Seasoned journalist and podcast host Jenn White will dig into the complicated legacy and influence of “Blaxploitation” films with a panel of filmmakers, critics, and musicians, on Live at KPCC Wednesday, June 15, 7 to 8 p.m.
Blaxploitation – signifying “black” and “exploitation” – films hit the big screen 50 years ago. It’s a genre that many film critics say changed the landscape for Black actors – and created some of Hollywood’s most memorable characters, soundtracks, and movies.
Recent efforts to reboot the 70s classics have run into some stormy box office returns, but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from revisiting the genre. Hulu, for example, is developing a series based on “Foxy Brown,” and a “Blacula” reboot is in the works at MGM Studios.
From “Superfly” and “Shaft” to “Foxy Brown,” these movies gave Black actors a chance to be the hero – even as they sometimes trafficked in harmful stereotypes and cheesy cliches.
Arguably, the lasting legacy of Blaxploitation wasn’t the films at all; it was the soundtracks. Isaac Hayes’ soundtrack for “Shaft” won multiple Grammys, and made the composer the first African-American to win an Oscar for a non-acting category for Best Original Song. The soundtrack is included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
In this Live at KPCC show, White, who hosts the NPR program 1A, will explore how Blaxploitation films have impacted society and the world of entertainment in general. She will join a panel of filmmakers, critics, and musical artists in a round-robin style interview.
The program will be held at the Crawford Family Forum at 474 S. Raymond Ave.
For tickets, visit www.kpcc.org/kpcc-upcoming-
For more information, call (626) 583-5100.
