But one of those minions, Juju (Kaalan KR Walker), seethes with resentmenthe wants to do away with Priest and take over his business, and, without Qs permission, takes a shot at Priest outside the club, but instead hits a bystander. Priest explains that he hired contract killers to murder Reardon and his entire family should anything happen to him. Priest further explains that the men with whom he met were contract killers, whom he hired to murder Reardon and his entire family should anything happen to him. The roomier scenario of this remake has the potential to yield a decent thriller, but Superfly too often prioritizes showy sequences for dubious reasons. Deputy Commissioner: You're working for me until I tell you to quit. The songs "Freddie's Dead" and the title song both shot up the Pop Top Ten chart in late 1972, with each single selling over a million copies. The mainspring of the action is a shooting. The hot-tempered Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter disarms Eddie and holds him at gunpoint. [1], Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote: "Shot in a functional, slammed-together manner that's less sensually stylish than you'd expect from a music-video auteur, the film is a competent yet glossy and hermetic street-hustle drug thriller, less a new urban myth than a lavishly concocted episode. Unsurprisingly, cocaine use is frequent. He was an actor and writer, known for Super Fly (1972), The Connection (1961) and The Doctors and the Nurses (1962). [According to contemporary sources, ONeal, the star of Super Fly, had been considered to star in Shaft but was deemed too light-skinned for the role.] Inspiring true story of African American women at NASA. Theres a learning process. Official Sites His Priest is controlled and invincible, a leonine street king with two girlfriends, one African-American (Lex Scott Davis) and one Latina (Andrea Londo); when he takes a shower with both of them, its a misty porny daydream that ends as an erotic Piet. Although a Sep 1971 HR article listed Shores company Plaza Productions as the films intended production company, Superfly, Ltd. is listed onscreen and by copyright materials. When a scene takes place in the budget furniture store he uses as a legit front, its news to us, because the setting drops in out of nowhere. Priest plays good guy by handing the victims friends a wad of cash and giving them the name of the best local trauma center. Additionally, the end credits on the original film release and video cassette differ from the DVD. Username Password 15 + 5 equals? If George Michael and Mr. T had a baby and dressed him in the sleekest of designer leather, he might look like this guy. Scatter wont give him a bigger cut of drugs to sell, so Priest, accompanied by his scampish partner, Eddie (played by the scene-stealing Jason Mitchell, whos like Tracy Morgans amoral little brother), goes right over his head by driving down to Mexico and connecting with the cartel thats the source of their product. Eddie: You're gunna give all this up? And that robs Superfly of the dramatic flavor a good underworld drama needs. Trevor Jackson Re-invents the Sleek Priest, The original Priest, played by Ron ONeal, famously sported leisure suits and floor-length overcoats, but Trevor Jacksons version of the drug dealer favors a less flamboyant style drawn from AllSaints, Burberry and German designer Phillip Plein. If you are a California resident, California law may consider certain disclosures of data a sale of your personal information (such as cookies that help Motion Picture Association later serve you ads, like we discuss in our. But the experience of watching these movies is very differentas different as night and day. The Custom Scatter node has the following attributes: Surface Color: The overall color of the surface. [8], In the United States and Canada, Superfly was projected to gross $712 million from 2,200 theaters over its five-day opening weekend. SuperFly (2018) Cast & Crew Cast; Crew; Trevor Jackson Youngblood Priest Jason Mitchell Eddie Michael Kenneth Williams Scatter Lex Scott Davis Georgia Jennifer Morrison Detective Mason Kaalan Walker Juju Esai Morales Adalberto Gonzalez Andrea Londo Cynthia Big Bank Black "Q" Big Boi Mayor Atkins Jacob Ming-Trent Fat Freddie . Priest, whose real power is information (hes got it on everyone), is surrounded by player-predators who are less cunning but more crudely violent than he is. On June 26, 2018, The Warner Archive Collection released "Super Fly" on Blu-ray and has received mostly praise for its video & audio restoration. A remake was released in 2018. According to a 17 Sep 1972 NYT article, the project was initially brought to Shore by first-time screenplay writer Philip Fenty after Fenty and actor Ron ONeal, a longtime friend, had worked together to develop the story. Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal), an African-American cocaine dealer, enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in Harlem. When Priest reacts hostilely, Georgia explains that she loves him and wants to help him cope with the difficulties of street life. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. In 1972, at a preview for the original Super Fly held in Philadelphia, the theater quickly filled up, and some of the people who were shut out tried to break into a side door. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. In addition, the picture marked the first screenplay written by Philip Fenty. And then when you get closer, obviously its them. "Superfly" (one word) the remake and the original "Super Fly" (two words, from 1972) are in many respects similar. If Priests stratagems in the original seem like the moves of a chess master, his new ones resemble the work of a grandmaster of simultaneous blindfold-chess, for whom, through information technology, distant nodes of power are instantaneously connected (the last image of the film is even a kinga white kingbeing tipped over on a chess board). [The soundtrack album did feature the lyrics written for the song by Mayfield.] Priest, so-called because the tip of the cross he wears is fasioned in the shape of a spoon, with which he frequently samples his wares, yearns to leave the life and go straight, despite the money he makes. Although the timid Freddie abhors violence, he agrees and accompanies another member of Priest's "family" of lower-level dealers to commit the robbery. Freddie attempts to escape and is killed when he runs in front of a car. Both enraged and scared, Priest gives the information on Reardon and an envelope of cash to two mafia men and takes out a $100,000 contract on "the Man's" life. Youngblood Priest: Look what would I do? Quotes.net. He can wear a slick duster overcoat and fedora one day, and a stylized track suit the next., Messam acquired Scatters track suit from UK athletic wear company Boxraw. Besides pimpin'? Militant: Dig it, dope peddler. AFI champions progress in visual storytelling to empower storytellers, inspire story lovers and further the limitless power of the moving image. Families can talk about the "blaxploitation" genre. His position was opposed by numerous physicians and medical groups, who also spoke out against the film, according to Filmfacts. That character was a stand-in for white oppression, someone Priest finally contrives to walk away from, clean. Superfly was remade by Director X and released in June 2018 with a cast that included Trevor Jackson and Jason Mitchell.[14]. The moral conundrum of drug dealing among African-Americans was addressed mostly by Curtis Mayfields superb soundtrack, which functioned as a kind of Greek chorus. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The film was acquired and distributed by Warner Bros. and had a white producer (Shore). That peace starts fragmenting early in the picture, outside a nightclub, where an indolently truculent Snow Patrol member, Juju (Kaalan Rashad Walker), takes a shot at Priest and instead hits a bystander. The earlier film takes place mainly in daylight, on the streets of New York, which its director, Gordon Parks, Jr., approaches with a vitally textured, documentary-like range and avidity. Yet all the threats and double-crosses are, in a word, standard. Working some jive job for chump change day after day. Priest explains that as a child, he thought he wanted all the trappings of success and wealth, including a lover like her, but now wants a simpler life and will be ending their relationship. I wanted Georgia to have a maturity about her. Taking design cues from Pharrell Williams fashion line Billionaires Boys Club, she dressed one Snow Patrol member, played by rapper Big Bank, in fluffy fur coat and fedora. In mid-Apr 1972, Var reported that the films low-key, successful location shooting in Harlem was due to its being a non-union effort, thus the lack of production publicity and ease of using all-black technicians. The article added that after raising the required funds, the filmmakers agreed to their backers request that as many blacks as possible [be employed] in front and behind the camera, although the financiers agreed to allow white producer Shore oversee the project. How Do I Protect My Young Child from Cyberbullying? Griffin, before he resigned his post in Aug 1972, demanded that Warner Bros. recall prints of the film from distribution and reshoot the ending so that Priest would be killed or otherwise punished for his drug usage and dealing. The lieutenant reveals that he is Scatter's supplier and that they can have as much "weight," as they want, and will be extended both credit and protection. Priest defuses the situation and persuades Scatter to help them, although Scatter warns that it will be the last time. But his supplier and mentor, Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams), refuses to increase Priests supply, so Priest takes matters into his own hands and attempts to deal directly with Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales), the head of a Mexican drug carteland, in so doing, he enters a labyrinth of menace. Youngblood Priest: You don't own me, pig, and no motherf***er tells me when I can split. Juju suspects Priest of a hit on Snow Patrol and plans to retaliate. A remake of the 1972 blaxploitation classic trades in its drug-dealer-as-outlaw-capitalist mythology for a glossy, slammed-together genre flick. Superfly (one word) the remake and the original Super Fly (two words, from 1972) are in many respects similar. The new films twists and turns are strongly, if fleetingly, absorbingeven if Director X delivers them in a mainly decorative mode that merely conveys them without expanding them. Priest must find a way to keep the money he has made while staying several steps ahead of the corrupt police department. A remake of the 1972 blaxploitation classic trades in its drug-dealer-as-outlaw-capitalist mythology for a glossy, slammed-together genre flick. They discover cocaine and find Eddie in Freddie's contacts. The rival gang is Snow Patrol, always decked out in pure white: white fur, white guns, white jeans, white Lamborghinis and white Range Rovers . Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. | The career criminal now finds himself trying to outmaneuver the cartel, two corrupt police officers and all the double-crossers that threaten his path to freedom.CREDITS:TM \u0026 Sony Pictures Entertainment (2018)Cast: Esai Morales, Michael Kenneth Williams, Trevor JacksonScreewriter: Alex TseDirector: Director XWatch More: Fresh New Clips: http://bit.ly/2taDWqW Classic Trailers: http://bit.ly/2qTCxHF Hot New Trailers: http://bit.ly/2qThrsF Clips From Movies Coming Soon: http://bit.ly/2FrP8VL Indie Movie Clips: http://bit.ly/2qTZMRE Deleted Scenes: http://bit.ly/2ARbLPJ Bloopers: http://bit.ly/2qYmBnc Celebrity Interviews: http://bit.ly/2D4tzw4Fuel Your Movie Obsession: Subscribe to MOVIECLIPS: http://bit.ly/2CZa490 Watch Movieclips ORIGINALS: http://bit.ly/2D3sipV Like us on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2DikvkY Follow us on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2mgkaHb Follow us on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2mg0VNUThe MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, Trailers from Hell Presents: The Movies That Made Me: Alex Tse, hair stylist: second unit (as Steven A. Battaglia), key hair stylist (as Talya R. Melvey) / key hair stylist, production supervisor: second unit / second unit, second second assistant director: second unit, assistant property master / property master: 2nd unit, assistant property master: 2nd unit (as Suzu Tran) / props buyer (as Suzu Tran), second boom operator / sound mixer: splinter unit, re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor, visual effects executive producer: Southbay, assistant visual effects editor: Outpost VFX / roto/prep artist: Outpost VFX, visual effects executive producer: VFX Legion, compositing lead: Southbay (as Aaron Gerard Chiesa), visual effects executive producer: Crafty Apes, visual effects production manager: Southbay, 3d artist: Crafty Apes (as Patrick Sullivan), visual effects production manager: VFX Legion, visual effects artist: Southbay (uncredited), visual effects editor: Outpost VFX (uncredited), digital compositor: VFX Legion (uncredited), executive vfx supervisor: southbay CCO (uncredited), stunt double: Brian F. Durkin (uncredited) / stunt driver (uncredited), precision driver/precision car coordinator (uncredited), covering stunt coordinator (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited), stunt performer/stunt driving double: Trevor Jackson (uncredited), stunt double: Lex Scott Davis (uncredited), stunt driver: camera bike rider (uncredited), stunt double: Jason Mitchell/Jacob Latimore (uncredited), stunt driver (uncredited) / stunt driving double: Trevor Jackson (uncredited), stunt double: Dominique Madison (uncredited), first assistant camera "a" camera: second unit, camera operator: "a" camera (as Kirk Gardner) / steadicam operator (as Kirk Gardner), assistant chief lighting technician / best boy electric, first assistant camera: "b" camera, second unit, additional set lighting technician (as Mark Sunderland), assistant colorist: Company 3 (uncredited), key assistant location manager: second unit, production assistant / promotional