Movies & TV / Reviews
Riverbend Review
Image Credit: Reelblack Renaissance
Loading...Riverbend Review
Steve James– Major Samuel Quinton
Margaret Avery– Bell Coleman
Tony Frank– Sheriff Jake
Julius Tennon– Sgt. Tony Marx
Alex Morris– Lt. Butch Turner
Vennessa Tate– Pauline
Linwood Walker– Fatman
Keith Kirk– Mike
John Norman– Marcus Coleman
(check out the rest of the cast here)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Screenplay by Samuel Vance
Distributed by Reelblack Renaissance
Rated R for violence and language
Runtime– 106 minutes
https://www.reelblack.com/riverbend-restored
Riverbend, directed by Sam Firstenberg, is a low-budget indie action drama from the very late 1980s that, after some sort of theatrical run and a VHS release, essentially disappeared until recently, when a company called Reelblack Renaissance decided to restore it and release it again into the world (the movie is set to be screened at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California October 14th, 2025, with other dates in other cities to follow). Riverbend is a fascinating flick, featuring a top notch cast that has action legend Steve James in his first full on starring role, as well as a truly unhinged and terrifying performance from Tony Frank as an uber racist sheriff. The movie does have its issues, with an uneven tone and a distracting soundtrack, but Riverbend does more right than wrong, and that’s what’s important.
Riverbend stars Steve James as Major Samuel Quinton, one of three Black soldiers that are set to be court martialed for disobeying orders while serving in the Vietnam War in 1966 (the other soldiers are Sgt. Tony Marx, as played by Julius Tennon, and Lt. Butch Turner, as played by Alex Morris). While being transported near Riverbend, Georgia, Quinton stages an escape from Army Military Police custody with Marx and Turner, and they run off into the woods. After avoiding capture for about a day, the soldiers come upon the house of the recently widowed Bell Coleman (Margaret Avery) and ask her if they can stay there for a few days to regroup. Initially, Bell doesn’t want anything to do with the trio, but she eventually relents after the sheriff (Jake, as played by Tony Frank) shows up to essentially intimidate Bell and tell her that when he killed her husband Marcus (John Norman) in town in front of witnesses it was all totally legal (we see this happen at the beginning of the movie). Quinton, Marx, and Turner clean themselves up and help Bell around her property, while also learning about what’s happening in Riverbend, especially when it comes to Sheriff Jake. Basically, the Black residents of Riverbend are under constant siege from the sheriff, a horrendous racist, rapist, and murderer that operates with damn near impunity as well as the tacit approval of most of the town’s government (the mayor and some of the other town officials act as though they don’t approve of the sheriff’s methods but they don’t do anything to stop him, and they’re just as deeply racist as he is). Some of the town’s Black residents are hoping to organize against the sheriff and fight back, but they’re not sure how to do so.
So then some stuff happens, Bell asks Quinton why he and his friends are on the run from the Army (essentially, Quinton refused to commit war crimes in Vietnam), then asks him for help. At first, Quinton is reluctant to get involved in what’s happening in Riverbend, as he says that it isn’t his fight and he needs to focus on his coming fight against the Army. But then after thinking about what the town’s Black residents are up against, Quinton agrees to stick around and come up with a plan to help them (Marx doesn’t want to have anything to do with the town of Riverbend and wants to keep moving, but Quinton talks him into hanging around. Turner is willing to continue following Quinton’s lead, as he believes in him as a leader). Quinton’s plan is to basically train the town’s Black men in how to fight and then, when they’re ready, to literally take over the town. So then for around two weeks, Quinton, Marx, and Turner teach Riverbend’s assembled Black men in the town’s dense woods various guerilla war fighting techniques, hand-to-hand fighting techniques, and weapons training.
While all of that is happening, Sheriff Jake tries to get the town government to buy into his suspicion that there will be a Black uprising soon, and that they need to prepare for it (the sheriff tries to constantly shut down local Black businesses where Black people “congregate,” as well as the Black church in town). The mayor and most of the other town government officials think the sheriff is wrong and that he needs to just calm down, but Sheriff Jake insists that they need to act. And if they refuse to act on his suspicion, the sheriff will act on his own.
So then some more stuff happens, Quinton puts his town takeover plan into motion, Quinton and his forces depose the sheriff, the mayor, and the rest of the town government, and then remove the town’s white residents from their homes and bring them to the big church in town as their hostages. Quinton’s forces then take over the one bridge into and out of town (they barricade it with explosives) and make their demands known. Quinton’s forces have conquered the town, and they want the Georgia state governor to show up, as well as the media and federal investigators to investigate the sheriff for every crime and murder the sheriff committed against the town’s Black residents. Will the state police accept and facilitate Quinton’s demands, or will the state police try to take back the town?
