Blaxploitation (thing)

Blaxploitation was one of the more pervasive film genres of the 1970's as Hollywood finally realized that blacks went to the movies, and wanted black heros. The films, made almost entirely by black writers, directors, cast, and crew (although most of the producers were white), were the first to really target black audiences. Predominately action films, the movies often spread into comedy and horror. Most of these movies centered around fighting The Man. The name for the genre is truly a self-deprecating term of endearment, and is not as pejorative as it sounds.

The All Movie guide desribes the genre the best:

Though the films embraced or parodied the conventions of almost all existing genres, the phrase is usually applied to inner-city crime and action films, notorious for their crude sensationalism, graphic violence, overt sexuality, revenge themes, and depiction of drug use. Characters varied from private eyes, to pimps and dealers, to feminist action heroes, but all exhibited racial pride, detested the American bourgeoisie mindset, and gave little respect to the Establishment.

The genre was effectively started with Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song in 1971 and was followed quickly by a series of films that made Isaac Hayes, Richard Roundtree, Fred Williamson, and Pam Grier, among many others, household names.

Pam Grier was perhaps the first big female action star in cinema. Her roles in Foxy Brown, Scream, Blacula, Scream!, and Coffy cemented the idea that there can be powerful women (black or otherwise) in film.

One of the biggest offshoots of the genre was the music. Isaac Hayes's score for Shaft, and Curtis Mayfield's for Superfly were incredible successes and have greatly outlived the mainstream popularity of their respective films.

One final note is the effect these films had on the entertainment genre. The frame these films were based on, and especially their music, spread to the rest of hollywood and resulted in television shows such as Starksy and Hutch, Kojak, and Hawaii 5-0. While most of these shows center on the detective or cop, the soundtracks and action owe much to Shaft and its cohorts.

(One personal note: These people know how to name a movie!)

As listed by the IMDB, recognized Blaxploitation films include:

• Abby (1974)
   ...aka Possess My Soul (1974)
  
• The Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (1974)
  
• Black Angels (1970)
   ...aka Black Bikers from Hell (1970)
  
• Black Belt Jones (1974)
  
• Black Caesar (1973)
   ...aka The Godfather of Harlem (1973) (UK)
  
• The Black Connection (1974)
   ...aka Run Nigger Run (1974) (USA)
  
• Black Fist (1976)
   ...aka The Black Streetfighter (1976)
   ...aka Fist (1976)
   ...aka Homeboy (1976)
  
• The Black Gestapo (1975)
  
• The Black Godfather (1974)
  
• Black Samurai (1976)
   ...aka Black Terminator (1976)
  
• Black Shampoo (1976)
  
• The Black Six (1974)
  
• Blackenstein (1973) (19 votes)
   ...aka Black Frankenstein (1973)
   ...aka Return of Blackenstein (1973)
  
• Blacula (1972)
  
• Boss Nigger (1975)
   ...aka The Black Bounty Hunter (1975)
   ...aka The Black Bounty Killer (1975) (UK)
   ...aka Boss (1975)
  
• Candy Tangerine Man (1975)
  
• Cleopatra Jones (1973)
  
• Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)
  
• Coffy (1973)
  
• Crack House (1989)
  
• Darktown Strutters (1975)
   ...aka Get Down and Boogie (1975)
  
• Death Force (1978)
   ...aka Fierce (1978)
   ...aka Fighting Mad (1978)
  
• Death Journey (1975)
  
• Detroit 9000 (1973)
   ...aka Detroit Heat (1998) (USA: video title)
  
• Disco Godfather (1979)
   ...aka Avenging Disco Godfather (1979)
   ...aka Avenging Godfather (1979)
  
• Dolemite (1975)
  
• Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976)
   ...aka Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde (1976)
   ...aka Dr. Black and Mr. White (1976)
   ...aka The Watts Monster (1979) (USA: reissue title)
  
• Friday Foster (1975)
  
• Gizli Kuvvet (1983)
  
• Godzilla Versus Disco Lando (1998)
  
• Hangup (1974)
   ...aka Super Dude (1974)
  
• Hitter (1979)
  
• The Human Tornado (1976)
   ...aka Dolemite II (1976)
  
• I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
  
• Jackie Brown (1997)
  
• The Legend of Dolemite (1994)
  
• Live and Let Die (1973)
  
• The Mack (1973)
   ...aka The Mack and His Pack (1973)
  
• Mean Mother (1973)
  
• Melinda (1972)
  
• Naked Acts (1997)
  
• Nine Lives of a Wet Pussy (1977)
   ...aka 9 Lives of a Wet Pussycat (1977)
   ...aka Nine Lives of a Wet Pussycat (1977)
  
• One Down, Two to Go (1983)
  
• Original Gangstas (1996)
   ...aka Hot City (1996)
  
• Penitentiary II (1982)
  
• The Red, White, and Black (1970)
   ...aka Black Cavalry (1970) (Australia: video title)
   ...aka Buffalo Soldiers (1970)
   ...aka Soul Soldier (1970)
  
• The Return of Superfly (1990)
  
• Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (1980)
   ...aka Amin: The Rise and Fall (1980) (USA)
  
• Savage! (1973)
   ...aka Black Valor (1973)
  
• Scream, Blacula, Scream! (1973)
   ...aka Blacula II (1973)
   ...aka Blacula Is Beautiful (1973)
   ...aka Blacula Lives Again! (1973)
   ...aka The Name Is Blacula (1973)
  
• Shaft (1971)
  
• Shaft in Africa (1973)
  
• Shaft's Big Score! (1972)
  
• Sheba, Baby (1975)
  
• The Slams (1973)
  
• Slaughter (1972)
  
• Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)
  
• Soul Patrol (1980)
  
• The Spook Who Sat by the Door(1973)
  
• Sugar Hill (1974)
   ...aka Voodoo Girl (1974)
   ...aka The Zombies of Sugar Hill (1974)
  
• Super Soul Brother (1980)
   ...aka The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1980)
  
• Super Spook (1975)
  
• Superfly (1972)
  
• Superfly T.N.T. (1973)
  
• Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
  
• T.N.T. Jackson (1975)
  
• The Thing with Two Heads (1972)
   ...aka The Beast with Two Heads (1972)
   ...aka The Man with Two Heads (1972/)
  
• Three the Hard Way (1974)
  
• Trick Baby (1973)
   ...aka The Double Con (1973)
  
• Trouble Man (1972)
  
• Truck Turner (1974)
   ...aka Black Bullet (1974)
  
• Uomini duri (1974)
   ...aka Les Durs (1974) (France)
   ...aka Three Tough Guys (1974)
   ...aka Tough Guys (1974)
  
• Velvet Smooth (1976)
  
• Welcome Home Brother Charles (1975)
   ...aka Soul Vengeance (1975)