Black Cinema Gems
by Abyss47 | created - 10 Aug 2012 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicEver wonder why you rarely hear about "iconic" or "classic" black films? Ever wonder why black cinema is so marginalized and rarely talked about? Ever wonder why most black films are so hard to find or lost forever? Well, I'll tell you why.....
Because very few people care about black films, unfortunately. Likely not you, not your mother, not your father, and most likely not your friends either. The majority of non-black films, on the other hand, have pretty much been preserved forever, and people usually go to extra lengths to ensure that many of the lost non-black films don't stay lost for long. Far too many black films, specifically classic black films, have been ignored altogether because the people of that time likely figured that future generations wouldn't care to see such films, and thus, most classic black films are lost for all eternity. You can read about them, but you can't touch them, feel them, see them, or even get close to them. Instead, the people who truly want to see everything black cinema has to offer have to search ten times as hard compared to if they were trying to find any other type of film. This can become incredibly frustrating for cinephiles who make it their goal to see nearly everything from everybody all around the world. But, it's most frustrating to black movie fans who want to get closer to their own culture through the films their own people have made. Even such filmmakers as Ousmane Sembene and Charles Burnett, who have a couple of films widely available to the public, also have a bunch of films they've made that aren't available anywhere to see unless you do some serious digging.
It's definitely the fault of society as a whole, and history's blatant marginalization of black film........well, let's be honest, anything black. A lot of people, whether in power or not in power, simply don't value black films much. It's not just black films made by black filmmakers either, it's black films, period. You can't even see 40 percent of them if you tried, really. Many of these films likely lacked support from their own people as well when they were released in theaters, so those same folks aren't safe from some of the blame either.
One question that often lingers in my mind is, "Why does Criterion only have less than a handful of black titles in their collection?" Why 'Touki Bouki" but no "Hyenas" or "Badou Boy" in their collection, arguably superior films made by the same director? Why 'Do the Right Thing" but not "Malcolm X" or the very influential "She's Gotta Have It"? See, even Criterion is biased towards black film, which further proves my point, yet they've flooded their catalog with non-black films of all categories. We're being neglected important pieces of film history.
With that said, I present to those of you who do care my personal list of black cinema gems; many of these are relatively well known but the majority are unknown and overlooked films the general public isn't familiar with. My main intention was making a list of pretty much all the ones I consider at least solid, so that includes favorites and non-favorites. I haven't seen everything, so this is just a reflection of what I have seen, which is more than the average person but still a lot less than I want to see.
The main criteria was, the film had to be at least decent and deal with some sort of black theme or have a black sensibility, and have either a single or multiple black main characters. But, here's the catch; Any film made by a black filmmaker that I felt was above average automatically went on the list even if the cast was white because black filmmakers deserve just as much credit for the films they make that aren't closely tied to their culture, which is arguably a lot tougher to do. The ones made by non-black filmmakers obviously had to fall in line with the first rule of my criteria.
Like I said above, most black films, specifically early black films, are impossible to find and not available anywhere to the public, and even many of the newer black independent films become incredibly difficult to see unless you go to black film festivals, which I highly recommend doing since they usually contain some real gems. The Pan African Film Festival in particular is wonderful. Every black person or person in general interested in black film should make it their duty to go to that festival whenever it's nearby. I was lucky enough to go recently since it was in my hometown of Los Angeles, and it was very refreshing and exciting seeing all the unique and diverse films from all kinds of new black talent, and participating in the Q&A sessions afterwards. Back to my first point: that's why there are only a few pre-60's entries on the list. I don't count on that changing anytime soon, but hey, miracles happen, don't they?
There are a lot of really good black short films like "A Storybook Ending' (2020) that IMDb wouldn't let me add to my list because their add to list feature is really bad, so thought that was important to mention.
My favorite Black films not listed on IMDb:
"Digitopia" by John Akomfrah
"The Drive-by" by The Hughes Brothers
"Colette Vignette" by Wendell B. Harris Jr.
"You Know Leadbelly" by Wendell B. Harris Jr.
"Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Don Letts
"First World Festival of Negro Arts" by William Greaves
"Kichwateli" by Muchiri Njenga
"Swirl In Bamako" by Dominique Philippe
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101. Truck Turner (1974)
R | 91 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
While 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.
Director: Jonathan Kaplan | Stars: Isaac Hayes, Yaphet Kotto, Alan Weeks, Annazette Chase
Votes: 3,592 | Gross: $0.18M
102. Black Belt Jones (1974)
R | 85 min | Action
A Mafia buy out of Papa Byrd's karate school downtown ends in his death. Byrd's daughter, Sydney, refuses to sell, and wants revenge. Byrd's students call the Black Belt Jones for help. Jones reluctantly teams with Sydney in many battles.
Director: Robert Clouse | Stars: Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, Scatman Crothers, Eric Laneuville
Votes: 2,725 | Gross: $0.73M
103. The Candy Tangerine Man (1975)
R | 95 min | Adventure, Action
Sunset Boulevard is a lucrative place to work for the Black Baron, a pimp with a distinctive red and yellow Rolls Royce and plenty of girls on his books. He don't take no mess from his ... See full summary »
Director: Matt Cimber | Stars: John Daniels, Eli Haines, Tom Hankason, Marva Farmer
Votes: 318
104. Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
PG | 104 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
At Madame Zenobia's illegal nightclub, when Steve Jackson and Wardell Franklin get robbed of their wallets containing a winning lottery ticket, they set out to recover it.
Director: Sidney Poitier | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte, Flip Wilson
Votes: 2,816 | Gross: $4.57M
105. The Education of Sonny Carson (1974)
R | 104 min | Drama
A gifted young man is caught up in gang life.
Director: Michael Campus | Stars: Rony Clanton, Don Gordon, Joyce Walker, Paul Benjamin
Votes: 608 | Gross: $1.09M
106. Together Brothers (1974)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A group of ghetto kids try to find out who killed a popular police officer.
Director: William A. Graham | Stars: Ahmad Nurradin, Anthony Wilson, Nelson Sims, Kenneth Bell
Votes: 244 | Gross: $0.55M
107. The Young Girl (1975)
88 min | Drama
A young mute woman is raped and becomes pregnant, with disastrous consequences within her family. The film also sketches the social/economic situation in urban Mali in the 1970s, particularly in relation to the treatment of women.
Director: Souleymane Cissé | Stars: Dounamba Dany Coulibaly, Gogo Danba, Fanta Diabate, Omou Diarra
Votes: 118
108. Welcome Home Brother Charles (1975)
R | 91 min | Action, Drama, Horror
After being released, a wrongfully imprisoned black man exacts vengeance on those who've crossed him via the power of his newly sentient penis, which may or may not be the result of an experiment gone wrong.
Director: Jamaa Fanaka | Stars: Marlo Monte, Reatha Grey, Stan Kamber, Tiffany Peters
Votes: 785
109. Aaron Loves Angela (1975)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In New York City, a young black boy and Puerto Rican girl fall in love despite objections from each other's families.
Director: Gordon Parks Jr. | Stars: Moses Gunn, Kevin Hooks, Irene Cara, Robert Hooks
Votes: 307
110. Let's Do It Again (1975)
PG | 110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two Atlanta men raise funds for their charity by rigging boxing matches in New Orleans, but their tricks attract the mob's attention.
Director: Sidney Poitier | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Calvin Lockhart, John Amos
Votes: 3,301
111. Xala (1975)
Not Rated | 123 min | Comedy, Drama
A corrupt politician is cursed with impotence on the night of his third wedding after embezzling 100 tons of rice.
Director: Ousmane Sembene | Stars: Thierno Leye, Myriam Niang, Seune Samb, Fatim Diagne
Votes: 1,939
112. El otro Francisco (1974)
97 min | Drama
Based on the novel Francisco by Anselmo Suárez y Romero, "The Other Francisco" is a socio-economic analysis of slavery and class struggle through the retelling of the original novel. The ... See full summary »
Director: Sergio Giral | Stars: Miguel Benavides, Alina Sánchez, Ramón Veloz, Adolfo Llauradó
Votes: 87
113. Boss Nigger (1974)
PG | 87 min | Comedy, Western
Two black bounty hunters, pursuing an outlaw, take over a small Western town without a sheriff.
