African History Month Films: Blaxploitation Classics

In the early 1970s African American filmmakers finally made their mark in the North American Cinema, with a series of stylish, violent and unapologetically entertaining movies that are still influential to today's popular culture. Referred to then as 'Blaxploitation' films -- and nowadays as 'Grindhouse' classics -- these low-budget, high-energy flicks sported sound-tracks (Issac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield) as memorable as the films themselves. This short series will revisit soe of those landmark features. Warning: adult content throughout.

SCREENINGS MONDAYS IN FEBRUARY AT 8PM

MacAloney Room, 4th floor, Dalhousie Arts Centre

February 1- Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Dir: Melvin Van Peebles, USA, 1971, 97 minutes. The Citizen Kane of Blaxploitation films -- written, directed, produced, scored and starring the legendary Melvin Van Peebles in the lead role -- Sweet Sweetback follows the title character on a nightmarish journey through South Central Los Angeles after he witnesses two policeman assaulting an African American Nationalist.

February 8 - Shaft

Dir: Gordon Parls Sr., USA, 1971, 90 minutes. Blaxploitation's big-studio breakthrough was MGM's Shaft, brought to the screen by veteran Life Magazine photographer Gordon Parks. Richard Roundtree plays the African American private investigator of the title, battling drug lords, the Mafia and political activists all to Issac Hayes' pulsating score.

February 15- Superfly

Dir: Gordon Parks, Jr., USA, 1972, 90 minutes. Curtis Mayfield's immortal soundtrack powers this talk of an impeccably tailored dealer (Ron O'Neal) on the run after making his one last score amidst a declining urban milieu that hadn't quite reached its mid-70s nadir.

February 22- Cooley High

Dir: Michael Schultz, USA, 1975, 107 minutes. Known as the 'African American American Graffiti', Michael (Car Wash) Schultz looks back at the Chicago's North Side in 1964 to examine a group of high school seniors preparing for adult life, all to a classic early 60s Motown soundtrack.