Better In Your Head?--SHAFT

 

Spoiler Alert: I can dig it.

THE BOOK-Written by Ernest Tidyman, released 1970

THE MOVIE-Directed by Gordon Parks, written by Tidyman & John D.F. Black, released 1971

THE STORY-John Shaft is a private eye. Duke of the Curb, Sultan of the Sidewalk. He's not afraid to get physical; shit, he'd rather get physical than get mental. Shaft's no dummy, mind--he just doesn't fool around. When a Harlem mobster hires Shaft for a highly personal assignment, our man stays cool as an icicle, and twice as sharp.

MIND THE GAP-A white guy created Shaft? Mm-hmm. Then later wrote The French Connection.

Richard Roundtree's John Shaft is so astounding a flex, so unrepentant a Sexasaurus Rex, that the paper-and-ink OG stands a cheese ball's chance at Christmas of leaving his own impression in most readers minds. Instead of a mustachioed stud decked out in leather coats and turtlenecks, book Shaft is a clean-shaven Vietnam vet who drapes his buff bod in wool suits, red ties, and straw hats. He's a survivor, not a crusader, distrustful of groups and any endeavor not culminating in fatter pockets. 

Shaft the novel deserves a fairer fate than "oh wow, that was a book first?" Steel-toed dialogue, hard-boiled plot, iffy sex scenes, it's everything I want in a detective story! Blame Isaac Hayes. His soundtrack is synonymous with soul, funk, and above all cool, and without it, Shaft the movie is just The Guy From Harlem with a budget. 

The Harlem mobster sure takes a turn for the crappy. On the page, Knocks Persons is a 6'6" 240-pound bullet. On the screen, Bumpy Jonas resembles every other mobster, just black. Progress!

Ernie Neatguy wound up disappointed in the film, specifically the lead's transformation from brooding mess of "muscle and anger" into a badass comic book character. The OG is just more interesting. He doesn't come off as a marketing gimmick or a casting agent's dream. He's selfish, not narcissistic. He shoots motherfuckers in the head, no quips. He cranks the volume on his alarm clock radio so his one-night stands will get the gist and become one with the mist. What a cool dude.

BETTER IN YOUR HEAD-The book? You damn right!

Straightforward, fast-paced, fun-as-cake entertainment is dime per fer sure. Art that makes a socio-cultural impact, buck per bag. I'll gladly give you a dollar today to change my life tomorrow, but sometimes the short-term silver solution is the smartest move. As long as I'm making transactions, y'know?