Blaxploitation on DVD
- LightBulbFilm
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Florida
- Contact:
Is anyone else into blaxploitation films? There are many on DVD, but there are many that haven't been released... The most noteable one would be Coonskin. I have the Xenon release of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song! and it's pretty good, but why can't Criterion pick it up like they did before? I don't know if you'd consider it blaxploitation, but a film that I've always enjoyed is Bebe's Kids. I was really fucking excited when that got released on DVD, as shitty as the DVD is.
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
MGM has their Soul Cinema line, which has Coffy, Shaft etc,
but they are not exactly stacked on extras.
Was excited when T Plays It Cool got a release back in Feb,
but with no extras, it seemed like a waste to get.
So far, Superfly from Warner and Wattstax from Warner (if you call them blaxpolitation or not, which to many people they don't is arguable)
are incredible discs which no collection should be without.
unless you're in the KKK, but that even more unacceptable.
but they are not exactly stacked on extras.
Was excited when T Plays It Cool got a release back in Feb,
but with no extras, it seemed like a waste to get.
So far, Superfly from Warner and Wattstax from Warner (if you call them blaxpolitation or not, which to many people they don't is arguable)
are incredible discs which no collection should be without.
unless you're in the KKK, but that even more unacceptable.
- Lemmy Caution
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:26 am
- Location: East of Shanghai
- Fletch F. Fletch
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:54 pm
- Location: Provo, Utah
He did the scores for two blaxploitation films -- Hammer and Cool Breeze.Lemmy Caution wrote:I'd love to get Hell Up In Harlem and Black Caesar.
I especially enjoy the soundtracks.
I think there was one blaxploitation flick scored by Solomon Burke. Anyone know which?
On the subject, I picked up the Pam Grier box set which was pretty disappointing... basically collecting three of her films already out and a "bonus" disc with the equivalent of promo puff pieces. Still, she was pretty smokin' back in the day... whew!
- Lemmy Caution
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:26 am
- Location: East of Shanghai
- LightBulbFilm
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Florida
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:06 pm
- Location: metro NYC
LightBulbFilm wrote:PLEASE!filmfan wrote:Coonskin is in release....let me find my copy and give you the details.
There is a great "gray area" dvd label called "BLAX Films" circulating where I live...here we go again..with classic Black Exploitation film titles including "Melinda", "Hit Man", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones", "Gordon's War", "Cool Breeze", "If He Hollers, Let Him Go", "Mandingo", and a few more titles that just didn't grab me.
They are actually a class act...but you have to be willing to
Other titles "out there" include "Abby", "Melinda", and a great double 3pack of films (totally five films) with Fred Williamson "Black Cobra", "Deadly Impact:Strike of the Black Cobra", "One Man Army", "Death Journey", and "Mean Johnny Barrows".
The list goes on and on...and it's a shame there is no preservation movement for this genre !
- LightBulbFilm
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Florida
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- Rufus T. Firefly
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:24 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
You could argue that it's one of the most important genres in American cinema history, but speaking on behalf of the other 95% of the world's population...LightBulbFilm wrote:I'll second that. It's probably one of the most important genres in cinema history, because it meant so much not only for cinema itself, but for Civil Rights in media.
- Lino
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
- Location: Sitting End
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- Lino
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
- Location: Sitting End
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- Lino
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
- Location: Sitting End
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Either way...you rule, baby! 8-)
(and thus Matt proceeded to roll his eyes once again in utter disbelief at the depths this forum has yet again succumbed at the hands of his members, the vernacular they choose to use, the topics of their threads and the way they simply seem to carry on regardless - Here's laughing at you, kid!)
(and thus Matt proceeded to roll his eyes once again in utter disbelief at the depths this forum has yet again succumbed at the hands of his members, the vernacular they choose to use, the topics of their threads and the way they simply seem to carry on regardless - Here's laughing at you, kid!)
- Fletch F. Fletch
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:54 pm
- Location: Provo, Utah
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:06 pm
- Location: metro NYC
It's a great picture and sound transfer too...ESSENTIAL in one's collection, whether you like the genre or not.Annie Mall wrote:BTW, just a little bit of trivia here, but Trouble Man, featuring music by Marvin Gaye who later reinterpreted it for his classic album, is out too. The movie is no classic but nevertheless an important title on the Blaxploitation scene.
