Melvin Van Peebles
Birthday: 1932-08-21 Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Synopsis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Melvin "Block" Van Peebles (August 21, 1932 - September 21, 2021) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer. He was most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films. He was the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Melvin Van Peebles, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acting
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
In 1971, director Melvin Van Peebles turned the figure of the black hero in US cinema upside down with Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: the story of the making of a seminal movie that initiated the Blaxploitation movement, a short-lived but highly influential sub-genre in the years that followed.
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
A look at the extraordinary achievements and contemporary legacy of Oscar Micheaux, a pioneer of the African-American film industry.
Peeples
The story follows what happens when a child psychologist surprises his girlfriend by showing up at her political family's annual get-together at their Sag Harbor vacation home only to find them desperately in need of therapy.
Redemption Road
In Tennessee, Bailey, a debt-straddled blues guitarist, is escorted across the state by a man named Augy so that he can collect his recently deceased grandfather's estate. A drama focused on an individual's spiritual redemption.
American Swing
Chronicles the rise and fall of 1970s New York City nightclub Plato's Retreat.
The Hebrew Hammer
When a psychotic Santa (Andy Dick) tries to destroy Chanukah by hypnotizing Jewish children with bootlegged copies of the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life," it's up to the Hebrew Hammer to save the day. Together with Mohammed (Mario Van Peebles), head of the Kwanzaa Liberation Front, the Hammer takes no prisoners in his quest to hunt down the renegade Santa and make the holiday season safe for all.
Classified X
A history of the racially stereotyped portrayal of African Americans in cinema, hosted by film pioneer Melvin Van Peebles.
The Shining
Television adaptation of Stephen King novel that follows a recovering alcoholic professor. He ends up taking a job as a winter caretaker for a remote Colorado hotel which he seeks as an opportunity to finish a piece of work. With his wife and son with him, the caretaker settles in, only to see visions of the hotel's long deceased employees and guests. With evil intentions, they manipulate him into his dark side which takes a toll on he and his family.
Gang in Blue
A black police officer discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department.
Terminal Velocity
A maverick skydiver and a former KGB agent team up to stop the Russian mafia from stealing gold.
The Sophisticated Gents
The Sophisticated Gents is a TV miniseries that aired on three consecutive nights from September 29 to October 1, 1981, on NBC. Its ensemble cast featured a number of African-American stage and film actors, many of whom were customarily seen in Soul Cinema Classic motion pictures in the 1970s. The miniseries is based upon the novel The Junior Bachelor Society by John A. Williams. Although production of the project ended in 1979, NBC did not air the miniseries until almost two years later.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.
