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Part two our look at Blaxploitation moves toward the end of that period for 1973's "Coffy." A true part of the genre, this independent film from American International Pictures stars Pam Grier in the titular role, with supporting performances from Booker Bradshaw, Robert DoQui, Sid Haig, and Allan Arbus! Combining the best elements from Blaxploitation as well as the feminist movement of the mid-70s, this film is all about revenge and justice. And, of course, at the end of the episode, the Geeks and the GIT talk about genre parodies and which two films they'll be reviewing for episodes 20 and 21!
In honor of Luke Cage, episode 11 is all about the Blaxploitation films of the 70s. We're starting with one of the best, and a rarity at that - a blaxploitation film produced by a major studio! It's 1971's "Shaft" starring the incredible Richard Roundtree. Directed by the amazing Gordon Parks, with iconic music by Isaac Hayes, this was the beginning of a genre that sought to exploit, but resulted in a lifting up of an entire culture!
In the second part of their "Atomic Future Warning" episode, the filmic trio of Geeks Buddy and Jeff, along with Geek-In-Training Chad, run and hide their way through 1984's nightmarish science-fiction epic "The Terminator." Written (partially) and directed by Hollywood legend James Cameron, and starring Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton, this movie is most remembered as the breakout role for a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, before anyone really knew who he was. It's also a deeply scary film, featuring an adversary that it is next to impossible to stop, and destroying it is the only way to survive! At the end of the episode, the Geeks and GIT discuss how the new "Luke Cage" series on Netflix has influenced their choices for the next pairing!
This episode, Buddy, Chad, and Jeff look at the first of two "Atomic Future Warning" movies, by watching the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes!" Charleton Heston in one of his least-overacted roles, along with Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and Linda Harrison. This film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, and written by none other than Rod Serling (from "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery"), based on a novel by Pierre Boulle (who also wrote "Bridge On the River Kwai")! It's a great sci-fi story, full of ethical questions that were contemporary in the late 60s and, strangely, are still issues we're grappling with today! Plus, with an amazing score by the one and only Jerry Goldsmith and award-winning make-up effects, this is the very essence of "an oldy but a goody!"
In the second part of our tribute to actor and writer Gene Wilder, who passed away on August 26th, 2016, at the age of 83, Buddy, Jeff, and Chad look at his first big success as both a comedic actor and a writer with 1974's Young Frankenstein! Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Terry Garr, and Peter Boyle, with a cameo from Gene Hackman, this deliberately black-and white film pays tribute to the original three Frankenstein movies of the 1930s while also adeptly parodying the genre in a way not seen since! It's a masterpiece of imagining the Frankenstein scenario in the modern age, but replete with elements from the original films, including on-set equipment that was used in 1931 when the original Universal film was made! And finally, the filmic trio reveal the theme of episodes 16 and 17!
