BaadAsssss Cinema (2002)

Redundant and unnecessary.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Just watched this doc on YouTube. It's a fascinating look at the Blaxploitation film era, roughly 1971-75, and some of the people involved in it who consented to an interview like Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry, plus Caucasians like Larry Cohen as well as Quentin Tarantino, the latter having grown up watching those films and then putting Grier in his Jackie Brown as a tribute to them. I've seen many of these films when renting videos during the '90s and have reviewed some of them on this site and since many of them are also online, I may review many more in the near future. Many of the movies are of their time but many also still have their merits as entertainment. I mean, Shaft, Coffy, Foxy Brown, and Super Fly, well, they're bad Mutha (Shut Yo' Mouth)! So watch this space for my reviews of those and more...

("BaadAssss Cinema" movie-quote) - "Don't jive me, you lousy, black mother-fukker!!" For the most part - This 60-minute documentary was a pretty entertaining look back at the movie genre known as "Blaxploitation" which came into its own in the USA during the early-to-mid 1970s (and, then, like disco, it faded away into obscurity).Believe me - It was really quite a hoot looking back at the hilarious, bad-boy/bad-girl fashion trends that prevailed amongst blacks during those turbulent days in pop culture. It was all platform shoes, big "Afro" hairdos, and skintight outfits, non-stop.Through a continual parade of blaxploitation film clips, along with interviews from actors, film historians, and directors - The viewer gets a golden opportunity to enjoy a real slice of bad-ass cinema at its absolute baddest.*Final note* - I think that Quentin Tarantino (and his limp-wristed hand contortions) should be christened "The Countess of Flatulence". He really should.

Baadasssss Cinema (2002) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Quentin Tarantino, Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Melvin Van Peebles, Fred Williamson and critic Elvis Mitchell are among the people interviewed for this entertaining documentary that takes a look at the blaxploitation movies of the 1970's. At just under a hour there's no question that this doesn't contain the greatest details but it at least has many of the stars that were in the movies as well as people like Tarantino who has kept the genre alive for new fans to discover. The best thing about this movie is that we get some very good discussions about race relations at the time and how these movies were fresh and original and especially in how these movies helped give black crowds a different type of hero.The documentary covers not only the popularity of these films but also the controversy that haunted them. Both subjects are discussed in great detail and we also get some wonderful clips from various movies. There's also a great interview with Grier who of course was one of the best actresses from this era and certainly one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the screen.

Cold-blooded balance of entertainment and academic perspectives on the so-called blaxploitation urban films of the seventies. This is not only useful as a seminal film rundown, but also for its educative industry participant interviews. Two, of Pam Grier and Quentin Tarrantino, are respectively honest and energetic. Others, of Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry, reek of bitter, unfounded entitlement. BAADASSSS also delves into the debates on the responsibilities, or lack thereof, this genre had to the broader socio-political context. Here, reviewer Elvis Mitchell provides especially introspective guidance. AfroPixFlix throws down 9 sho-nuff greasy cake-cutters for this Isaac Julien reel deel.