The story depicted in Riverbend is infuriating because it’s absolutely appalling that anything like the degradation, terror, and disgusting racism against Black Americans was ever allowed to happen and flourish. While Riverbend isn’t based on a specific, true event, it is representative of what Black Americans in the South were subjected to by local and state governments, as well as the culture of white supremacy of the 1960s and before then (and before anyone chimes in with it, yes, American racism was not, and still isn’t, exclusively a thing that happened or happens in the American South). When we see Sheriff Jake shoot an innocent Black man in the street, out in the open, in full view of witnesses, you wonder what the hell is wrong with the people that just watched the sheriff shoot a man for no reason. And then when the sheriff expects to get signed witness statements claiming that he was completely in the right, and you realize that he’s likely done something similar many times in the past and everyone just went along with it, your rage will likely grow. You, as the viewer, can’t wait for this bullshit to stop and for someone to stop Sheriff Jake. And that rage then grows again when we see Sheriff Jake walk into a Black owned bar, shut it down because he’s a racist piece of garbage, attack some of the people in there, and then kidnap and rape a Black woman. Why is anyone allowing this to happen?
When Steve James’ Quinton agrees to help the town and we see him and Marx and Turner train the town’s Black men how to fight, it feels like a revelation. I mean, you suspect that the presence of Steve James is going to eventually lead to his character being a hero, doing the right thing, and kicking the absolute crap out of the bad guy, but when you see what the Black residents of Riverbend deal with on a daily basis, Steve James being Steve goddamn James can’t happen fast enough. And when Quinton takes on Sheriff Jake in a back alley hand-to-hand brawl and thoroughly destroys him, it’s a true thing of righteous, violent beauty. Your only likely problem with what happens will be that the beating doesn’t last longer.
As I said at the beginning, Riverbend has a tone problem that seems to come from the movie not knowing if it’s meant to be an earnest action-drama or something else entirely. I’m not sure if that’s because of the screenplay or the choices made by director Sam Firstenberg, but you can tell that there are times where it seems as though Riverbend doesn’t know what kind of movie it is supposed to be. Director Firstenberg handles the movie’s action and fighting moments well, as you would expect from the man who directed four ninja action movie classics, but some of the dramatic scenes don’t play as well. The relationship between Quinton and Bell that develops over the course of the story is sweet, and James and Avery have obvious chemistry, but their relationship payoff scenes don’t play the way they should. They’re awkward. There are also a series of training montages that, on their own, are fun and showcase just how committed Quinton is to the task of training the Black men of Riverbend and the Black men of Riverbend are to learning how to fight, but they, too, in the body of the movie, are awkward. They seem like they’re part of a different movie. Now, it’s quite possible that most of this awkwardness is caused by the movie’s musical soundtrack by Paul Loomis. The music sounds like it was meant for a parody of corny soap operas, not an action-drama about confronting racism. The music should probably be more subtle than it is, and used more sparingly throughout.
Now, had the music been more subtle, some of the performances that appear to be over-the-top, like Vennessa Tate’s Pauline, wouldn’t be seen that way. Pauline is the Black woman that Sheriff Jake kidnaps and rapes, and she spends a good chunk of the movie wanting revenge. There are moments where it sure seems like Tate is overacting, but she isn’t. She’s actually expressing righteous anger and contempt. The music that surrounds her performance, though, doesn’t help her. The movie’s music also undermines a few scenes where I feel modern audiences are going to accuse Margaret Avery of trying too hard.
Despite the issues caused by the music, the movie’s performances are generally good throughout. Steve James is nothing short of fantastic as Major Samuel Quinton. A man of supreme integrity, Quinton is a guy that lives to do the right thing. It’s not only his job as a Major in the U.S. Army, it’s what he does outside of his military role, too. Is it wrong for him to escape custody and go on the run? Maybe a little, yes. But he needs to clear his name and the names of the soldiers under his command, and he doesn’t think he can do that under the present circumstances. He feels as though he doesn’t have a choice, a real choice in the matter. And, yes, while it appears that he briefly struggles with the idea of helping the Black residents of Riverbend, you just knew that he was eventually going to stop saying “It isn’t my fight” and he was going to make it his fight. Just like his refusal to commit war crimes in Vietnam, Quinton knows that not helping the Black people of Riverbend is wrong. He has to do it. James’ screen presence is integrity personified. You could see it in movies like the three American Ninja movies he made, as well as in stuff like Avenging Force (1986). James didn’t get to star as a leading man in all that many movies, which is a shame (part of that is due to him passing away from pancreatic cancer in 1993). But Riverbend is a prime example of what James could do as a leading man, and a sad reminder of what the movie world lost when he passed away. Who knows how many Riverbend type performances he would have given the world if he hadn’t gotten sick. Steve James rocks.
