Blaxploitation Filmography

The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements of the 1960’s set the stage for the 1970’s Black film revolution.

Black actors, writers, directors and producers helped create over 200 films targeted to Black audiences.

These films spanned all movie genres, however, the titles most associated with this era were inner city action and crime films such as Coffy, Cleopatra Jones, SuperFly, Shaft and The Mack. Often referred to as “Blaxploitation” films, they were extremely popular because the Black hero always triumphed over “The Man”. These films also overflowed with style and attitude and incorporated hip street language, funky soundtracks and hot fashions. These films also yielded beautifully illustrated movie posters.

The box office success of the independent film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song prompted Hollywood studios to become interested in producing these films. The low production cost and high box office returns of many Blaxploitation films such as Shaft saved several Hollywood studios from collapse in the early 1970’s.

With changing attitudes toward race, Black action and adventure movies crossed over domestically and were distributed internationally. As the racial dividing lines disappeared, Black movies became cult favorites around the world.

What Happened to Blaxploitation in the U.S.?

Offended by the stereotypical portrayal of Blacks in many Blaxploitation films, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Urban League joined together to form the Coalition Against Blaxploitation.

Backed by many Black film professionals, this group’s protest received much media exposure, hastening the death of the genre by the late 1970’s.

Though still regarded as racist by many, some film scholars defend the cinematic genre as instrumental in bringing greater screen presence to Blacks.

Furthermore, Blaxploitation films laid the foundation for future filmmakers to address racial controversies regarding inner city poverty.

Blaxploitation Filmography

• A Piece Of The Action (1977)
• A Change Of Mind (1969)
• Aaron Loves Angela (1973)
• Abby (1974)
• Across 110th Street (1972)
• Adios Amigos (1975)
• Amazing Grace (1974)
• Avenging Disco Godfather (1979)
• Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (1974)
• Bare Knuckles (1977)
• Black Belt Jones (1974)
• Black Caesar (1973)
• Black Connection, The (1974)
• Black Eliminator (1978)
• Black Eye (1974)
• Black Fist (1977)
• Black Girl (1972)
• Black Gunn (1972)
• Black Heat (1976)
• Black Jack (1979)
• Black Jesus (1971)
• Black Lolita (1975)
• Black Mama, White Mama (1973)
• Black Samson (1974)
• Black Samurai (1977)
• Black Shampoo (1976)
• Black Sister’s Revenge (1975)
• Blackenstein (1974)
• Blacksnake! (1973)
• Blacula (1972 )
• Blazing Saddles (1973)
• Blind Rage (1978)
• Book Of Numbers (1973)
• Boss Nigger (1974)
• Brother John (1971)
• Brother On The Run (1973)
• Brotherhood Of Death (1976)
• Brothers (1977)
• Buck and The Preacher (1972)
• Bucktown (1975)
• Car Wash (1976)
• Claudine (1974)
• Cleopatra Jones (1973)
• Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)
• Coffy (1973)
• Come Back Charleston Blue (1972)
• Cool Breeze (1972)
• Cooley High (1975)
• Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
• Cotton Comes To Harlem (1970)
• Darktown Strutters (1975)
• Death Journey (1976)
• Deliver Us From Evil (TV) (1973)
• Detroit 9000 (1973)
• Diamonds (1974)
• Disco 9000 (1976)
• Dolemite (1975)
• Dolemite 2: Human Tornado (1976)
• Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde (1976)
• Drum (1976)
• Ebony, Ivory and Jade (1976)
• Enter The Dragon (1974)
• Farewell, Uncle Tom (1972)
• Five On The Black Hand Side (1973)
• For Love Of Ivy (1968)
• Fox Style (1974)
• Foxtrap (1985)

