Reviews (7)

Wow.
Another movie in which Calvin Lockhart is momentarily shirt-less. A hundred, thousand, million stars!

Cotton Comes to Harlem
a little slow in delived but an excellent movie.

I thought it was a funny movie!
I am a huge fan of blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. I thought it was really funny, especially in the beginning of the movie. This is the kind of movie that you can't take very seriously because a lot of it is cliche. Calvin Lockhart's character (Rev. Deke O'Malley) is conniving, but irresistable. You will enjoy this DVD!

Two Words: Judy Pace!
Seeing Judy Pace in this movie is worth the price of admission alone! The movie itself has an interesting storyline and it does bounce around a little but is definately entertaining. This movie isn't as cliche as many of the other films in this genre. There are some good chase scenes and it was interesting to see Redd Foxx pre 'Sanford and Son'. I would consider this one of the most important movies of the blaxploitation genre.

One of the Best Films of the Day, That Set the 70s STYLE
"Cotton Comes to Harlem" is a solid, funny, and most of all, cool movie which was, besides "Shaft" and "Coffy," to set the trend of the black movies of the 70s. Look how Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques walk and talk, and you'll know the meaning of "style."

Based on Chester Himes's novel, the film follows the two super-cool cops who suspect that Rev. O'Malley's "Back to Africa" campaign (minimun entry 100 dallors needed) is a fraud to steal money from people living in Harlem. But things get complicated when, during the rally, the organization is attacked by masked gangsters who took the money of $87,000, and that was done under the nose of the very cops. Determined to nail the criminal, and possibly the preacher himself, the detective Gravediffer & Coffin start their investigation, and do it in their own fashion.

The film keeps the fast pace with a tightly knit web of characters including Reverend's beautiful wife Iris. But most charming part of the film remains the same today: its being funny and smart. In fact, you will see among violent actions suddenly unexpected humor. The best thing of the film is, in my book, the car chase scene that include "the cemetary chase" and "a flying guy." The film also ends with a showdown in the Apollo Theater (though I don't know whether the inside scene of it was really shot there) And the real Harlem locale of the 70s, which helps to create the authentic atomospher, would be someday a precious record of the New York City.

In short, this is a film Quentin Tarantino with his known flair for characters and story might have shot 30 years ago. Some part of the film look, I admit, dated today when you see women's parts are little better than secondary, just catering obligatory sex scenes. Still, those scenes have been given slight touch of humor, that might almost compensate for the lack of the screen goddess like Pam Grier. Buy this one, along with "Coffy" and "Shaft" and perhaps "Across the 110th Street." That makes a quick course of learning what the blaxploitation films are all about.

Those two main charaters are to reappear in "Come Back Charlston Blues," which is, unfortunately, not as good as this one. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

DVD is unknown quality - the film is FANTASTIC
*****
please , please , please , somebody

Restore this to its full original length , to its full original content , and to its full original SOUND TRACK !!!!!!

please ?

Please pay Barry McGuire whatever he needs to be paid , in order for the soundtrack to be restored . The "cheapened" "re-cut" version , withOUT Barry McGuire's music , transformed one of the most memorable scenes . The "killing field" scene went from fascinating and memorable , to trashy and boring . How could they ?

To quote other reviews :

1.) the vhs version runs 103 minutes according to imdb. amazon's listing for the dvd says 102 minutes. that doesn't sound like restored footage. they probably didn't bother to correct the music problem either. it's really too bad. this is one of my all-time favorite films. it would be 5 stars if they got it right.

2.) I agree with Vince Mack and the critics this must be put on DVD in widescreen format with Barry McGuire's music and the 'art cinema' scene where Coburn's character meets Joan Delaney's as well as the weird disembodied-eyeballs sequence. This is an absolute Gem of a movie that needs to be preserved in tact!

