Which is the best (or your favorite) blaxploitation movies of the 70's?
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film. It emerged in the United States in the early 1970s. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, but the genre's audience appeal soon broadened across racial and ethnic lines. The Los Angeles National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) head and ex-film publicist Junius Griffin coined the term, which is a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation." Blaxploitation films were the first to regularly feature soundtracks of funk and soul music and primarily black casts.Variety credited Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and the less radical Hollywood-financed film Shaft (both released in 1971) with the invention of the blaxploitation.
Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. An action film with elements of film noir, Shaft tells the story of a private detective, John Shaft, who travels through Harlem and to the Italian mob neighborhoods in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. It stars Richard Roundtreeas John Shaft, Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Drew Bundini Brown as Willy, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi,Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, and Gwenn Mitchell and Lawrence Pressman in smaller roles.
Super Fly is a 1972 blaxploitation crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business.
This film is probably best known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Super Fly is one of the few films ever to have been outgrossed by its soundtrack.
Black Caesar (released theatrically in the UK as Godfather of Harlem) is a 1973 American blaxploitation crime drama film, starring Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry and Julius Harris. The film was written and directed by Larry Cohen. Black Caesar is a remake of the 1931 film Little Caesar. It features a notable musical score (Black Caesar) byJames Brown (with heavy input from his bandleaderFred Wesley), his first experience with writing music for film.
Cleopatra Jones is a 1973 American blaxploitationaction comedy film starring Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey,Shelley Winters and Antonio Fargas.
Coffy is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by American filmmakerJack Hill. The story is about ablack female vigilante played by Pam Grier.
The Mack is a 1973 blaxploitation film starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor. The movie is set in Oakland, California and was the highest-grossing blaxploitation film of its time. Its soundtrack was recorded by Motown artist Willie Hutch.
Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American blaxploitationmartial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and starring Jim Kelly. The main musical theme was performed by funk guitarist Dennis Coffey.
Foxy Brown is a 1974 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Pam Grier as the title character, described by one character as "a whole lot of woman" who showcases unrelenting sexiness while battling the villains.
Willie Dynamite is a 1974 American blaxploitation film, starring Roscoe Orman, Diana Sands, Thalmus Rasulala, Joyce Walker, and was released by Universal Pictures. The eponymous Willie Dynamite is a pimp in New York City, who strives to be number one in the city. As he is trying to do so, a social worker named Cora, is trying to change his ways - as well as those of the women who work for him - for the better.
Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly, written byEric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. Featuring the three biggest black action stars of the 1970s, in their first movie together, the film chronicled the group's adventures in foiling the plot of white supremacists plotting to kill the black population of the United States by poisoning the water supply.
Trouble Man is a 1972 blaxploitation crime thriller film directed by Ivan Dixon and produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Robert Hooks as "Mr. T.", a hard-edged private detective who tends to take justice into his own hands. It is still of note today for its soundtrack, written, produced and performed by Marvin Gaye.
Hit Man is a 1972 American crime film directed by George Armitage[2] and starring Bernie Casey, Pam Grier and Lisa Moore. It is a blaxploitation-themed adaptation of Ted Lewis' 1970 novel Jack's Return Home, more famously adapted as Get Carter (1971), with the action relocated from England to the United States.
Truck Turner, also known as Black Bullet, is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilkes), and Oscar Williams. Hayes also scored the music for the soundtrack.
Sheba, Baby is a 1975 American blaxploitation action film directed by William Girdler and starring Pam Grier and Austin Stoker.
Across 110th Street is a 1972 American action crime film directed by Barry Shear and starring Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Franciosa and Paul Benjamin. The film is set in Harlem and takes its name from 110th Street, the traditional dividing line between Harlem and Central Park that functioned as an informal boundary of race and class in 1970s New York City.
Note: Just including the crime/action movies no comedy,horror,etc.
