Detroit 9000

R

Released Aug 7, 1973

1h 50m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

List

25%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

49%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Biracial detectives (Alex Rocco, Hari Rhodes) track loot from a fundraiser for the first black governor of Michigan.

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Don Druker

Chicago Reader

A gritty, disturbing evocation of the ambiguities of big-city police work.

Apr 4, 2013

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Detroit 9000 is a tough, cynical, big-city cop movie that occasionally tries to rise above its genre but doesn't quite make it.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2.5/5

Sep 9, 2002

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Its sleaze does justice to the downtrodden once mighty city.

Rated: C+

Feb 21, 2015

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 13, 2005

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Dan Jardine

Apollo Guide

Rated: 64/100

Jan 1, 2000

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Audience Member

It's not without its merits.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Overrated. Reminds me a little of the way better COTTON COMES TO HARLEM

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

A little long, but still a nicely done gritty crime drama. Yay Grindhouse!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

Assholes are only assholes. A black cop and a white cop are unlikely partners. The black cop has some swag, hangs in the right circles, and gets the ladies. The white cop is rigid, not a womanizer, and could potentially work against the black cop. When they are tasked to bring down some jewelry thieves, it appears cops may be involved. Can the partners trust each other? "Would you believe Roby has a college degree?" "In what, screwing?" Arthur Marks, director of Perry Mason, Friday Foster, JD's Revenge, Monkey Hustle, Bucktown, The Roommates, and Class of '74, delivers Detroit 9000. The storyline for this picture is kind of cool, more because of the sub plots delivered throughout the story. The story of the girls behind the scenes was very interesting and the ultimate resolve of the police officers was well thought out. The cast delivers okay performances and includes Scatman Crothers, Vonetta McGee, Alex Rocco, Hari Rhodes, Ella Edwards, and Herbert Jefferson Jr. "I was wondering why they cut off his legs." "So he fit in the trunk." I love watching these old Blaxploitation pictures. This movie was honestly just okay and the concluding monologue was tacky. I definitely recommend seeing this if you enjoy grindhouse or blaxpoitation films, but this definitely isn't a classic picture. "Some guys just got to make time to get theirs rocks off. I'm like that." Grade: C

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Detroit 9000 (AKA Detroit Heat) has the trappings of a blaxsploitation movie, but doesn't really pan out to be one. For starters, the black man isn't the main focus of the film. It's actually a white cop, played by Alex Rocco. You can also spot Scatman Crothers in a small role in the movie. It's actually a movie about crooked cops, politicians and prostitution more than just straight up action. I liked the movie, but it does meander a bit. There are a lot of clever shots in there, such as the viewpoint of a gunman on horseback. It seems to be made with some style, even if the story isn't altogether perfect. It's got some class and some entertainment value, and the fact that Quentin Tarantino is championing it on his Rolling Thunder label.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Another good flick that saw re-release through Tarantino's Rolling Thunder company. In it, one can identify some inspiration for Quentin's penchant for toying with a timeline. On the negative side: The score features some great music that doesn't always accentuate the visual. For instance, things sound swingin' and upbeat when a cop is shot down. And I feel relatively certain this was not done for ironic purposes. Also, there are just entirely too many small-Afro/long-sideburn headsets for one movie. On the positive, the story is a carefully-plotted affair. Items that seem pointless or indulgent in the early going ultimately pay off. The characters are as well-developed as the structure. And the ambiguous ending was, for me, a nice surprise. One other note: The white people in this movie have seemingly embraced the use of the word "honky." Gotta love that.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

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Arthur Marks

Director

Alex Rocco

Lieutenant Danny Bassett

Hari Rhodes

Sergeant Jesse Williams

Vonetta McGee

Ruby Harris

Ellaraino

Helen Durbin

Scatman Crothers

Reverend Markham

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Synopsis

Biracial detectives (Alex Rocco, Hari Rhodes) track loot from a fundraiser for the first black governor of Michigan.

Director: Arthur Marks
Producer: Don Gottlieb, Junius Griffin, William Silberkleit
Screenwriter: Orville H. Hampton
Distributor: Miramax Home Entertainment [us], Home Box Office (HBO) [us], Miramax Films
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.1K
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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