Directed by Larry Cohen • 1973 • United States
Starring Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry, Art Lund
A brutal assault at the hands of a racist cop changes the life of Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson), who will grow up to become the reigning head of Harlem’s Black mafia in this blistering blaxploitation spin on the classic Hollywood gangster dramas of the 1930s. Establishing a mob empire that challenges the New York mafia’s stronghold on the city, Tommy will prove himself a worthy opponent and a natural born enemy. James Brown composed the classic, oft-sampled funk soundtrack.
Directed by Robert Clouse • 1974 • United States
Starring Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, Scatman Crothers
The mob crosses the wrong man when it takes on a martial-arts teacher in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Now it’s the gangsters versus Black Belt Jones (Jim Kelly) as he battles to save his sch...
Directed by Ralph Bakshi • 1974 • United States
Starring Philip Michael Thomas, Barry White, Charles Gordone
One of the most controversial films of its era, animator Ralph Bakshi’s daring satire of African American stereotypes is an unrestrained update of the “Uncle Remus” stories in which Broth...
Directed by John Coney • 1974 • United States
Starring Sun Ra, Barbara Deloney, Raymond Johnson
Avant-jazz mystic Sun Ra brought his pioneering Afrofuturist vision to the screen with this film version of his concept album. It’s a wild, kaleidoscopic whirl of science fiction, sharp social comment...
