The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Big Bird Cage (1972)

























Starring:

Storyline
Terry (Anitra Ford), a social-climbing young woman accidentally gets caught up in the activities of two revolutionaries, Blossom and Django, and finds herself in a concentration camp for women. In the center of the camp is a towering wooden machine ("The Big Bird Cage") in which the women risk their lives processing sugar as the evil warden looks on. The prisoners are subjected to sadistic cruelty from the guards and fellow prisoners, and all attempts at escape are dealt with...permanently. Terry's only hope for escape lies in Blossom (Pam Grier) and her revolutionary allies.

The Great White Hope (1970)



















Starring:


Storyline
Boxer Jack Jefferson (James Earl Jones) is the world's reigning heavyweight boxing champion. There's just one problem, he is also the first black heavyweight champion, and that bothers a lot of people. Jack's celebration is cut short, as Jack is framed for crossing a state line with Eleanor, his white fiancé (Jane Alexander in her first film role), a violation of the Mann Act. Facing a prison sentence, Jack escapes to Europe, with Eleanor in tow, encountering problems in England, and then France, and eventually landing in Cuba. In Havana, Jack agrees to enter the boxing ring for what might be the bout of his life. Both Jones and Alexander were nominated for Oscars.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wildcat Women a.k.a. Black Lolita (Anaglyph 3D) (1975)










Starring:

  • Yolanda Love
  • Ed Cheatwood
  • Susan Ayers
  • Joey Ginza
IMDB.com
To paraphrase Rod Serling..."Picture if you will, a 70's film with funk music, Blaxploitation elements, soft-core porn, and martial arts." Sounds like it should be a winner, pity that it wasn't. Hammy martial arts fighting that looked like out-takes from a low budget Hong Kong turkey. Typical gangster posturing. The music wasn't bad. But it WAS monotonous eventually. And the sex scenes did seem real. They were filmed 'soft' though. This is NOT a hard X. A simple case of too many cooks (in this case, plot elements) spoiling the broth. Watchable, yes. But mostly due to its rarity.