Director: Jack Arnold | Stars: Fred Williamson, D'Urville Martin, William Smith, R.G. Armstrong
Votes: 2,929
114. Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)
R | 94 min | Action
When fellow operatives (and childhood friends) Matthew Johnson and Melvin Johnson disappear during an undercover mission in Hong Kong, Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) travels there to find ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Bail | Stars: Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens, Ni Tien, Norman Fell
Votes: 1,215
115. Mandingo (1975)
R | 127 min | Drama, History, Romance
An 1840s slaveowner trains one of his slaves to be a bare-knuckle fighter.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: James Mason, Susan George, Perry King, Richard Ward
Votes: 4,222 | Gross: $2.43M
116. Cooley High (1975)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis
Votes: 5,550
117. Coonskin (1974)
R | 100 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Rabbit, a country-born trickster, takes over the organized crime racket in Harlem, facing opposition from the institutionalized racism of the Mafia and corrupt police.
Director: Ralph Bakshi | Stars: Barry White, Charles Gordone, Scatman Crothers, Philip Michael Thomas
Votes: 3,749
118. Friday Foster (1975)
R | 90 min | Action
At Los Angeles airport, magazine photographer Friday Foster witnesses an assassination attempt against billionaire Blake Tarr and is drawn into a murky political conspiracy.
Director: Arthur Marks | Stars: Pam Grier, Yaphet Kotto, Godfrey Cambridge, Thalmus Rasulala
Votes: 2,548
119. Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
PG | 95 min | Drama, Sport
A 12-year-old is traumatised by the murder of his friend, a star basketball player.
Director: Joseph Manduke | Stars: Moses Gunn, Rosalind Cash, Bernie Casey, Madge Sinclair
Votes: 1,060 | Gross: $0.78M
120. Leadbelly (1976)
PG | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biography of the legendary folksinger, Huddie Ledbetter, master of the 12-string guitar and long-time convict on Texas and Louisiana chain gangs.
Director: Gordon Parks | Stars: Roger E. Mosley, Paul Benjamin, Madge Sinclair, James Brodhead
Votes: 903
121. Harvest: 3,000 Years (1975)
150 min | Drama
In Ethiopia; there is a slow boiling of a feud between a wealthy Lord and a protester who feels he is mistreating his laborers. While the viewer gets to closely examine the culture, conversations, and lives of the locals who surround them.
Director: Haile Gerima | Stars: Kasu Asfaw, Gebru Kasa, Worke Kasa, Melaku Makonen
Votes: 226
122. Joshua (1976)
R | 90 min | Drama, Western
A black soldier returns from fighting for the Union in the Civil War only to find out that his mother has been murdered by a gang of white thugs. He becomes a bounty hunter, determined to track down and kill the men who killed his mother.
Director: Larry G. Spangler | Stars: Fred Williamson, Cal Bartlett, Brenda Venus, Isela Vega
Votes: 440
123. Emma Mae (1976)
R | 100 min | Drama
A Naive Country Girl from Mississippi comes to town with an aunt to the Big City. She takes up with her family and goes out with them and meets a guy. A loser, pill-popping head nothing who... See full summary »
Director: Jamaa Fanaka | Stars: Jerri Hayes, Ernest Williams II, Charles D. Brooks III, Eddie Allen
Votes: 495
124. No Way Back (1976)
R | 103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Crowder is a man who will do anything, if the price is right. He is a private detective with a past in the police force. A woman comes to his office one day and asks if he will find her ... See full summary »
Director: Fred Williamson | Stars: Fred Williamson, Charles Woolf, Tracy Reed, Virginia Gregg
Votes: 110
125. The Monkey Hu$tle (1976)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A new highway threatens a Chicago neighborhood, so to protest the residents throw a block party.
