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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Monday, September 18, 2017

St. Louis Blues (1958)
























Starring:


Storyline
Will Handy grows up in Memphis with his preacher father and his Aunt Hagar. His father intends for him to use his musical gifts only in church, but he can't stay away from the music of the streets and workers. After he writes a theme song for a local politician, Gogo, a speakeasy singer, convinces Will to be her accompanist. Will is estranged from his father for many years while he writes and publishes many blues songs. At last the family is reunited when Gogo brings them to New York to see Will's music played by a symphony orchestra.  

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Five Desperate Women (1971, TV Movie)



















Starring:

Storyline
Five young women vacation together at a resort on an isolated island. They are the resort's only customers and, aside from the boat captain who brought them here and the resort's handyman, Wylie, the island's only inhabitants. When one of the women is found dead, the others begin to fear the captain, who's been acting strangely. Wylie and the captain argue over the identity of the murderer, each accusing the other, and a fight erupts. Alarmed, the women attempt to leave the island, but the boat -- their only means of escape -- explodes and sinks before they can board it. Then Wylie comes to their aid, claiming to have killed the boat captain in self-defense and telling the women they're safe. But are they? 

Thursday, September 7, 2017

DAARAC'S Top 10 Blaxploitation Films [Presented by FilmDoo]

A Blaxploitation top 10 list is a living breathing entity. Over the last 9 or so years, we have presented over 300 films we consider to be of the Blaxplotiation genre. The difficulty of selecting films to be in this top 10 was something we spent time thinking about. We have left off several films many may think should be in this top 10, but these are our favorite and FilmDoo has done an excellent job in presenting this list. We have been working closely with them to help bring awareness of Black films from around the world.


Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The Emperor Jones (1933)
























Starring:

Storyline
At a Baptist prayer meeting, the preacher leads a prayer for Brutus Jones, who is leaving to become a railway porter. Jones joins the congregation in a spiritual. Once on the train, Jeff, a porter, shows Jones the ropes. Jones secretly takes up with Jeff's girl, Undine. He makes some money in a deal with a rich businessman on the train. Jones proves to be a cunning manipulator and a good liar. In a crap game, Jones stabs Jeff over a pair of loaded dice. Now doing hard labour, Jones kills a white prison guard and escapes. Shovelling coal on a ship in the Caribbean, Jones swims to an island. He is brought before the island's ruler, where Smithers, a crooked white trader, buys his freedom. Jones schemes his way into a partnership in Smithers' business, then finally control of the entire island through a touch of witchcraft, or so it seems. Brutus declares himself to be The Emperor Jones... Smithers reports on the unrest that Jones' rule is causing.