369:. They decide to make an attempt to blackmail the union with the information. Meanwhile, a local loan shark has given Smokey advice on how to crack the safe in exchange for a percentage of the robbed proceeds. He gets busted by the police for his ties in an unrelated crime and attempts to get off or receive a softer conviction in exchange for spilling off the information about the trio's robbery & blackmailing. This information subsequently gets back to the union, and they begin to retaliate strongly by turning the tables on the three friends. Jerry experiences a near miss one evening when a pair of hired thugs show up at his house to attack his wife, but both get intercepted and beaten up by Smokey. The next day at work, a suspicious accident at the plant results in Smokey's death that is investigated as a
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The three main actors did not get along and were continually fighting throughout the shoot. The tension became so great that at one point
Richard Pryor (supposedly in a drug-fueled rage) pointed a gun at Schrader and told him that there was "no way" he would ever do more than three takes for a scene.
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In the end, as Jerry enters the plant with federal agents, Zeke confronts him. Once friends, Jerry and Zeke now turn on each other as a heated discussion escalates into them attempting to attack each other, confirming the prescient earlier narrative that union corruption divides workers against one
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and increased remuneration. Zeke, happy with his new duties and higher pay, pragmatically prescinds from seeking justice for Smokey's murder, as it would jeopardize his newfound standing within the ranks of the union. Jerry attempts to convince Zeke to take steps to avenge Smokey's death, but Zeke
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Schrader states that during the filming of one take, Harvey Keitel became so irritated by Pryor's lengthy improvisations that he flung the contents of an ashtray into the camera lens, ruining the take. Pryor and his bodyguard responded by pinning Keitel to the floor and pummeling him with their
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on the union's corruption, which would make him an adversary of his co-workers as well as the union bosses. At the same time, corrupt union bosses succeed in coopting Zeke to work for them with promises of upward mobility being promoted to
283:(1976), recalls the shooting as being very difficult because of the artistic and personal tensions he had with the actors (including the stars themselves). Schrader has also stated that while making the film, he suffered an on-set
402:. This evolves into a chase where Jerry ends up crashing his car but is rescued by the police. Disgusted with Zeke's capitulation and terrified after another attempt on his life, Jerry decides to cooperate with the FBI and a
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caused by negligent safety protocols, which Zeke and Jerry realize was a murder coordinated by the union bosses due to the incriminating knowledge they possess against the union.
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rebukes him, telling Jerry that nothing will bring Smokey back and that they should just move forward. Later that evening, two gunmen, hired by the mob, try to shoot Jerry in a
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offers a searing, darkly funny indictment of labor exploitation and rampant consumerism that's fueled by the outstanding work of an excellent cast." Both
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lauded the film; Ebert awarded the film four stars and Siskel placed the film fourth on his list of the ten best of 1978.
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union headquarters. They commit the caper but find only $ 600 in petty cash. More importantly, they also come away with a
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included the film on his essential film list "Films All
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was universally praised by critics. The film holds a 96% "Fresh" rating on the
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work that his daughter needs, and Zeke is in trouble with the IRS for
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758:"Blue Collar | Film Review | Spirituality & Practice"
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based on 46 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Paul
Schrader's
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553:-flavored score includes "Hard Workin' Man", a collaboration with
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by filing false claims in order to improve his family's income.
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auto workers, two black — 32-year-old
Ezekiel "Zeke" Brown from
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Kilday, Gregg (Apr 6, 1977). "Writing His Way to the Top".
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Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him
909:. Published April 29, 2003. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
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operation and ties to organized crime syndicates in
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380:agent John Burrows attempts to coerce Jerry into
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881:List of Films All Aspiring Filmmakers Must See.
353:which contains evidence of the union's illegal
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526:and at locales around Detroit, including the
923:. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 313.
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745:Robin's Underrated Gems: Blue Collar (1978)
628:as two of his favorite films of the 1970s.
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264:practices and an examination of life in a
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639:was referenced in season 2, episode 5 of
409:that have been investigating the union.
1416:Films with screenplays by Paul Schrader
775:Henry, David; Henry, Joe (2014-01-01).
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509:Jimmy Martinez as Charlie T. Hernandez
244:. Written by Schrader and his brother
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530:on the city's southwest side and the
518:The film was shot on location at the
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694:"Blue Collar Box Office Information"
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497:Leonard Gaines as Mr. Berg, IRS Man
277:Schrader, who wrote the script for
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1441:English-language crime drama films
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1215:Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
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260:. The film is both a critique of
1076:Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
898:The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.
476:Borah Silver as "Dogshit" Miller
1386:Films directed by Paul Schrader
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762:www.spiritualityandpractice.com
407:special Congressional committee
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802:Metz, Nina (August 24, 2017).
