For you Blaxploitation aficionados out there who share the same affinity for the genre as I do, I got a new one for you. Or maybe you’ve seen this one before, but it’s definitely worth mentioning.
Last night on the IFC channel, I caught director Issac Julien’s (Looking for Langston; Young Soul Rebels; The Darker Side of Black) 2003 documentary Baadasssss Cinema - A Bold Look at 70's Blaxploitation Films
. Of course, I dug it. But then again I’m not impartial. You can check out about ten minutes of the start of the film below.It’s not a comprehensive overview of the period, but it does serve as a very good overview. The documentary includes interviews and commentary from Blaxploitation actors such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, and Richard Roundtree. Directors Melvin Van Peebles and Quentin Tarantino contribute as does renowned social critic bell hooks.
After you check out the clip, if you want to check out the complete documentary you can click this link or click the product link above to purchase the DVD from Amazon.com.