Director: Arthur Marks | Stars: Yaphet Kotto, Kirk Calloway, Thomas Carter, Donn Carl Harper
Votes: 490
126. Car Wash (1976)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A comedic take on the daily life of car-wash employees, chronicling their hopes, fears, joys, dreams, and tribulations, and meeting some eccentric customers along the way.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Richard Pryor, Franklyn Ajaye, Sully Boyar, Richard Brestoff
Votes: 8,197
127. Outsiders (1977)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama
In protest of forced conversion to Islam, the Ceddo (outsiders) kidnap King Demba War's daughter Princess Dior Yacine and hold her hostage.
Director: Ousmane Sembene | Stars: Tabata Ndiaye, Alioune Fall, Moustapha Yade, Matoura Dia
Votes: 1,094
128. Fight for Your Life (1977)
R | 82 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A mean trashy exploitation picture about three convicts who escape from jail and hole up at the house of a black minister. There are a few nasty scenes where the minister's family is being ... See full summary »
Director: Robert A. Endelson | Stars: Robert Judd, Catherine Peppers, Lela Small, Yvonne Ross
Votes: 1,735
129. A Piece of the Action (1977)
PG | 135 min | Crime, Comedy
A retired Chicago cop blackmails two rich thieves into "volunteering" to help juvenile delinquents change paths.
Director: Sidney Poitier | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, James Earl Jones, Denise Nicholas
Votes: 1,460
130. Greased Lightning (1977)
PG | 96 min | Action, Biography, Comedy
The true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black stock car racing driver to win an upper tier NASCAR race.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, Pam Grier, Cleavon Little
Votes: 1,985
131. The Punk Rock Movie from England (1978)
R | 86 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary on the London punk-rock scene, circa '78.
Director: Don Letts | Stars: Soo Catwoman, Steve Strange, Robin Banks, Mark Perry
Votes: 313
132. Blackjack (1978)
104 min | Action
A gang of criminals set out to rob mafia controlled casinos in Las Vegas.
Director: John Evans | Stars: William Smith, Tony Burton, Frank Christi, Damu King
Votes: 57
133. Blue Collar (1978)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
When three automotive factory workers who're struggling financially try to steal from their own labor union, they discover corruption, and reluctantly decide to use this information for blackmail.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto, Ed Begley Jr.
Votes: 10,650
134. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After suffering racist abuse throughout his life - which intensifies following his marriage to a white woman - a half-Aboriginal farmhand finds himself driven to murder.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Tommy Lewis, Freddy Reynolds, Angela Punch McGregor, Ray Barrett
Votes: 2,532
135. Killer of Sheep (1978)
80 min | Drama
Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett
Votes: 7,539 | Gross: $0.40M
136. Bush Mama (1979)
97 min | Drama
It details the life of Dorothy who is a poor black woman. Her husband is put in jail for no observable reason and she is pregnant with a second child. The government threatens to take away her welfare if she does not get an abortion.
Director: Haile Gerima | Stars: Barbarao, Johnny Weathers, Susan Williams, Cora Lee Day
Votes: 269
137. Maluala (1979)
84 min | Biography, Drama, History
During the late 1800s in Cuba, runaway African slaves hide in mountainous settlements after overpowering their Spanish masters. Discord soon follows: traitors are in their midst, secretly working for the Spanish.
Director: Sergio Giral | Stars: Samuel Claxton, Miguel Navarro, Roberto Blanco, Miguel Gutiérrez
Votes: 39
138. Penitentiary (1979)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Sport
A hitchhiker named Martel Gordone gets in a fight with two bikers over a prostitute, and one of the bikers is killed. Gordone is arrested and sent to prison, where he joins the prison's ... See full summary »
Director: Jamaa Fanaka | Stars: Leon Isaac Kennedy, Wilbur 'Hi-Fi' White, Thomas M. Pollard, Hazel Spears
Votes: 1,236
139. Baara (1978)
90 min | Drama
A young manager of a factory encounters a man walking along a road who says his family traditionally are servants to the manager's family. The manager offers him a job, and as he watches ... See full summary »
Director: Souleymane Cissé | Stars: Balla Moussa Keita, Baba Niare, Bubukar Keita, Omou Diarra
Votes: 239
140. Stir Crazy (1980)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Crime
Set up and wrongfully accused, two best friends are sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. However, no prison cell can keep them locked in a cage.
