If I described this one as a “mid-1970s horror flick about a young black law student possessed by the spirit of an old ghetto gangster,” you’d probably be expecting a bloody and mindless gore-fest. Alas, such is not the case with the 1976 thriller J.D.’s Revenge, an intermittently engaging movie that certainly would have been improved with a bit more ‘blood and mindless gore.’ While it marks an admirable attempt at a ‘legitimate’ horror flick, this film suffers from simply too much talk and not enough jolts.
Glynn Turman plays Ike, a mild-mannered and dedicated law student who unwisely allows himself to be hypnotized during a particularly hokey nightclub act. While under a trance, Ike’s body is possessed by the soul of vicious 1940s gangster J.D. Walker. Much of the film is dedicated to Walker’s untimely demise though the use of oft-repeated flashbacks. J.D. makes his unpleasant presence known at the most inopportune times, and Ike’s stalwart girlfriend often ends up on the receiving end of J.D.’s manic “bitchslaps.”
Though it seemingly takes forever for Ike to get a clue, he eventually begins to realize that something screwy is up. The desperate young man seeks advice from his doctor buddy, which elicits a response to the effect of “So you smacked her up a little. So what? Every woman needs a good smack now and then.” This line is delivered without a trace of humour or irony, which caused a soft drink to fly from my nose when I first heard it. Spiralling slowly toward insanity, Ike finds himself curiously drawn to a local preacher, an untrustworthy fellow who undoubtedly had a hand in J.D.’s death.
Although the movie is lacking in many respects, the lead performance by Turman (The Inkwell) is not one of the flaws. Also quite entertaining is the rather animated performance of Louis Gossett Jr. (Iron Eagle, An Officer and a Gentleman) as the mysterious Reverend Bliss. I doubt you’ve ever seen Gossett quite like this before. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag at best, including a veritable bevy of young beauties on hand for J.D. to drool over.
Some horror movies suffer from simply being too tame. J.D.’s Revenge certainly qualifies there. Despite a few entertaining moments and some strong performances, there’s very little about this urban thriller that’s worthy of mention. The movie’s laboured pacing and too many scenes of unnecessary chatter consistently thwart the potential for sustained suspense or fear. Hardcore fans of blaxploitation flicks will undoubtedly have a little fun; traditional genre fans need not apply.
