Super Fly T.N.T.
| Super Fly T.N.T. | |
|---|---|
 Film poster by John Solie | |
| Directed by | Ron O'Neal |
| Screenplay by | Alex Haley |
| Story by | Ron O'Neal Sig Shore |
| Produced by | Sig Shore |
| Starring | Ron O'Neal Roscoe Lee Browne Sheila Frazier Robert Guillaume Jacques Sernas William Berger |
| Cinematography | Robert Gaffney James Signorelli |
| Edited by | Bob Brady |
| Music by | Osibisa |
Production company | Superfly Ltd.[1] |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $1.5 million[2] |
Super Fly T.N.T. is a 1973 American blaxploitation crime drama film directed and starring Ron O'Neal. Soundtrack by Osibisa. O'Neal reprises his role of Youngblood Priest from the 1972 film Super Fly. The film was both a critical and commercial failure although the soundtrack has attained a cult status of its own and become a favourite among Afro-Rock and Osibisa fans.
The film was released on VHS in 1993, but it has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray. It was shot in Rome, Italy and other locations such as Senegal.[3] A sequel, The Return of Superfly, was released in 1990, with Nathan Purdee as Priest. The soundtrack album from the original film was composed and performed by Osibisa in 1973. This was the bands fourth studio release and it was recorded at Lansdowne Studios in London. Twenty five years later the album was recovered and remastered for CD at the very same studio.
Plot[]
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Cast[]
- Ron O'Neal as 'Youngblood' Priest
- Roscoe Lee Browne Dr. Lamine Sonko
- Sheila Frazier as Georgia
- Robert Guillaume as Jordan Gaines
- Jacques Sernas as Matty Smith
- William Berger as Lefebre
- Silvio Noto as George, Restaurant Proprietor
- Olga Bisera as Lisa
- Federico Boido as Rik, Mercenary
- Dominic Barto as Rand
- Minister Dem as General
- Jeannie McNeil as Riding Instructress
- Luigi Orso as Crew Chief
- Curtis Mayfield as Himself, His band The Curtis Mayfield Experience is also appears in the film.
Soundtrack[]
| Super Fly T.N.T. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | September 24, 1973 | |||
| Recorded | April 1973 | |||
| Genre | British Afro-pop | |||
| Length | 53:57 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Peter Gallen | |||
| Osibisa chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
The soundtrack was done by English/African/Caribbean band Osibisa and charted at #159 on the Billboard charts and #41 on R&B albums.[4][5] It has been re-issued on CD by Red Steel Music with bonus tracks in 1995.[6]
Track listing[]
All songs arranged, performed and composed by Osibisa.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "T.N.T." | 6:51 |
| 2. | "Superfly Man" | 3:56 |
| 3. | "Prophets" | 5:25 |
| 4. | "The Vicarage" | 3:32 |
| 5. | "Oye Mama" | 3:26 |
| 6. | "Brotherhood" | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Come Closer (If You're A Man)" | 5:23 |
| 8. | "Kelele" | 5:37 |
| 9. | "La Ila La La" | 7:35 |
| Total length: | 53:57 | |
Musicians[]
Teddy Osei, from Ghana; - tenor sax, flute, African drums & vocals
Sol Amarfio, from Ghana; - drums
Mac Tontoh, from Ghana; - trumpet, flugel horn, kabasa
Jean Mandengue, from the French Cameroons; – bass guitar, percussion, vocals
Gordon Hunte, from Guyana; - lead guitar & vocals
Robert Bailey, from Trinidad; - organ, piano, timbales
Kofi Ayivor, from Ghana; - congas, African drums, percussion, vocals
Additional brass arrangements by Mike Gibbs
Remastered by Robert M Corich and Mike Brown
All information taken from the album back cover
The soundtrack album from the original film was composed and performed by Osibisa in 1973. This was the bands fourth studio release and it was recorded at Lansdowne Studios in London. Twenty five years later the album was recovered and remastered for CD by Robert M Corich and Mike Brown at the very same studio. Bonus tracks comprising the albums single were added to the CD.
Plot
Release[]
The film was to be released by Warner Bros. but they dropped the film a month before it was due to be released due to concerns about unfavourable reaction from certain groups, similar to that received by the original.[7]
The film premiered in New York City on June 15, 1973, which was boycotted by members of the Congress of Racial Equality.[1]
In popular culture[]
- In the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, Jules Winnfield, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson (who acts in The Return of Superfly), says to John Travolta's Vincent Vega, "Every time my fingers touch brain, I'm Super Fly T.N.T. I'm the Guns of the [sic] Navarone"[8]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Super Fly T.N.T. at the American Film Institute Catalog
- ^ "Ron O'Neal Will Direct Sequel to Super Fly". Jet. November 2, 1972. p. 55.
- ^ Senegal a Ha ven for U. S. Film Makers: Doubles as Interpreter Little Enthusiasm By THOMAS A. JOHNSONSpecial to The New York Times.12 Mar 1973: 36.
- ^ "Osibisa's Biography". Last.fm. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ^ "Super Fly TNT > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
- ^ "Red Steel Music". Red Steel Music. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ Verrill, Addison (31 May 1973). "Black Reaction Fear Reputedly Cues W.B. Dropping 'Fly' Sequel". Daily Variety. p. 1.
- ^ "View Quote ... Pulp Fiction ... Movie Quotes Database". Moviequotedb.com. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
External links[]
- Super Fly T.N.T. at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Super Fly T.N.T. at AllMovie
- Super Fly T.N.T. at IMDb
- Super Fly T.N.T. at Discogs (list of releases)
- 1973 films
- 1973 crime drama films
- American films
- American crime drama films
- American gangster films
- American sequel films
- Blaxploitation films
- English-language films
- Films set in Africa
- Films shot in Rome
- Films shot in Senegal
- Paramount Pictures films
- Works by Alex Haley
- African-American films