Melvin Van Peebles

Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood (2022)

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 influe ...

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)

A look at the extraordinary achievements and contemporary legacy of Oscar Micheaux, a pioneer of the African-American film industry. ...

Armed (2018)

A former U.S. marshal discovers that all of the survivors of his old unit are experiencing the same symptoms simultaneously and there may be a larger conspiracy at hand. ...

Peeples (2013)

Hoping to propose to his upper-crust girlfriend, Wade Walker crashes her family's annual reunion and lands in a face-off with her dad. ...

Salty Dog Blues (2012)

The film looks at men and women of color in the U.S. Merchant Marine from 1938-1975. Through chronicling the lives of these men and women who, with a median age of 82, are beset with a host of life-threatening illnesses, the movie tells how they navigated ...

Redemption Road (2011)

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. ...

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)

Examines the evolution of the Black Power Movement in US society from 1967 to 1975. It features footage of the movement shot by Swedish journalists in the United States during that period and includes the appearances of Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Huey P. N ...

Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door (2011)

A documentary looking at the making and legacy of The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973). ...

American Swing (2009)

Chronicles the rise and fall of 1970s New York City nightclub Plato's Retreat. ...

Directors on Directing (2009)

A look at the development of film making and its contribution to the social and political times form the perspective of Black film makers. ...

The Black List: Volume Two (2009)

THE BLACK LIST: VOL. 2 profiles some of today's most fascinating African-Americans. From the childhood inspirations that shaped their ambitions, to the evolving American landscape they helped define, to the importance of preserving a unique cultural identi ...

Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008)

A semi-autobiographical story about an adventurer whose journeys take him from Harlem to the high seas and back again ...

Blackout (2007)

BLACKOUT takes you inside the personal journey of what went down and what it was really like in Brooklyn, NY on August 14. ...

Hard Luck (2006)

Three converging story lines involving bootleggers, a serial killer and drug dealers are followed. A former drug dealer tries to go straight, but comes across a stash of stolen drugs. Meanwhile, a middle-aged suburban housewife hides a sadistic and vicious ...

SMUT (2006)

Wide eyed Marty O Neil (Lee Homes) takes to the road on a quest to give his life meaning. When his motorcycle breaks down outside an adult bookstore in small town America Marty takes a job at the store to make money to fix his bike. While struggling to und ...

Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition (2006)

Featuring Robert Crumb, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tiny Tim, Russ Meyer and more this volume of the "Midnight Blue" collection focuses on celebrities. ...

How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005)

Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first black directors to challenge the white establishment in his films, which include "Watermelon Man" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." In this documentary, the life of Van Peebles is discussed, including his work ...

Unstoppable (2005)

An interview/overview on the influential careers of Gordon Parks, Ossie Davis, and Melvin Van Peebles. ...

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

When a psychotic Santa 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, head of the Kwanzaa Liberation Fr ...

The Real Deal: What It Is (2003)

This twenty-two minute interview with Melvin Van Peebles has the cult filmmaker starting things off by lighting a cigar, which is something he has done in several interviews. From here he talks about the making of his hit film SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS ...

BaadAsssss Cinema (2002)

With archive film clips and interviews, this brief look at a frequently overlooked historical period of filmmaking acts as an introduction rather than a complete record. It features interviews with some of the genre's biggest stars, like Fred Williamson, P ...

René Vautier, le rebelle (2000)

Love Kills (1999)

A masseur gets mixed up in the family plots at the mansion of a recently deceased Beverly Hills millionaire. ...

Classified X (1998)

A history of the racially stereotyped portrayal of African Americans in cinema, hosted by film pioneer Melvin Van Peebles. ...

Riot (1997)

In April 1992, following the notorious Rodney King verdict, the streets of Los Angeles became a battlefield, the backdrop to four personal intertwined stories. ...

Calm at Sunset (1996)

Drama about a young man who defies his parents by dropping out of college to pursue his dream of owning a fishing boat, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. ...

Gang in Blue (1996)

A black police officer discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department. ...

Panther (1995)

In this sprawling, fictionalized history of the Black Panthers, 1960s Oakland becomes a war zone as the Panthers battle for the right to exist. ...

Fist of the North Star (1995)

From the immensely popular FIST OF THE NORTH STAR comic book series, comes a new hero. The fate of mankind rests with superhuman warrior Kenshiro who roams the wastelands of the future waging a battle against overwhelming evil. With the spiritual guidance ...

Terminal Velocity (1994)

A maverick skydiver and a former KGB agent team up to stop the Russian mafia from stealing gold. ...

Farewell, Babylon! (1993)

Arrabal's sixth film based on his novel from 1969 with the same name as the movie. ...

Last Action Hero (1993)

After his father's death, a young boy finds solace in action movies featuring an indestructible cop. Given a magic ticket by a theater manager, he is transported into the film and teams up with the cop to stop a villain who escapes into the real world. ...

Posse (1993)

A group of mostly black infantrymen return from the Spanish-American War with a cache of gold. They travel to the West where their leader searches for the men who lynched his father. ...

Boomerang (1992)

Marcus is a successful advertising executive who woos and beds women almost at will. After a company merger he finds that his new boss, the ravishing Jacqueline, is treating him in exactly the same way. Completely traumatised by this, his work goes badly d ...

Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong (1992)

Satchmo. There are few people in this country - or around the world - who will not recognize that name. Louis Armstrong embodied 20th-century American culture. He revolutionized the world of music and became one of the nation's most influential entertainer ...

True Identity (1991)

In order to escape from the mob, an African-American man must disguise himself as a white man. ...

Making 'Do the Right Thing' (1989)

The Behind-the-Scenes documentary of the dramatic comedy Do the Right Thing. ...

Identity Crisis (1989)

A rapper finds himself possessed by the soul of a dead fashion designer; frequently switching personalities. ...

Taking Care of Terrific (1988)

14-year-old Enid Crowley hates her name and everything about her boring life. All this changes when she becomes a full-time babysitter to a sheltered boy. The two hook up for some hilarious adventures in the park with a mysterious bag lady and a street mus ...

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

After another deadly shark attack, Ellen Brody decides she has had enough of New England's Amity Island and moves to the Caribbean to join her son, Michael, and his family. But a great white shark has followed her there, hungry for more lives. ...

O.C. and Stiggs (1987)

O.C. and Stiggs aren't your average unhappy teenagers. They not only despise their suburban surroundings, but they also plot against it. They seek revenge against the upper-middle-class Schwab family, who embody all they detest: excess. ...

America (1986)

The zany crew of a New York cable TV station accidentally bounce a signal off the moon, bringing them worldwide attention. ...

Wattstax (1973)

A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage from the concert with footage of the living conditions in the current-day Watts neighborhood. ...

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

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. ...

Watermelon Man (1970)

A racist insurance agent lives in a typical suburban neighborhood, but his bigoted world of taunting and harassing black people on and off the job is turned upside down when his skin inexplicably turns dark overnight. ...

Sunlight (1957)

A black man steals to afford to marry the woman he loves. After being released from prison, he returns in time to see his daughter's wedding. ...

Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008)

A semi-autobiographical story about an adventurer whose journeys take him from Harlem to the high seas and back again ...

Baadasssss! (2004)

Director Mario Van Peebles chronicles the complicated production of his father Melvin's classic 1971 film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Playing his father in the film, Van Peebles offers an unapologetic account of Melvin's brash and sometimes decep ...

The Real Deal: What It Is (2003)

This twenty-two minute interview with Melvin Van Peebles has the cult filmmaker starting things off by lighting a cigar, which is something he has done in several interviews. From here he talks about the making of his hit film SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS ...

Bellyful (2000)

Maverick director Melvin Van Peebles translates his own satirical novel to the screen with this multi-national portrait of race, class, and hypocrisy. The film's title refers to the name of a haute cuisine restaurant run by a self-satisfied conservative co ...

Classified X (1998)

A history of the racially stereotyped portrayal of African Americans in cinema, hosted by film pioneer Melvin Van Peebles. ...

Gang in Blue (1996)

A black police officer discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department. ...

Tales of Erotica (1996)

Four erotic short films, all with similar unexpected endings: 'The Dutch Master': a woman who enters a living painting; 'The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch': a woman is lured by noises from a chamber; 'Vroom Vroom Vroooom': a motorcycle transforms into a woman; an ...

Panther (1995)

In this sprawling, fictionalized history of the Black Panthers, 1960s Oakland becomes a war zone as the Panthers battle for the right to exist. ...

Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom (1995)

A young boy receives a mystical motorcycle that transforms into a woman when he rides it at night. ...

Identity Crisis (1989)

A rapper finds himself possessed by the soul of a dead fashion designer; frequently switching personalities. ...

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book (1987)

A high school is rocked by a contentious debate over whether or not "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" should be removed from its library for language concerns. ...

Greased Lightning (1977)

The true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black stock car racing driver to win an upper-tier NASCAR race. ...

Just an Old Sweet Song (1976)

Upon learning that their grandmother is not long for this world, Nate and Priscilla Simmons pack up their kids and leave Detroit to head down South. Eventually, the family rediscovers its African-American roots and elects to stay in their new rural surroun ...

Don't Play Us Cheap (1973)

As an African American family and friends gather in an apartment for a house party, two mischief-making devil-bats take human form in order to break up the party. ...

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

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. ...

Watermelon Man (1970)

A racist insurance agent lives in a typical suburban neighborhood, but his bigoted world of taunting and harassing black people on and off the job is turned upside down when his skin inexplicably turns dark overnight. ...

Slogan (1969)

Commercial director Serge Faberge is having an affair with Evelyne, the 18 year old fiancee of friend Hugh. His own pregnant wife Francoise usually does not mind his dalliances, until he actually walks out on her and their newborn baby to move in with Evel ...

The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968)

Turner, a black American soldier, is given three days leave in Paris. Not knowing what to do with himself, he goes to a nightclub where he meets a French girl named Miriam. Their romance blossoms, but their love affair is darkened by Turner's impending dep ...

500 Francs (1961)

A boy sees a 500-franc note under a sewer grate and tries to retrieve it. ...

Sunlight (1957)

A black man steals to afford to marry the woman he loves. After being released from prison, he returns in time to see his daughter's wedding. ...

Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick (1957)

The second short film Melvin Van Peebles made in San Francisco before decamping for Europe is a striking portrait of a group of day labourers competing to secure a job. ...