Episode 612: Top of the Heap (1972)

The Projection Booth Podcast

The Projection Booth

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Film History, Tv & Film

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2023

⏱️ 150 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Our Black History Month coverage continues with a look at Christopher St. John's Top of the Heap. Released in 1972 the film stars St. John as George Lattimer, a DC police officer who’s confronted with pressures from his job, his wife, and his daughter. When his mother dies, George undergoes a bit of a breakdown where he starts fantasizing about another life including being an astronaut.

Gary Phillips and Samm Deighan join Mike to discuss this sorely under-seen film while Christopher St. John talks about how Top of the Heap came together despite interference from the film's producer.

The Code Red Blu-Ray of Top of the Heap is out of print. In the meantime, you can see the film via Shout Factory TV, Tubi, and other streaming services.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hold your ears, folks.
0:06.8	It's showtime.
0:08.6	People pay good money to see this movie.
0:10.9	When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, hot popcorn, and no monsters in the projection booth.
0:17.3	Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring.
0:20.1	Shut it off.
0:25.6	Turn it off.
0:26.6	Turn it off.
0:31.6	Ah!
0:41.2	Top of the heat,
0:44.3	written by and starring Christopher St. John.
0:45.6	No, uh-uh.
0:48.1	Ain't gonna be no days like that.
0:52.5	You're gonna have to shoot me right in my face, Mr. Black Peas.
1:00.6	When a black man bears his soul and tells his story, he lets it all hang out.
1:03.5	His rage was the illness of the times. It's me!
1:04.1	I just got back from a trip to the moon!
1:06.1	Hassled by his soul brothers, with his mother dying, he can only escape to the moon.
1:16.5	You're going to have to kill me, nigga!
1:18.8	Drop that knife!
1:19.9	Drop it!
1:20.3	What hell are you trying to do, huh?
	...

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