Features

• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Documentary   

Editorial Review

This middling but entirely watchable blaxploitation thriller from 1975 stars football-legend-turned-actor Fred Williamson as the brother of a murdered bar owner in a racially divided town. After bringing in a gaggle of tough street buddies from the old neighborhood to help break up a corrupt police force, Williamson's character figures he can settle into domestic bliss with Pam Grier. But there's a snag: the hero's restless posse decides to take over the white cops' graft operation, forcing a bloody finale of retribution. In the '70s genre of reactionary revenge movies, Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Digital Video Transfer
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (5)

And I was there....
What can I say, I'm bias, why... not because this was another of those "black" films everyone thought should be made but because I actually had a small bit part in it.Yep, stood out there in the cold of Platte City (MO), with about 16 other extras. Saw the open call for extras on the bulletin board at school and answered the call. Hey, no money, no true fame, but at least my segment didn't get tossed to the cutting room floor and it was fun "being in a movie"

Williamson Takes Over the Town, and the Film, Too
As a soul cinema fan, it is hard for me to criticize this film, which unites two Afro-American icons, Pam Grier and Fred Williamson.Still, I must confess my disappointed feelings after watching "Bucktown," a rather mediocre film, considering those two fantastic leads. cool film
this film worked really well.Both The "Hammer"&Pam Grier get down to Business here.it's so sad at how they didn't get there Props back in the day because films like this Showcase how tight they were on screen&they always had alot of Great Action in the films.Pam Grier still Blows My Mind She is SuperBaddd!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action / Adventure    3. Action Heroes    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Frederick Douglass, the self-taught orator, writer, and abolitionist who was born a slave in the South and made a brave escape to the North, was in the words of one historian: "A major figure in the coming of the Civil War, and the way the Civil War was fought. I think you can say he was the conscience of the nation." Douglass campaigned Lincoln to free the slaves and allow African Americans to serve in the nation's army. An early proponent of women's rights, he campaigned for equal rights for all people and he served as America's first African American statesman when he was appointed diplomat to Haiti. He continued his public-speaking engagements up to his death in 1895 at the age of 78. The comments and analyses of numerous historians and excerpts from the writings and speeches of Douglass present a man driven by a dream, and who worked to make that dream a reality to the end of his days. With no contemporaries alive to comment on the private man, and only brief autobiographical excerpts included from his own works, this portrait tends to simplify the controversies of his life (his second marriage to a white woman rocked even the "liberal" North) and deify the man, but few Americans deserve such tribute more than Frederick Douglass. Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Courage and Conscience
This accessible overview of Douglass' turbulent life from slavery and persecution to crusading newspaperman and presidential adviser should inform and inspire viewers. This biography recreates the prejudiced atmosphere where the myth of racial inferiority reigned in the South to justify slavery and in the North to rationalize indifference to human suffering. Douglass' fiery speeches still speak to our highest aspirations as Americans united by the creed that "all men (and women) are created equal."

To be Real
This story being a part of history goes without challenge in my mind because, the reports as recorded cannot change what was the way of living then.This is the story of a challenged man , challenged not only by the society that he was a part of but also his own personal being. A must for history enthusiasts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Movie    3. TV Shows   

Features

• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (12)

That's my FATHER!!!
Funny enough I had never seen this movie until I turned 21 years old.I had heard my mom talk about my father acting in a couple of movies, but I hadn't seen any of them until this one.This was one of the funniest, worst movies I have ever seen.It was rediculous but hilarious.I couldn't help but laugh throughout the movie.My dad Marvin Jones plays Scarface Willie in the movie, and it was funny to watch him act.Cliff Roquemore was my father's best friend and it was nice to see his children throughout the movie.I give this movie 5 stars for it being funny and chock full of my family!

Great Old-Fashioned Comedy!
While sitting on the couch trying to recover from an extremely painful tooth extraction, I looked around for a diversion.My eyes lighted on this video, which I had purchased previously but not yet viewed.I was not disappointed; this turned out to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in years!Every character and situation was taken to the extreme, the plot was ludicrous but oh so funny, and Petey's poetic jokes were hilarious.It looked like everyone was enjoying playing his/her role to the hilt.Petey's attempt to beat Lucifer at his own game was bound to fail, as we all knew it would, but it was sure fun watching him try to get out of marrying the ugliest woman ever seen.A few splashes of wisdom are thrown in for good measure.Leroy and Skillet were a comedy team who should have gone straight to the top of the comedic ladder of fame; they were funny enough to build a TV series around their shenanigans.It looked like everyone was having a great time making this film. I laughed from beginning to end and it sure helped take my mind off my throbbing jaw.This movie is offensive only if you are the type of person who takes life way too seriously and cannot laugh at his/her own human foibles.Though raunchy at times, it is a relief to view a comedy that doesn't rely on a continuous stream of sexual jokes to succeed, but creates a nice balance which results in a comedy all adults can enjoy.It has certainly gained a place among my top 10 most favorite comedy films.If you are willing to suspend any semblance of reality and just want to have a good time, get this movie.It is just the thing to brighten your day. Thank you, Mr. Wheatstraw and company, for reminding us that life does have its lighter moments.

