Watch This BaadAsssss

Be sure to set your VCR’s, PVR’s or your watch to catch Independent Film Channel’s presentation of Isaac Julien’s documentary BaadAsssss Cinema. In his latest…

by j. brotherlove

Be sure to set your VCR’s, PVR’s or your watch to catch Independent Film Channel’s presentation of Isaac Julien’s documentary BaadAsssss Cinema. In his latest project, Julien examines the blaxploitation films of the 70’s and seeks to reposition them as “complex reactions to social situations and inequalities”. Although, blaxploitation seems like yesterday’s topic to me, interviews with Pam Grier, bell hooks, Afeni Shakur and Quentin Tarantino should yield interesting perspectives.

I interviewed Julien for my independent arts newsletter when he released Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask. I was a big fan of his earlier films Young Soul Rebels and Looking For Langston and couldn’t wait to talk to him face-to-face. The results: We spent more time discussing the implications when political/social figures couple interracially (including, his own relationships), then we did on his film Frantz Fanon (which, I didn’t particularly like). In short, a quirky interview with a quirky director.

Anyway, BaadAsssss Cinema airs on IFC on Wednesday, August 14 at 9:00PM (ET) which kicks off a mini-festival of blaxploitation classics shown through the 17th, including Foxy Brown, Shaft’s Big Score! and Superfly.

oooooh, cool. thanks for the tip (so glad for our recent switch to digital cable…). i became a fan when he was artist-in-residence @ the wca. i haven’t seen the frantz fanon film, but have long thought of him as someone whom i’d love to see direct a meshell video….

I am so mad that my digital cable won’t be installed until 8-24. DAMN YOU AT&T! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!