Saturday 15 March 2014

25: Like A Brother (2.13)

1979; 48 minutes
Director of Photography John McPherson 
Written by Richard Christian Matheson/Thomas E Szollosi
Produced by James G Hirsch
Directed by Reza S Badiyi

Completely eschewing the temporary progress he made in A Solitary Place, David manages to wander into a predominantly black neighbourhood to obtain a job in a ghetto not particularly welcoming of white folk...  Working at a car wash he finds himself on the bitter side of a black colleague who he later befriends after helping one of the guys with a cut wrist.  It turns out the young man is looking after his diabetes-inflicted brother whilst on the verge of becoming a runner for a local drug-dealer-cum-dodgy club owner.

David certainly knows how to land himself in trouble, and this time it's with a black gang who were never going to take kindly to a white man befriending one of their 'brothers', who is effectively being groomed to be a gofer.

Ineffectual Hulk-outs are marred by contrivance and another attempt to draw out Hulk's softer side when his anger is momentarily dissipated to pick up a child/pushchair (which amusingly slips out of the mother's hands to roll right into the middle of the action, as her friends hold her back...).  Pertinent at the time, since then very tired, the story overlays conventional criminal antics with race relations commentary. 

Number of Fists: **

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