Directed by: Jonathan Kaplan
Starring: Jim Brown
Distributed by: Warner Bros Archive
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 91 minutes
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Jim Brown is one bad motherfucker…period. Everyone knows that. They do not make movies like this anymore like they used to back in the 70’s. It is not only extremely gritty but also very rough around the edges. I have seen plenty of prison movies and this one just takes the cake. It is a great combination of both between a heist movie and also a prison movie. It is also action packed and suspenseful, due to the fantastic score from Luther Henderson. I really enjoyed this and look forward to future viewings.
Fans of genre films needs to keep an eye out for Dick Miller, one of my favorites. WB Archive is known best for their remastering of classics and releasing them on DVD. This film is not different and looks great on DVD. It also includes a great widescreen transfer 16×9 1.85:1 of the film. The audio is also very sharp and clear. Like all releases though from Warner Archive, there are no special features. But since this film is not currently available on DVD at all this is a real treat on its own. If you are fan of Jim Brown, this is a must purchase for sure. You can only get for the WBShop, here.
Synopsis: $1.5 million cached in a secret stash. And only Curtis Hook (Jim Brown) knows where it’s at. The hitch? He’s tied up doing time in the stir, and his hidden kitty’s spot is scheduled for demolition. Looks like Curtis is going over the wall. Too bad for him there’s a legion of mooks and mugs anxious to know what Curtis did with the stolen mob moolah. And if he can survive his fellow cons, he still needs to get past the corrupt screws “guarding” the slam’s inmates. What good is a trunk full of bucks when your life ain’t worth a dime? The Slams was an early effort by prolific indie turned journeyman pro Jonathan Kaplan, whose many credits include the cult favorites White Line Fever and Over the Edge (featuring Kaplan’s discovery, Matt Dillon). His more mainstream accomplishments include directing Jodie Foster’s Oscar® winning performance in The Accused. The Slams also features a rare movie score from legendary Broadway arranger Luther Henderson.