Director: Sidney Poitier | Stars: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Georg Stanford Brown, JoBeth Williams
Votes: 30,401 | Gross: $101.30M
141. L'éxilé (1980)
90 min | Drama
Based on a traditional African tale. A king has the habit whilst walking in disguise on the streets of his kingdom to listen to the wishes of his own people. One day he overhears two ... See full summary »
Director: Oumarou Ganda | Stars: Alkamissa, Seyni Beidari, Alassane Dante, Carmen Dasen
Votes: 23
142. Ashes and Embers (1982)
120 min | Drama
A troubled Vietnam veteran hoping to forget the war and reconnect with American life struggles with disillusionment, self-worth, and cynicism.
Director: Haile Gerima | Stars: John Anderson, Evelyn A. Blackwell, Norman Blalock, Kathy Flewellen
Votes: 177
143. Some Kind of Hero (1982)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, War
A Vietnam vet returns home from a prisoner of war camp and is greeted as a hero, but is quickly forgotten and soon discovers how tough survival is in his own country.
Director: Michael Pressman | Stars: Richard Pryor, Margot Kidder, Ray Sharkey, Ronny Cox
Votes: 1,734 | Gross: $23.67M
144. Illusions (1982)
34 min | Drama, Short
An African American woman rises to prominence in a fictional movie studio in the 1940s by passing as a white woman, affording others some dignity in the business that frequently portrayed movies as an illusion of a purely "white world."
Director: Julie Dash | Stars: Lonette McKee, Rosanne Katon, Ned Bellamy, Jack Rader
Votes: 520
145. 48 Hrs. (1982)
R | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him in order to track down a killer.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O'Toole, Frank McRae
Votes: 85,312 | Gross: $78.87M
146. Sister, Sister (1982 TV Movie)
98 min | Drama, Family
Maya Angelou's story of the family stresses that occur when an older sister (Diahann Carroll) attempts to maintain a home, left by her revered father, in an ultra-moralistic way (regardless... See full summary »
Director: John Berry | Stars: Diahann Carroll, Rosalind Cash, Irene Cara, Paul Winfield
Votes: 208
147. The Wind (1982)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama
Finye tackles the generation gap in post-colonial West Africa. Its heroine is the pot smoking daughter of a provincial military governor who falls in love with a fellow university student, the descendent of one of Mali's chiefs.
Director: Souleymane Cissé | Stars: Fousseyni Sissoko, Goundo Guissé, Balla Moussa Keita, Ismaila Sarr
Votes: 292
148. Wend Kuuni (1982)
75 min | Drama
In pre-colonial times a peddler crossing the savanna discovers a child lying unconscious in the bush. When the boy comes to, he is mute and cannot explain who he is. The peddler leaves him ... See full summary »
Director: Gaston Kaboré | Stars: Serge Yanogo, Rosine Yanogo, Joseph Nikiema, Colette Kaboré
Votes: 271
149. My Brother's Wedding (1983)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama
A man who has struggled personally has conflicts with his upwardly mobile lawyer brother and well to-do fiancee and is reluctantly to be the best man at their wedding.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Everett Silas, Jessie Holmes, Gaye Shannon-Burnett, Ronnie Bell
Votes: 1,073 | Gross: $0.01M
150. Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The illegal affairs of a recently deceased barbershop owner get passed down to his manager.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Monty Ross, Donna Bailey, Stuart Smith, Tommy Redmond Hicks
Votes: 375
151. Sugar Cane Alley (1983)
PG | 103 min | Drama, History
Set in 1931, Sugar Cane Alley paints a rich impasto of native life under French colonial rules, filtered through the coming-of-age of a bright, sweetly opportunistic boy.
Director: Euzhan Palcy | Stars: Garry Cadenat, Darling Légitimus, Douta Seck, Joby Bernabé
Votes: 1,022
152. Trading Places (1983)
R | 116 min | Comedy
A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.
Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche
Votes: 165,864 | Gross: $90.40M
153. The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.
Director: John Sayles | Stars: Joe Morton, Daryl Edwards, Rosanna Carter, Ray Ramirez
Votes: 6,569 | Gross: $3.70M
154. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher
Votes: 203,395 | Gross: $234.76M
155.
