamite was never a one-person show. Our favorite mustachioed Vietnam veteran wouldn’t be cracking one-liners and kicking heads without the assistance of a wide supporting cast. Thankfully, some names intimately familiar with Black Dynamite fans are making a comeback for The Outlaw Johnny Black.
Byron Minns, who originally played the brilliant modern-day poet Bullhorn, will return as a writer and the Reverend Percival Fairman. Kim Whitley, who also returned to her role as Honey Bee in the Adult Swim Black Dynamite series, will return as Sister Betty. Lastly, Tommy Davidson will also return from his original role as Cream Corn in Black Dynamite to play the role of Clancy.
On top of returning favorites, newcomers including Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fantastic Planet), Glynn Turman (Super 8), Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog), and Kevin Chapman (CODA) will also round out the cast.
The Outlaw Johnny Black Is Part of a Trilogy
The Outlaw Johnny Black was originally announced as part of an intriguing experiment, one that White had initially conceived ages ago. In a 2018 interview with Paste Magazine, he revealed that The Outlaw Johnny Black was to be the middle entry in a trilogy of blaxploitation tribute films:
“This one will be paying loving homage to the blaxploitation-era westerns. . . We also had an idea to do a foray into the horror genre. It’s always been my plan to come back to the trilogy, but I’ve been playing a global chess game, doing films abroad and getting to a place where I can be solvent with my own brand.”
The experiment would also take a meta approach in how each actor plays their characters. You see, it’s not Michael Jai White playing Johnny Black or Black Dynamite: it’s Michael Jai White playing Ferrante Jones, a boisterous former-athlete, playing Black Dynamite. Imagine Robert Downey Jr.’s character in Tropic Thunder as a similar example.
It’s another level of detail that goes to show White’s genuine interest in this specific era of filmmaking, one that will hopefully be appreciated by those looking beyond the hilarious jokes and over-the-top action.
While The Outlaw Johnny Black vanished off the face of the Earth for the longest time, the excitement for its eventual release this September is still palpable. Should this film deliver the goods, you can expect memorable quotes to take social media by storm, much like they did when Black Dynamite was released in 2009. If it does well, we can also look forward to Michael Jai White’s take on the horror genre in the near future.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
