Ultimate Blaxploitation films

Black Dynamite out at UK cinemas from 13 August*

A comedic homage to ‘70s blaxploitation flicks, such as Shaft, Super Fly and Dolemite (half of Tarantino’s VHS collection, basically), Black Dynamite sees ex-CIA coolcat ‘BD’ Kung Fu kick his way through a bunch of drug-peddlin’ bad guys! We spoke to its afro-headed, sweet talkin’ lead star/writer to educate us on the funkiest, soul-sizzliest blaxploitation flicks of the ‘70s. Bold colours, tight fashion and topless ladies a-go-go!

SHAFT (1971)

“The slick private eye, cool guy flick that that really put ‘blaxploitation’ on the map. Well, actually this movie came before that phrase was coined, it became exploitative later when Hollywood discovered it was a cash machine.”

SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSS SONG (1971)

“This was probably the first ever ‘blaxploitation’ film, but 70% of the movie was a foot chase scene, which Shaft then built on. But that was the thing with blaxploitation movies, once someone did something right, others would copy it, and you’d end this checklist of things that had to go in EVERY movie, such as white people depicted poolside. I’m telling you 95% of all these movies have a scene of white people sitting poolside. It’s the funniest thing!”

SUPER FLY (1972)

“This crime flick about a cocaine dealer had the style, it had the best fashion and it had the Curtis Mayfield soundtrack! It was all about the vibrant colours. It featured an Eldorado car that birthed the term the ‘Super Fly grille’. To this day, there are still people who get the ‘Super Fly’ slapped on the front of their cars. It’s a super-cool, chromed-out grille that looks like a darn train!”

THE BIG BIRD CAGE (1972)

“These blaxploitation films were really approaching the X-rating in those days, but if you’ve got to choose a film for its racy sex scenes and gratuitous nudity, you’ve got to go with a Pam Grier movie [she of Jackie Brown]. She was just ‘wow - oh my goodness’! There were some scenes where all these women were soaped up... I remember sneaking in to see it as a kid and it really galvanised my mind!”

THE MACK (1973)

“Simply stands as the best as far as acting goes, it’s actually an outstanding movie.”

THREE THE HARD WAY (1974)

“This took the three most dominant black action stars - Jim Kelly, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson - and put them all together in one incredible film. It was like the black Bruce Willis, Arnie and Stallone 40 years before The Expendables! They were chasing an evil doctor who’d designed a potion that would kill nothing but black people. Seriously, it was like 3-litres of liquid that would be in the water resources of New York, Chicago and LA. That wasn’t meant as a joke; at the time, it was meant as a movie plot!”

DOLEMITE (1975)

“If the Mack represents the dramatic pinnacle, Dolemite represents the shoestring budget, the clownish movie-making and the films where you could see the film crew in mirror reflections! They couldn’t afford to reshoot scenes, so if the boom mic got in, it got in. This actor/writer, Rudy Ray Moore, just went ahead and made these five movies. Never mind he couldn’t act or couldn’t write. He was just so comical!”

THE HUMAN TORNADO (1976)

“Another Dolemite movie, but which had the most ludicrous and legendary sex scene ever! The hero, Dolemite, is literally pumping this nymphomaniac for information, and he’s really going at it, that by the end the house is falling apart! “At the house! On the hill! In Pasadena!” she squeals, disclosing the whereabouts of his missing friends. It’s crazy!”