Blu-ray Review – Solomon King

The success of the Blaxploitation subgenre inspired many filmmakers to try to participate in the gold rush, working with whatever they could to slap together a sellable product for a specific audience. 1974's "Solomon King" is an example of such small-time ambition, with writer/director/star Sal Watts trying to shape his own starring vehicle, delivering a valentine to his personal style and swagger. In the era of "Shaft" and "Superfly," "Solomon King" doesn't offer much craft or substance, though it remains a determined backyard production, with Watts using his homebase of Oakland to the best of his ability, trying to transform a section of the city into a global incident. He doesn't exactly succeed, but the randomness of the endeavor is something to behold. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com