Sunday, 14. January 2007
I found out recently that Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction 1994) and Robert Rodriguez (Desperado 1995, Sin City 2005) are making a film together. Grindhouse will be relased on April 6 2007 in the US. I looked into Tarantino's carrer a bit and came across a list of all the movies that has inspired him. In partifular, Tarantino's movie Jackie Brown interested me. The movie is a homage to the blaxploitation genre and of course features Pam Grier, who was a star back in the 70'ies and the lead actress in movies like Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974).
The other day I rented one of the best blaxplotation movies of all time, Superfly (1972). While growing up in the squalid streets in the surburbs of Fredericia, I was of course a big fan of Ice T and (later on) Snoop Doggy Dogg, and I realize what a strong influence this movie, with its funky soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield, has been to them. You may argue that the characters portrayed in Superfly and other blaxploitation movies are archetypes and that they, at best, give a distorted view of life in the big city, and only serve to glamourise the life of dope fiends, pushers and drug lords. Anyway, I like these movies, and I am now mildly hooked. While waiting for Grindhouse to come out, I have compiled the unofficial blaxplitation top-10 based on the ratings at imdb.com:
1. Across 110th Street (1972; imdb 6.7; 554 votes)
2. Shaft (1971; 6.5; 3905)
3. Truck Turner (1974; 6.5; 320)
4. Coffy (1973; 6.5; 1127)
5. Fort Apache the Bronx (1981; 6.4; 1386)
6. Space is the Place (1974; 6.4; 120)
7. Black Caesar (1973; 6.3; 437)
8. Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970; 6.2; 304)
9, Foxy Brown (1974; 6.2; 1196)
10. Superfly (1972; 6.0; 1042)
These movies didn't quite make it to the top:
11. The Mack (1973; 6.0; 343)
12. Blacktown Strutters (1975; 5.9; 54)
13. The Human Tornado (1976; 5.8; 213)
14. Black Belt Jones (1974; 5.8; 418)
15. Willie Dynamite (1974; 5.8; 101)
16. Hell Up in Harlem (1973; 5.7; 189)
17. Slaughter (1972; 5.5; 122)
18. Friday Foster (1975; 5.5; 205)
19. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971; 5.4; 829)
20. Petey Wheatstraw (1977; 5.4; 104)
21. Cleopatra Jones (1973; 5.3; 504)
22. Three the Hard Way 1974 5.3 130
23. J.D.'s Revenge (1976; 5.2; 92)
24. Blacula (1972; 5.2; 694)
25. Sheba, Baby (1975; 5.2; 138)
26. Dolemite (1975; 5.2; 726)
All-time Blaxploitation Top 1001/14/2007 08:27 AM
