Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.
Photos
Richard Roundtree
- Self
- (archive footage)
Tamara Dobson
- Self
- (archive footage)
Ron O'Neal
- Self
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Did you know
- ConnectionsFeatures Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
Featured review
Finally giving the genre its due.
With one exception, this film was an exceptional look at a genre of films overlooked today...the so-called 'blacksploitation' film. Using lots of clips from many of the most important movies as well as a lot of interviews, it's a very nice homage to the pictures.
The film begins, well, at the beginning. "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song" was the first film and the experts talk about it...and completely ignore that the film was among the worst films in Hollywood history...worse than "Plan 9 From Outer Space"!! Its lack of criticism of the film is odd. Sure, it was the first, but it was also the worst and features child pornography and practically no plot.
Fortunately, after this rocky start the film does a much better job and goes from "Shaft" to "Superfly" to the films of Pam Grier and Fred Williamson among others. This is very interesting and worth your time....and is a GREAT introduction for folks who are unfamiliar with the genre and want to know where to start...as well as learning what killed these exciting films. Well worth seeing...just wish they's spent less time on "Sweet Sweetback" and perhaps had mentioned some other great films such as "Truck Turner" and "Bucktown" or, perhaps, a discussion of the horrible blacksploitation films! Still, well made and well worth seeing.
The film begins, well, at the beginning. "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song" was the first film and the experts talk about it...and completely ignore that the film was among the worst films in Hollywood history...worse than "Plan 9 From Outer Space"!! Its lack of criticism of the film is odd. Sure, it was the first, but it was also the worst and features child pornography and practically no plot.
Fortunately, after this rocky start the film does a much better job and goes from "Shaft" to "Superfly" to the films of Pam Grier and Fred Williamson among others. This is very interesting and worth your time....and is a GREAT introduction for folks who are unfamiliar with the genre and want to know where to start...as well as learning what killed these exciting films. Well worth seeing...just wish they's spent less time on "Sweet Sweetback" and perhaps had mentioned some other great films such as "Truck Turner" and "Bucktown" or, perhaps, a discussion of the horrible blacksploitation films! Still, well made and well worth seeing.
helpful•10
- planktonrules
- Dec 20, 2016
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Baadasssss Cinema: A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime58 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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