Mother's Milk...
I saw this movie on a Saturday night when I was a teen and I roared! Surprisingly, it was almost uncut except for the small amount of nudity in the 'killing fields.' Although dated this film is still hysterical. A 60s black comedy about the reality of the spy business - all to get inside the President's head! Can you imagine a Canadian secret service???? Coburn as the President's analyst is perfect. His wry smiles while he slowly decends into paranoia is unbelievble. The scenes of him being summoned by the Commander in Chief are priceless! Godfrey Cambridge as a black 'license to kill' agent who has 'baggage' from his childhood is a scream. Severn Darden Godfrey's Russian counterpart, despite the fact he is prepared to kill at the drop of his Russian Ushanka is Godfrey's best buddy. The scene with Pat Harrington, Jr. as the phone 'agent' is just over the top!

I agree with Vince Mack and the critics this must be put on DVD in widescreen format with Barry McGuire's music and the 'art cinema' scene where Coburn's character meets Joan Delaney's as well as the weird disembodied-eyeballs sequence. This is an absolute Gem of a movie that needs to be preserved in tact! Additionally since we're talking James Coburn I'd like to see "Waterhole No. 3" another Coburn classic also transferred to DVD!

"That's my car gun."
After his stint starring as the eternally groovy American super spy Derek Flint, "Repeat after me: I am not a pleasure unit." in Our Man Flint (1966) and In Like Flint (1967), James Colburn starred in the wonderfully quirky, funny dark political comedy/thriller The President's Analyst (1967).

Written and directed by Theodore J. Flicker, who also worked on a number of television shows including The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Dream of Jeanie, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The President's Analyst stars James Colburn as Dr. Sidney Schaefer, a New York psychiatrist who finds himself in the position of being chosen to listen to the problems of the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States. At first, it seems like a dream position, but soon Sidney realizes it's a lot more than he can handle, as the President does not make appointments with Sidney, but expects him to be 'on call' 24/7, and signals Sidney whenever he needs him through the use of flashing red signal lights in Sidney's office, his home, and even his soup. As the pressures, odd hours and the extreme weight of the problems shared by the president wear on Sidney, his paranoia grows as he sees spies around every corner. Let's face it, how valuable would the President's analyst be to a foreign, or even friendly, power? Sidney's growing paranoia along with his inability to discuss his own problems with his peers due to possible threats to national security, causes Sidney to have a sort of nervous breakdown, to which he decides to run away, hoping to find a little peace and maybe a way out of the situation. Only problem is, now that Sidney is no longer under the protection of the CEA (Central Enquiries Agency), he is now fair game and a target for practically every intelligence agency in the world, even becoming a target for the FBR (Federal Bureau of Regulations), as they all either desire or fear what he's got in his head.

Colburn is wonderful as the cool and intelligent psychiatrist on the lam, pursued various domestic and foreign powers, some intent on capture, while some intent on killing him. It's funny but even when he's 'freaking out', due the extreme pressures of his position and that of being harassed by kidnappers and assassins, he still seems to maintain a somewhat suave and sophisticated demeanor, rolling with the situations as they come up. Colburn is supported by a really excellent cast here, including Godfrey Cambridge as Don Masters, CEA agent and Severn Darden as Russian agent V.I. Kydor Kropotkin, characters, who, while on different sides, share an affable friendship and respect for each other. Also appearing is Joan Delaney as Nan, Sidney's live-in girlfriend (until the FBR discover Sidney talks in his sleep and move her to a hotel for fears that Sidney may reveal state secrets), Barry McGuire (who penned the perennial 60's anthem Eve of Destruction) as the hippy leader of a band Sidney joins in an effort to lose himself, Walter Burke as the uber-moralistic diminutive, ever suspicious FBR director Henry Lux, and William Daniels (the voice of Kitt on the Knightrider television series) as Wynn Quantrill, the head of a many gun owning (protection against the rabid right wing fascist neighbors) liberal suburban family that, while touring the White House, Sidney deceives into allowing him to leave with them, under the guise of a special presidential project involving learning what the real average American family thinks of the government. He's got one of my favorite lines in the film is when Wynn's son is unloading the car and inquires about bringing in the gun to which Wynn replies something along the lines of, "That's my car gun. My house gun is already in the house, so please return my car gun to the glove compartment." My favorite scene in the film is when Sidney, hiding out with a traveling hippy band, takes an intimate break with a female member of the band in a field of tall grass and flowers and a number of secret agents, who've followed them, meet their demise quietly one after another through various means at the hands of their rivals, as they attempt to kidnap or kill Sidney, all with Sidney and his 'date' not realizing what is going on...

