Young couple Isaac and Christella (Glynn Turman and Joan Pringle) celebrate their friends' first anniversary together by accompanying them to a New Orleans titty bar (who said romance is dead?), followed by a hypnotist show in which Isaac participates; during the show, the amiable young man becomes host to the spirit of 1940s hustler J.D. Walker (David McKnight) who was shot dead after wrongfully being accused of murdering of his sister. Periodically taking over Isaac's body, J.D sets about getting revenge...
Why do vengeful spirits wait so long before taking action? It's over thirty years before J.D. decides to get even - what has he been doing in the meantime? Still, without this delay, we wouldn't have been able to witness Isaac's hilarious transformation from 70s disco-dancing taxi-driver/aspiring lawyer into conk-haired, besuited, fedora-wearing, razor-slashing J.D. Walker. Turman is an absolute blast as the sneering hoodlum, strutting his stuff, talking jive slang, picking up floozies, and being a real jerk to Christella. It's not exactly an Oscar worthy performance, but it sure is unforgettable.
Also acting his little socks off is Lou Gossett Jr. as evangelical preacher Rev. Elija Bliss, whose sermons are energetic to say the least. Director Arthur Marks' handling of proceedings is fairly unremarkable -- there's not a lot in the way of real scares or atmosphere -- but with such lively central characters, a smattering of nudity, and lots of bright red blood (J.D. gets busy with his razor on several occasions), this Blaxploitation/horror hybrid is too much fun to ignore.
6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the laughs!
Why do vengeful spirits wait so long before taking action? It's over thirty years before J.D. decides to get even - what has he been doing in the meantime? Still, without this delay, we wouldn't have been able to witness Isaac's hilarious transformation from 70s disco-dancing taxi-driver/aspiring lawyer into conk-haired, besuited, fedora-wearing, razor-slashing J.D. Walker. Turman is an absolute blast as the sneering hoodlum, strutting his stuff, talking jive slang, picking up floozies, and being a real jerk to Christella. It's not exactly an Oscar worthy performance, but it sure is unforgettable.
Also acting his little socks off is Lou Gossett Jr. as evangelical preacher Rev. Elija Bliss, whose sermons are energetic to say the least. Director Arthur Marks' handling of proceedings is fairly unremarkable -- there's not a lot in the way of real scares or atmosphere -- but with such lively central characters, a smattering of nudity, and lots of bright red blood (J.D. gets busy with his razor on several occasions), this Blaxploitation/horror hybrid is too much fun to ignore.
6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for the laughs!