Dolemite! starring Rudy Ray Moore, quite simply one of the most-talked about blaxploitation movies of our time, is coming to a new, 21st Century audience via video-on-demand (VOD), July 3rd.
Xenon Pictures, recognized in the U.S. home entertainment marketplace for creating the first significant labels focused on the Black audience market, reports that “With the Eddie Murphy-starring Rudy Ray Moore biopic in the works at Netflix, the time is ripe to rediscover Moore’s great moments in film with Dolemite and its sequel The Human Tornado. Disco Godfather, also starring Rudy Ray Moore, releases on the same date on VOD – and it’s never looked better! Also starring Carol Speed and Julius Carry, the action-crime gem tells of Tucker Williams (Moore), the rapping owner and main attraction of the Blueberry Hill Disco. An ex-cop with a penchant for head-whacking martial arts, Tucker is called back into action when his nephew (Julius J. Carry III) get hooked on angel dust.”
This is totally awesome, folks. The legendary Rudy Ray Moore finally gets re-introduced and to a new society, ready for his in-your-face, butt-kicking action movies originally released during the 1970s.
Rudy Ray Moore himself passed away October 19, 2008 in Akron, Ohio. The character Dolemite came from Moore himself, who worked in a Hollywood record store during the 70s. While there, Moore was told stories of a pimp and street husler named Dolemite, and formed a club act around those tales. It became what is today is called a “viral” hit and then was called a “word-of-mouth” hit. The money Mr. Moore made from this allowed him to finance the 1975 movie Dolemite.
Eddie Murphy’s producing a biopic called Dolemite Is My Name, and scheduled for Netflix, with no word yet on the release date. The cast includes Mr. Murphy, Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, T.I., Ivo Nandi, London Worthy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Fatimah Hassan, Phil Abrams, Kazy Tauginas, Aleksandar Filimonovic, and Paige Annette.
For more on Dolemite!, Rudy Ray Moore, and all of the Xenon Pictures creations and history, visit its website XenonPictures.com!
Stay tuned!