With the fairly recent home video of the instant classic, blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite being released and (I assume) becoming the most popular movie EVER, I thought I'd give people a quick rundown on some of the movies it's sending up. If you're not familiar with the term blaxploitation, it generally refers to movies made by major studios (starting in the early 70's) that are designed to sell to a primarily black audience and feature what they consider black culture. The most common elements associated with the genre include pimps, hookers, drug dealers, racist cops, funk and soul soundtracks, elaborate costumes, graphic violence and gratuitous nudity. The quality of these movies ranges from excellent to laughably bad. There are of course exceptions to all the elements and not every movie on this list should be considered true blaxploitation but often times they are lumped in together anyway. This list is by no means definitive and there are plenty of other deserving movies that could have been included.
Click on the jump to get a really basic rundown on 20 blaxploitation movies that are essential to understand the genre.
Side note: This post contains much more foul language than I usually include. You are warned.
20. Trick Baby - 1972
Trick Baby incorporates a healthy amount of social commentary into a story of 2 con men who get in trouble with the mob. It's not a true blaxploitation movie but has definite elements of one and it's just too good to leave off the list.
19. Blacula - 1972
An African prince is bitten by a racist Count Dracula and wakes up 200 years later in L.A. as a vampire where he wreaks havoc on unsuspecting women everywhere. Blacula is notable for the title performance by William Marshall and because the name of the movie is fucking Blacula!
18. Slaughter - 1972
Jim Brown used to play football and was awesome at it. Then he became an actor and was not quite as awesome, except for Slaughter. Brown goes to South America to fight the mob, piss off Rip Torn and make sweet love with a large breasted white women. What more could you want?
17. Let's Do It Again - 1975
Remember when Bill Cosby was cool? If you can't you need to check out Let's Do It Again. The second of 3 movies the Cos made with Sydney Poitier is the best of the 3. It's also got Jimmy "Dy-No-Mite" Walker as a boxer who Poitier and Cos are trying to fix bets on. If you think Cosby was never cool the sunglasses he wears will instantly prove you wrong.
16. Detroit 9000 - 1973
This is the only movie on the list who's star is white. If that means it's not really blaxploitation so be it. The movie is excellent no matter what. Alex "Moe Green" Rocco gives a great performance and there are plenty of chase scenes and shootouts (along with pimps and ho's) that fit right in with the other movies on this list.
15. Three the Hard Way - 1974
Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly attempt to stop a white supremacist from poisoning black people through their water supply. Jim, Jim and Fred are all badasses, the old white dude is not. Advantage: badass.
14. Willie Dynamite - 1974
Willie Dynamite stars Gordon from Sesame Street as the number 1 pimp in town. Enough said.
13. Cotton Comes To Harlem - 1970
Cotton Comes To Harlem is a fine mix of action and comedy and is the oldest movie on the list. What it lacks in genre staples it makes for with an excellent cast and severely lampoons police movies, corrupt religious officials and lame white cops. Take that Mannix!
12. Truck Turner - 1974
Isaac Hayes is a Bounty Hunter who kills a pimp and is forced to go on the run from a bunch of vengeful prostitutes. The best thing about Truck Turner is that the character and plot are so easily identifiable. I mean, who hasn't been there?
11. Coffy - 1973
Pam Greir shows her stuff (literally and figuratively) in the movie that made her a star. She's a vengeful nurse who's not afraid to blow a drug dealers head clean off right after seducing them. I can think of worse ways to die.
10. Across 110th Street - 1972
Mismatched black cop, Yaphet Kotto and white cop, Anthony Quinn have to work together to find 3 killers. The mob is also looking for the same killers. Across 110th Street features a great cast, excessive violence and a classic theme song by Bobby Womack to rise above it's standard plot into a great movie, blaxploitation or not.
9. The Mack - 1973
The Mack is the most classic of all pimp movies. It has the original players ball, Richard Pryor trying to be serious, tons of bitches and some valuable life lessons for all the future pimps out there. Watch it or else we may have to get into some real gangsta shit.
8. Black Belt Jones - 1974
Black Belt Jones is simply awesome. From the Opening parking lot fight to the classic dojo throwdown all the way through the final car wash spectacular Jim Kelly never stops kicking ass. It's also got one of the greatest villains in blaxploitation history in "Pinky" the man who would "rather be dead, than not have any bread."
7. Black Caesar - 1973
Fred Williamson stars as Tommy Gibbs (A.K.A. Black Caesar) is this remake of 1931's Little Caesar. In his rise to power Gibbs must overcome racist cops, backstabbing partners and cheating women. It's Williamson's best acting job, has a sweet soundtrack by James Brown and is one of the more underrated movies on this list.
6. Trouble Man - 1972
Mr. T (Robert Hooks) is a PI/pool hustler/fixer who gets framed for murder while at a dice game. In order to avoid an all out gang war, T has got to kill pretty much everybody without any pity. The soundtrack by Marvin Gaye is fantastic and Hooks gives a great performance.
5. Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song - 1971
Sweet Sweetback ranks this high much more on the importance of the film than for pure enjoyment of it. It's considered the first "true" blaxploitation movie and was independently produced/written/directed by Mario Van Peebles. The movie itself is pretty slow and I've always had trouble sitting through it. On the plus side there is an obvious energy flowing through it and the ending was a notable surprise at the time. Bonus points are awarded for Van Peebles contracting an STD during one of the films many unsimulated sex scenes.
4. Foxy Brown - 1974
It's pretty much Coffy 2 but more outrageous. Grier looks fantastic (they really ramped up her style factor) and kicks more ass than she ever had before. It's also got hillbillies attempting to drug and rape her and Foxy posing as a prostitute with a classic cat fight in the middle. The ending makes the best use of castration of any flick on this list. That's good enough for me!
3. Super Fly - 1972
A person could learn a lot about selling drugs from Super Fly. I'm sure the drug game works exactly the same now as it did in 1972 right? Anyway, aside from the famous Curtis Mayfield soundtrack, Super Fly has a great lead performance from Ron O'Neal, some of the more outrageous clothing the genre has to offer and oh yeah, did I mention the soundtrack?
2. Shaft - 1971
Come on! It's fucking Shaft and the blog is called "Shaft Went To Africa, I Went To Perkins." How could it not be this high?
1. Dolemite - 1975
In all honesty Dolemite is the worst made movie on the list. It's very amateurish, the acting is laughably bad as is the "kung fu" and they force you to sit through numerous shots of Rudy Ray Moore's ass. Why is it number 1 you ask? Because it's fucking awesome! Dolemite controls an army of prostitutes, talks in rhyme and just kicks ass in general. Dolemite also features the greatest supporting character in blaxploitation history, the Hamburger Pimp. Now you can't really understand what the Hamburger Pimp is saying and he's only alive for about 5 minutes but he is so bad he kicks his own ass 3 times a day and shiiit, he ain't sayin' nothin'!
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