Actor David McKnight, best known for his lead role in the 1976 blaxploitation horror movie J.D.’s Revenge, as well as brief parts in TV hits such as The Commish and Boston Legal, has died. He was 87. According to his friend and publicist Cynthia Busby, per The Hollywood Reporter, McKnight passed away on Sunday (December 3) in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a battle with cancer. Born on July 2, 1936, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, McKnight served in the U.S. Army and worked as a police officer before he began his acting career. One of his first on-screen roles came in 1970 when he starred on Wttw Chicago’s Birds of the Iron Feather, the first all-Black TV soap opera. His career took off from there, appearing in films such as The Candidate (1972) and Lifeguard (1976) before landing the lead role of J.D. Walker in Arthur Marks’ cult favorite J.D.’s Revenge in 1976. Throughout the 1980s, McKnight featured in various TV series,...
- 12/8/2023
- TV Insider
David McKnight, whose film resume included starring as the lead in the blaxploitation horror movie J.D.’s Revenge, as well as Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle and The Five Heartbeats, died Sunday at age 87.
McKnight passed from cancer in Las Vegas, according to reports.
The actor was a TV staple in various character roles, appearing on Kojak, Hill Street Blues, The Incredible Hulk, Dynasty and Benson, among other shows.
In J.D.’s Revenge (1976), McKnight played a deceased New Orleans hustler who takes over the body of a college student (Glynn Turman) and goes after the man who murdered him and his sister 30 years earlier.
McKnight was hired to play Uncle Ray in Townsend’s The Hollywood Shuffle, playing a singer turned barber who encourages Townsend’s Bobby Taylor to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.
McKnight went on to portray Pastor Stone in the Townsend-directed The Five Heartbeats (1991) and was the...
McKnight passed from cancer in Las Vegas, according to reports.
The actor was a TV staple in various character roles, appearing on Kojak, Hill Street Blues, The Incredible Hulk, Dynasty and Benson, among other shows.
In J.D.’s Revenge (1976), McKnight played a deceased New Orleans hustler who takes over the body of a college student (Glynn Turman) and goes after the man who murdered him and his sister 30 years earlier.
McKnight was hired to play Uncle Ray in Townsend’s The Hollywood Shuffle, playing a singer turned barber who encourages Townsend’s Bobby Taylor to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.
McKnight went on to portray Pastor Stone in the Townsend-directed The Five Heartbeats (1991) and was the...
- 12/8/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
David McKnight, who portrayed the title character in the cult blaxploitation horror classic J.D.’s Revenge and appeared in Hollywood Shuffle and The Five Heartbeats for Robert Townsend, has died. He was 87.
McKnight died Sunday of cancer in Las Vegas, his friend and publicist Cynthia Busby told The Hollywood Reporter.
McKnight also showed up on dozens of TV shows, from Kojak, Hill Street Blues, The Incredible Hulk, Dynasty and Benson to Moonlighting, 227, Roc, L.A. Law and The District.
In the New Orleans-set J.D.’s Revenge (1976), directed by Arthur Marks, McKnight played a deceased hustler who takes over the body of a college student (Glynn Turman) and goes after the man who murdered him and his sister 30 years earlier.
In a 2018 interview, McKnight said that he first met Townsend when the first-time feature filmmaker was putting together Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and offered him advice.
He was then hired to play Uncle Ray,...
McKnight died Sunday of cancer in Las Vegas, his friend and publicist Cynthia Busby told The Hollywood Reporter.
McKnight also showed up on dozens of TV shows, from Kojak, Hill Street Blues, The Incredible Hulk, Dynasty and Benson to Moonlighting, 227, Roc, L.A. Law and The District.
In the New Orleans-set J.D.’s Revenge (1976), directed by Arthur Marks, McKnight played a deceased hustler who takes over the body of a college student (Glynn Turman) and goes after the man who murdered him and his sister 30 years earlier.
In a 2018 interview, McKnight said that he first met Townsend when the first-time feature filmmaker was putting together Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and offered him advice.
