Rugged ex-Green Beret Slaughter (excellently played with mucho smooth macho aplomb by football great Jim Brown) goes to South America to exact a harsh revenge on the gangsters who killed his parents. Slaughter locks horns with coarse, nasty, racist mob boss Hoffo (a deliciously odious Rip Torn) and romances Hoffo's sweet'n'sexy moll Ann (a charming performance by the breathtakingly beautiful Stella Stevens, who has a splendidly steamy gratuitous shower nude scene). 70's drive-in movie maestro Jack ("Race With the Devil") Starrett directs with his customary tight'n'brisk streamlined efficiency: the snappy pace rarely lets up for a minute, the copious action scenes are vigorous and exciting, there's no pretense to speak of, and the violence is startlingly raw and brutal (Brown really seems to enjoy pounding on various extras with his fists during the ferocious hand-to-hand fight sequences). Kudos are also in order for the stellar supporting cast: Don Gordon as Slaughter's antsy, bumbling partner Harry, Marlene Clark as pesky government agent Kim, Norman Alfe as wise, gravel-voiced Mafia kingpin Mario, and Cameron Mitchell as a huffy treasury inspector. Luchi De Jesus' funky score, Rosalio Solano's slick cinematography (the frequent use of the fish-eye lens is very groovy), Billy Preston's awesomely hip'n'ripping theme song, and a couple of smoking hot interracial love scenes with Brown and Stevens further enhance the overall sterling quality of this on the money solid and satisfying vintage down'n'dirty 70's blaxploitation blast.
Review of Slaughter
