Blaxploitation Back?

Wassup, Y'all!

Shaft. Shaft's Big Score. Superfly. Coffey. Foxy Brown. Cleopatra Jones. The Mack. Truck Turner. Scream, Blacula, Scream. Y'all know 'em and love 'em or hate 'em those joints remain touchstones of the south side experience just like Richard Pryor and George Clinton, The Mother Ship and Flashlight. North Sider Mike Myers even tapped into the phenomenon in one of his Austin Powers joints (which I still haven't seen), when he cast foine shorty Beyonce as Foxy Cleopatra. Well after doing a little more research on Craig Brewer, the director of the upcoming Hustle & Flow I posted on a couple days ago, I cracked up to hear that his follow up will be a joint called Black Snake Moan - a title sure to stir up those good old Blaxploitation vibes...

Old boy from Ain't It Cool News posted on it a few days ago. I'll let you head over there for the actual factuals but picture Christina Ricci as a north side nympho (the Moan part) and Samuel L. Jackson as a 'concerned homey' determined to help her work out her issues (the Black Snake part). Sounds pretty buck wild and clearly our little Wednesday Addams is *all* grown up, y'all. Besides the alert on Black Snake Moan what struck me more was what a fan Ain't It Cool old boy is of Craig Brewer's work - pretty open minded for a north sider (ain't it cool? :-) ). Apparently he reluctantly attended a showing of Hustle & Flow at the Sundance Film Festival (note to self - you have *got* to crash that joint next year...) and it blew his non hip-hop, non rap appreciating a** away. Now he could be on the Paramount/John Singleton/Craig Brewer payroll or he could be on the up and up - read his review and make up your own mind. It'll be interesting to check that joint out myself and compare notes. I'm finding it hard to believe that anything can be *that* good, but talent is all over the place and, if we're to believe the hype, both Craig Brewer and Terrence Howard have it in spades. We shall see...

In the meantime, I'm putting in my advance order for my 'Black Snake Moan' T-Shirt!!! That's bound to be required south side homey summer attire :-)

Peace@Least,

Tyrone