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Released by: Warner Archive
Released on: April 5, 2012.
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Cast: Jim Brown, Judy Pace, Roland Bob Harris
Year: 1973
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The Movie:
An MGM title that wound up with Warner Brothers, The Slams was directed by Jonathan Kaplan (in between helming two Nurses films and before he would make Truck Turner and White Line Fever) and hit screens in 1973 just as Jim Brown's star was starting to really shine.
In the film, Brown plays a cool con with a cool name, Curtis Hook. He gets tossed in the clink for causing trouble but shows up with a poorly guarded secret - he and he alone knows where a one and a half million dollar stash is hidden and a sizeable amount of smack to boot. See, before he was locked up he killed a half dozen mobsters and made off with the goods and he managed to hide it before the fuzz got him in cuffs but the only thing that they can pin on him are some minor charges. His lady friend (Judy Pace), a seemingly wealthy TV personality, isn't too happy but what can you do.
So everyone knows that Brown has got the skinny on the loot and the cops offer him some protection but nope, he's having none of that. Really, he's Jim Brown, does he need it? He makes it out of the prison and lands smack dab in a world of trouble as imprisoned mobster Capiella (Frank DeKova) wants to get his hands on that money. Hook had better get a move on though, because his hiding spot is about to be demolished to make way for a new construction project of some sort.
An interesting exploitation film made to cash in on the popularity of black action films and prison movies, The Slams lets Brown do his thing and he does it really well. He's as cool as they come and while he mows down a few suckers who are foolish enough to get in his way, we like him - and at least he's noble enough to not want to profit personally off of the dope, something at one point you wonder if he's going to do. Brown's Hook deals in shades of grey, nothing is black and white in his world and he's neither hero nor villain, just out for himself really. If the film isn't all that well written in that it's loaded with bad dialogue and very questionable character motivations, the cast and fast pace more than make up for it. On top of that, those who dig on seventies atmosphere will find much to love about the sets and fashions on display throughout the movie, all of which date it in the best possible way.
A few solid action scenes and a couple of legitimately suspenseful moments stand out, but what makes this one as much fun as it is, well, most of that credit goes to Brown. Kaplan keeps the pace solid, the score is great, the camerawork decent - all in all this one isn't a masterpiece by any stretch but it is a lot of fun.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The Slams looks pretty good by way of Warner Archive's 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are decent, black levels aren't perfect but are acceptable, and detail isn't half bad despite some minor print damage and heavy grain at times. All in all, the image is solid enough.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono track sounds good, offering up clear dialogue without any noticeable background hiss and the score sounds very good. The levels are well balanced and there are no problems here to complain about.
There are no extras outside of a quick trailer for the feature, just a static menu. The movie is divided into chapters in ten minute intervals.
The Final Word:
Jim Brown doesn't mess around in The Slams, just a really solid mix of prison movie drama, tough guy action and moderately successful scenes of suspense. It's slick, well paced and a really good time at the movies. Mindless entertainment? Absolutely, but when it's this much fun who cares.
