Film

Petey Wheatstraw

Name: Petey Wheatstraw
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Horror
Released: 1977
Cast: Rudy Ray Moore, Jimmy Lynch, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand, Ebony Wright

Comedy
Fantasy
Strange

Rudy Ray Moore stars as Petey Wheatstraw, a martial artist born from a watermelon who's been cursed to marry the Devil's daughter. It's a 1977 blaxploitation comedy that treats its absurd premise with complete sincerity, delivering Moore's riffing standup humor wrapped around action sequences and genuine weirdness. Built for Moore's fans and for people who love films that exist in their own gleeful logic.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love blaxploitation comedy where the plot is just a clothesline for a headliner's profane stand-up riffs, and you enjoy broad, gleefully crude anarchy more than tidy storytelling.

Skip it if you want a coherent narrative or polished craft; the story is loose and episodic, the jokes lean heavily on raunchy stand-up delivery, and the cheap, scrappy look may wear thin.

What it asks of you: It runs about an hour and a half and is mostly a series of loud set pieces and routines, so it wants you to go along with its scrappy, rambling rhythm rather than follow tight plotting.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Dolemite1975

Rudy Ray Moore's breakthrough film, where his character's unstoppable verbal wit and martial arts prowess drive the entire narrative. If you love Petey's energy and Moore's presence, this is essential.

But The plot is thin and exists mostly as scaffolding for Moore's comedy routines and fight scenes. If you need tight narrative structure, this will feel like a series of sketches.

The Mack1973

A blaxploitation classic with genuine style, sharp dialogue, and a protagonist who's clever and charismatic in ways that feel lived-in. The film has real craft beneath its genre pleasures.

But It's grounded in a harder reality than Petey's cartoon logic. The tone is cooler and less overtly comedic, which might feel like a tonal shift if you want Moore-style chaos.

Coffy1973

Pam Grier commands the screen with intelligence and fury in this revenge tale. It's genuinely well-made blaxploitation with a heroine who thinks several steps ahead of everyone else.

But It takes itself seriously. There's real violence and real stakes, so the comic tone and supernatural elements of Petey won't be here to lighten things.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Petey Wheatstraw

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Mulholland Drive2001

Both films treat their grotesque or absurd elements as completely real within the story's universe. Petey's Devil doesn't wink at the audience; neither does Lynch. They're committed to their own internal logic even when—especially when—that logic is genuinely strange.

David Lynch's Hollywood nightmare is disorienting, layered, and operates in its own logic that resists easy interpretation. It's visually gorgeous and haunts you long after viewing.

But It's deliberately cryptic and refuses to explain itself. Three hours of formal experimentation with no clear plot will frustrate anyone wanting straightforward narrative or easy answers.

Sheba, Baby1975

Another Pam Grier vehicle that balances action and humor more deftly than most blaxploitation films. It's stylish, moves well, and Grier is genuinely fun to watch in motion.

But Slower pacing and more traditional detective-story structure than the anarchic energy of Petey Wheatstraw. Less weird, more grounded.

Blackenstein1973

A blaxploitation horror-comedy that reimagines Frankenstein with complete earnestness. It shares Petey's willingness to be weird and silly while maintaining a straight face about its premise.

But The budget is minuscule and it shows in every frame. The pacing is slow and the monster makeup looks deeply unconvincing, which can kill the fun if you're not in the right headspace.

Disco Godfather1979

Rudy Ray Moore returns to his brand of absurdist action-comedy in a film about a retired actor fighting a drug epidemic in the disco underground. It's Moore being Moore in a different setting.

But The anti-drug message gets preachy and clashes with the comedic tone. It also lacks the supernatural absurdity that makes Petey work so well.

The Last Dragon1985

A martial arts comedy with genuine action, a vibrant aesthetic, and a protagonist who's both skilled and likeable. It's got style and doesn't take itself too seriously.

But By 1985, it's sleeker and more polished than Petey's raw 1977 energy. The humor is gentler and more family-friendly if you're looking for that same anarchic bite.

Truck Turner1974

A solidly made blaxploitation action film with Isaac Hayes both scoring and starring. It has craft, momentum, and genuine stunt work that impresses.

But It's a straight action picture with minimal comedy or weirdness. If you're drawn to Petey's lunacy, this will feel like a conventional genre exercise.

Svengali1983

Both films feature supernatural elements used as scaffolding for pure entertainment and personality. Petey has Moore's standup, Svengali has Hopkins and music—they're both showcases built on a ridiculous plot that doesn't matter because the actual attraction is the weirdness and charisma on display.

A British musical comedy-horror that's utterly bonkers: Jodie Foster sings, Anthony Hopkins plays a sleazy hypnotist, and it's all conducted with a knowing wink to its own ridiculousness. Campy, weird, and entirely committed to its zaniness.

But It's camp, which means it requires you to enjoy artificial excess and theatrical excess for its own sake. If you prefer subtlety or naturalism, this will feel exhausting rather than fun.