Baadasssss Cinema (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Isaac Julien

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre. |

Plot Keywords:

Blaxploitation | Interview | 1970s | Film Making | African Americans

Cast

Jim Brown	...	Himself (archive footage)
Larry Cohen	...	Himself
Tamara Dobson	...	Herself (archive footage)
Ron Finley	...	Himself
Pam Grier	...	Herself
Ed Guerrero	...	Himself
Isaac Hayes	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gloria Hendry	...	Herself
bell hooks	...	Herself
Roy Innis	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Rev. Jesse Jackson)
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Himself
Max Julien	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jim Kelly	...	Himself (archive footage)
Yaphet Kotto	...	Himself (archive footage)
Curtis Mayfield	...	Himself (archive footage)
Elvis Mitchell	...	Himself
Ron O'Neal	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gordon Parks	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Roundtree	...	Himself (archive footage)
Afeni Shakur	...	Herself
Quentin Tarantino	...	Himself
Melvin Van Peebles	...	Himself
Armond White	...	Himself
Fred Williamson	...	Himself

Runtime:

58 min | USA:55 min (TV)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Certification:

New Zealand:R13

Company:

Independent Film Channel (IFC)

Movie Connections:

References Black Shampoo (1976)

Mandatory viewing for 'blaxploitation' fans and film critics

Even I, who have seen Melvin van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baaddasssss Song, loved every minute of this revealing documentary. Richly documented with inserts from the films that are being discussed on camera, or that merely give extra power to the narration; also, a number of newspaper clips with headers that made history, or highlighted the political change trends in the late 1970s. The number of people interviewed, and the important messages they deliver now - is a unique upraisal of their work of a quarter of a century ago. For me at least, it was also marvellous to see how Pam Grier, and Gloria Hendry, have gained weight, but are beautiful, sexy women even now. For the young generation, this documentary is also a good introduction to white/black relationships in the USA in the late 1960s - and a big incentive to discover nice, little action and nudity films of the 1970s now (unfortunately) mostly relegated to video warehouses.