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Summary:

" ... this feature documentary explores the role of black actors, black directors and the black audience in American movies. Remember the early 80s -- hip hop had just been born, break dancing filled clubs and streets and Eddie Murphy and the late great Richard Pryor were the only two black stars making it. In an action-packed showcase of clips and interviews, Diahnne Abbott, Rosalind Cash and Alfre Woodard talk about negative stereotyping. Jim Brown, Vonetta McGee and D'Urville Martin come up with alternative solutions to the one-way street that was "blaxploitation" and discuss new ways of advancing an independent black cinema. There is a rare interview with Lorenzo Tucker, the Black Valentino, about his career with Oscar Micheaux. Joel Fluellen and Vincent Tubbs tell memorable stories of what life was like for the few blacks working in Hollywood in the 50s and 60s (including Dorothy Dandridge). There is a marvelous speech by Sidney Poitier on accepting the Black Hall of Fame 'oscar'. Griffiths' Birth of a Nation is panned. Grandmaster Flash and his 'Message' is the theme tune and the writer Oscar Williams holds the whole show together with his advice to the creative outsider"--Container.

Contributors:

Johnson, Howard

Williams, Oscar, 1944-

Brown, Jim, 1936-2023

McGee, Vonetta

Mooney, Paul, 1941-

Tubbs, Vincent

Fluellen, Joel

Woodard, Alfre, 1953-

Cash, Rosalind

Abbott, Diahnne

Tucker, Lorenzo

Martin, D'Urville

Grandmaster Flash

Furious Five (Musical group)

Screen Edge (Firm)

MVD Visual (Firm)

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

In English.

Related Series:

Reggae Nashville

Alternate Titles:

Subtitle on disc and container: Blaxploitation and advancing an independent Black cinema

Subjects:

African Americans in the motion picture industry

African Americans in motion pictures

Stereotypes (Social psychology) in motion pictures

Genres:

Feature films

Documentary films

System Details:

DVD ; all regions ; stereo.

Performers:

Featuring Diahnne Abbott, Jim Brown, Rosalind Cash, Joel Fluellen, D'Urville Martin, Vonetta McGee, Paul Mooney, Vincent Tubbs, Lorenzo Tucker, Oscar Williams, Alfre Woodard.

Production Credits:

Music, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.

General Notes:

Filmed on location in Hollywood, Calif. in 1984.

Physical Description:

1 videodisc (75 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.

Physical Characteristics:

plastic; metal; polychrome

Audio Characteristics:

digital; optical

Digital Characteristics:

video file; DVD video; region 1

Call Numbers:

BLA 1984 DVD

Other Standard Numbers:

Publisher Number, Screen Edge: EDGE58D

OCLC Numbers:

433166184