I haven't seen this film before now, and I did notice the IMDb has a run time listed as 103 minutes, while the run time listed here is 102 minutes, suggesting something missing, but I couldn't tell you what. The other reviews seem to indicate a flash of nudity during the make out scene in the field, and a movie theater sequence between Sidney and Nan the hippy chick, but I couldn't say for sure. The music in this release, which is really excellent, is original to the film, which wasn't the case for some previous releases, specifically television versions. I had read another review that stated the film had originally incorporated the anagrams FBI and CIA in the movie, but due to pressures brought by these organizations, they were changed to FBR and CEA, with redubbing after the picture was finished. Apparently, if you pay close attention, you can see the actor's lips mouth FBI and CIA even though the spoken word is different.

The print on this DVD looks clean and crisp in wide screen format, but don't bother looking for any special features, as there are none, not even a theatrical trailer. One odd thing with the case, which I've seen a few times before, is the clasps on the side. You have to unlock them to open the case, which is just a matter of flipping the tabs, but don't try to force it open without manipulating these, as you may damaged the case or even the DVD, and remember, 'Killing is an excellent way of dealing with a hostility problem.'

Cookieman108

great music, over-the-top film
This is a real 60's period piece, in both the good and bad senses of that term. On the debit side, the spy spoof plot is totally goofy and absurdist, perhaps overly so, and the movie jumps all over the place as if it were emulating (poorly) a psychedelic trip. On the plus side, it's got James Coburn, the dialogue is wacky and satirical, it's got a cleverly anti-Establishment thrust (the depiction of G-men as uptight midgets is a hoot), and the music is really great. Other reviewers focused on Barry McGuire, who plays the lead singer in a hippie band, but the real treat is the presence of his "back-up band," played by members of LA group Clear Light, one of the punkier and most hard rocking psychedelic bands of the era. The acid-in-the-punch scene with Clear Light is the high point of the film.

Ah, those changes!
Well, there's good news on DVD. "The President's Analyst" has arrived with its original soundtrack intact -- at least as far as I know. The Barry McGuire music is back, but as far as the "eye ball" sequence that others talk about here, I don't see it. Maybe someone else can describe better what others are talking about and what still may be missing. I think what we have here is the offical release version and this movie is excellent, a wonderful artifact of its era. I'm glad it's finally out on DVD. The 16x9 anamorphic transfer looks great. I'm giving the DVD four stars based on the quality of the movie and its picture transfer (the mono sound is a bit too compressed), but I can't give it five stars because there's no trailer and the movie deserves a commentary track (Hey Paramount Home Entertainment, director Theodore J. Flicker is still alive!), but at least the original music is back...

"The changes that keep going down
And they always will
I can get my fill
If I go along with the changes
That go round and round
It's all there to see
As they come to me
If I go along with the changes..."

Mother's Milk! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Would be a disaster if not for Pam
Pam Grier's magnetic personality and spunky character pretty much save this otherwise outrageously stupid and trashy film. Yaphet Kotto is pretty good too, in a low-key way. Other than that, it has all the stuff that keeps Blaxploitation films form being taken seriously (if they were ever meant to be in the first place). Horrbile acting, atrocious dialogue, cornball story, poorly staged fight scenes, ad nauseum. My parents forbade me from seeing this when it first came out (I was 11 at the time). Now I see why.

Yaphet Kotot does Comedy!?!
"Friday Foster"... Not as good as "Coffy" or "Foxy Brown", but better than "Sheeba, Baby". Pam is good as always, with lots of fairly gratuitous nudity (always a way to turn a bad movie to fair :-)

My big surprise was Yaphet Koto, who gets most of the best lines, and is funny throughout the film. I am always used to him as the stone-faced cop, a la "Across 110th Street" and "Homicide". If I remeber correctly, he gets off the "I'm getting too old for this sh!t," line years before "Lethal Weapon" made it a cliché.

