JDs Revenge

A possession story that skews closer to Jekyll and Hyde than The Exorcist, 1976's J.D.'s Revenge is certainly an outlier amidst the usual action-oriented blaxploitation releases of the day. Lead actor Glynn Turman modeled his terrific performance after Spencer Tracey's turn as the tortured doctor in the 1941 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's story. Here, a hardworking law student / taxi driver finds his personality overtaken by the soul of a 1940s numbers racketeer out for revenge against those who done him wrong.

After participating in an onstage hypnotism act, Isaac (Turman) is tortured by flashbacks of memories that aren't his own. Inexplicably, the spirit of J.D. Walker, who was set up for the murder of his own sister, has been reborn, forcing Isaac to commit brutal acts against those he loves and hunt down the people responsible for his death 30 years ago.

One of those people is Reverend Elija Bliss (Louis Gossett, Jr.), a former fighter turned evangelist who milks his congregation for money. As J.D. plots his revenge, he uses Isaac's body to have a little naughty fun, trolling the clubs, picking up women and wielding his signature straight razor against anyone who stands in his way. Isaac's friends are at a loss to explain his abusive split personality and even the police begin to suspect something supernatural might be going on. But can they find an answer before J.D.'s revenge drags Isaac down with him?

The script offers one hell of an acting showcase for Turman, who was still getting accolades for Cooley High. But it also layers in some surprising insights into black male culture, with the character of J.D. serving as Isaac's psychological id run amok, performing acts of emotional and sexual dominance that the mild-mannered student might have been repressing all along. Director Arthur Marks (Detroit 9000) restrains himself as well, holding back most of the expected sex and violence for J.D.'s hilariously over-the-top mid-film escapade.

The set-up is a bit clumsy, likely due to missing flashbacks cut by distributor AIP before release, making the sepia-toned intro a mystery for a good chunk of the film. Without any real introduction to J.D.'s character, the audience is never quite sure what to expect. But for the most part, J.D.'s Revenge follows Turman's lead, delivering a serious domestic drama that pushes the blaxploitation genre in new and unexpected directions.

Arrow Video's new 2K restoration from the original film elements looks awful good, with natural film grain and enough clarity to spot the individual sweat droplets on the actor's foreheads. And they go overboard with a 45-minute Making Of documentary that gathers Turman, Marks and editor George Folsey, Jr. commenting on the experience, plus a 15-minute audio interview with J.D. himself, David McKnight. A still gallery and a collection of trailers from other Arthur Marks' production are included as well.