Ghetto Surrealism
This film is THE most deranged, horrific, nasty, disturbing, idiotic mess I have EVER seen pass itself off as a comedy. It's awesome. Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Comedies    5. Movie   

Features

• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

Hell yeah! a lot of Laugh
I like this movie a lot, it had boxing, crazy characters, a midget, and one of the very disgusting scene of all the times, a guy head sumerged in a toilet, previously used (with turd and all). Mr.t work here and he is hilarious as always.

.........
worst movie in the history of american cinema!you need to be checked out if you actually think this was good.their doing nice things in mental institutions these days.

BEST BOXING MOVIE EVER!
Penitentiary 2 is the best of the Penitentiary flicks.It has the drama of Rocky, the comedy of an old Rudy Ray Moore flick, and the edge of an episode of OZ (HOOOOOOAAAAH).Speaking of OZ, this flick has Ernie Hudson in it.Oh and don't let me forget to mention that this movie has the ultimate action TV hero of the 80's MR. T! My favorite character in this movie is Mr. Seldom Seems. This guy's beard is as thick and round as the afro on his head and he's always telling people not to touch him. He's got a thing about people touching him, he's sort of like Rain Man except he doesn't scream when he's hugged he just starts throwing blows.If you want to watch a classic boxing movie, then P2 is it.......OOOH YEAH, there's a drag queen and a midget in this movie also ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Movie    3. bargain_vhs   

Editorial Review

"Everything you thought you knew about slavery is about to be challenged."So says WGBH about its six-hour series Read more

Features

• Box set
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (8)

wow
This DVD is great. It talks and tells alot of stuff I didnt know nor had any idea. Like exactly how Haiti became... Haiti, Our presidents... how the north and south were different and how they were the same at one point... USA fighting for independence and at the same time, Africans in America fighting for independence as well... and it talks about Native Americans as well. This is very very helpful for those who are actually interested in American history.

The book was better.
I read the book based on this documentary and can honestly tell you there is no contest here, the book is far better. I could not help but notice as I watched this film how under developed it was, I mean if I had not read the book I would have been confused about the persons being mentioned in this film. The book made me feel for the slaves because of the details and extensiveness of the person's personality being mentioned. when the same character was mentioned in the film it did nothing or added anything to the film itself. I understand that it is impossible to put the whole content of a book into a documentary but a little more character development would have helped this piece a lot more.
I love history and you should too!
THE FULL TRUTH!!! I bet just the open minded will be able to take it well! I rented this series through BlatinoVideo.com, a DVD rental site witch specialty is the Black and Latino motion pictures... THey recommended AMAZON as the best place to buy this film. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Gift Set    3. Movie   

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (46)

Deserves a big, fat zero!
This movie was made by someone on a diet of white bread and packaged vegetables - bland, blander, blandest.Whereas the book is moving, if a bit over-reliant upon the narrator Cassie overhearing everything and all the children getting into the action, yet again, the movie makes you want to yell obscenities.One example will do.The book is set in the Depression-era Deep South, rural Mississippi - it didn't get any worse for blacks - and the sharecroppers are desperately poor.Yet the characters all look as though they're just shopped off the rack at the country store.There's no fire, no emotion, no tension.
Very disappointing
I have just finished watching this book at school because we have been studying the book. The book is very good; it is gritty, down to earth and tells it like it is (in some parts it is quite violent). But the film is very disappointing. The acting is wooden, the children all look wrong (Cassie is supposed to be 9 but she looks 15) and constantly have cheesy grins on their faces. The film is too sentimental and cheesy. The film also cuts out a lot of the swearing and violence as well as other parts of the story. For example, John Henry Berry is badly burnt and in the book he is still alive and the children see him badly burnt but in the film he is buried under the rubble of his house and you do not see him.
This movie bites the big one
easily one of the worst movies i have EVER seen. They played things that happened at the end of the book in the beginning of the movie. it was hard to see. Cassie is supposed to be a third grader and she's taller then Stacey(13). this movie had so many problems i hated it! :( don't bother watching this movie! Mr.Lock if u ever read this you shouldn't have made us finish watching it :P it was a waste of class time and we should have just stuck to the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie    3. TV Shows   

Editorial Review

It's been branded with the "blaxploitation" label, but there islittle that's exploitive in Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (15)

White Shadow Connection...
The best thing about this movie is seeing Joan Pringle topless. She was the principal on the "White Shadow" broadcast on CBS. Most impressive.