Definitely worth watching for Blaxploitation or Pam Grier fans. If you are not familiar with Pam's earlier work, "Coffy" or "Foxy Brown" should definitely come first.

Pam Grier in Her Lighter Mood
Pam Grier of the 70s will be remembered as Coffy, tough, sexy, no-nonsense heroine who blows her enemy's head away with a shotgun, but as a movie, for all its good, funky soundtrack, "Coffy" was dark and violent. Then, it is a welcome opportunity for her fans to see lighter side of her in "Foxy Brown," in which Pam Grier plays an assistant camera artist who finds some conspiracy going on.

The story has been already told elsewhere, so I won't repeat it here. All I can say is, it is not particularly original, but good enough to keep us interested. But what we should notice in "Friday Foster" is a group of well-cast, talented actors. In addition to Pam Grier, who this time round goes with less tears and nudity, and more smile, is helped by Yaphet Kotto (Michael Clarke Duncan of the 70s) but it is Eartha Kitt as "madame" who steals the show with her flamboyant speech at fashion show. Actions are done in a rather bland way, but still watchable, and watch out Pam Grier steal a black hearse to chase the hitman; she later hits another guy in the head with a bottle full of milk!! Especially recommended to beginners of the genre as starting point of blaxploitaion films.

Slam, Bam, Thank You, Pam!
There are only two special features on this DVD, and they both belong to Pam Grier. And that's reason enough to buy it! She has two nude scenes in this lackluster blaxploitation thriller that largely fails to thrill, and her sparkle is the only spark here. A good cast, including Jim Backus, Earha Kitt, Carl Weathers, Scatman Crothers, and Yaphet Kotto, is wasted here, but they try their best with what they're given. The movie is in widescreen and the image quality is excellent. There's the movie trailer and a scene and language selector, and that's it. For '70s blaxploitation genre fans and Pam Grier fans only, but that's quite a large audience!

Good Solid Film
Pam Grier Is Solid in this Film&She Looks as Fine as Always.This Film Captures The 70's Vibe Really well.ALot OF Action&Laughs through out.Godfrey Cambridge had me Rolling.After watching Him in Watermellon MAn or Cotton Comes To Harlem this is a Real Interesting Role.Carl Weathers went on to do Rocky 1,2&3.Yaphet Kotto a Great Actor who Has Done well in Both T.V.&Film.&Ted Lange who Played Issac on The Love Boat.it was a Very Important Time Period For Black Films.FOrget what The Critics Say these Films Kept Hollywood Rolling&Paved The Way for The Future.Worth Seeking Out.Their has Never Been Another Actress Like PAM GRIER.SHE IS ONE OF A KIND. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A terrific black-sploitation film!
I watched this movie late one Saturday night and have not been able to get it out of my head ever since. The pastel colors and the soundtrack were terrific. Even though I am a white man, there for making me the victim of this movie, I simply loved it! It seems that other members of my race did not seem to enjoy it as well as I did, but the fact is, you have to look past the fact that this movie really is "politically incorrect." I really am not much of a judge on how black people are treated today, but I know that this film really showed me how different my own life would be if I were a black man livingin the late-sixties/early-seventies. It just proves that all that we in the magical world of white were really true. We actually were exploiting these people, just for the color of their skin. Maybe, just maybe, the world isn't such a pretty place after all. Great film! I whole-heartedly recommend it.

One of the best films ever made!!!!
I am sure that a better film depicting the stereotypes that, we as black people must endure will never be made. It was truly a cinematic breakthrough. Considering the time that the film was made in, I am surprised that it was allowed to be made especially by the movie company that produced it. Godfrey Cambridge was sheer genius in this film. The kids were worth watching. I never laughed at any other movie as much as a laughed at this satire.