services, key set production assistant: second unit, stand in: Jared Losano / stand in: Kevin Young / stand in: Kurt Yue, production coordinator: title sequence design, production assistant / set production assistant: 2nd unit. ', Jason Mitchells Eddie, a Player on the Make, We first see Eddie wearing a Diesel tee shirt, Messam says. Gritty, mature cop story with violence and nudity. Theres a bit of old school dandy to Scatter but at the same time hes into martial arts, so I wanted to combine those two worlds, Messam explains. It's time for you to start payin some dues, nigga! Jackson is only 21 (ONeal, when he played Priest, was 34), but he beats the holy crap out of people, fires pistols with gangsta heartlessness, and at one point even dodges a bullet, never losing his cool. In SUPER FLY, Youngblood Priest (Ron O'Neal) is at the top of his game as a Harlem cocaine dealer. Nate Adams coordinated the fashion and wardrobe for the film. Mean Free Path: The mean distance that light travels in the surface before it scatters. Like his father, Parks, Jr. was also a well-known still photographer. The film was directed by Director X, written by Alex Tse and stars Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Michael K. Williams, Lex Scott Davis, and Jennifer Morrison. Just think about it, don't throw it out, just, just think about it. Writing Credits Phillip Fenty . Filming & Production This Superfly has original songs by the hip-hop artist Future, whos also a producer of the film. As he is escorted outside to be booked in another precinct, Freddie attempts to escape and is killed when he dashes in front of a car. I'm an intermediate flier (eflight ministick, hell raiser, formosa). 2019 AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. One of the groups formed specifically to fight the film and other similar exploitations films, according to a Sep 1972 Var article, called itself Blacks Against Narcotics. "Pusherman," "Little Child Runnin' Wild," "No Thing on Me," "Give Me Your Love" and "Superfly," music and lyrics by Curtis Mayfield. He has a now-iconic charisma, "cool" in the classic sense of the word. Once Priest decides to pursue his last score, he seeks help from his mentor in crime, Scatter, played by an avuncular but cautiously sinister Michael Kenneth Williams. If you go back and . Diawara, Manthia. One lengthy sex-in-the-shower scene between the characters played by Mr. Jackson, Ms. Londo and Ms. Davis has a nearly risible box-checking quality. Priests clothes are predominantly dark and subtle because Priest doesnt want to bring attention to himself, Messam says. (screenplay by) Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Curtis Mayfield Cinematography by James Signorelli . As the lead character Youngblood Priest, the late Ron O'Neal brought a fresh take on the "man of few words" cinema archetype. Scatter, who now runs a popular restaurant, initially refuses to help Priest, but Priest plays on his emotions, claiming that he wants to get out while he is young and before he has to endure the extreme hardships faced by Scatter. Photograph by Quantrell D. Colbert / Sony Pictures Entertainment, The New Yorker Interview with David Remnick, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. Parents need to know that Super Fly is a 1972 movie about a cocaine dealer attempting to make a deal large enough to retire and get out of the business. .st1{display:none;fill:#FFFFFF;} On 23 Feb 1973, DV related that Mayfield had filed a letter of complaint with the Academy over its method of selecting nominees. But the majority of time, Priest wants to keep a low profile, so the clothes are dark., Given the tight time constraints, Massam did much of her tailoring on the fly. After Priest leaves with the cash, Eddie betrays him by phoning the lieutenant. 26 Jan 2023 07:44:06 . Super Fly (1972 film) is a television show that first aired in 1970 . Priests white mistress, Cynthia, also sells to her friends, although she is dismayed to learn that Priest does not return her love and is planning on quitting the business. Its all about the accumulation of wealth and a sybaritic lifestyle. ' Messam outfitted Mitchell in GStar jeans and a John Varvatos leopard print leather jacket. Shot in a functional, slammed-together manner thats less sensually stylish than youd expect from a music-video auteur, the film is a competent yet glossy and hermetic street-hustle drug thriller, less a new urban myth than a lavishly concocted episode. Superfly (2018 film), a remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film Superfly (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the 2018 film "Super Fly" (Giant Panda song), a 2005 single by Giant Panda "Superfly", a song by 4 Non Blondes on their only album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! Reardon threatens Priest that he must continue selling drugs as long as he is ordered to, but when Priest refuses, the policemen begin to beat him. Trevor Jackson in Superfly, a remake of the 1972 film by Gordon Parks Jr. Director X narrates a sequence from the film featuring Trevor Jackson and Michael Kenneth Williams. Superfly - Necessary Violence: Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales) kills Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams) after he realizes that he's been stealing from him. He is murdered after being forced to reveal information about Priest to Mason. She then scoured stores in New York, explored off-the-grid spots in Atlanta and scoured the web for online purchases. One gang is led by Youngblood Priest with a cool edge of always laying low and not being discovered by the police. Eddie threatens Scatter, demanding that he reveal his source if he will not supply them, but Scatter holds him at gunpoint. Most drug dramas are set in New York or L.A. (at this point, a dated cinematic reflex), but what matters is forging a vivid sense of place. In commenting on the success of Super Fly at the box office, a Jan 1973 DV article reported that investors Allen and Jenkins had sold their 22 percent interest in the film profitably, and that the principals involved in the production were getting handsome payoffs. According to a 12 Mar 1973 NYT article, the picture had grossed $20 million in seven months, and modern sources added that despite the films controversial nature, it went on to gross more than $30 million by 2007. As Priest, a coke dealer who has built a business while taking great care to remain under the police radar, Trevor Jackson, from Eureka and American Crime, sports a jutting abundance of luxurious inky silken flat hair, marked by an elegant slice of a part, plus a highly manicured beard, a pirate earring, and a pretty-boy scowl. Essential drama about violent chapter in U.S. history. Police rough up one of the lead characters, punching him repeatedly during an interrogation. Super Fly is a 1972 American blaxploitation neo-noir crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business. He seems almost as influenced by Brian De Palmas Scarface (itself a remake) as by the original Super Fly. Witness the bright oranges and subsequent neon colors in the movies opening scene: a tracking shot of an underground nightclub, depicting Priest on a mission to collect money owed. The website's critical consensus reads, "Superfly updates the blaxploitation original with a stylish remake that's exciting and visually arresting enough to offer its own slickly staged action rewards, but disappointingly short on social subtext. Why do you think that is, and how does it heighten the action? Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. Now man I ain't puttin you down. When Eddie states that they have $300,000, Priest reveals his plan to buy thirty kilos of high-quality cocaine, which they can sell for $1,000,000 within four months. Chasing Priest, Juju is injured and Q is killed in a car crash. Production began in December 2017, with Future announcing the project and confirming Director X as director. Controversy continued to swirl around the Academys decision to exclude the song, with the executive committee of the music branch convening to discuss the songs ineligibility. Hes got a beautiful house and a beautiful car, commands respect, and presides over an uneasy peace with Snow Patrol, a competing drug gang that wears all white. Georgia pleads with Priest to quit immediately, as she does not care if they are poor, but Priest maintains he must get the money, because his criminal record will make it difficult for him to find a job. Trevor actually has been doing capoeira for maybe 10 years, so hes really excited and really capable to do these kinds of things. It was also noted that Mayfield had accused the Academy of a racial bias, although he was declining to file suit because the title song from Super Fly had been considered for the Oscar balloting. [4] The film was financed by two directors: Gordon Parks, who had directed the 1971 film Shaft and Sig Shore, who produced Super Fly, and played Deputy Commissioner Riordan, or "The Man" in the film. Thats how hungry the audience was for a new screen mythology of African-American manhood. | Youngblood Priest: I ain't bullshittin' you, captain. Carl Lee, who played Eddie, enjoyed television fame until he abused drugs in particular, heroin. Takin' it, sellin' it, bankrollin' so other small time pusher. Curtis Mayfield's soundtrack is also considered to be a classic. