Blaxploitation Films

Rating:
Summary: Brief,......but informative
Review: "Blaxploitation" or Soul Cinema,( as it is sometimes known), is one of the most fun and best remembered genres of the 70's. Back in the day, you could put your brain on neutral and just enjoy watching Jim Brown or Fred Williamson kickin' it John Wayne style, beating the bad guys and getting the girl in the end, all the while grooving to a killer soundtrack by James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch, Marvin Gaye or Isaac Hayes to name a few who stuck their toe in the moneymaking pool of early to mid 70's black action films. For some of these musical artists, these soundtracks are their best remembered performances and in the case of Isaac Hayes, he even won an Academy Award. The acting wasn't always the best, and the lighting, editing etc., well, let's just not go there. But these flicks were( and are ) big fun and were hugely influential on Hip Hop culture and Quentin Tarintino and lets face it, those two entities are were we get everything cool these days. This book is from "Pocket Essentials" and is for the neophyte fan who needs to know which are the best and worst of the genre and the "who's and what's" of cast and plots, etc. Overall, an entertaining read, but the author is British, so get ready for some quaint language here and there and a twice removed point of view as to the heart and soul of these films. But, if you don't know much about these movies , this is a very good start for the beginner. But, beginners beware, there are only about 2 dozen decent Blaxpoitation films,(out of 200),so if you really wanna take the whole ride, you better have plenty of cold beer and hot popcorn and plenty of spare time, cuz once you get hooked, you ain't gonna want to stop.

Rating:
Summary: Seriously cool introduction
Review: I just loved this book! I don't know much about film, but this book didn't insult my intelligence or assume I already knew every Blaxploitation film ever made. It is clearly written, witty, and I gotta say, I agree with all of Koven's reviews! One of the things I particularly liked about this book was no matter how BAD the film was, he tried to find some justification for it - trying to see some good, no matter how gawdawful it was. Not enough movie critics do this. Top notch book - a must read!

Rating:
Summary: On point
Review: very creative&on point from start to finish.very well re-searched&full of depth.the kind of Book that you wish that if people were doing other Pop culture books on subjects that you wish they would use this book as a Blue-Print for it.Highly enjoyable.