An early reality show. A guy films a bunch of heroin addicts lurking around in a buddy's apartment as they wait for their dealer. Leach (Warren Finney) is the tenant, Jim's (William Renfield) the director, and the others are Solly, Ernie, Sam, Harry, and J.J. (Jerome Raphael, Garry Goodrow, Jim Anderson, Henry Proach, and Roscoe Lee Brown. Then there's four musicians, the dealer, Cowboy (Carl Lee) and his companion Sister Salvation (Linda Veras).
Based on a play, there's basically just one big room for all the guys' conversations and soliloquies. More or less each guy talks to the camera: "I steal, but only from people I don't like." The hip culture is in full swing, so to speak. There's no lack of "cats" who "dig" this and that, despite the "squares". Atmosphere is enhanced by the musicians, who jam now and then. The discussions and commentary are bounded by admiration on the one hand, and insults on the other. That is to say, this is a group of friends; there's rivalries, jealousies, and just plain stories.
If we didn't know why they were there at Leach's, they could be going to a game, a dance, or just partying. The very commonness, even banality, of their monologues helps establish an almost comfortable familiarity. Tension is in the room, as they're all cringing to one degree of another for a fix. "This cat is corroded, man" The music sort of dissipates the heavy stuff.
About halfway through, Cowboy and Sister Salvation show up. That sparks another jam session. The bathroom acts as a sort of portal, as we see one after another of the guys come and go from there, sporting an odd look or attitude. Finally, Cowboy emerges from it too. He's the most histrionic of the lot. He knows he's the center of attention: he goes into a sing-song sort of beat poetry: "the locomotive and the Lord save us." The guys are more interested in Cowboy's "potent medicine." He literally fixes them up in the bathroom.
The juxtaposition of Cowboy's drug dealing with Sister Salvation's preaching is suitably absurd. In effect, Cowboy can be whoever he wants to be; in this situation, he holds all the cards. At one point, he taunts the room by telling them that there's a police station close by. A particularly wretched scene shows the otherwise clean Jim get fixed up; he gets sick, and is otherwise miserable. Sister tells Cowboy that she's going to die soon "you are not alone" she repeats, as Cowboy lets her out. Jam time.
Everyone perks up except Jim. He takes his camera back, as Cowboy listens to Leach complain that he didn't get off on the stuff. I would take that as a hint that there's nothing positive about what they're doing. The music is a palpable experience; the drugs do nothing but give misery by doing without. "Is this all there is to it?!" wonders Jim, just as Leach reiterates that he feels nothing. On the other hand, others are saying the stuff is very good. We watch a roach crawl up a wall as a story's told; another way of canceling out the cool factor.
Jim tells Cowboy that hes supposed to be "the hero of the film". Surprisingly, we get a confession from Cowboy, that his life sucks too "I'm sick of you be-boppers!" With all that said, Leach still complains that he's the only one who missed out on the high. Reluctantly, Cowboy agrees to fix him again--more music accompanies. This time we see the whole process with the needle; undercut dramatically by the jazz tune. He collapses, dead?
People start leaving, as they set Leach in a bed. Well, he's still alive. Almost unfortunately so, "don't worry, Sam, he'll probably live...whatever that means." Someone knocks, comes in, plugs in a radio; we hear a jazz tune. That's it, the end.
Although it seems that nothing goes on here--a dealer comes to get a bunch of guys high--there's a tremendous range of moods and emotions, more or less building from a sense of eager anticipation to variations on contented euphoria and blase indifference. It takes a lot of talking and posturing to get from one point to another, but in a tangible sense almost nothing has happened.
Except, that is, for Jim and Leach. Jim takes the plunge into the drug experience, and is anything but satisfied; Leach spends most of the movie disappointed, as though he's missing out on something. His greed almost kills him. Cowboy's the most interesting character. He has a vague contempt for the other guys, but it turns out that, although his role is different, he's just as stuck in their underground lifestyle.
A very edgy, innovative film. Depressing too. These guys seem to realize that they don't have much too look forward to, but will insist that things are almost okay.
Based on a play, there's basically just one big room for all the guys' conversations and soliloquies. More or less each guy talks to the camera: "I steal, but only from people I don't like." The hip culture is in full swing, so to speak. There's no lack of "cats" who "dig" this and that, despite the "squares". Atmosphere is enhanced by the musicians, who jam now and then. The discussions and commentary are bounded by admiration on the one hand, and insults on the other. That is to say, this is a group of friends; there's rivalries, jealousies, and just plain stories.
If we didn't know why they were there at Leach's, they could be going to a game, a dance, or just partying. The very commonness, even banality, of their monologues helps establish an almost comfortable familiarity. Tension is in the room, as they're all cringing to one degree of another for a fix. "This cat is corroded, man" The music sort of dissipates the heavy stuff.
About halfway through, Cowboy and Sister Salvation show up. That sparks another jam session. The bathroom acts as a sort of portal, as we see one after another of the guys come and go from there, sporting an odd look or attitude. Finally, Cowboy emerges from it too. He's the most histrionic of the lot. He knows he's the center of attention: he goes into a sing-song sort of beat poetry: "the locomotive and the Lord save us." The guys are more interested in Cowboy's "potent medicine." He literally fixes them up in the bathroom.
The juxtaposition of Cowboy's drug dealing with Sister Salvation's preaching is suitably absurd. In effect, Cowboy can be whoever he wants to be; in this situation, he holds all the cards. At one point, he taunts the room by telling them that there's a police station close by. A particularly wretched scene shows the otherwise clean Jim get fixed up; he gets sick, and is otherwise miserable. Sister tells Cowboy that she's going to die soon "you are not alone" she repeats, as Cowboy lets her out. Jam time.
Everyone perks up except Jim. He takes his camera back, as Cowboy listens to Leach complain that he didn't get off on the stuff. I would take that as a hint that there's nothing positive about what they're doing. The music is a palpable experience; the drugs do nothing but give misery by doing without. "Is this all there is to it?!" wonders Jim, just as Leach reiterates that he feels nothing. On the other hand, others are saying the stuff is very good. We watch a roach crawl up a wall as a story's told; another way of canceling out the cool factor.
Jim tells Cowboy that hes supposed to be "the hero of the film". Surprisingly, we get a confession from Cowboy, that his life sucks too "I'm sick of you be-boppers!" With all that said, Leach still complains that he's the only one who missed out on the high. Reluctantly, Cowboy agrees to fix him again--more music accompanies. This time we see the whole process with the needle; undercut dramatically by the jazz tune. He collapses, dead?
People start leaving, as they set Leach in a bed. Well, he's still alive. Almost unfortunately so, "don't worry, Sam, he'll probably live...whatever that means." Someone knocks, comes in, plugs in a radio; we hear a jazz tune. That's it, the end.
Although it seems that nothing goes on here--a dealer comes to get a bunch of guys high--there's a tremendous range of moods and emotions, more or less building from a sense of eager anticipation to variations on contented euphoria and blase indifference. It takes a lot of talking and posturing to get from one point to another, but in a tangible sense almost nothing has happened.
Except, that is, for Jim and Leach. Jim takes the plunge into the drug experience, and is anything but satisfied; Leach spends most of the movie disappointed, as though he's missing out on something. His greed almost kills him. Cowboy's the most interesting character. He has a vague contempt for the other guys, but it turns out that, although his role is different, he's just as stuck in their underground lifestyle.
A very edgy, innovative film. Depressing too. These guys seem to realize that they don't have much too look forward to, but will insist that things are almost okay.