American Playhouse (1980–1994)
Episode:
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
(1984)
Not Rated | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
This is based on a true story. Solomon Northrop is a black man in the mid 19th century before slavery was abolished. He's a born freeman who works as a carpenter and is also a part time ... See full summary »
Director: Gordon Parks | Stars: Avery Brooks, Rhetta Greene, Mason Adams, Emory Beasley
Votes: 304
156. A Soldier's Story (1984)
PG | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An African-American officer investigates a murder in a racially charged situation in World War II.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Art Evans, David Alan Grier
Votes: 11,410 | Gross: $21.82M
157. Krush Groove (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
The story of a man who has started a new hip-hop/rap label called Krush Groove.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Sheila E., Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Jam Master Jay
Votes: 3,553 | Gross: $11.05M
158. The Last Dragon (1985)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
In New York City, a young man searches for a Master to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the Glow.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Taimak, Vanity, Christopher Murney, Julius Carry
Votes: 17,493 | Gross: $25.75M
159. Ethnic Notions (1986)
Not Rated | 57 min | Documentary
This documentary traces the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice.
Director: Marlon Riggs | Stars: Barbara T. Christian, George Frederickson, Larry C. Levine, Derique McGee
Votes: 557
160. She's Gotta Have It (1986)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Romance
Story of a woman and her three lovers.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Votes: 16,317 | Gross: $7.14M
161. Sarraounia (1986)
120 min | Drama, History, War
On January 2 1899, starting from the French Soudan, a french column under the commandment of the captains Voulet and Chanoine is send against the black Sultan Rabah in what is now the ... See full summary »
Director: Med Hondo | Stars: Aï Keïta, Jean-Roger Milo, Féodor Atkine, Didier Sauvegrain
Votes: 200
162. Nice Coloured Girls (1987)
16 min | Short, Drama, Romance
Nice Coloured Girls is a short film classic by Tracey Moffatt, one of Australia's foremost visual artists. Three Aboriginal women cruise through Kings Cross and pick up a 'captain' (a ... See full synopsis »
Director: Tracey Moffatt | Stars: Gayle Mabo, Cheryl Pitt, Janelle Court, Fiona George
Votes: 84
163. Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
R | 81 min | Comedy
An actor limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity, dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer. As he makes his rounds, the film takes a satiric look at African American actors in Hollywood.
Director: Robert Townsend | Stars: Robert Townsend, Craigus R. Johnson, Helen Martin, Starletta DuPois
Votes: 6,385 | Gross: $5.23M
164. Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
Eddie Murphy in a stand-up performance recorded live. For an hour and a half he talks about his favourite subjects: sex and women.
Director: Robert Townsend | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Billie Allen, Clebert Ford
Votes: 20,743 | Gross: $50.50M
165. Eyes on the Prize (1987–1990)
TV-PG | 360 min | Documentary, History
A documentary about the American Civil Rights Movement from 1952 to 1965.
Stars: Julian Bond, Coretta Scott King, John Lewis, Andrew Young
Votes: 737
166. Yeelen (1987)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, Fantasy
A young man with magical powers journeys to his uncle to request help in fighting his sorcerer father.
Director: Souleymane Cissé | Stars: Issiaka Kane, Aoua Sangare, Niamanto Sanogo, Balla Moussa Keita
Votes: 2,754
167. Cry Freedom (1987)
PG | 157 min | Biography, Drama, History
South African journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country after attempting to investigate the death in custody of his friend, the Black anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Denzel Washington, Kevin Kline, Josette Simon, Wabei Siyolwe
Votes: 14,468 | Gross: $5.90M
168. Lethal Weapon (1987)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan
Votes: 276,450 | Gross: $65.21M
169. Handsworth Songs (1986)
61 min | Documentary
Documentary examining the 1985 riots in London and Birmingham's Handsworth district that erupted in reaction to the repressive policing of black communities.
