The Bus Is Coming

The Bus Is Coming is a 1971 American drama film, directed by Wendell James Franklin, starring Mike B. Simms and Burl Bullock. This Blaxploitation film also goes by the name Ghetto Revenge.[1]

The Bus Is Coming
Ghetto Revenge
Directed byWendell James Franklin
Written byHorace Jackson
Produced byHorace Jackson
Herbert H. Dow
Starring
  • Mike B. Simms
  • Burl Bullock
CinematographyMike Rhodes
Edited byDonald R. Rode
Music byTom McIntosh
Production
company
K-Calb Productions
Distributed byWilliam Thompson Productions Incorporated
Release date
1971
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The film is about the death of a prominent Black community member Joe Mitchell, who served on the school board.[2] "The Black Fist," a local black power political organization wants to hold a rally in response to Mitchell's death because the "town must pay it's dues".[2] Billy Mitchell, Joe's brother returns from the Vietnam War and investigates Joe's death.[2] He becomes aware of a gang of racist cops, and eventually joins The Black Fist group to seek revenge.[2]

Cast
  • Mike B. Simms as Billy Mitchell
  • Burl Bullock as Michael
  • Stephanie Faulkner as Tanya
  • Morgan Jones as Tim Naylor
  • Robert Brubaker as Chief Jackson
  • Sandra Reed as Miss Nickerson

Reception

Howard Thompson of The New York Times called the film "strong, probing and impressively balanced".[3] TV Guide wrote that the film "manages to address the racial issues while telling an interesting, albeit melodramatic story."[4]

Richard Leary of The Village Voice called the acting "amateurish", the direction "pedestrian", and the production "shoe-string".[5] John Little of The Pittsburgh Press called the film "angry" and wrote that "the anger overcomes the effort".[6] Sharon Scott of The Pittsburgh Courier wrote a negative review of the film.[2]

References
  1. Walker, David; Rausch, Andrew J.; Watson, Chris (2009). Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak. Scarecrow Press. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-8108-6706-2.
  2. Scott, Sharon (4 December 1971). "'The Bus Is Coming'". The Pittsburgh Courier. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  3. Thompson, Howard (20 November 1971). "The Bus Is Coming' Is Engrossing". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  4. "The Bus Is Coming Reviews". TV Guide. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. Leary, Richard (16 December 1971). "'They shall rise up like eagles'". The Village Voice. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  6. Little, John (4 January 1972). "'Bus' Runs Gamut Of Town's Racism". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.