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Spook Who Sat By the Door (1973)

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Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 6
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 2
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 1

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User Ratings: 1,009

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Movie Info

Sam Greenlee's cult favorite novel of political unrest was brought to the screen in this drama, which also earned a small but loyal following. A congressman hoping to attract African-American voters during an election year decides to make political hay by pointing out that the Central Intelligence Agency has no black agents. Bowing to subsequent public pressure, the CIA admits a number of black applicants to their training program, but they purposefully make the process difficult and unpleasant

PG, 1 hr. 42 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

Directed By: Ivan Dixon

Written By: Melvin Clay, Sam Greenlee

In Theaters: Sep 21, 1973 Limited

On DVD: Jan 27, 2004

United Artists

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Critic Reviews for Spook Who Sat By the Door

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (2) | DVD (4)

It is such a mixture of passion, humor, hindsight, prophecy, prejudice and reaction that the fact that it's not a very well-made movie, and is seldom convincing as melodrama, is almost beside the point.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

Possibly the most radical of the blaxploitation films of the 70s, this movie was an overnight success when released in 1973, then was abruptly taken out of distribution for reasons still not entirely clear.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Unabashedly bigoted, stridently hateful, it wants to be incendiary and controversial, but only manages thuggish and dull.

April 28, 2009 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

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TV Guide's Movie Guide

So fiery, smart and entertaining that the lack of finesse hardly matters.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat

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Peter Hanson

Film Threat

...a document of social revolt that still bristles with a timely, and timeless, impression of righteousness and intelligence.

November 7, 2005 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

One of the few uncompromised representations of black armed resistance in the United States.

November 19, 2004 Full Review Source: PopMatters

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Cynthia Fuchs

PopMatters

"The bling blings are looking for a white audience," says Sam Greenlee. "My audience is not white."

April 2, 2004 Full Review Source: PopMatters

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Cynthia Fuchs

PopMatters

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Audience Reviews for Spook Who Sat By the Door

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One of the most radical blaxsplotation films I've ever seen.

May 7, 2007

Ken Stachnik

Super Reviewer

I took the message of self determination and exploiting the exploitative system to take skills and knowledge back to ones own community. Inspiring. Using counter terrorism tactics to teach the street gangs guerrilla warfare is just an example of this but it's handled well in the movie. I like that they don't throw in a

October 16, 2009