Director: John Akomfrah | Stars: Pervaiz Khan, Meera Syal, Yvonne Weekes
Votes: 270
170. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
R | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help Taggart and Rosewood investigate Chief Bogomil's near-fatal shooting and the series of "alphabet crimes" associated with it.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Jürgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox
Votes: 130,557 | Gross: $153.67M
171. Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
This documentary movie covers two concerts at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, to celebrate Chuck Berry's 60th birthday, and also discusses his life and career.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley
Votes: 1,569 | Gross: $0.72M
172. Saaraba (1988)
90 min | Drama
Tamsir returns to Senegal after 17 years in Europe. His uncle gives him a patronage job in Dakar, virtually without duties. He visits his family's village to see his parents, and there he ... See full summary »
Director: Amadou Saalum Seck | Stars: Diankou Bakhayokho, Abdoul Aziz Diop, Fabienne Joëlle Felhio, Awa Cheick Gueye
Votes: 46
173. Coming to America (1988)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Romance
An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.
Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Paul Bates, Garcelle Beauvais, Feather
Votes: 223,653 | Gross: $128.15M
174. Bouka (1988)
90 min | Drama
Bouka is a gifted young teenager. He lives with his parents in a village and forms with them a solid family. His father gives him a traditional education close to nature. Unfortunately this... See full synopsis »
Director: Roger Gnoan M'Bala | Stars: Akissi Delta, Félix Gazekagnon, Drissa Kone
Votes: 26
175. Bird (1988)
R | 161 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Samuel E. Wright
Votes: 13,492 | Gross: $2.18M
176. Zan Boko (1988)
95 min | Drama
In the Mossi culture, one of the rites attending the birth of a child and its induction as a new member of the community involves the burial of the placenta. The space in which the placenta... See full summary »
Director: Gaston Kaboré | Stars: Mathias Bayili, Colette Kaboré, Joseph Nikiema, Hyppolite Ouangrawa
Votes: 94
177. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
In this parody of blaxploitation movies, a black hero wannabe reunites former black heroes from the 70s to help him get revenge on Mr. Big.
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans | Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas, Steve James
Votes: 14,985 | Gross: $13.03M
178. Shoot to Kill (1988)
R | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An F.B.I. Agent teams up with a tracker to pursue a murderer after he vanishes into the mountains and infiltrates a hiking group.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley, Clancy Brown
Votes: 14,951 | Gross: $29.30M
179. Camp de Thiaroye (1988)
157 min | Drama, War
In this semi-autobiographical film, black soldiers help to defend France, but are detained in prison camp before being repatriated home.
Directors: Ousmane Sembene, Thierno Faty Sow | Stars: Sidiki Bakaba, Hamed Camara, Ismaila Cissé, Ababacar Sy Cissé
Votes: 644
180. Tongues Untied (1989)
Not Rated | 55 min | Documentary
A documentary about the experiences of black homosexual men living in the United States of America.
Director: Marlon Riggs | Stars: Marlon Riggs, Michael Bell, Kerrigan Black, Blackberri
Votes: 1,851
181. Do the Right Thing (1989)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson
Votes: 112,470 | Gross: $27.55M
182. Looking for Langston (1989)
R | 45 min | Biography, Drama
A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. A wake is going on, with ... See full summary »
Director: Isaac Julien | Stars: Ben Ellison, Matthew Baidoo, Akim Mogaji, John Wilson
Votes: 613
183. Yaaba (1989)
90 min | Drama, Romance
A small village in Burkina Faso. The story focuses on Bila, a ten year old boy who befriends an old woman, Sana. Everybody calls her 'Witch' but Bila himself calls her 'Yaaba' (grandmother)... See full summary »
Director: Idrissa Ouedraogo | Stars: Fatimata Sanga, Noufou Ouédraogo, Roukietou Barry, Adama Ouédraogo
Votes: 756
184. Glory (1989)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 144,493 | Gross: $26.83M
185. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
R | 114 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Riggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Patsy Kensit
Votes: 188,898 | Gross: $147.25M
186. Sidewalk Stories (1989)
R | 97 min | Comedy
Nearly silent comedy filmed in black and white follows a street artist (Charles Lane), who rescues a baby after her father was murdered. The artist then sets off to find the mother, but has... See full summary »
Director: Charles Lane | Stars: Charles Lane, Nicole Alysia, Tom Alpern, Edwin Anthony
Votes: 543 | Gross: $0.13M
187. Chameleon Street (1989)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Drama
Detroiter William Douglas Street poses as a Harvard doctor, Time reporter, African exchange student.