THIS MOVIE CAME OUT THE YEAR I WAS BORN...GOOD FOR ME!
JD HAD ME ROLLING JUST SNICKERING,CRACKING UP...NOTHING BUT HA HA HA!YOU KNOW WHAT IM SAYING.THIS WILL BE MY BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!...THATS GANGSTA!!,PLUS REMINDING ME OF A FORMER FRIEND NAME MIKE BILLIE,HE WAS SEEING AND HEARING SH.T TO HA HA HA HA HA,YEAH!!!

Endless Repetition...
I first saw this in the late 70's while on a USN ship in the Med. It was a good distraction - and absolutely hilarious! In those days, the crews would exchange movies while underway via a large canvas bag. We'd send our "viewed" movies to another ship in exchange for the movies they'd seen.Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie   

Features

• Box set
• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (23)

A must-have for boxing fans
I gifted this to my dad, who is a boxing fan.He absolutely loved it. 6 hours of great boxing.I would recommend this to anyone who like boxing or ALI or both.

Priceless
This three-disc documentary about the career of Muhammad Ali is amazing, worth more than 100 miscast biopics put together. It tells the whole story, from his youth to his gold medal to his ascension to the championship to his exile from the sport and right through to the end of his fighting days and his later-life bout with Parkinson's. It works for fans of Ali, obviously, but it also works if you want a general primer on boxing history or even an overview of the social, cultural, and political tumult of the 60's. Love him or hate him, the man is an icon, and this has all the footage and all the interviews with all the people who know and were there. An absolute must-have.

The greatest documentary about Muhammad Ali of all time
When you pose with Muhammad Ali for photographs what he likes to do is have you make a fist and put it up against the side of the face while he assumes a boxing pose, so you look like you are landing a heavy blow against the only man ever to win the heavyweight boxing title three times.However, when it was my turn to pose there was no way on earth I was going to pretend I was beating up on the Champ, so I just wanted to shake hands.This gave Ali a chance to give me bunny ears.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Boxing    2. Documentary    3. Gift Set    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine both received Emmy nominations for their performances in this made-for-TV movie. The plot follows Nelson Mandela's 27-year struggle to end apartheid. That segregation was abolished without bloodshed also had much to do with the political maneuverings of South African President F.W. de Klerk, played with convincing and tired resolution by Caine. Poitier plays the more powerful personality, and shines as the self-assured leader. Filmed in Cape Town, this extremely talky and sometimes static film is intriguing as a historical study. As a drama, it is a bit dry. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

Great Showing
this Made for TV Movie truly Captures so many Elements within the South African Commnunity.MR.Mandala&Mr.Deklerk were Portrayed Very Strongly respectively by Sidney Poitier&Michael Caine.A Strong Performance.

When Vision Is Not Enough...Make It Reality!
This video is an excellent follow-up to the former video produced where Danny Glover plays Mr. Mandela.It takes up where the other video leaves off!Not only does it do an excellent job of portraying the struggle of a people but enables you to see all prospectives involved, namely those of the white South African community.My whole family is inspired by the life of Mr. Mandela and all those involved.And after seeingthis version of the circumstances, I was able to see the sacrifices of Mr. DeKlerk also!I am inspired to achieve those visions in my own life and not to fear what man or society may do to me!Thank God for men with a vision and a will to see it became a reality!

the best video i have seen
yyoui will love this version as it shows mandella in his 27 years sentanc ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie    4. TV Shows   

Editorial Review

Read more

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (31)

One Vicious A$$ Piece of Jelly
One of my favorite movies of all time. Sad at times funny as well, but also some serious parts. Maybe not today but there are many stories like this from that time. This movie tells a story of truth that can really occur.
Get the DVD ! ! !
First of all, if you haven't seen The Mack yet and don't own a million copies (videos, taped off cable whatever) either you're too young, or something is a matter with you... this is just one of THOSE films... and it is the epitome of everything cool and funky about the '70s... Hey its a film about Mackin', right ?But what gets this version worth having is the commentary, both by Julien, the Director and other people involved... apparenty the story behind the story is almost as interesting as the film...Its hard to believe that the film was pretty much based on a true story and amazing to hear the true story of Fred Ward - - the Mack and drug kingpin of the West Coast who acted in the film AND provided security... but was shot in the back of the head after filming... with the finger pointed according to SOME people to Huey Newtown and the Black Panthers (who certain cast members allege acted more like gangsters than the gangsters.) And then there's the story of some of Richard Pryor's bizarre behaviour.
DVD version puts The Mack in the proper perspective
I work in an office environment where the dress code is casual for most employees. Last week, however, one of my co-worked comes to work "dressed to the nines"! Suit, tie, gleaming shows, brim cocked acey-ducey...the man was CLEAN! Without thinking, the first words out of my mouth were, "Goldie...Goldie...Goldie!"
Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (6)

