Watch The Mack For Free

You won't be disappointed!

hyped garbage

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

. . . but Warner Bros. answered to a Higher Purpose when it courageously released THE MACK as an extreme early warning to We Americans of (The Then) Far Future concerning our upcoming Times of Trial IF the USA stubbornly persisted into another century with an outdated and totally discredited Policy of Prohibition. Warner Bros.' always prophetic film distributors try to warn Americans that it's not enough to legalize mass consumption of booze in all 50 states. That alone has not brought peace to U.S. streets. Furthermore, promoting all manner of gambling, including the so-called "Numbers Game" (aka, Powerball or MegaMillions) will not put much of a dent into the violence rocking Main Street, either. Even dropping the War on "Reefer Madness" cannot soothe the roiled waters of the USA's Civil Unrest. No, Warner's uncannily accurate Cassandras clairvoyantly contend, what Profiteth a Nation to foster all of the other Vices, when it senselessly prohibits "the World's Oldest Profession"? Warner depicts THE MACK's hero "Goldie" bravely paddling against the tide of holier-than-thou waters as he stoutly fights to make Oakland's streets safe for working girls. For his troubles, cops beat Goldie's mom to death. Never forget that Warner warned us with THE MACK that Prohibition will doom as all!

This movie begins with a shootout in Oakland between the police and a group of black men. One of the black men named "Goldie" (Max Julien) is caught and sentenced to 5 years in a penitentiary. When he finally gets released he meets up with a childhood friend name "Lulu" (Carol Speed) who has since become a prostitute and laments to him how difficult her profession is without a pimp. He then makes the decision to accept the challenge and begins to actively recruit attractive women to oversee. One thing leads to another and soon he becomes the top "mack" in all of Oakland. Yet while this obviously translates into increased revenues for him it also attracts other undesirable elements who want a cut as well. So now he has to contend with crooked cops and an organized crime boss in addition to his rivals. Now, rather than reveal any more of the story and risk ruining the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fairly good "blaxploitation" film which seemed to get better as the movie progressed. Personally, I didn't think Max Julien fit the role that well because of his quiet demeanor but he still put in a decent performance all the same. Certainly worth a watch for those who enjoy films in this genre.

'The Mack' is one of the very best blaxploitation movies of the 1970s, and one that has had an enormous influence on both hip hop culture and Quentin Tarantino. Max Julien gives a brilliant performance as Goldie an ex-con who decides that pimping is his best hope for survival and success. Julien had played one of the members of Jack Nicholson's psychedelic combo Mumblin' Jim in Richard Rush's 60s classic 'Psych-Out'. 'The Mack' should have put him up with Fred Williamson and Richard Roundtree as a major black star, but for some reason his career never took off, despite his obvious charisma and co-writing and co-producing the hugely successful 'Cleopatra Jones'. So much so that when Tarantino wanted him to audition for the part of Marcellus Wallace in 'Pulp Fiction' he was unable to even track him down. Too bad as Julien would have been a terrific Wallace and it might have kick started his career. Apart from Julien the movie features Richard Pryor as his crazed best friend Slim, Roger Mosley (who played Leadbelly in Gordon "Shaft" Parks little seen biopic) is Goldie's politically active younger brother Olinga, and Carol Speed ('Abby') plays Lulu, the prostitute who gets him started in the game. But my favourite supporting role is the one by Don Gordon who plays Hank, an evil corrupt cop. Gordon later went on to play another nasty piece of work in Dennis Hopper's 'Out Of The Blue'. He's just terrific in both movies and rarely gets the attention he deserves. 'The Mack' definitely makes my blaxploitation Top Five, along with (no order) 'Superfly', 'Shaft', 'Black Caesar' and 'Coffy'. (Sorry I don't count 'Across 110th Street' as blaxploitation, otherwise I'd list it).

This is one of the greatest movies you will ever get the chance to see. Goldie is now my idol, and he is a fine role model for young Americans. Just look at how he brainwashed those hos via footage of outer space and sonic music. What a player! Ever since I saw this movie, I've decided to wear a hat with every outfit I put on. If you're not entertained by the plethora of smooth one-liners, or Goldie's five-foot cane, then you must surely enjoy scene after scene of disrespect to the Oak-town Hos-my favorite is when "Pretty Tony" promptly beats down one of his hos with his own hat after she presents him with an amount of cash that is apparently not acceptable for a four-hour shift on the street corner...what a slacker. I give The Mack 4 pimpslaps. And to leave you with words of wisdom from our hero, Goldie: "Get out there and get me my money. I don't care how long it takes, just get it