I was saddened to hear about the passing of Richard Roundtree this past Tuesday. He was known for bringing the cinematic and blaxploitation icon John Shaft to life in three films in the 70s, as well as reprising his role in the remakes with Samuel L. Jackson. If you ever need a definition of Black coolness, Roundtree brought it to life with his smooth demeanor with the ladies, his nerves of steel while facing down his enemies, and the aura of invincibility he gave to a character that no one expected to leave such an imprint on so many people.
13 years ago, I was asked by the late Derrick Ferguson and Thomas Deja to watch the three films from the 70s and join their movie podcast, Better In The Dark as a guest. Not only did I enjoy my first full viewings of each film, but we had an incredible time recording the show, Thanks to the great Kelly Logue, I was able to find the episode at a moments notice. Please enjoy. Rest in peace Derrick and rest in peace Mr. Roundtree.
To celebrate Black History Month, The Guys Outta Brooklyn invite back the official BITD Maestro, B-Hyphen, to discuss the greatest blaxploitation hero ever: Shaft! From the original film that became a surprise hit to the tame television series to the remake featuring Samuel L. Jackson, we trace the entire history of the character that Richard Roundtree made an icon. Plus, in keeping with this year being our weirdest ever, Kelen gets five minutes to rant about Spider-Man, we debut the latest version of our theme song, and the guys somehow give birth to the new character sensation of 2010: Lil’ Blade! Close the door yourself and get to clicking!