Rated X
I've never seen this but I remember when it was first released to theaters in 1975 it was rated X. It must've been pretty violent.
shareI saw it in the movie theater when it came out under the title Bogart. I beleive it received a X rating due to some of the sex scenes not the violence.
shareDear e-m: I didn't see BLACK FIST in theaters in '75, but I just watched it last night on the old Harmony Vision video release from 1985.
On the tape I watched there really isn't any explicit sex scenes, though there is some topless nudity. Lots of violence, though, and the 'n' word must be used 30 times or more -- by seemingly every male member of the cast.
I thought it was a good movie. Heck, Philip Michael Thomas plays 2 roles.
-CG
Im sure the Harmony Vision version on dvd is edited. In a fanzine article on black cinema, a few little known actors who played parts in other blaxploitation movies claimed to have parts in the original that were edited out of the dvd version so there was probably a more forbidden version.
I thought that was Thomas in two roles. I wasn't sure because it was just so unusual to see an unknown actor (at that time) playing two prominent roles in any film.
Dear oxblood: It's really hard to tell what might or might not be cut out, but the HARMONY VISION tape I have was released in 1982.
One thing's for sure -- there's no violence cut out. There's tons of violence and I've yet to notice any jump cuts or anything. Especially when Philip Michael Thomas, who was playing "Boom-Boom" at the time, gets the holy hell beat out of him in a mens room by both Richard Lawson and Ed Rue.
Ouch!
There could be a version with more sex, but I can't imagine a version with more violence.
-CG
The film is available on the St. Clair Vision's "Black Action Cinema" DVD box-set. It may have been taken from the Harmony Vision VHS tape.
shareDear jimp: I'd bet it was taken from a VHS tape. Maybe the old HARMONY VISION tape. Ya never know. There were a number of EP mode tapes released of BLACK FIST as well so it's hard to tell what the "master" source was for St. Clair Vision's release. -CG
shareI know I'm 3 years late responding (lol) but as I recall there was a explicit (non hardcore) nude sex scene with Fist and Logan white girlfriend. One shot showed them both naked and him laying between her legs grinding away. Tamed by todays standards but back then it was way beyond an R rating. This was more than a sex scene edited out, a whole storyline was edited out with him and her being in a relationship. I agree with others, when a lot of these old movies are released on video they can be edited severely. I just found it online under the title Black Fist at archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/BlackFist
It's edited. I remember reading somewhere years ago that many white and black feminist groups were complaining about sexism in these type of movies. To pacify them they edited out many sex scenes that women's groups might find offensive.
Dear ebony_man2001: HI. >>> I do remember a white gal that gave Richard Lawson a good look-over when he first meets Logan. If I recall correctly she was wearing a tight blue pantsuit (or maybe it was peach-colored).
Too bad that storyline was cut out. I dig those '70s movies.
ALSO -- remember WILLIE DYNAMITE from '74? Those outfits Roscoe Orman was wearing were outtasight! :)
I wish there was a video release of a completely un-cut version of BLACK FIST / FIST / BOGARD / THE BLACK STREETFIGHTER.
Funny the movie is listed under 'BOGARD' 'cause there's no one in the movie with that name!
Until next time. Regards, CARTER GORMAN, InvasionofPALs
I saw this just the other night as part of a double feature with Tattoo Connection (starring Jim Kelly). It was the Black Fist version.
Star Richard Lawson showed up unannounced and did an impromptu intro and Q&A. He said when he made the movie they filmed two movies at once, Bogard and Get Fisk. He said Bogard was the first movie to be rated X for violence. According to him a couple weeks after Bogard was released it was pulled from theaters because it was discovered that the director had financed it illegally. Later some producers purchased the film and cut it together with Get Fisk and called it Black Fist.
Lawson prefers the Bogard version saying it was harder, edgier and sexier. This version probably contains the slightly more explicit sex scenes that are referenced in this thread.
The two movies being spliced together explains the two director credits and the two roles being played by one actor.