Why was I not informed of this?
Did you know that Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier did a number of comedies together in the 70's? And that Mr. Poitier directed them? It's true, motherfucker.
And you know what? They're pretty good, too. Oh sure, there's certainly some novelty value. It's just surreal seeing Bill Cosby playing a streetwise regular joe; in "Uptown Saturday Night" you see him drinking, gambling, starting barfights, in "A Piece of the Action" he plays a cat-burglar and in "Let's Do it Again" he fixes a boxing match so he can bet on it. My goodness, Dr. Huxtable. Also, "Let's Do it Again" features Jimmy "J.J." Walker playing a boxer (!), and "Uptown..." has a scene where (Academy Award Winner) Sidney Poitier is clinging to the roof of a speeding car containing gangsters (one of whom is dressed in drag), and he's smashing the windows of the car with a hammer; that's worth the price of admission, right there.
So, yeah, there is some novelty element, but Sidney Poitier has a real eye for directing comedy. The movie's aren't drop dead hilarious but there are a couple of big laughs. "A Piece of the Action," which has Poitier's con-man blackmailed into teaching a class of inner-city kids, is even kind of touching. The two stars have definite chemistry, plus, Curtis Mayfield did the soundtrack for two of the films. Surprisingly good stuff, all around.
And you know what? They're pretty good, too. Oh sure, there's certainly some novelty value. It's just surreal seeing Bill Cosby playing a streetwise regular joe; in "Uptown Saturday Night" you see him drinking, gambling, starting barfights, in "A Piece of the Action" he plays a cat-burglar and in "Let's Do it Again" he fixes a boxing match so he can bet on it. My goodness, Dr. Huxtable. Also, "Let's Do it Again" features Jimmy "J.J." Walker playing a boxer (!), and "Uptown..." has a scene where (Academy Award Winner) Sidney Poitier is clinging to the roof of a speeding car containing gangsters (one of whom is dressed in drag), and he's smashing the windows of the car with a hammer; that's worth the price of admission, right there.
So, yeah, there is some novelty element, but Sidney Poitier has a real eye for directing comedy. The movie's aren't drop dead hilarious but there are a couple of big laughs. "A Piece of the Action," which has Poitier's con-man blackmailed into teaching a class of inner-city kids, is even kind of touching. The two stars have definite chemistry, plus, Curtis Mayfield did the soundtrack for two of the films. Surprisingly good stuff, all around.
posted by Dash Bradley at 2:50 PM
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