BaadAsssss Cinema

BaadAsssss Cinema is a short documentary about blaxploitation, the wave of American films made in the 1970s with Black casts and urban settings. Using archival clips and interviews, it works as an introduction to the period rather than a full account of it. The film brings together performers associated with the genre, among them Pam Grier, Fred Williamson and Richard Roundtree, along with directors, writers and commentators who discuss what these movies meant at the time. The documentary also looks at the wider cultural debate around the genre, with perspectives from filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles on his landmark independent film and from Quentin Tarantino and author bell hooks, who offer contrasting views on its legacy.

The film is directed by Isaac Julien and runs under an hour, with a credited cast of 25 that includes Larry Cohen, Tamara Dobson, Ron Finley, Ed Guerrero and Isaac Hayes, most appearing as themselves. Made in the United States and released in 2002, it is a compact documentary rather than a survey. On IMDb it holds a 6.9 rating from 782 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6 out of 26 votes. The larger IMDb sample points to modest but real interest in the subject, and the two scores are close to each other.