Blaxploitation Films
I am really enjoying exploring this genre. As I watch more, I will post my thoughts
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- DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsIsaac HayesYaphet KottoAlan WeeksWhile tracking a strong-armed pimp who has skipped bail, a bounty hunter discovers a contract has been put out on him and must go on the run.Great soundtrack and pretty damn enjoyable. Maybe my favourite blaxploitation film. Excellent funeral scene
- DirectorGordon ParksStarsRichard RoundtreeMoses GunnCharles CioffiA crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.Loved this film. Great music, good story and well acted. He is the ultimate cool cat. I can dig it.
- DirectorLarry CohenStarsFred WilliamsonGloria HendryArt LundRaised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.I think this is pretty underrated. Is it violent? Yes. Is the guy we are rooting for pretty skeezy and not so nice? Absolutely. Why a number of critics gave this film a big poo-hoo because of this is mind boggling. It is a fine film. Bad guys who are actually bad. The acting is quite good and the score is more subdued than a lot of blaxploitation films.
- DirectorMichael CampusStarsRony ClantonDon GordonJoyce WalkerA gifted young man is caught up in gang life.Very good and moving drama. Following the sad and true story of Sonny Carson. Michael Campus did an outstanding job on a small budget.
- DirectorJack HillStarsPam GrierBooker BradshawRobert DoQuiA sexy Black nurse takes vigilante justice against inner-city drug dealers after her sister becomes their latest victim.I loved this revenge flick, from some great lines to the amusing soundtrack. The songs were hilarious from Mr George's theme song to the song sung after the girl fight. Pam Grier was great, all in all a pretty decent movie
- DirectorIvan DixonStarsLawrence CookJanet LeaguePaula KellyA black man plays 'uncle Tom' in order to gain access to CIA training, then uses that knowledge to plot a new American revolt.Good film and still pretty relevant.
- DirectorScott SandersStarsMichael Jai WhiteArsenio HallTommy DavidsonBlack Dynamite is the greatest African-American action star of the 1970s. When his only brother is killed by The Man, it's up to him to find justice.One of the funniest films I have seen. To be watched after watching a number of blaxploitation films beforehand to appreciate all the humour.
- DirectorRalph BakshiStarsBarry WhiteCharles GordoneScatman CrothersRabbit, a country-born trickster, takes over the organized crime racket in Harlem, facing opposition from the institutionalized racism of the Mafia and corrupt police.Awashed with stereotypes Coonskin is cleverly told. The score is fabulous, the live action cinematography blended with animation was magical. I really enjoyed this.
- DirectorLarry YustStarsKiel MartinMel StewartDallas Edward HayesTwo Phildelphia con men try to evade gangsters they have conned and cops who are trying to put them in jail.Great hidden gem. Trick Baby is a fine film about conmen.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsPam GrierSamuel L. JacksonRobert ForsterA flight attendant with a criminal past gets nabbed by the ATF for smuggling. Under pressure to become an informant against the illegal arms dealer she works for, she must find a way to secure her future without getting killed.Fine film. Pam Grier shows she hasn't lost any of her mojo
- DirectorBarry ShearStarsAnthony QuinnYaphet KottoAnthony FranciosaTwo New York City cops go after amateur crooks who are trying to rip off the Mafia and start a gang war.One of the best
- DirectorMichael CampusStarsMax JulienDon GordonRichard PryorGoldie returns from five years at the state pen and winds up King of the pimping game. Trouble comes in the form of two corrupt white cops and a crime lord who wants him to return to the small time.King of the pimps. Good film
- DirectorGordon ParksStarsRichard RoundtreeMoses GunnDrew Bundini BrownShaft is back to find the murderer of an old friend on the cold hard city streets with a little help from his new friends.Fine sequel with some excellent cinematography, editing and score.
- DirectorJack HillStarsPam GrierAntonio FargasPeter BrownA voluptuous vigilante takes a job as a high-class prostitute to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.Enjoyable revenge film almost a sequel to Coffy, but I don't think it was as good. The fights are more polished but I prefer the hilarity and rawness that Coffy has, plus it didn't have the awesome songs.
- DirectorArthur MarksStarsAlex RoccoHari RhodesVonetta McGeeAfter a fundraiser for a black politician is robbed, Detroit police put two detectives, one white and one black, on the case, who try to work together under boiling political pressure.Fun film.
- DirectorOssie DavisStarsGodfrey CambridgeRaymond St. JacquesCalvin LockhartTwo Harlem cops investigate a robbery, believing that a reverend has staged it in order to steal the money he's collected for a local fundraiser.Entertaining and a decent early blaxploitation film, but I found it pretty forgettable.
