Blaxploitation cinema is an often overlooked but integral slice of American filmmaking that emerged in the 1970s. Starting with Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, it ushered in a new era of filmmaking that exposed the general public to another culture. Despite backlash behind portraying stereotypical criminal roles, the movement was also praised for finally introducing black characters as heroes. While blaxploitation cinema was primarily action and drama oriented, there was also a small uprising of blaxploitation horror films, and today we're looking at eight of the best and most influential films of the 1970s.