True to Life
How people feel about themselves and how they percieve others is portrayed with humor, but accurately.
Thoughts and desires surface making evident where people stand. This is a good time movie with a message. What that message is depends on where you are in the Human Race.

A ground-breaking must see!
The first time I saw this movie was back in the late 70's. At that time I felt that every American should see this movie. Now, over 20 years later, I still hold to that belief. Why, because this is a classic movie that skilfully mixes a message with a great story and wonderful performances all the way around. A movie like this would probably not get the "green light" from a major studio today. Godfrey Cambridge plays Jeff Gerber, the bigoted insurance salesman living in happy seclusion in suburbia. One night he goes to bed an average white guy, and the next day he wakes up an african american and truly a rasin in the sun. Versions of this storyline have been utilized before (from James Whitmore in "Black Like Me" to that really bad C. Thomas Howell move), but none can hold a candle to the artistry of this movie. It will make you laugh out loud while simultaneously making you think about yourself and your own values. It will take you through the journey of one man's struggle for self acceptance, and leave you asking why eveyone else couldn't get over themselves like he had to. On top of that, it is very clever and will drop subtle hints early in the movie that are easliy missed untill referred to later (like Jeff Gerber's full name, Jefferson Washington Gerber). Melvin Van Peebles (yes Mario's father for the uninitiated) is fully on his game for this movie, and he coaxes superior performances out of the cast.
If you are white, watch it with a person of color and talk about it after the movie is over. It will probably be one of the most powerful conversations you have ever had. If you're african american, just watch the film and prepare for a great deal of identification and head shaking. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

HIDDEN?
So, why isn't this available on DVD?

a WONDROUS journey through discrimination - funny, sad, and neglected!

Brave attempt for 1970!

Find this one and appreciate the fun and struggle!

ps. Halle Berry - remake? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lonnie (Johnny Whitaker) has a dog he wants to train as a bird-dog, buthis father Harve (Earl Holliman) thinks the dog is not trainable and gives itaway. Lonnie teams up with his best friend Text (George Spell) to get the dogback in this straightforward Disney film. They name it Moreover and before long,they've managed to teach it a thing or two--enough to make it a seriouschallenger to Harve's own dog in a local bird-dog competition. Then amisunderstood joke leads to trouble, and the boys have to choose between loyaltyto family and their love for their dog. The Biscuit Eater isn't one ofDisney's top films; by contemporary standards it's slow, and the emphasis onhunting birds may upset young viewers. However, others may find its tale ofdetermination and racial harmony appealing. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

excellent movie, but terrible DVD conversion.
First, this DVD is clearly a translation from video, not film. There is no widescreen option. When playing on a high-resolution monitor or television, the scanlines are very noticeable. To top it off though, there are frequently visible artifacts in the movie, which are especially annoying when fading in and out of scenes. In fact, the volume name of the DVD is even misspelled - "BISQUIT_EATER"! I'm really surprised that Disney let this kind of shoddy work make it to market. It must have been a real fly-by-night translation service that they used.

Disney's Best Dog Film
In my opinion, this is Disney's best Dog film and my personal favorite of all Disney films. Based on a short story of the same title, Disney edits the film version to make it more fun for children, primarily by letting the dog live in the end of the film adaptation.

The Biscuit eater is a story of two boys, one black and one white, who jointly own and train the protagonist-a bird dog-with the hope of running it in the Grand National Field Trials at the Ames Plantation. Overcoming many obstacles, the dog and the boys persevere and learn valuable lessons along the way. There are beautiful images of the dogs pointing bobwhite quail and the subsequent covey rises.

The Biscuit Eater is also a story from the "Old Disney." Hence, critics who lament the direction the company has gone in recent years will love this older film digitally mastered on DVD.

warm and fuzzy
The story moves a little slow, but it is more like a slow hammock than a boring slow. Good family fare from a tough period for Disney in the grim years after Walt's death.

A Real Classic
Heartwarming and engrossing tale of two boys, one white, the other black, both poor and both determined to prove they can train a dog that their parent's think is worthless. ... Read more