He was then hired to play Uncle Ray,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stars: Kenon Walker, Jessica Jai Johnson, Michael Gordon III, Coley Bryant, Brandon Russell, Brandon Person, K.J. Baker, Keith Lamont Johnson, Tarsha Gibson | Written and Directed by Jaron Lockridge
As The Reaper Man begins, Joseph (Kenon Walker) and Jessica (Jessica Jai Johnson) are having a very bad day. First, they find out that they’ve been approved for a home loan, only to find out minutes later that a better offer, one they can’t match, has been made on the property. They return home disappointed only to walk in on Marcus (Michael Gordon III), Josh (Coley Bryant), Nick (Brandon Russell) and Brandon (Brandon Person) in the midst of robbing it. In the ensuing panic, Joseph is killed and Jessica is injured. In the days following the killing, Detectives Casey (K.J. Baker) and Brown (Keith Lamont Johnson) are trying their best to solve the case, but someone keeps killing the...
As The Reaper Man begins, Joseph (Kenon Walker) and Jessica (Jessica Jai Johnson) are having a very bad day. First, they find out that they’ve been approved for a home loan, only to find out minutes later that a better offer, one they can’t match, has been made on the property. They return home disappointed only to walk in on Marcus (Michael Gordon III), Josh (Coley Bryant), Nick (Brandon Russell) and Brandon (Brandon Person) in the midst of robbing it. In the ensuing panic, Joseph is killed and Jessica is injured. In the days following the killing, Detectives Casey (K.J. Baker) and Brown (Keith Lamont Johnson) are trying their best to solve the case, but someone keeps killing the...
- 4/20/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
No two ways about it: April’s a great month for the Criterion Channel, which (among other things; more in a second) adds two recent favorites. We’re thrilled at the SVOD premiere of Hamaguchi’s entrancing Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, our #3 of 2021, and Bruno Dumont’s lacerating France, featuring Léa Seydoux’s finest performance yet.
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
- 3/25/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
It might be a Netflix world, but there are plenty of other competitive streaming platforms offering home viewing options that are more bountiful than ever before. Amazon Prime is one of them and, just like Netflix, the streamer offers a library of films, both old and new, that have become increasingly diverse over the years. However, it can still be a difficult task for any discerning viewer, specifically those looking for Black films, to sift through the deluge.
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television series worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
The ’60s and ’70s are especially well-represented on this month’s list of 10 picks,...
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television series worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
The ’60s and ’70s are especially well-represented on this month’s list of 10 picks,...
- 7/14/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Prolific producer and director Arthur Marks, who worked on “Perry Mason” and blaxploitation movies including “Detroit 9000” and “Friday Foster,” has died. He was 92.
Marks died Nov. 13 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. His son, “Narcos” producer Paul Marks, confirmed his passing to Variety.
Marks was a native of Los Angeles who was born in 1927 into a show business family. His grandparents were actors in silent pictures and his father, Dave Marks, worked as an MGM assistant director and production manager who worked on “The Wizard of Oz” and “Easter Parade.” Arthur Marks worked as a child actor, getting work as an extra and bit player on “The Good Earth” (1937), “Boys Town” (1938) and Mickey Rooney’s Andy Hardy series.
Marks joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy during World War II and served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He began working in the production department at MGM,...
Marks died Nov. 13 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. His son, “Narcos” producer Paul Marks, confirmed his passing to Variety.
Marks was a native of Los Angeles who was born in 1927 into a show business family. His grandparents were actors in silent pictures and his father, Dave Marks, worked as an MGM assistant director and production manager who worked on “The Wizard of Oz” and “Easter Parade.” Arthur Marks worked as a child actor, getting work as an extra and bit player on “The Good Earth” (1937), “Boys Town” (1938) and Mickey Rooney’s Andy Hardy series.
Marks joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy during World War II and served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He began working in the production department at MGM,...
