This was a great in-depth look at Blaxploitation cinema. It orients us to the film industry for black creatives prior to blaxploitation films, how they came to be, the full history of the blaxploitation era, and then the fall of it. It was well researched, easy to follow and I think you could enjoy it even if you've never seen or heard of a blaxploitation film before. I purchased the hardcover myself and then received a free audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley. It is read by the author and he does a great job.

I definitely recommend this one if you have any interest in the subject and want to learn more.

This book was very enjoyable. The subject matter was unique and the research that went into the topic was incredibly concise. I had a great time reading about this specific area in film history.

Film critic Odie Henderson does an admirable job of covering the Blaxploitation era of cinema that dominated the 1970s. These films gave Black filmmakers, actors, writers, and tradespeople a chance to make the movies they wanted to see and/or the stories they wanted to tell, which was revolutionary. The Black ticket buyer was valued in a way that had not happened before. It wouldn't last long, but the era burned fast and hot. Yes, some of these films were bad on multiple levels, but the best of them gave us Black heroes (and anti-heroes) to root for and who actually won at the end.

Henderson deftly holds together the myriad strengths and weaknesses of the films and this filmmaking movement overall, weaving throughout the book his own experiences with these films and their soundtracks, some of which are legendary. It is absolutely right that Henderson narrates his own work, but I wish his voice was more compelling and a better match for the material.

If you have any interest in this topic at all, I can highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to Tantor Audio and Netgalley for providing a copy of this audiobook for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to Tantor audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was an interesting read. The narration which was done by the author was very engaging and I like how he spoke of events as story rather than textbook facts. I'm not a huge film person, but I did think this was very interesting and I felt like I learned a lot about black people in film overall and the trials that had to be overcome.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Odie Henderson, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by the author, Odie Henderson. Having the author narrate their own work can sometimes go wrong. Not in this case, though. I loved hearing Odie's own excitement and emotion as he narrated this fun book.

This is for folks who know and love these movies as well as for folks who've not watched a single movie and aren't entirely sure what blaxploitation movies are. This is a fun and fundamental education about this era in film, told in a nostalgic tone.

I grew up in the 80s, so I missed the opportunity to see these movies in the theatre. Like the author, I grew up patronizing first family or individually owned video rental stores and then Blockbuster once they put the smaller places out of business. Unlike the author, my parents and family did not rent or talk much about blaxploitation films. My first exposure to the blaxploitation genre was in high school. I had a teacher who was a fan, and I think I rented and watched Shaft. I grew up in Detroit, so I'm somewhat surprised that I didn't have more exposure.

This book takes you behind the scenes of this era; the movies, the actors, and the filming itself. I truly loved this. This made me miss my late father tremendously as he was a huge movie buff, and I bet he saw these films in the theatre. After Eddie Murphy did that Netflix Dolomite movie, my husband and I laughed all through the original movie. These movies represent an era, and I enjoyed this history tremendously.

I grew up watching Spike Lee Joints, and I want to point out that these blaxploitation films proved that a Black audience existed and paved the way for filmmakers like Lee. I also want to say that this covered early Black filmmakers like Oscar Micheaux, this is a thorough history of Black Cinema.

Thank you to Odie Henderson, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.