Director: Wendell B. Harris Jr. | Stars: Timothy Alvaro, Renauld Bailleux, William Ballenger, Lynn Barbee
Votes: 1,046 | Gross: $0.24M
188. House Party (1990)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Kid decides to go to his friend Play's house party, but neither of them can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.
Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Christopher Reid, Robin Harris, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence
Votes: 16,731 | Gross: $26.39M
189. To Sleep with Anger (1990)
PG | 102 min | Drama
A charismatic old acquaintance drifts into town, stirring up trouble for a mild-mannered family.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Danny Glover, Paul Butler, DeVaughn Nixon, Mary Alice
Votes: 2,918 | Gross: $1.16M
190. Mo' Better Blues (1990)
R | 130 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito
Votes: 13,668 | Gross: $16.15M
191. The Law (1990)
81 min | Drama, Romance
Set in a pre-colonial African past, Tilai is about an illicit love affair and its consequences. Saga returns to his village after an extended absence to discover that his father has taken ... See full summary »
Director: Idrissa Ouedraogo | Stars: Rasmané Ouédraogo, Ina Cissé, Roukietou Barry, Assane Ouédraogo
Votes: 669
192. Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy (1990)
19 min | Short, Drama
A middle aged Aboriginal woman nurses her dying old white mother till the mother dies.
Director: Tracey Moffatt | Stars: Marcia Langton, Agnes Hardwick, Jimmy Little, Alkira Fitzgerald
Votes: 297
193. Heat Wave (1990 TV Movie)
R | 100 min | Drama, History
A superb depiction of the watts riot and how it possibly started in great detail.
Director: Kevin Hooks | Stars: Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood, James Earl Jones, Margaret Avery
Votes: 216
194. Mortu Nega (1988)
85 min | Drama, War
The story of a woman who searches through the country for her husband, a resistant, while the war for independence is raging. She finds him at last and saves his life. When peace finally ... See full summary »
Director: Flora Gomes | Stars: Bia Gomes, Tunu Eugenio Almada, Mamadu Uri Balde, Pedro da Silva
Votes: 100
195. King of New York (1990)
R | 103 min | Crime, Thriller
A drug kingpin is released from prison and seeks to take total control of the criminal underworld in order to give back to the community.
Director: Abel Ferrara | Stars: Christopher Walken, David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Victor Argo
Votes: 42,125 | Gross: $2.55M
196. Lumumba: Death of a Prophet (1991)
Not Rated | 69 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary about African political leader Patrice Lumumba, who was Prime Minister of Zaire (now Congo) when he was assassinated in 1961.
Director: Raoul Peck | Star: Patrice Lumumba
Votes: 179
197. Daughters of the Dust (1991)
TV-PG | 113 min | Drama, History, Romance
A languid, impressionistic story of three generations of Gullah women living on the South Carolina Sea Islands in 1902.
Director: Julie Dash | Stars: Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Barbarao, Trula Hoosier
Votes: 3,292 | Gross: $1.64M
198. Fire! (1991)
100 min | Drama
A young forest ranger who sees that his work holds the key to the future of his country is disgusted at the short-sighted, money-grubbing ways of his superiors.
Director: Adama Drabo | Stars: Djeneba Diawara, Mamadou Fomba, Balla Moussa Keita, Diarrah Sanogo
Votes: 37
199. A Rage in Harlem (1991)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Crime
A gangster's girlfriend flees to Harlem with a trunkload of gold after a shootout, unaware that the rest of the gang are on her trail.
Director: Bill Duke | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Zakes Mokae
Votes: 2,356 | Gross: $10.44M
200. Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Drama
Four young friends spend one crazy Friday night on the streets of Manhattan that quickly turns into a night, they'll never forget.
Director: Joseph B. Vasquez | Stars: Doug E. Doug, Mario Joyner, John Leguizamo, Nestor Serrano
Votes: 1,570 | Gross: $0.53M
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