• Foxy Brown (1974)
• Friday Foster (1975)
• Fritz The Cat (1972)
• Ganja and Hess (1973)
• Gordon’s War (1973)
• Greased Lightning (1977)
• Hammer (1972)
• Hangup (1974)
• Heavy Traffic (1973)
• Hell Up In Harlem (1973)
• Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But A Sandwich (1978)
• Hit Man (1972)
• Hit! (1973)
• Honky (1971)
• Hot Potato (1976)
• I Escaped From Devil’s Island (1973)
• If He Hollers, Let Him Go (1968)
• In Your Face! (1977)
• JD’s Revenge (1976)
• Lady Sings The Blues (1972)
• Leadbelly (1976)
• Legend Of Dolemite (1994)
• Let’s Do It Again (1975)
• Mahogany (1975)
• Man And Boy (1971)
• Mandingo (1975)
• Mean Johnny Barrows (1976)
• Melinda (1972)
• Miss Melody Jones (1973)
• Monkey Hustle (1977)
• Nine Lives Of Fritz The Cat (1973)
• No Way Back (1976 )
• One Down, Two To Go (1980)
• Penitentiary (1979)
• Penitentiary 2 (1982)
• Penitentiary 3 (1987)
• Petey Wheatstraw (1977)
• Pipe Dreams (1976)
• Putney Swope (1969)
• Right On! (1971)
• Savage Sisters (1974)
• Savage! (1973)
• Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973)

• Shaft (1971)
• Shaft In Africa (1973)
• Shaft’s Big Score (1972)
• Sheba Baby (1975)
• Slaughter (1972)
• Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973)
• Slaves (1969)
• Soul Patrol (1980)
• Soul Soldier (1970)
• Space Is The Place (1974)
• Sparkle (1976)
• Street Fight (1975)
• Sugar Hill (1974)
• Super Soul Brother (1972)
• Superfly (1972)
• Superfly T.N.T. (1973)
• Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973)
• Sweet Sweetback’s Badaaasss Song (1971)
• T.N.T. Jackson (1974)
• Take A Hard Ride (1975)
• Take Another Hard Ride (1976)
• That Man Bolt (1973)
• Thomasine and Bushrod (1974)
• The Arena (1973)
• The Bad Bunch (1976)
• The Beast Must Die (1974)
• The Big Bird Cage (1972)
• The Big Doll House (1971)
• The Big Score (1980)
• The Black Gestapo (1975)
• The Black Godfather (1974)
• The Black Klansman (1966)
• The Black Six (1974)
• The Bus Is Coming (1971)
• The Candy Tangerine Man (1975)
• The Dynamite Brothers (1973)
• The Education of Sonny Carson (1974)
• The Final Comedown (1972)
• The Great White Hope (1970)
• The Greatest (1977)
• The Hitter (1979)
• The House On Skull Mountain (1974)
• The Klansman (1974)
• The Last Fight (1980)
• The Legend Of Nigger Charley (1972)
• The Lost Man (1969)
• The Mack (1973)
• The Muthers (1976)
• The Omega Man (1971)
• The Slams (1973)
• The Soul Of Nigger Charley (1973)
• The Split (1968)
• The Spook Who Sat By The Door (1973)
• The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968)
• The Thing With Two Heads (1972)
• The Wiz (1978)
• Three The Hard Way (1974)
• Three Tough Guys (1974)
• tick? tick? tick? (1970)
• Together Brothers (1974)
• Top Of The Heap (1972)
• Trick Baby (1973)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• Up Tight (1968)
• Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
• Velvet Smooth (1976)
• Watermelon Man (1970)
• Welcome Home, Brother Charles (1975)
• Which Way Is Up? (1977)
• Willie Dynamite (1974)
• Zebra Killer (1974)

Fake Blaxploitation Films

• Brotherman (1975)
• Soul Ecstasy (1970’s)

Blaxploitation TV Shows

• Get Christie Love (1974) – Teresa Graves
• Shaft (1973) – Richard Roundtree

Tributes To Blaxploitation

• American Gangster (2007) – Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee
• American Pimp (1999) – Antonio Fargas, Max Julien, Rudy Ray Moore
• Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002) – Beyonce Knowles
• Baaadass! (2003) – Mario Van Peebles, Joy Bryant
• Jackie Brown (1997) – Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson
• I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) – Keenan Ivory Wayans, Antonio Fargas, Jim Brown
• Original Gangstas (1996) – Pam Grier, Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree
• Return Of Superfly (1990) – Nathan Purdee, Margaret Avery, Samuel L. Jackson
• Shaft (2000) – Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree
• Undercover Brother (2002) – Eddie Griffin, Dave Chappelle

Documentaries On Blaxploitation

• BaadAssss Cinema (2002)
• Blaxploitation and Advancing an Independent Black Cinema (1984)
• Hell Up In Hollywood: Soul Cinema and the 1970’s (2003)
• The Story Behind Baadasssss!: The Birth Of Black Cinema (2004)