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Top 10 Blaxploitation Films
Suggested by: Timothy Farrell

Set in the ghetto, focusing primarily on pimps, hookers, drug dealers and hit men, Blaxploitation was a sub-genre of exploitation films of the seventies that featured large black casts with soul and funk fuelling the soundtracks. Now, these films aren't good, most of them are terrible but in that awfulness lies the sort of film that you can congregate around with your immature friends and laugh at how stupid the seventies were.

10. Blacula

[1972]
Directed By: William Crain
This one is in here because it is so fecking stupid. I just... a black Dracula, that's your angle? Still it's better than Blackenstein. I'm surprised Eddie Murphy hasn't... oh wait, he did.

9. Dolemite

[1975]
Directed By: D'Urville Martin
How could I not list a film that has the tagline 'with his all-girl army of kung fu killers' - it's genius!

8. The Mack

[1973]
Directed By: Michael Campus
Although the makers desperately tried to separate this film from the others of its genre, it's still a blaxploitation flick and not a horrendously bad one at that.

7. Across 110th Street

[1972]
Directed By: Barry Shear
Another piece more commonly known for its theme tune but this one actually isn't all that bad.

6. Coffy

[1973]
Directed By: Jack Hill
Pam Grier excels as the nurse turned vigilante who takes revenge on the criminals who hooked her sister on drugs. Ridiculous film but surprisingly enjoyable.

5. Super Fly

[1972]
Directed By: Gordon Parks Jr.
Demonised for its focus on drug users and pushers, Super Fly is one of the epitomes of the genre and as good a starting place as any.

4. Foxy Brown

[1974]
Directed By: Jack Hill
I know I've already listed Coffy and this is essentially a re-boot but I think they're both worth a mention.

3. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

[1971]
Directed By: Melvin Van Peebles
The title alone is ingenious but the fact that it's a tale of a gigolo who saves a black panther only to be chased down by 'the man.'

2. They call me MISTER Tibbs!

[1970]
Directed By: Gordon Douglas
Not technically blaxpolitation but a lot of similar standards are assembled for this average sequel to the brilliant In The Heat Of The Night.

1. Shaft

[1971]
Directed By: Gordon Parks
More popular than the Shaft film or the handful of sequels and rip/spin-offs that it spawned was the legendary Academy award winning theme tune that people still know and love to this day.