'Josiah Howard's book is frankly the best guide on the subject that I have ever seen.' - Jack Hill, director of blaxploitation classics Coffy and Foxy Brown.
Dazzling, highly stylized, excessively violent and brimming with sex, blaxploitation films enjoyed a brief but memorable period in motion picture history. Never before - and never since - have so many African American performers been featured in films, not in bit parts, but in name-above-the-title starring roles.
Twenty five years after they first thrilled audiences the body of films known as blaxploitation are enjoying a renaissance. Not only do the pictures continue to captivate film fans, but the entire genre, with its bevy of colourful, utterly-contemporary film characters, irresistible soundtrack albums and catchy film titles, is finally taking its rightful place among the entertainment industry's most enjoyed, and influential, movies.
Directly answering the call for a new and appreciative look back at a distinctly American motion picture phenomenon, Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide is the first truly comprehensive examination of the genre, its films, its trends and its far-reaching impact, covering more than 240 blaxploitation films in detail.
Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide will become the primary reference book on the genre, covering not just the films' heyday (1971-1976) but the entire decade (1970-1980). From Aaron Loves Angela to The Zebra Killer, they're all here in one indispensable volume.
Complimenting the text of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide are many of the vivid, highly-theatrical, motion picture posters and ads that promoted the films. Blaxploitation's rich and colourful poster art has been the sole subject of a number of coffee-table books. The hand-painted, elaborately illustrated posters and ad campaigns associated with the genre represent a now-gone golden era of sensational motion picture representation. Also features page after page of stunning action stills and original newspaper admats.
In addition to the A-to-Z reviews of blaxploitation movies, this book features interviews with ten great blaxploitation movie directors:
PAUL BOGART - Halls of Anger, The Skin Game, Mr. Ricco
MATT CIMBER - The Black Six, Candy Tangerine Man, Lady Cocoa
LARRY COHEN - Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem
ROBERT A. ENDELSON - Fight for Your Life
JAMAA FANAKA - Welcome Home Brother Charles, Penitentiary
JACK HILL - Coffy, Foxy Brown
JONATHAN KAPLAN - The Slams, Truck Turner
ARTHUR MARKS - Detroit 9000, Friday Foster, J.D.'s Revenge
CIRIO H. SANTIAGO - TNT Jackson, Ebony, Ivory & Jade, Death Force
DON SCHAIN - Ginger, A Place Called Today, Girls Are for Loving
A comprehensive introduction to the genre.A complete filmography of blaxploitation's golden age (1970-1980).
More than 250 movie listings, which include director, producer, screenwriter and actor credits along with a full synopsis.
Vintage and contemporary film reviews, critiques and commentary plus movie taglines, ratings, and extensive cross-referencing.
From the super-successful blaxploitation blockbusters like Shaft and Super Fly to little-known gems such as The Guy from Harlem and Velvet Smooth, Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide is your one-stop source of information on the intriguing, controversial and thoroughly entertaining world of black-cast films.
The Author/Editor
Josiah Howard is an avid film and 1970s pop culture enthusiast. He was born in New York City but his family soon migrated to the "Queen City," Plainfield, New Jersey. He is an Alumni of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and has a B.F.A. in Film & Television. His short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines. This is his second book.
Publisher
FAB Press Ltd 2 Farleigh Ramsden Road Godalming Surrey GU7 1QE England UK info@fabpress.com
Technical Details
Size: 254mm x 192mm
Binding: Paperback
Extent: 240 pages, including 32 pages in full colour