Tony Frank is goddamn diabolical as the uber racist Sheriff Jake. It’s difficult to make a character so completely evil, so irredeemable, and just so awful that you hate him but, at the same time, you can’t take your eyes off of him, but that’s what Frank does as Sheriff Jake. The dialogue he has to perform is horribly racist and difficult to hear, but Frank delivers every horrific line with such gusto and authority, you start to wonder about how Sheriff Jake managed to become such a reprehensible person. Was it just the way he was brought up? Was it his environment, the culture that was baked into him likely from childhood? Was Jake’s father, who he quotes several times, just as racist as his son? You wonder about all of that stuff, while also knowing that Sheriff Jake needs to get his ass kicked, and that his racist bullshit needs to stop. While it’s probably not the kind of role an actor would want to be remembered for, Frank does an exceptional job portraying one of the worst movie characters to ever live, and he should be commended for it. Tony Frank was very good at being very awful, just the worst of the worst.
Margaret Avery does a nice job as Bell Coleman, the widow that finds some semblance of hope when Major Samuel Quinton shows up on her property after experiencing the aftermath of the murder of her husband Marcus. Bell, like the rest of the Black residents of Riverbend, just wants to live her life without being constantly harassed by the racist sheriff. She sees that potential opportunity in Quinton, and she makes a concerted effort to make it happen. Avery, just likes James, is integrity personified, and you’re prone to naturally root for her. The movie’s music hinders her performance at times, but Avery is a damn good actor and, even under trying circumstances, she shines anyway. Avery also has decent chemistry with James, which helps make their eventual romantic relationship work. Even with the movie’s music issues interfering with her performance, I think you’ll dig what Avery produces as Bell.
Julius Tennon does a great job as Sgt. Tony Marx, the solider that can best be described as skeptical of Quinton’s big plan to help the Black people of Riverbend. Marx just wants to keep moving and not get involved, because he needs to fix his own problems. Riverbend isn’t some special place. Marx eventually comes around to Quinton’s way of thinking and agrees to help out and train the Black men of the town, but Marx also makes it clear that his cooperation is only going to last for so long. If he thinks the plan, when set in motion, isn’t working, he will move on on his own if he has to and he won’t have any issue doing it. You don’t want Marx to leave or abandon his friends, but at the same time you wouldn’t blame him if he did. You’d “get it.” Tennon knows exactly when to turn on the skepticism and make you both root for and question Marx, and he has awesome “buddy” chemistry with both James and Morris. It’s a damn shame what happens to Marx at the end, even if you’re not surprised by it at all.
Alex Morris also does a great job as Lt. Butch Turner, a man that trusts Major Quinton with his life and knows that the only way he’s likely to get out of his current court martial predicament is to continue backing up his commanding officer. Turner isn’t completely sold on the idea of hanging around Riverbend, at least not at first, but, again, knows that he needs to hang around Quinton as it is his only real option. You get the sense that Turner likes training the Black men of Riverbend, and you just know that when the Riverbend operation begins, Turner will do his job and do it well. Turner is exactly the guy you want watching the bridge and making sure no one gets into Riverbend or gets out. Again, great job Alex Morris.
I also want to mention Linwood Walker as Fatman, the Black bar owner. Walker does an awesome job as Fatman, just a local businessman trying to earn a living but can’t because of the racist piece of shit sheriff, so he decides to get involved in the Black man army Quinton is putting together. For my money, the movie doesn’t do enough with the Fatman character, and it’s just awful what happens to him at the end. I get why what happens happens, but it’s still an outrage. Fatman deserved way better. Way, way better.
Despite the less than stellar score (the more I think about it the more it bothers me. It’s just wrong for the movie), Riverbend is a generally well made action-drama with a worthwhile, important message. It’s also a showcase for what Steve James could do as a leading man. It’s really depressing to think that James didn’t get more chances to be the top guy in a movie. He was so damn good at it. At least we’ll always have Riverbend.
