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Super Soul Brother
Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
Released on: April 14th, 2015.
Director: Rene Martinez, Jr.
Cast: Wildman Steve, Jocelyn Norris, Benny Latimore, Peter Conrad
Year: 1978
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The Movie:
The third and final film from the great Rene Martinez Jr., the man who gave us Road Of Death and The Guy From Harlem, Super Soul Brother might be better known under its original title, The Six Million Dollar Nigger. For reasons most can figure out on their own, it was also released under the more politically correct title that Vinegar Syndrome, in conjunction with the Genre Film Archive, have chosen to use for this - the film's first authorized DVD release.
The film stars Wildman Steve (who also popped up in The Guy From Harlem and also shows up in Rudy Ray Moore's Peter Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son In Law) but before we get to his part of the tale we meet Doctor Dippy (Peter Conrad), a vertically challenged mad scientist who is working on a super serum that will give those injected with it super strength and nigh-invulnerability! There's only one catch - once it wears off in a day or two, the injectee dies! He's working on a fix for those but the two mobsters who are backing him - Bob (Benny Latimore) and Jim (Lee Cross) - want it done now, now, NOW!
Without much of a choice in the matter Dippy winds up giving the unfinished formula to a drunk named Steve (that's where Wildman Steve comes in) that the two thugs basically dragged in off of the streets. He's injected and it goes pretty much as they'd planned - he gets super powers and then… gets his butt cleaned? From there he indulges his romantic side as he falls for Peggy (Jocelyn Norris), the doctor's foxy assistant. The crooks don't care if Steve lives or dies, they just want him to stay super strong long enough to bust out that safe full of jewels that they've got their eyes on. But Steve? He's…. doing his own thing. Let's just leave it at that.
If you're familiar with Martinez's other films, you'll have a rough idea of what to expect here but whereas those two pictures are more or less played straight, this one is… a comedy? Sort of. It's hard to tell who in the film is acting and who in the film is just sort of being. Wildman Steve seems to be more or less playing himself, as he's… a Wildman. His performance is zany and inspired and over the top but and as terrible as he is, he's a real kick to watch. The rest of the cast vary between sleepwalking through some obvious cue card readings to overacting in fascinatingly strange ways, no one ever really sees to find any sort of artistic balance as far as the acting goes.
Martinez's direction is as sloppy and choppy and fucked up and the whole movie lacks in what most would consider to be good pacing or style. At times it feels like a mix between a Rudy Ray Moore movie and a Doris Wishman film - which of course means you should all see it. Throw in plenty nudity, some participants far more welcome than others, a wonky score and plenty of weird locations and bad fashions and this one turns out a winner.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Super Soul Brother debuts on DVD from Vinegar Syndrome in a “new 2K scan from The American Genre Film Archive's 35mm print†that looks about as good as it probably can outside of a seriously intensive restoration. The print is beaten and battered so expect not only scratches and print damage but some obvious jumps as well, likely where the elements had deteriorated beyond a useable state. So yeah, it's in rough shape BUT the colors look fantastic and the detail is there where it can be. Black levels look alright and skin tones are decent enough. This would seem to be a case of doing the best with what was available.
The Dolby Digital Mono track sounds about as good as you'd expect it to. Dialogue remains clear and easy to follow if just ever so slightly flat. The music sounds good and the sound effects are properly balanced throughout the movie.
There are no extras on the disc outside of static menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
Super Soul Brother is every bit as bat-shit crazy as you'd expect. Wildman Steve is on his own planet and Martinez's directing style hasn't improved over his two earlier features at all - which means it's great in its own horrible way. The DVD release is a welcome one and while it's devoid of any extras at all, it looks and sounds about as good as it probably can.
