And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Sheba Baby, 1975

I had to kick off Women’s History Month with a flick featuring the most baadassss woman in blaxploitation, Miss Pam Grier.

After starring a series of violent racy films like Coffy and Foxy Brown, Pam Grier returned in this more toned down flick. Grier plays Chicago P.I. Sheba Shayne, who returns to her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to save her father’s loan business from ruthless gangsters.

And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Fred Williamson was one of the major stars of Black action films in the 70s. He was trained as an architect but ended up playing professional football after graduating from Northwestern University. He played in the first Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs.

As always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Knowing my affinity for Blaxploitation movies, my coworker Rob the Music Ed im’d me a link to today’s movie, back in October.

As always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1972

I couldn’t think of what to feature today until my iPod randomly skipped to Jodeci’s “Freek’n You (Remix)” yesterday. As soon as Ghostface said “All day like Harry Belafonte” ZING! I had a lightbulb moment and realized I haven’t featured a blaxploitation western. Yep, you heard correct–a blaxploitation western. You can’t possibly be surprised. Come on, this is the genre that brought you Abby, the Black exorcist, but I digress.

HANGING IN A CHOW LINE!

Now that I’ve gotten that fuckery ouot of the way, enjoy the first new Blaxploitation Friday of the ’09 season. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1974-1979 (132 Episodes)
Synopsis: You’re kidding me right? lol
As JJ would say, “It’s the story of a happenin’Black family trying to make it in the Chicago get’toe.” *claps, then points both index fingers outward* DYNOMITE!

I remember when this used to come after Soul Train on Channel 5 (when it was simply called KTLA, way before it became The WB CW), and whenever it came on during the holidays I used to pause everything to watch with fam. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1978

Starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (before he was a monster), Nipsey Russell and Richard Pryor. You already know what The Wiz was all about. It was The Wizard of Oz but with soul! The movie was an adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical originally starring Stephanie Mills as Dorothy.

* dies from laughter *

What the hell were we thinking when we came up with this, people? And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

I’m kind of on my lazy game today. I’m still sort of in food coma but it dawned on me that when I did my blaxploitation horror series, I left out one flick that I specifically meant to include. It’s actually one of my favorites (*hides face in shame at B-Movie addiction*).

In the middle of Halloween Month, Starr looks to an urban remake of a classic tale. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Synopsis:
Bernie Casey (formerly of the L.A. Rams) stars as Dr. Henry Pride, a prominent physician who partakes in an experimental formula for the treatment of liver disease — which turns out to be a close chemical cousin to Dr. Jeykll’s notorious concoction. The drug transforms Pride into a homicidal predator who goes out on murderous nocturnal rampages. Similar to other movies in its class, it adopts low-budget action style until the King Kong-derived climax.

The premise of the movie starts off cool, then it takes a From Dusk Til Dawn type of doofiness. But damn if it isn’t enjoyable nonetheless. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1974

Synopsis: Diana Hill aka Sugar is madly in love with a man who treats her like a Queen. Together they run his club, “Haiti,” which is very successful and highly coveted by the mob. The only problem is, Sugar’s man isn’t trying to sell–and that’s when the mob murders him. While they think things are working in their favor, Sugar has a game plan of her own–uncanny revenge. With the help of Mama Maitresse a super powerful voodoo priestess and Baron Samedi, ruler of the kingdom of the dead, she literally raises hell, unleashing her zombie hit men to exact her revenge.

This particular entry has got to be one of the doofiest blaxploitation I’ve seen thus far. But that’s what happens when everything goes during the era. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Synopsis: Abby Williams was a good Christian housewife and marriage counselor full of love and life until she was possessed by the spirit of a demon of sexuality, after her father in law, an archeology professor and exorcist, accidentally freed it while in Nigeria. He returns home and performs an exorcism on her with help from his son and her good friend.

With All Hallows Eve coming up soon, Starr kicks off the festivities with a horror-themed entry. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

If you’ve been following this series then you realize that despite the overall cheesiness of blaxploitation movies, the basic theme is movies geared toward the African-American community–something that we can call our own. Yes, the characters are very stereotypical and the movies tend to follow the same plots like sticking it to the man, a big score (involving money), pimps, the bad chick on a rampage of vengeance, etc. but you didn’t think there could be blaxploitation movies without factoring in the horror genre did you? If so, you are sadly mistaken.

Kicking off the Blaxploitation Friday Horror Edition is JD’s Revenge.

Nevermind the frequent usage to the n-bomb through out his flicks, Quentin Tarantino’s eye and style was truly a stand out. True story: I’ve not seen Pulp Fiction in its entirety, but I’ve watched Kill Bill about five times already. Sue me. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Year: 1997

Synopsis:
Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is a 44-year-old flight attendant who gets caught smuggling money for her boss–Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). In order to get the ATF off her back she sets up Ordell with her new friend, a bail bondsman named Max Cherry who falls in love with her. But what the ATF doesn’t know is that they are part of her wild plan to get Ordell’s half-a-million dollars and get off 100% free.