See Riverbend. See it, see it, see it. Keep an eye on the Reelblack website for future info on theatrical screenings as well as an eventual home video and streaming release.
So what do we have here?
Dead bodies: About 25.
Explosions: A few.
Nudity?: None.
Doobage: An argument. Cigarette smoking. Nodding. Car on fire. Palm thrust to the face. An escape. A town sheriff sleeping in a rocking chair. Cold blooded murder. Attempted massive corruption. Face washing. Attempted splash fight. A truck with a cracked rear window. A meeting. A conversation about violence. More cold blooded murder. Men running through the woods. Attempted resting. Joyous dancing. Dominoes playing. Deliberate harassment. Face punching. Multiple warning shots fired into the air. Hostage taking. Off screen rape. Clothes washing. Wood cutting. Thinking. Soldiers talking about refusing to commit war crimes in Vietnam. Hand kissing. More deliberate harassment. Combat training in the woods. Shirtless running. Multiple training montages. Water break. Attempted righteous killing that doesn’t happen. A siege. Shotgun butt to the face. Righteous hostage taking. Off screen calling the governor. Shooting at the cops. Bullhorn hooey. Attempted town infiltration. Cop killing. A shootout. An unexpected knife fight. Serious gut stabbing. An impromptu soldier fight. Yet another attempted infiltration. Yet another attempted righteous killing. A full on hand-to-hand brawl. Attempted chain attack. Attempted chain choking. A full on righteous ass kicking that should have gone on longer because it’s so damn righteous. Attempted escape. A massive double barrel shotgun blast to the leg. Attempted bank robbery. A massive shootout. A handshake.
Kim Richards? None.
Gratuitous: Steve James as a soldier being court martialed for refusing to commit war crimes in Vietnam. Steve James being a badass. “Riverbend, Georgia 1966.” Whittling. Rampant racial epithets. Cold blooded murder. A guy named “Pee Wee.” Steve James wielding a double barrel shotgun. A super racist sheriff wearing a pocket protector. Steve James cleaning a double barrel shotgun. “This is the South.” Steve James telling a horrifying story about war crimes in Vietnam. Steve James putting the moves on Margaret Avery. Margaret Avery talking to her dead husband at his gravesite. Church singing. A bag of Red Man chewing tobacco on the dashboard. Steve James training men how to fight in the woods. Steve James telling a story that makes everyone laugh. Cornbread. Steve James saying “Eagles!” Martial arts training. War paint. Dynamite. A “civil uprising.” Steve James wearing the racist sheriff’s gun on his hip. A lesson on guerilla warfare. The media. A quick close-up of Steve James’ glistening bicep for no real reason. A total lack of self-reflection that’s sad but not that surprising.
Best lines: “Goddamn car’s on fire!” “Well, ain’t this something?” “You didn’t have to kill him!” “I don’t know why the hell I’m here in the first place. I didn’t do anything other than follow orders. Like a dumbass.” “Did he make it to the circuit judge?” “What kinda meeting you having in there, boy?” “That’s a nice fishing rod you got there, son.” “Don’t lie to me! Where’s the gun?” “It was his own fault. What I done was legal.” “The man asked where’s your court order to close the place down, sheriff?” “What’s your name, boy? My name is Mike. What’s your name, boy?” “What the fuck is it about Quinton that makes you follow him like a blind dog?” “You certainly know some fancy words.” “Think about it.” “No way. There’s no way I’m staying here!” “Every Sunday is special to us, sheriff. And in the eyes of the Lord, we are not niggers!” “Come on, Fatman, get your ass up the hill!” “Well, what’s wrong with everyone being in church at the same time? Negroes have a God, too.” “Kill him! Kill him!” “Now the training is over. Tonight is for real. So, the next time we meet, the town will be ours.” “Riverbend is no longer going to be the breeding ground of Black injustice, discrimination, and persecution. You people are now our hostages.” “Never thought I’d see the day when one of your kind wearing my gun. Well, look closely, because today is the day.” “My name is Major Samuel Quinton, and I’m the commander of the forces that now occupy Riverbend.” “Captain, if the governor does not arrive here in 24 hours, you had better bring all of the long black Cadillacs you can find because you’re going to need them. Now it’s your move. Good day.” “What’s going on? The sheriff is going to kill the mayor!” “Enough, Tony. Enough.” “I said it’s hotter than hell out here. We need more water.” “Take him back.” “Get to the church, Quinton! Get to the church!” “This is your move, Monroe.”