- 11/23/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
This November, Arrow Video is giving horror fans a lot to be thankful for with several Blu-ray releases that are highly anticipated, including the George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn collection and the Hellraiser 30th anniversary SteelBook, and we have full release details on both holiday wish list items:
Press Release: Winter chills just mean that it's November, and Arrow Video are set to heat things up with a George Romero box set, a blaxploitation chiller, classic horror in steelbook form, a modern-day Russian black comedy, and a cult thriller directed by Steve Buscemi! With plenty of lavish packaging and limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors!
Legendary horror cinema innovator, George A Romero, is responsible for arguably the most influential zombie films of all time. But he doesn't just make undead epics, and the three films collected here in the box set George Romero...
Press Release: Winter chills just mean that it's November, and Arrow Video are set to heat things up with a George Romero box set, a blaxploitation chiller, classic horror in steelbook form, a modern-day Russian black comedy, and a cult thriller directed by Steve Buscemi! With plenty of lavish packaging and limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors!
Legendary horror cinema innovator, George A Romero, is responsible for arguably the most influential zombie films of all time. But he doesn't just make undead epics, and the three films collected here in the box set George Romero...
- 11/2/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Ganja & Hess (1973) was no doubt intended by its producers to capitalize on the success of the previous year's Blacula, but they must have realized after viewing just the first few minutes what is obvious to anybody: Bill Gunn had produced an offbeat, arthouse indie film expressing a unique personal sensibility.
The film played Cannes, the only American production to do so that year, but was roundly ignored or condescended to by the American press. Gunn was dismissive of the press coverage: "Another critic wondered where was the race problem. If he looks closely, he will find it in his own review." Subsequently the film was re-cut and escaped under a variety of demeaning titles (Black Evil, Black Vampire, etc.). The small sub-set of about ten blaxploitation films with horror themes are quite interesting but remarkably homogenous: only Blackenstein and Ganja & Hess move differently, the former because it's beyond incompetent, the...
The film played Cannes, the only American production to do so that year, but was roundly ignored or condescended to by the American press. Gunn was dismissive of the press coverage: "Another critic wondered where was the race problem. If he looks closely, he will find it in his own review." Subsequently the film was re-cut and escaped under a variety of demeaning titles (Black Evil, Black Vampire, etc.). The small sub-set of about ten blaxploitation films with horror themes are quite interesting but remarkably homogenous: only Blackenstein and Ganja & Hess move differently, the former because it's beyond incompetent, the...
- 8/15/2012
- MUBI
By Matt Singer
By this point, we're all familiar with "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" and "Superfly" and "Shaft," we know all about Pam Greer and Fred Williamson and Jim Brown. But the 1970s produced dozens and dozens of blaxploitation films beyond the handful that have come to stand-in for the entire genre. Many were formulaic, some were downright terrible, but a lot were a cut above. These four uniquely superb blaxploitation films, largely forgotten to history, deserve rediscovery by new audiences and fresh eyes.
"Across 110th Street" (1972)
Directed by Barry Shear
Some 30 years before the groundbreaking crime series "The Wire," an unassuming blaxploitation picture covered similar territory with much the same complexity, albeit on a much smaller scale and with significantly fewer critical accolades. Both were shot in real locations with local actors; both draw parallels between the structure and politics of the underworld and the police force. Often in "Across 110th Street,...
By this point, we're all familiar with "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" and "Superfly" and "Shaft," we know all about Pam Greer and Fred Williamson and Jim Brown. But the 1970s produced dozens and dozens of blaxploitation films beyond the handful that have come to stand-in for the entire genre. Many were formulaic, some were downright terrible, but a lot were a cut above. These four uniquely superb blaxploitation films, largely forgotten to history, deserve rediscovery by new audiences and fresh eyes.
"Across 110th Street" (1972)
Directed by Barry Shear
Some 30 years before the groundbreaking crime series "The Wire," an unassuming blaxploitation picture covered similar territory with much the same complexity, albeit on a much smaller scale and with significantly fewer critical accolades. Both were shot in real locations with local actors; both draw parallels between the structure and politics of the underworld and the police force. Often in "Across 110th Street,...
- 2/12/2009
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
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