Black Action Films: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 235 Theatrical and Made-For-Television Releases [Hardcover]

James Robert Parish (Author), George H. Hill (Author), Richard Roundtree (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0899504566 | ISBN-13: 978-0899504568 | Publication Date: October 1989

From the late 1960s on, there has been one highly profitable movie genre that has received little or no critical attention or documentation-black action pictures. These are very popular, slam-bang, heavy-duty, ethnic action feature films like Beverly Hills Cop, Blacula, Cleopatra Jones, Foxy Brown, Greased Lightning, Shaft, and Superfly. Here the genre is given its due in this comprehensive compilation of four filmmaking decades. For each of the 235 films, there are detailed filmographic data and full cast and credits listings, plus an essay interweaving a synopsis, contemporary critical quotes, production information, and an analysis of the film and its stars.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"an excellent resource" -- ARBA

Product Details

• Hardcover: 398 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899504566
• ISBN-13: 978-0899504568
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,061,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have the privilege of doing work (i.e., writing books) that I thoroughly enjoy, so it is no real chore to be active on my book projects seven days a week. Doing research is much like being a detective, bringing as many elements of the subject's life to light and assessing how each piece fits into the puzzle of a celebrity's biography.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive but rife with inaccuracies and extraneous entries, September 12, 2007

By 

curtis martin (Redmond, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Action Films: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 235 Theatrical and Made-For-Television Releases (Hardcover)

Black Action Films is a fairly good addition to your library if you're into niche films--it does cover a genre of film that has gotten little serious attention anywhere else. Unfortunately this book suffers from the same two ills that virtually all the McFarland library bound reference books do--it costs way the hell too much and it is very poorly edited. The main thing that irritated me about this one was that the author included entries on films that simply were not black action films. He includes films that are not action films simply because they have a black star or supporting player and also includes action films that feature minor roles by black actors in otherwise white-dominated films. For instance he includes the Dudley Moore comedy "Best Defense" just because Eddie Murphy had a small role in it and 1987's "The Principal" starring James Belushi simply because Louis Gossett Jr has a supporting role. This is just a matter of filling pages to fill pages.
Also, there are some blatant inaccuracies that are just stupid. In his entry on Issac Hayes' "Truck Turner" for instance, the author repeatedly referrs to the character as "Matt" Truck Turner. The characters name was MACK "Truck" Turner. "Mack Truck"--get it? I mean that's a joke in the film, which the book's author obviously never saw and the book's editor obviously never checked.
And for this they want $60 a copy? For $20 it'd be worth it. I'd rate it at 2 1/2 stars if I could.