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film. It emerged in the United States in the early 1970s. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, but the genre's audience appeal soon broadened across racial and ethnic lines. The Los Angeles National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) head and ex-film publicist Junius Griffin coined the term, which is a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation." Blaxploitation films were the first to regularly feature soundtracks of funk and soul music and primarily black casts.Variety credited Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and the less radical Hollywood-financed film Shaft (both released in 1971) with the invention of the blaxploitation.
Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. An action film with elements of film noir, Shaft tells the story of a private detective, John Shaft, who travels through Harlem and to the Italian mob neighborhoods in order to find the missing daughter of a black mobster. It stars Richard Roundtreeas John Shaft, Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Drew Bundini Brown as Willy, Charles Cioffi as Lt. Vic Androzzi,Christopher St. John as Ben Buford, and Gwenn Mitchell and Lawrence Pressman in smaller roles.
Super Fly is a 1972 blaxploitation crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business.
This film is probably best known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Super Fly is one of the few films ever to have been outgrossed by its soundtrack.
Black Caesar (released theatrically in the UK as Godfather of Harlem) is a 1973 American blaxploitation crime drama film, starring Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry and Julius Harris. The film was written and directed by Larry Cohen. Black Caesar is a remake of the 1931 film Little Caesar. It features a notable musical score (Black Caesar) byJames Brown (with heavy input from his bandleaderFred Wesley), his first experience with writing music for film.
Cleopatra Jones is a 1973 American blaxploitationaction comedy film starring Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey,Shelley Winters and Antonio Fargas.
Coffy is a 1973 American blaxploitation film written and directed by American filmmakerJack Hill. The story is about ablack female vigilante played by Pam Grier.
The Mack is a 1973 blaxploitation film starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor. The movie is set in Oakland, California and was the highest-grossing blaxploitation film of its time. Its soundtrack was recorded by Motown artist Willie Hutch.
Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American blaxploitationmartial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and starring Jim Kelly. The main musical theme was performed by funk guitarist Dennis Coffey.
Foxy Brown is a 1974 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Pam Grier as the title character, described by one character as "a whole lot of woman" who showcases unrelenting sexiness while battling the villains.
Willie Dynamite is a 1974 American blaxploitation film, starring Roscoe Orman, Diana Sands, Thalmus Rasulala, Joyce Walker, and was released by Universal Pictures. The eponymous Willie Dynamite is a pimp in New York City, who strives to be number one in the city. As he is trying to do so, a social worker named Cora, is trying to change his ways - as well as those of the women who work for him - for the better.
Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly, written byEric Bercovici and Jerrold L. Ludwig and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. Featuring the three biggest black action stars of the 1970s, in their first movie together, the film chronicled the group's adventures in foiling the plot of white supremacists plotting to kill the black population of the United States by poisoning the water supply.
Trouble Man is a 1972 blaxploitation crime thriller film directed by Ivan Dixon and produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Robert Hooks as "Mr. T.", a hard-edged private detective who tends to take justice into his own hands. It is still of note today for its soundtrack, written, produced and performed by Marvin Gaye.
Hit Man is a 1972 American crime film directed by George Armitage[2] and starring Bernie Casey, Pam Grier and Lisa Moore. It is a blaxploitation-themed adaptation of Ted Lewis' 1970 novel Jack's Return Home, more famously adapted as Get Carter (1971), with the action relocated from England to the United States.
Truck Turner, also known as Black Bullet, is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilkes), and Oscar Williams. Hayes also scored the music for the soundtrack.
Sheba, Baby is a 1975 American blaxploitation action film directed by William Girdler and starring Pam Grier and Austin Stoker.
Across 110th Street is a 1972 American action crime film directed by Barry Shear and starring Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Franciosa and Paul Benjamin. The film is set in Harlem and takes its name from 110th Street, the traditional dividing line between Harlem and Central Park that functioned as an informal boundary of race and class in 1970s New York City.
Note: Just including the crime/action movies no comedy,horror,etc.
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Wouldn't quite call this part of the "blaxplotation" based on how shook it got the feds, but I understand it was in the same era...
Thank you! You know I've been looking for this one and Trouble Man too.