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16:1978 American crime drama film
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1411:Films about the working class
1381:Films scored by Jack Nitzsche
1314:The Last Temptation of Christ
888:. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
859:. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
838:. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
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143:T.A.T. Communications Company
1431:1978 directorial debut films
1376:1970s English-language films
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398:while traveling through the
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919:Springsteen, Bruce (2016).
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601:placed the film on its
425:as Ezekiel "Zeke" Brown
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1426:African-American films
1406:Films shot in Michigan
1366:1978 crime drama films
506:Sammy Warren as Barney
404:United States Congress
400:Detroit–Windsor tunnel
308:Wayne County, Michigan
1330:Bringing Out the Dead
717:Turner Classic Movies
608:In his autobiography
603:Best 1000 Movies Ever
437:as Sam "Smokey" James
347:American Auto Workers
320:Michigan State Prison
290:The film was shot in
1436:1970s American films
1391:Films set in Detroit
1036:Written and directed
848:Roger Ebert reviews
318:, who spent time in
176: (United States)
1338:There Are No Saints
781:. Algonquin Books.
524:Kalamazoo, Michigan
461:as Arlene Bartowski
386:cooperating witness
328:Hamtramck, Michigan
296:Kalamazoo, Michigan
232:is a 1978 American
1306:The Mosquito Coast
1132:Dying of the Light
965:TCM Movie Database
902:The New York Times
632:In popular culture
598:The New York Times
431:as Jerry Bartowski
154:Universal Pictures
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856:Chicago Sun-Times
788:978-1-61620-447-1
680:Los Angeles Times
616:Bruce Springsteen
555:Captain Beefheart
482:as Caroline Brown
396:drive-by shooting
312:Detroit, Michigan
248:, the film stars
242:directorial debut
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467:as Clarence Hill
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285:mental breakdown
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813:. Retrieved
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435:Yaphet Kotto
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332:numbers game
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185:Running time
161:Release date
95:Yaphet Kotto
1298:Raging Bull
1266:Taxi Driver
1239:Dog Eat Dog
1231:The Canyons
1044:Blue Collar
987:Blue Collar
971:Blue Collar
960:Blue Collar
949:Blue Collar
921:Born to Run
850:Blue Collar
831:Blue Collar
637:Blue Collar
625:Taxi Driver
620:Blue Collar
611:Born to Run
586:Gene Siskel
582:Roger Ebert
578:Blue Collar
566:Blue Collar
480:Chip Fields
340:tax evasion
316:Mississippi
280:Taxi Driver
234:crime drama
229:Blue Collar
189:114 minutes
108:Bobby Byrne
68:Produced by
39:Directed by
22:Blue Collar
1361:1978 films
1355:Categories
1258:The Yakuza
1207:Auto Focus
1199:Witch Hunt
1164:Oh, Canada
1124:The Walker
1108:Affliction
1068:Cat People
976:Letterboxd
665:References
659:Heist film
591:Filmmaker
536:Belle Isle
514:Production
465:Lane Smith
455:as Jenkins
306:A trio of
218:Box office
172:1978-02-10
135:Production
49:Written by
1322:City Hall
1274:Obsession
1027:Films by
885:IndieWire
723:March 15,
646:The Deuce
593:Spike Lee
561:Reception
522:plant in
413:another.
359:Las Vegas
269:Rust Belt
114:Edited by
72:Don Guest
1052:Hardcore
653:See also
572:website
367:New York
202:Language
124:Music by
118:Tom Rolf
78:Starring
963:at the
546:fists.
520:Checker
494:as Hank
363:Chicago
292:Detroit
272:enclave
246:Leonard
240:in his
205:English
194:Country
170: (
137:company
1341:(2022)
1333:(1999)
1325:(1996)
1317:(1988)
1309:(1986)
1301:(1980)
1293:(1979)
1285:(1977)
1277:(1976)
1269:(1976)
1261:(1974)
1242:(2016)
1234:(2013)
1226:(2008)
1218:(2005)
1210:(2002)
1202:(1994)
1194:(1990)
1186:(1988)
1167:(2024)
1159:(2022)
1151:(2021)
1143:(2017)
1135:(2014)
1127:(2007)
1119:(1999)
1111:(1997)
1103:(1997)
1095:(1992)
1087:(1987)
1079:(1985)
1071:(1982)
1063:(1980)
1055:(1979)
1047:(1978)
785:
618:names
605:list.
351:ledger
210:Budget
1100:Touch
551:blues
326:from
262:union
954:IMDb
905:via
817:2018
783:ISBN
725:2016
622:and
584:and
417:Cast
365:and
355:loan
302:Plot
294:and
256:and
990:at
974:at
952:at
643:'s
641:HBO
534:to
384:or
378:FBI
376:An
1357::
806:.
760:.
743:,
733:^
714:.
696:.
649:.
614:,
557:.
538:.
361:,
298:.
274:.
252:,
1020:e
1013:t
1006:v
852:.
819:.
791:.
764:.
727:.
700:.
174:)
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