Movie Info
Movie Name: Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off
Studio: American International Pictures
Genre(s): Action/Adventure/Blaxploitation/B-Movie
Release Date(s): August 31, 1973
MPAA Rating: R
Slaughter is going to take you down!
Slaughter (Jim Brown) is back…and he’s angry. When his friends are gunned down by a plane at a party, Slaughter learns that his past action against the mafia have come back to haunt him, and now he’s out for revenge. A hit has been put on Slaughter by Duncan (Ed McMahon), but when the woman Slaughter loves is killed, Slaughter plans to turn the tables on Duncan and bring him down.
Directed by Gordon Douglas, Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off is the follow-up to 1972’s Slaughter. The movie received mixed reviews from critics but has gained a cult following. It (like its predecessor) has a great taglines: “The mob put finger on Slaughter…so he gave them the finger right back—curled tight around a trigger!” and “If you put the finger on slaughter…you might not get it back!”
Punk thug, meet propellor!!!
Blaxploitation is a strange phenomena and this film is even more in league with what you’d expect from a blaxploitation film than even the previous Slaughter. Though Slaughter was typical blaxploitation, this movie seems to go even bigger and badder. The movie plays up the stereotypes even more, and despite that Slaughter is the type of cool, collected guy than many want to be…that is the dichotomy of the genre…stereotype vs. envy.
Jim Brown continues to be fun as the monotone Slaughter who pretty much can take whatever he wants. Don Stroud also appears as an assassin named Kirk sent after Slaughter, and Scatman Crothers briefly appears as Cleveland. Brock Peters plays Reynolds, and the movie also weirdly stars Ed McMahon, who was at the height of is Tonight Show popularity. It is a bit weird and unnerving to watch Slaughter and a friend hijack McMahon’s safe as you hear him having a really good time with a woman in the other room…Hi-oooooo!!!
You promised me my Publisher’s Clearing House check was in the mail, McMahon!!!
The movie still looks great. Despite a low-low budget, movies from this period have a strange dirty slickness that can’t be captured by current filmmakers no matter how hard they try. Directors like Quentin Tarantino love the style and try hard, but I think Robert Rodriguez’s films actually get closer to the true style of these B-Movies.
I liked both Slaughter movies but I think I like Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off more than the previous Slaughter film. The movie really keeps moving and doesn’t hold back. It’s got more guns, girls, and snappy dialogue you’d expect from a blaxploitation film…plus McMahon! Both Slaughter and Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off are readily available on DVD for cheap prices and worth checking out.
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