- DirectorGordon Parks Jr.StarsRon O'NealCarl LeeSheila FrazierThe daily routine of cocaine dealer Priest who wants to score one more super deal and retire.Decent film but would be better with a stronger script. Some of the scenes were overly long just to stretch the film out but the unnecessary length made me start to lose interest.
- DirectorMelvin Van PeeblesStarsMelvin Van PeeblesHubert ScalesJohn DullaghanAfter saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.Very thin plot with some silly scenes saved by some nice cinematography and editing. Although the score was good after a while the loop became irritating.
- DirectorD'Urville MartinStarsRudy Ray MooreD'Urville MartinJerry JonesAfter he is released from jail, a pimp takes on the criminals and corrupt police officers who framed him in the first place.Ok but let down by some dodgy acting at times. The fight between Dolemite and drug addict was hilarious. He got nowhere near him. Editing was patchy too.
- DirectorBruce D. ClarkStarsFred WilliamsonBernie HamiltonVonetta McGeeA Los Angeles dock worker becomes a boxer but his crooked manager is involved in various rackets and he's working for the mob.The story was nothing new but it had a lot of charm. Much better than the rating on IMDB maybe that's because so few have rated it. The cinematography was really good and acting was pretty solid. The chemistry between Fred Williamson & Vonetta McGee was great.
- DirectorIvan DixonStarsRobert HooksPaul WinfieldRalph WaiteA neighborhood "problem solver" is framed for murder by a couple of local crime bosses trying to get him out of the way.Not bad at all. Robert Hooks does a decent job in the lead as a super cool dude not to be messed with and he does ooze cool. Not sure if he is in Shaft's league, but pretty cool never the less. The let down was the score, sometimes it sounded like the record finished and there was a break trying to put the needle back to the beginning.
- DirectorGordon Parks Jr.StarsJim BrownFred WilliamsonJim KellyBlaxploitation film about three martial-arts specialists who prevent white supremacists from tainting the U.S. water supply with a toxin that's only harmful to black people.The plot is as logical as the car which mysteriously burst into flames before driving off the car park roof or the dump truck bursting into a huge fire ball from only driving through a sign or why the girls had to get oiled and half naked before torturing the guy. I think Henry Gibson in the Blues Brothers must have parodied the bad guy. I can appreciate flawed blaxploitation movies but even the leads phoned it in. It is the worst film I have seen in this genre, so bad I gave it a 3, except I pushed 2 instead and it doesn't even warrant me changing it.
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsBeau BridgesLee GrantDiana SandsAt the age of 29, Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges) "runs away" from home. This running away consists of buying a building in a black ghetto in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Initially, his intention is to evict the black tenants and convert it into a posh flat. But Elgar is not one to be bound by yesterday's urges, and soon he has other thoughts on his mind. He's grown fond of the black tenants and particularly of Fanny (Diana Sands), the wife of a black radical; he's maybe fallen in love with Lanie (Marki Bey), a mixed race girl; he's lost interest in redecorating his home. Joyce (Lee Grant), his mother has not relinquished this interest and in one of the film's most hilarious sequences gives her MasterCharge card to Marge (Pearl Bailey), a black tenant and appoints her decorator.Fabulous film, so well acted by everyone. A forgotten gem which should have wider recognition.
- DirectorWilliam CrainStarsWilliam MarshallVonetta McGeeDenise NicholasAn 18th-century African prince, turned into a vampire by Dracula, finds himself in modern-day Los Angeles.That wasn't what I expected. I thought this was going to be a so bad it's good cheesefest but was pleasantly surprised. Although it did have some funny bits, the story was serious and wasn't too bad. The music was great in the club as was the dancing. Not too bad, now I will definitely watch the sequel Scream Blacula Scream with some enthusiasm.
- DirectorArthur MarksStarsPam GrierYaphet KottoGodfrey CambridgeAt Los Angeles airport, magazine photographer Friday Foster witnesses an assassination attempt against billionaire Blake Tarr and is drawn into a murky political conspiracy.What can I say about Friday Foster? Terrible script, cars that explode from a slight accident, some of the worst acting from support cast I have ever seen but it is a gloriously fun film.
Eartha Kitt's over the top acting was worth it alone. Every time she came onto the screen was unintentionally hilarious. It was so bad I thought she was parodying someone.
Pam Grier sizzles on the screen as she jumps in and out of bed with her co-stars. She is so charismatic you forgive the stupidity of the scenes you are watching and the silly dialogue. Not sure another actor could have pulled it off. But I thoroughly recommend this.