Baadasssss Cinema - A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films

MELVIN VAN PEEBLES, PAM GRIER AND SAMUAL JACKSON TO NAME BUT THE DIRECTOR AD TWO OF THE MOST FAVOUS ACTORS. BLAXPLOITATION? TOOK A MINISTER TO COME UP WITH THAT DEROGATORY DESCRIPTION. BUT ASK THE CAST AND AUDIENCES IF THEY WEREN'T JUST HAVING FUN. AND FRANKLY, WAS COTTON COMES TO HARLEM BLAXPLOITATION OR A GOOD FILM? NOBODY'S EVER ACCUSED CHESTER HIMES OF EXPLOITING ANYBODY, EXCEPT PERHAPS HIMSELF FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ABOUT HIM AND HIS LIFE. THE MOVIES ARE ALL IN THE GENRE OF 'BLIND MAN WITH A PISTOL,' SIMPLY GOOD FUN. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO TAKE WHAT SERIOUSLY.

BaadAsssss Cinema is an hour-long documentary film, directed by Isaac Julien, that looks at the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s.With archive film clips and interviews, this brief look at a frequently overlooked historical period of filmmaking acts as an introduction rather than a complete record. It features interviews with some of the genre's biggest stars, such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, and Richard Roundtree. Director Melvin Van Peebles discusses the historical importance of his landmark film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. For a contemporary perspective, the hyper Quentin Tarantino offers his spirited commentary and author/critic bell hooks provides some scholarly social analysis.The music of Blaxploitation films is discussed, focusing on Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly and Isaac Hayes' Shaft. Interviews with writer/director Larry Cohen and film historian Armond White are also featured. BaadAsssss Cinema was originally shown on the Independent Film Channel in August 2002 as part of a week-long Blaxploitation film festival.

It was the beginning, after so many years of degraded parts and smiling, minstrial-type characters, the 70's brought us new hope and new faces on the screen that we could identify with. Sweet, sweet-back, Superfly, Shaft, and The Mack brought true-to life characters that were what we wanted to be; they were the ones who got away with what none of us could.This incredible era is depected in this magnificent film, which shows, how, who, and why these films were made and just as quickly faded away. A must have for anyone who was around at that time.

This is another of the valuable resource material that I have on VHS. I'm in the process of replacing all of my old VHS with DVD versions. This is another one that I can check off my 'replace list'.

For anyone curious what led up to such a unique moment in film history, this quality documentary does not disappoint. Great interviews, structure, and objectivity.

From beginning to end. Poor film not worth your money. Not what expected.

I like to keep a general history of knowledge pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement as it pertains to black, and politics.

Good