the 1970s gave us a lot of different
movies including blaxploitation in all
its glory
I couldn't give a damn welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we're counting
down our picks for the top ten
blaxploitation films black offa Maria
for you
for this list we'll be taking a look at
blaxploitation cinema which means films
that were made primarily for an
african-american audience which featured
a primarily african-american cast and
are looking for those that best
encapsulate the genre and the era in
which it was popular we just have to see
about that we're not including films
that parody or omage the genre as
they're intended as a tribute after the
fact now that would be a problem with
the speech number 10 across 110th Street
no city is perfect but this one seems
particularly dangerous this 1972 movie
both filmed and set in Harlem sends two
uneasy cops into an investigation of
seven murders all while lieutenant Nick
DeSalvo is also looking for the killers
the level of violence present in across
110th Street was remarkable for the time
as was the clear racial tension
permeating many scenes yeah you may be a
big shot around here up in Harlem below
110 Street nothing but just a hide
however it's also been credited for
transcending the genre with which its
associated with with breakthroughs in
both filming techniques and its message
with a clear insight into morality
running through all the hostility number
nine dolemite there's nothing in my
tongue where's your why dad the FBI this
is my search warrant
the phrase hip and happening feels
appropriate here
stand-up comedian Rudy ray Moore stars
as the titular dolemite a pimp getting
out of prison and hunting down those who
framed him and got him set up for 20
years in the big house what's your name
hope you ain't cold is the Windy City
because the way I feel now baby I could
show warm you up
the resulting film is an interesting
blend of cheeky one-liners and
impressive fight scenes especially with
regards to Dolomites karate trained call
girls for a relatively light angle on
social injustice it's certainly hard to
do better in shorts Dolomites is nothing
short of dynamite number 8 black Caesar
drama brutal violence and one angry
crime boss now there is a combination
this remake of the 1931 little Caesar
focuses on Timmy gives a Harlem kid who
grows up to become the head of a black
crime family and begins a push for war
with the Italian mob if that description
doesn't seem intense enough lead actor
Fred Williamson's effectively despicable
take on gibbs fills in the gaps add to
those grim character moments more than a
little bloodshed and a James Brown
soundtrack and this is quite the
powerful film number 7 coffee this is
the end of your life you mother can
don't picture we tip our hat to you Pam
Grier after all how can you argue with a
movie whose tagline is they call her
coffee and she'll cream you the famed
blaxploitation actress takes center
stage in 1973's coffee about a nurse who
becomes a vigilante to seek revenge for
her sister's drug habit and to bring
down the drug trade some of the kids
want all kinds of pills some run
methadone now the youngest is that
relatively simple premise allows coffee
to go from scene to scene with ease
establishing upstanding or unpleasant
characters for Greer's nurse coffin to
protect or punished accordingly you're
gonna flatter them fornicator the
biggest magazine plus at the time a
blaxploitation film with both a female
lead and an anti-drug message was rare
so credit where credit is due
you're gonna have a few irate customers
sugar instead of smack number six
Cleopatra Jones my body is okay it's
magnificent she's a secret agent not
quite like the rest particular US
government operative Leo Jones gets
drawn into conflict with mommy a drug
lord whose poppy fields she destroys in
retribution mommy goes after Cleopatra's
lover but our heroine isn't ready to
give up without a fight
in fact some sources claim this was the
first blaxploitation movie to make full
use of martial arts the film was
designed to be easy for the public to
digest and reflective of black feminism
both of which appear encapsulated by
Tamara Dobson's combative yet charming
take on agent Jones
that's what ICO and we're bad ain't got
nothing to do with that right on sweet
sister it's fun and thoughtful at a time
when audiences can use both how do I
know number-5 sweet sweetback's bad ass
song odd name aside this is an
interesting film why didn't you know
that all good day funded entirely by
melvin van peebles with help from bill
cosby this independent drama tells the
story of a brothel performer fleeing the
los angeles police after an aggressive
act of self-defense in addition to being
the lead actor Van Peebles also produced
wrote directed edited and created the
soundtrack for sweet sweetback's badass
song enlisting the as yet unknown band
Earth Wind & Fire to perform it
as a result the movie has an eccentric
yet honest feeling to it we've seen
quick editing with a believable
worldview that became mandatory viewing
material for members of the Black
Panthers number four Foxy Brown
facts a female led films with another
strong outing by Pam Grier or yoga
negated baby
foxy brown stars Grier as a woman who
seeks of vengeance against a drug
syndicate for her boyfriend's death
originally intended as a sequel to
coffee this film uses familiar ideas
such as a strong heroine driven to
action and drug dealers being treated as
villains yet Foxy Brown succeeds on its
own terms
balancing the story's racially tinged
subject with Greer's natural charisma
sex appeal and on-screen toughness and
it offers a fit of fun to be sure number
three Blacula back in the day plots
floatation horror films were a thing and
this movie started a tall Blacula kicks
off with mama wall day and African
Prince being turned into a vampire and
laid to rest in a coffin
200 years later he awakens in Los
Angeles and proceeds to wreak havoc
while seeking out his lost love they
mean nothing to me no one matters but
you what's remarkable is how Blacula
uses familiarity with horror tropes to
avert audience's expectations while also
delivering a fun monster movie in its
own right the rhythm and blues
soundtrack doesn't hurt either
number two Superfly
what's a drug dealer to do when he wants
out of the business
that's the question our hero Youngblood
priest asks himself in this 1972 crime
drama Superfly as he seeks enough money
to retire I'm getting out that he I'm
getting out of would the cocaine
business Ron O'Neal plays priest as a
confident man who nonetheless seems worn
down conveying his personal quest to
escape with ease man what are you on my
case tonight away mix that away then I
run a scam hope went crazy on me right
man embarrassing me and things you know
what's may help is that the film avoids
strict moralizing instead focusing on
tension between characters and the
resulting action sequences as such it's
as entertaining as it is interesting to
think about before we unveil our topic
here are a few honorable mentions go on
just walk down the street and go on home
come on walk down the street and go on
are you vacationing business will be
here long as long as it takes
number one shaft who's a black private
dick this a sex machine all the chicks
zapped as the theme song says he's a
complicated man but no one understands
him but his woman I'm talking about
shaft can you dig it and I'm ready can
you dig it this private detective gets
caught up in the hunt for a mobsters
daughter drawn shaft into a larger
conflict that could spell out race war
for Harlem my name is done chef freeze
the stakes are high but Richard
Roundtree is cool confident portrayal of
shaft keeps us grounded in the adventure
from charming dialogue to surprising
twists on the typical detective story
shaft is certainly not lacking in ways
to engage and how can you go wrong with
a hero who's introduced via a groovy
oscar-winning song damn
so do you agree with our list death is
too easy for you [ __ ] I want you to
suffer what's your favorite
blaxploitation film last I gonna put his
hands on me lost for more evocative top
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