That's Blaxploitation!: Roots of the Baadasssss 'Tude (Rated X by an All-Whyte Jury) (Paperback)

by Darius James (Author) "One afternoon in early January 1994, I sat in a theater located somewhere off of Eighth Avenue and watched a staged reading of a new..." (more)
Key Phrases: whyte boys, whyte man, pimp game, New York, Fred Williamson, Doc John (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
James's own baadasssss 'tude hasn't backpedaled a bit since he gave the world a hotfoot in his first novel, Negrophobia, four years ago. Now, in step with the pop African American icons of the '70s he celebrates in this crass but wickedly funny survey/memoir, the author struts and jives his way through an energetic hodgepodge of interviews, reminiscences and original fiction. The offerings here range from the essay "The Blackman's Guide to White Women with the Amazing Power of Voodoo" through a high-toned interview with blaxploitation goddess Pam Grier to James's musings on the influence on his life of books by Iceberg Slim, author of Pimp. The numerous sidebars alone, which offer capsule reviews and/or plot summaries of scores of blaxploitation films from Shaft to Cleopatra Jones and The Black Gestapo, make this a classic of psychotronic scholarship. James's 'tude grates at times?for example, his insistence on calling whites "whytes"?but his apparent aim is to provoke more than denigrate, and he incorporates the work of several white artists, most prominently that of cartoonist Ralph Bakshi, into his raucous mix. Given its subject, this eclectic, iconoclastic, profusely illustrated work is just as it should be: a savvy, smirking toss of a black gauntlet at white middle-class values and culture.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Of all the lovably outrefeatures of 1970s America currently being rediscovered, the "blaxploitation" film is one of the most deserving. Featuring funky soundtracks, pimp-suit fashions, and oodles of attitude, such flicks gave audiences fast action within simple plots involving cartoonish characters straight from some 1970s cultural garage sale. James proudly runs through those and other defining characteristics of the sassy film genre, in the process profiling modern black cinema pioneer Melvin Van Peebles; actor Richard Roundtree, portrayer of black superagent John Shaft; underrated actress Tamara Dobson (Cleopatra Jones); and the ultimate godmother, lubricious Pam Grier. Profusely illustrated, engagingly written, James' book would be worth having just as a checklist of the great black films of the funk decade, but it also features analyses of individual films and, among the interviewees, the interesting inclusion of white cartoonist Ralph Bakshi (Coonskin, Fritz the Cat, etc.), who draws a creative connection between his work and both George Herriman's comic strip, Krazy Kat, and the music of John Coltrane. Informative fun for the funky at heart. Mike Tribby

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312131925
• ISBN-13: 978-0312131920
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #815,478 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting the Shaft, March 4, 1998

By A Customer

Darius James' combination of humor and criticism made this a very enjoyable book to read. I am very intrigued by the genre and have been for years. I liked the interviews with the stars although I still wanted to know more about them. Perhaps a sequel book containing interviews with Max Julien, Ron O'Neal, Tamara Dobson, Jim Kelly (why did these actors drop off the face of the earth?) should be forthcoming. I also would have liked more comprehensive reviews of the movies. Some of the reviews were a bit too flippant. I'm a big Shaft fan and Mr. James was very harsh on all three movies, so I disagreed with him on those (although I hated those Burger King ads with a passion). I guess I've been pretty critical of the book considering that I gave it a "9" but that's only because I wanted more of it. The research that Mr. James did for this book was very extensive and very interesting. I still pick up the book every now and then and glance through it. As the owner of well over 40 blaxploitation films, I am more than just an avid fan of the genre. My friends and family have suggested therapy. All my criticism aside, this book is great fun for anyone (not kids), whether or not you are a movie freak.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but dont let your mama read it !, March 15, 2002

By	eva m. lavelle (pittsburgh, pa. United States) - See all my reviews

I'm into the whole 70's thing so I get this book thinking it would be good to check out those old movies my friends and I grew up on. So anyway , we're all sitting around reading and looking at the cool pictures when we get to the chapter containing the graphic details of a girl who has sex with a dog and gets the crap beat out of her! Eventough it was obvious the story was fiction ,it was so nasty I thought for a minute I brought a porn magazine! I almost let my mom(a saint) read it before me, I'm so glad I did'nt! It's a good book, just remember to keep it at the bottom of your underwear and sock drawer where the kids won't find it!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This not Blaxploitation!, January 27, 2004

By	analogzombie "a-z" (the deep south) - See all my reviews

This book is not an exhaustive study or look into the films of the Blaxploitation genre of the late 60's and early 70's. Instead this book seems to be nothing more than the author stroking his own ego. As a fan of Blaxploitation cinema I picked up this tome hoping to find some reviews and information about the films and people behind them. Most of the reviews, if you could call them that, are less than a paragraph. Many of them are single lines such as this review for "Let's do it again": 'Please let's not.' While these quips can be amusing they certainly do nothing to provide any real information about the productions. Instill other reviews, the author admits to never having actually seen the film, instead reprinting smaller reviews from other sources.

Furthermore the 'interviews' with Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, and the like are less than illuminating. For the most part the author seems to hold his subject in contempt or talk in a way to one-up them. It's as if Mr James (the author) would like, with this book, to insert himself into the mythology of Blaxploitation cinema. The interviews do nothing to broaden the understanding of their subjects and are ultimately worthless.

Also contained in the book are little diatribes and essays written by the author under the psuedonym Dr. Snakeskin. One such trivial account is titled: "How Noxious negroes can wet the cracks of those young white p******." Once again, perhaps amusing but ultimately needless personal diatribes.

It appears that what Darius James may have been attempting was a book version of the Blaxploitation genre. He failed miserably. This thing is a irritating read that does nothing more than allow the author to expound his opinions which are neither intelligent, well thought out, or convincing.

I give this book one star if only for the list of films of the genre. If you are looking for an insightful book about the actors, directors, and films of the genre look elsewhere.