DVD Release
Woe is blaxploitation! WOE IS BLAXPLOITATION! Man, a brotha just can’t catch a break these days! Whatever happened to the Dolemite’s, Shaft’s and Nigger Charlie’s? Anytime you see what may look like solid blaxploitation, it just ends up being nothing more than glorified rap music videos. Is I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Afro Samurai and Jackie Brown the only worthwhile shit we’re ever gonna get? Sorry folks but I’ll take Super Fly and Black Caesar over Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan any day of the week.
When I came across Gold Digger Killer I must admit I was intrigued. It didn’t take a Ph.D to figure out what it was going to be about so I figured at the very least I’d get some bad ass black girl nudity and some bloodshed.
Turns out GDK did offer up some bloodshed but on a sleaze scale of 1 to 10, this film fits somewhere between 0.5 and 1. No beautiful black nipples…no hypnotizing bootyshakes…man there wasn’t even a few sistas in Arabian Harem outfits! As I began watching the film I realized that this wasn’t some throw back to the blaxploitation of old, nor was it some silly promotional vehicle for rappers…nope…IT WAS A PROMOTIONAL VEHICLE FOR SLAM POETS.
*sigh*
Imani is a “down for her man” type gal that’s working her way through school as well as supporting her man while he attends law school. Big problems arise though when her car breaks down and she’s unable to attend work. Jobless and tired of her man not helping out, Imani agrees to go to the club with some of her chickenhead girlfriends and blow off some steam. It doesn’t take long before Flip and his playas roll up on Imani and her girls and offer them drinks.
When she arrives home later that night Imani and her man get into an argument and he packs up and heads for the dorms leaving her to fend for herself. She decides there’s no reason why she shouldn’t go party with Flip now so she calls him up and lets him know she’d love to go but she’s got nothing to wear…HINT HINT.
The next day while leaving the mall Imani runs into her ex-boyfriend who plays grab ass with her for a few minutes before she finally blows him off for good. She wants nothing to do with a man that can’t take care of her but her effort was a little too late and one of Flip’s boys sees everything. Old boy calls Flip to let him know what the “gold digging bitch” is up to and it’s a done deal.
Dressed to impress, Imani and Flip arrive at the hotel where his peoples are partying and she’s offered a drink. Not long after downing her shot though she gets woozy and passes out only to fade in and out of consciousness as Flip and his boys rape her. Left bloody and unconscious, poor Imani is discovered by the hotel manager who also proceeds to berate, and brutally rape, the drugged up young woman. Thinking he’s gotten away with his crime the oblivious manager strolls from the room and never realizes the unstable victim is following him with a bottle until it’s too late.
The experience has changed her. She’s soon trolling the clubs and streets in search of men to take out her vengeance on and nobody is safe! The Gold Digger Killer is on the move! Can Det. William learn to be a playa in order to catch the killer or will he unknowingly become the next victim of her bloody street justice?
Gold Digger Killer really wasn’t a bad movie at all but, in my opinion, its biggest fault is that it plays everything too safe. With a bit more brutality and nudity this could have been quite the little rape/revenge shocker but it never pushes any boundaries and ends up feeling tame. It was fairly obvious to see Jeff Carroll was attempting to address the issues of unhealthy obsession with material wealth and the lack of commitment within the black community but it came off awkward and occasionally stilted. I kept feeling like Carroll and director Roderick Giles were doing their best to create a relevant film with a message for the black community without stepping on too many toes.
The acting wasn’t bad though some of the dialogue sounded a bit wooden at times. No biggie, that happens with low budget films. I will say this though, concerning the dialogue, white viewers unfamiliar with the slang currently spoken by the Hip Hop & urban crowds may find themselves scratching their heads wondering what was just said. *shrugs* You’ll either understand it or won’t and that’s totally understandable.
I know I shouldn’t be so uptight about this film featuring the slam poets and shit but it just felt like so much blatant promotion. That’s on me though.
Gold Digger Killer is predictable, conflicted and safe. For a film about a rape victim murdering men over their sexual advances and disregard for her feelings, I just wasn’t all that blown away. I wasn’t in the slightest bit revolted, disgusted or shocked and that means mediocre and uneventful.