And why hasn't anybody mentioned Dolemite yet?! Or Blacula?!
-
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:06 pm
- Location: metro NYC
Rufus T. Firefly wrote:You could argue that it's one of the most important genres in American cinema history, but speaking on behalf of the other 95% of the world's population...LightBulbFilm wrote:I'll second that. It's probably one of the most important genres in cinema history, because it meant so much not only for cinema itself, but for Civil Rights in media.
I think one could go so far to say that it is probably the MOST wholely American of ANY of the film genres.
I think this would perhaps firmly establish it's "importance" to film lovers, and give it the respect to the "critics" and those who write about Film.
Unfortunately, it's not enough to say even this to take these films seriously to most people.
Our collective critical standards for Film takes in things like quality of production, acting, etc. and face it, this genre not up to what our collective critical standards usually are for other films...but therein lies it's charm, right ?
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
ah, shit, on my earlier post, i MEANT to say Trouble Man,Annie Mall wrote:BTW, just a little bit of trivia here, but Trouble Man, featuring music by Marvin Gaye who later reinterpreted it for his classic album, is out too.
but i wrote T PLAYS IT COOL, after the song..... my mistake.
I really meant TROUBLE MAN, so in a way, i didnt mention it but meant it.
- solaris72
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:03 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD
I think that's going a bit too far...filmfan wrote:I think one could go so far to say that it is probably the MOST wholely American of ANY of the film genres.
- LightBulbFilm
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Florida
- Contact:
First title there was a film made in Italy, with Italian money, with an Italian director... That's one HELL of a wholey American film.solaris72 wrote:I think that's going a bit too far...filmfan wrote:I think one could go so far to say that it is probably the MOST wholely American of ANY of the film genres.
Westerns are myths, and as good as they are, they don't speak to society as well as Blaxploitation films.
- solaris72
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:03 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD
OK, if we go by your logic that the defining film for a genre is the one that's highest rated on IMDb, then for blaxploitation that's Othello, el comando negro, which was shot in Spain and France with a French director.LightBulbFilm wrote:First title there was a film made in Italy, with Italian money, with an Italian director... That's one HELL of a wholey American film.
The same can be said of films like Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song, Shaft, etc.LightBulbFilm wrote:Westerns are myths
- LightBulbFilm
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Florida
- Contact:
Good, rebuttle. But then, neither of us can say either genre is wholey American.solaris72 wrote:OK, if we go by your logic that the defining film for a genre is the one that's highest rated on IMDb, then for blaxploitation that's Othello, el comando negro, which was shot in Spain and France with a French director.LightBulbFilm wrote:First title there was a film made in Italy, with Italian money, with an Italian director... That's one HELL of a wholey American film.
The same can be said of films like Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song, Shaft, etc.LightBulbFilm wrote:Westerns are myths
-
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:06 pm
- Location: metro NYC
Well, it ain't Scandanavian !LightBulbFilm wrote:Good, rebuttle. But then, neither of us can say either genre is wholey American.solaris72 wrote:OK, if we go by your logic that the defining film for a genre is the one that's highest rated on IMDb, then for blaxploitation that's Othello, el comando negro, which was shot in Spain and France with a French director.LightBulbFilm wrote:First title there was a film made in Italy, with Italian money, with an Italian director... That's one HELL of a wholey American film.
The same can be said of films like Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song, Shaft, etc.LightBulbFilm wrote:Westerns are myths
- Rufus T. Firefly
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:24 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Don't get me wrong, I like blaxploitation and have all of the MGM Pam Grier DVDs in my collection. But to suggest that these films had a profound impact on cinema and "Civil Rights in media" is blatantly excessive. In American cinema, perhaps, but outside the US? I doubt it.filmfan wrote:I think one could go so far to say that it is probably the MOST wholely American of ANY of the film genres.
I think this would perhaps firmly establish it's "importance" to film lovers, and give it the respect to the "critics" and those who write about Film.
Unfortunately, it's not enough to say even this to take these films seriously to most people.
Our collective critical standards for Film takes in things like quality of production, acting, etc. and face it, this genre not up to what our collective critical standards usually are for other films...but therein lies it's charm, right ?
BTW for any Sydneysiders interested in picking up some of these titles, last time I was in Birdland (the jazz store) they had a selection of reasonably priced R1 titles in the Soul Cinema series. About $25 each.
- Rufus T. Firefly
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:24 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia