Barry Shear's Across 110th Street remains a hard-hitting look at racial violence in the streets of New York City. Loaded with hundreds of F-bombs, there's no denying its visceral power and, while the film gets lumped in with a lot of other Blaxploitation flicks from the era, the gritty realism it parades on the streets of Harlem keeps it one step ahead of the rest. More people should be seeing this and, thanks to Kino Lorber, the unnervingly real film can be appreciated in high definition.
The film stars Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto. That alone should draw a film buff into this web of street tension as they bounce off each other's talents quite nicely. Both actors bring their A-game to this cops-and-criminals saga as they – two cops of different races and different methods – wind up working the same case involving the gunning down and robbing of two different Mafia members by a trio of small time crooks, Jim (Paul Benjamin), Joe (Ed Bernard), and Henry (Antonio Fargas), all out of options on how to survive the city.
The streets are about to explode as Harlem is brought to its knees by the mafia. Hell-bent on enacting revenge for the mafia, Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa) viciously hunts whorehouses and alleyways for the three men responsible for the crime, tearing a hole through Harlem (hence the title). And, holy shit, is this film ever politically and socially charged with meaning. It's frightening just how many people don't give it the credit and respect it deserves.
The film is a 1970s crime classic. No one, after actually watching it, will deny the movie of that claim. No one. Unfortunately, it NEVER gets mentioned when people talk of other classics from the era like The Godfather, The French Connection, or Taxi Driver. And it's a shame because this treatment of racial tension, uneasy partnerships, and charged underprivileged situations is still relevant. Much of Across 110th Street hits where it counts with thought-provoking dialogue and honest domestic situations that feel all too real.
Shear's film stands apart from other Blaxploitation offerings like 1971's Shaft, Trouble Man and Superfly from 1972, and 1976's Car Wash. It is the antithesis to what they offer and far too many people don't realize that. They hear Bobby Womack's main theme (also used in Tarantino's Jackie Brown) and think differently. It is then interesting to note then that the version the film uses of that hit song is a slowed down one and much less obvious and radio-friendly. It's thoughtful and meditative.
There's no comic book swagger in the strut of Across 110th Street. No over-the-top gushing in its violence either. The blood has purpose. While the description of the movie – whether it be from MGM or Kino-Lorber – leads one to think it is all jive-talkin' shenanigans, nothing could be further from the truth. Far too much of Shear's film is honest to goodness real in its portrayal of race relations, white privilege, and street crime.
The violence and preserve-the-established-power-structure throughout Across 110th Street defies easy categorizing. It is morally charged and, as a result, the film is completely without fist-pumping moments. Blaxploitation this is not. You might even say it is downright depressing. The main themes are astonishingly real for a commercially released film and are STILL shocking in just how brutally honest they are.
You really need to give it a chance. Critics, on the other hand, need to stop being so damn dismissive of it. Across 110th Street deserves a second chance. Thankfully, Shout! Factory has included it in their first volume of Blaxploitation Classics.
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - May 20, 2025
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English; English SDH
Video: HDR - Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
If you steal $300,000 from the mob, it's not robbery ... it's suicide. Anthony Quinn (Zorba The Greek) and Yaphet Kotto (Alien) lead a double-barreled cop thriller with style and violence to spare in Barry Shear's Across 110th Street. When a crowd of gun-toting gangsters take on the Mafia, the bullets start flying ... and cops start dying. In order to bring justice to the streets, two of New York's finest (Quinn and Kotto) are forced to team up in an unlikely pairing. With the gangsters, the mob, and The Man involved in a three-way dance, one thing's for sure – the only guaranteed way Across 110th Street ... is in a body bag.
VIDEO
Presented in 1.85:1, Shout Factory gives audiences a great look at Across 110th Street. It is, in fact, much better than any previous release of this cult classic. The detail and clarity of the picture is impressive and the color grading, which really makes the deep reds pop off the screen, does well in really showing off the atmospheric grime of a version of a city which no longer exists. Black and brown levels are solid throughout.
AUDIO
Blasting away at the walls, the 2.0 Mono (Dual Mono) gives us a strong sense of the power of grindhouse cult classics. It won’t win any awards, mind you, but the front-loaded power on display is far from weak.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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See Special Features for the details.
Special Features:
From the drive-in to 4K and Blu-ray, the heavy-duty action of the '70s subgenre known as 'Blaxploitation' has thrilled and captivated audiences for decades. Shout Select is proud to present an explosive six-film collection of some of the coolest movies to ever hit the streets. Featuring genre legends Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Isaac Hayes, and Yaphet Kotto, these tough-as-nails and unbelievably hip classics of the subgenre — presented here on both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra High Definition — are a tremendous entry point into the world of Blaxploitation for newcomers as well as must-haves for discerning fans of genre cinema.
DISC ONE: ACROSS 110TH STREET (1972 - 4K UHD):
- NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
- Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
DISC TWO: ACROSS 110TH STREET (1972 - BLU-RAY):
- NEW 4K Scan/Restoration From The Original Camera Negative
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- NEW It's Where The Action Is The Blaxploitation Films Of A.I.P., Part One – An In-Depth Documentary Featuring New And Archival Interviews With Film Critic And Author Odie Henderson, Film Producer and Son Of AIP Film Producer Samuel Z. Arkoff - Lou Arkoff, Afrocentric Film Scholar Dr. Michelle B. Taylor, Author And Film Historian Chris Poggiali, Film Historian Nathaniel Thompson, “Coffy” Director Jack Hill, And Post-Production Supervisor at AIP James L. Honore
- Trailer
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Across 110th Street
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 102 mins
Director: Barry Shear
Writer: Luther Davis; Wally Ferris
Cast: Anthony Quinn; Yaphet Kotto; Anthony Franciosa
Genre: Action | Crime
Tagline: If you steal $300,000 from the mob, it's not robbery. It's suicide.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Mm! Shazam! GodDAMN!"
Theatrical Distributor: American International Pictures
Official Site: https://shoutfactory.com/products/blaxploitation-classics-vol-1
Release Date: December 19, 1972
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 20, 2025.
Synopsis: Two New York City cops go after amateur crooks who are trying to rip off the Mafia and start a gang war.
