Digitally remastered for the first time on HD VOD, blaxploitation and Rudy Ray Moore classics from the stable of Xenon Pictures – including “Dolemite”– will be making their way to your finger tips on July 3rd. With Eddie Murphy starring as Rudy Ray Moore in a biopic at Netflix, Xenon Pictures is making a great deal of Ray Moore’s titles available to audiences to discover (and rediscover) for the first time.
With the unleashing of the cult classics in July, we’re going to take you through the list of movies from Rudy Ray Moore coming to On Demand.
Blackenstein
A take off from the success of “Blacula,” there’s “Blackenstein” (Seems like “Creature from the Black Lagoon” would have been the next logical step but, whatever) about a large Vietnam vet named Eddie Turner who is killed in combat. When his girlfriend seeks the help of the weird Doctor Stein, who is experimenting with patients involving DNA and artificial limbs, Eddie begins to devolve in to a savage like monster named Blackenstein.
Disco Godfather
Starring Ray Moore, Carol Speed, and Julius Carry, “Disco Godfather” is the tale of Tucker Williams, the owner of a disco and a part time rapper. When his nephew gets hooked on drugs, Tucker is called back in to duty as an ex-cop and begins looking for revenge with his patented martial arts!
Dolemite
Rudy Ray Moore is Dolemite, a pimp who was set up by Willie Greene and the cops, who have planted drugs, stolen furs, and guns in his trunk. He’s sentenced to twenty years in jail, but girlfriend Queen Bee and a warden work together to get him out of jail, and get revenge on what was done to him. However, Dolemite is no stupid man and has a lot of warriors backing him, such as his call girls, who are Karate Experts—and so much more.
The Human Tornado
After a comedy tour, Dolemite throws together a party at his mansion. But the party is crashed by racist police officers when they find out the sheriff’s wife is offering Dolemite money for sex. Now on the run from authorities, Dolemite kidnaps a young man and heads to California to meet his girlfriend Queen Bee. With Queen bee also in need of help from a local mob boss, Dolemite is intent on rescuing her and her girls, and evading the sheriff whose blamed his own wife’s murder on him.
Petey Wheatstraw
A classic horror comedy, Ray Moore plays Petey Wheatstraw, a young man who is now a famous comedian. When a part of his rival comedians (Leroy and Skillet) can’t handle his competition, they conspire to kill him. When Petey dies in a drive by, Lucifer offers to let Petey have his revenge with super powers, but only if he marries his daughter, played by Ebony Wright, and produce a son. Petey agreed, but has plans of his own for when he returns to Earth.
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song
“Sweet Sweetback” is the pre-eminent blaxploitation film that paved the way for an entire sub-genre of films about powerful African American men and women fighting corruption, crime, and gangsters at their very door steps. Directed by Melvin Van Peebles, it centers on a male prostitute who goes on the run from “The Man” when he saves a Black Panther from corrupt racist cops. The movie is a classic, and has been widely admired since its release.
Welcome to Death Row
“Welcome to Death Row” is a look at the rise and fall of the infamous Death Row Records. The label began as a movement to destroy Ruthless Records and NWA, and hosted a slew of talent like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac. Inevitably the label succumbed to owner Suge Knight’s often unusual and criminal practices. “Welcome to Death Row” is an award winning and honest look at the beginnings and end of a very influential hip hop dynasty.
Also available on HD VOD this July from Xenon Pictures is the Penitentiary franchise, starring Leon Isaac Kennedy, “The Muthers,” the original black samurai film “Death Force,” and one of the original blaxploitation horror films, “Lord Shango”!