Description: Tougher than Shaft and smoother than Superfly, this high-voltage sequel to Black Caesar explodes with enough action to incinerate New York City. Packed with machine-gun mayhem and riveting adventure, Hell up in Harlem is nothing less than a modern-day tribute to the classic 30s gangster film. Fred Williamson (Original Gangstas) is Tommy Gibbs, a fearless, bulletproof tough guy who blasts his way from the gutter to become the ultimate soul brother boss. When he steals a ledger with the name of every crooked cop and official on the mob's payroll, he becomes the most hunted man in the city. Enlisting the aid of his father and an army of Harlem hoods, Gibbs goes from defense to offense, launching a deadly attack on his enemies that sets off a violent chain reaction from Harlem all the way to the Caribbean, climaxing in one of the hottest turf-war shoot-outs in Hollywood history.
Amazon.com: Fred Williamson returns as Tommy Gibbs, the self-styled Godfather of Harlem in Larry Cohen's quickly made sequel to the low-budget Black Caesar. The film opens with a different perspective on the finale from the earlier film, this time with Gibbs surviving an assassination attempt with the help of his estranged father (Julius Harris), who becomes Tommy's new chief lieutenant in his rebuilt organization. Tommy takes his revenge on those who set him up but faces a new threat from within as the corrupt DA partners with an ambitious gang member to take Tommy down. It's not going to be as easy as they think. Shooting on NYC streets and locations, Cohen punches up the slim rise-and-fall/revenge story line with gritty action, a driving pace, and edgy, always-on-the-move, hand-held camera work. The production feels rushed at times and the performances don't have the energy of the previous film, but Cohen doesn't give you much time to think about it with his speeding plot and machine-gun editing, moved along nicely with help from Edwin Starr's funky score. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - This Sequel to Black Caesar Fails to Measure-Up
Hell Up In Harlem is a sequel to Black Caesar. Black Caesar, clearly "inspired by" the classic gangster film, Little Caesar, showed the evolution of Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson) from errand boy for the mob to Black Godfather of Harlem. It was never in any danger of winning an Oscar, but it was a classic blaxploitation movie and well worth seeing.
You had to suspend your disbelief a little to enjoy it, (the Black Gangsters are better than the Italian ones at everything, including speaking Sicilian and if the Mafia was as bumbling as they are shown in these films, it seems like ... Read More
Rating: - Freddie Gibbs is Back ! ! !
This was the infinitely more popular sequal to BLACK CAESAR (American International Films and Blaxploitation's answer to THE GODFATHER.) In truth, BLACK CAESAR is really where the story is at... but HELL UP IN HARLEM is a lot more visually exciting in terms of costumes and action. Basically it takes up where CAESAR ended finding every loose string it could, and using them for HK style movie cut fast paced action and chase scenes. As for the soundtrack... you can get it on CD now(!) CEASAR's soundtrack was by JB - - but I think Edwin Starr actually gave him a good run for his money capturing ... Read More
Rating: - Pathetic piece of trash...I'd rather see Amos and Andy or Beulah.
I mean this stuff was horrible. The minute the man put the gun up to the little boy's temple, I was out of this picture and I mean way out. That kind of stuff should have been edited out of this pic. And speaking of the editing, this picture was edited to not make sense by having certain scenes that have nothing to do with the premise of the film to sadly become a part of this abysmal movie. On the dvd's special feature as to how the film was made, the director, Mr. Cohen stated that the editor doesn't include this picture on his resume and rightfully so. This picture was a disgrace to filmmaking ... Read More
Rating: - Have A Cigar
Hell Up In Harlem w/Fred "The Hammer" Williamson and directed by the one and only, Larry Cohen! If that alone doesn't make you hit the purchase button, then the hell with ya. Harlem continues pretty much immediately after Black Caesar left off. The very last scene in Caesar is changed a bit-he's no longer beaten by a mob-in order to continue the story. Tommy still has the list of corrupt officials, and naturally the corrupt officials still want the thing. Tommy's dad, a minor character in the first film, is now a major player as he goes through a big change from humble old guy to big city crime ... Read More
Rating: - CLASSIC FRED WILLIAMSON!!!!
THIS is an awesome movie and I would truly recommend this to any Fred Williamson fan who enjoys his movies and I loved this movie it was pretty good Julius W. Harris and Gloria Hendry returns also and she is a very beautiful woman and they are very good legendary actors and actresses and this movie is really good I would really recommend Tommy Gibbs falls in love again with a minister by the name of Jennifer and may I also add that this is a nice soundtrack also this time this soundtrack is done by Edwin Starr and this is the sequel to Black Caesar !!!!h
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