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The lieutenant tells them they can have as much weight, or kilos of cocaine, as they want, and will be extended both credit and protection. [10] The filmmakers maintain that it was their desire to show the negative and empty aspects of the drug subculture. That mythology helped to fuel the rise of hip-hop, and now, of course, it is everywhere. Reardon threatens Priest that he must continue selling drugs as long as he is ordered to, but when Priest replies defiantly, the policemen begin to beat him. Messam put together the wardrobe guided by Director X, who previously shot music videos for Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar before rebooting the 1972 blaxpoitation classic. Priest is an under-the-radar dealer working in virtual anonymity (he has no arrest record) and with a very small crewmainly his right-hand man and longtime friend, Eddie (Jason Mitchell), and his enforcer, Freddy (Jacob Ming-Trent). Meanwhile, Priest and Georgia are walking in a park, and Priest confesses that he has made a deal that will enable them to escape their current life. You really shouldn'tve f***ed with my money, Freddy. Cynthia: [after refusing a snort of coke because Priest is going to leave rather than stay for sex] Some things go better with coke. Youngblood Priest, an African-American drug dealer who specializes in selling cocaine, enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in Harlem. Release Dates Supertones' sixth album Hi-Fi Revival ONeal, Shore and Parks, Jr. vehemently defended the film many times, with ONeal, in an Oct 1972 LAHExam interview, pointing out that the picture presented a true slice of Harlem life and that Priest triumphs at the end by using his wits, not just physical force. Furthermore, Curtis Mayfield's soundtrack remains one of the greatest movie soundtrack albums from the '70s or any other time. One day, Priest confronts Fat Freddie, one of his clients, about money that Freddie owes and threatens to force Freddies wife into prostitution unless he robs a competitor. When I pulled out a jacket that establishes Priests character, X said Is that Alexander Wang? He did a promo for them so he recognized the jacket right away.. A 1972 Blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. Ron O'Neal stars as Priest, an up-and-coming successful cocaine dealer in New York City. We also have the scene at a strip club where Georgias wearing a micro mini, but when shes in her gallery with the mayor, there needs to be a feeling of strength there: I am the owner of this gallery and not just a club girl. "Super Fly Quotes." Youngblood Priest: You don't own me pig. Harlem Costume Designer Deirdra Elizabeth Govan on Season Twos Evolving Looks. There's also marijuana and cigarette smoking and drinking. [1] It dropped to $3.4 million in its second weekend, finishing eighth, and after being pulled from 1,064 theaters in its third week made $1.3 million, finishing 12th. SuperFly Now Playing: Superfly: Character Piece-Scatter Summary: The movie is a remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly. The new Superfly transplants the tale to the swank environs of contemporary upscale Atlanta, and it gives its hero the 21st-century equivalent of ONeals processed-pimp look. [6], At the time of its release, there were many African-Americans that were displeased with the images of themselves portrayed in films such as Super Fly, Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassssss Song, and Shaft. According to some reviews of the film, the term super fly was slang for high-quality cocaine, while other reviews stated that it meant the pusher himself, or meant a superlative adjective that could be applied to anything. The hot-tempered . 26 Jan 2023 07:44:06 Scatter gives Priest a packet of information on Reardon and his family. Additionally, according to the Jan 1973 DV report, Curtis Mayfield, the composer of the films score and hit songs, was estimated to be receiving about $5,000,000 from performance and royalties from the more than 2,000,000 albums and singles sold to that point. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The more Priest tries to wriggle out of the life, the more it wraps its tentacles around him. We're out here building a new nation for black people. The powerless Reardon then watches as Priest walks away free, giving the policemen one final glare before driving off to join Georgia. According to a 17 Sep 1972 NYT article, the project was initially brought to Shore by first-time screenplay writer Philip Fenty after Fenty and actor Ron ONeal, a longtime friend, had worked together to develop the story. What to Stream: The Audacious First Films of the Ant-Man Director Peyton Reed. As in the earlier film, Priest also faces corrupt police officers who are in on the drug trade. A title card then appears, reading "November 25, 1975, Philadelphia."