Great action vehicle for Jim Brown fans!
Jim Brown is Slaughter, a Green Beret Vietnam veteran who's not long back from the service when his parents are killed in a car-bomb murder.It turns out Slaughter's dad (it's never explicitly stated, but he was apparently involved in a mild hustle, like the numbers) somehow stumbled upon a computer printout of a Mob operation's payoff roster.But he was killed before he could make a deal for its safe return.Slaughter then makes moves to find the killers, while being shadowed byKim (Marlene Clark), an undercover federal agent.A shootout at an airport puts Slaughter at odds with the U.S. Treasury Department, who then send him to an unnamed South American country to track down the surviving crooks.
Old school action!
This is quite an entertaining 70's action movie.The acting, as in most action movies, is a bit superficial, but the overall movie is solid.Jim Brown, given his impressive size, is perfect as a tough action hero.The majority of the movie is set in Mexico, thus giving it an exotic feel.The racial epithets by the villains also give the movie an appropriate sense of the palpable racism of the 70's. Rip Torn gives an over-the-top performance as the main bad-guy Hoffo.As noted in the other reviews, Stella Stevens is perfect eye-candy in her supporting role.

Somewhere between Superfly and Dolemite
As a white boy from Ohio, I've always had a fondness for Blaxploitation flicks from the 1970's.They were loud and bold, action-packed and takin'-no-sass.They felt like renegade productions, and I dug everything about them.The funky soundtracks, the outrageous fashions, the over-the-top acting and action.Watching them now just takes me back to the 70's like an old song.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

It's party time, but Kid (Christopher Reid) has been grounded by his strict but loving dad (Robin Harris). His best friend, Play (Christopher Martin), however, cooks up a scheme to sneak him out of the house so he can hook up with his honey at a buddy's house, where it's all going on. Rappers Kid 'N Play are engaging and funny--and entertaining rappers when they get the chance. The real find was comic Robin Harris, hilarious in his own right and solid in this role--but he died a short time later. Look for Martin Lawrence in one of his first film roles as well. Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (31)

This film stands the test of time!
I am not ashamed to admit that I was 26 years old when this movie first came out...and I loved it!I still love this movie...especially knowing that many of the actors were my age when they were filming!
Wave your hands in the air, everybody!
I am not ashamed to say that this was not a horrible film.Upon finishing this film, I did a bit of research on it and discovered that this pioneer film (prior to the sequels) was actually a favorite among Sundance goers in 1990.Apparently it racked up quite a bit of awards in the "drama" category.While I must say that it was enjoyable to go back to this type of cinema, you know, the parents are away so the kids will play scenario, but I didn't think this was the best this genre had to offer.Director Reginald Hudlin created this film for his thesis at Harvard as well as a benchmark for DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Price, so how did he finally end up with Kid & Play?While I did think that Kid did a decent job with his character, which couldn't have been too far from himself, Play offered nothing new to the film.Martin Lawrence continued to be the most annoying character in the film, while the love interests were clich�d from the start.The music was fun, the dancing was laughable, and the police officers were racist ... so does that make for Sundance winning cinema?Personally, there were elements that needed tightened and some that were great the way they were.It wasn't the best film, but House Party did provide for an hour and a half of dusty memories.
And what a party
This movie is hilarious, I would suggest for anyone who loves comedy and originality to be buy the 1st three of House Party.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Movie   

Features

• Black & White
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

It captured a moment in time
Everything in this movie is a metaphor to encase its statement in an entertaining venue.People are singing in the full sanctuary of St. Peter's Episcopal Church while Park's barber shop is selling baths, shaves and hair cuts two blocks away.And a crowd seen only on Saturday afternoon populates the town square of Jefferson.The Oxford town square was dead on Sunday's and the church was empty on Saturday's.
Intruder in the Dust
The movie "Intruder in the Dust" takes some liberties in changing the details, but the storyline remains consistent with the book.Faulkner (and the movie) included some over-the-top social-statement lines -- an unheard of thing for the times, but effective.Movie is very good on several levels.

Can justice be served or will there be a lynching?
Based on a novel by William Faulkner, and filmed in 1949 in black and white, this is the story of an African American man wrongly accused of murder in a small Southern town.Actually filmed in Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner's hometown, and using local residents as extras, there's a ring of authenticity about it.Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (11)

WHY GOD WHY???!
This isn't even interesting enough to be offensive. If this is the "male agenda" I keep hearing about in the media, maybe it's a good idea to perpetuate the cruel stereotypes of men so prevelant in the past 20 years or so. I can honestly say that as a male, my point of view is nothing like these guys'. When will words like "decency" or "dignity" or principles like "self-respect" begin to mean something to people again? In this age of fatherless/motherless children, AIDS, and other sex-related dangers it's hard to believe that anyone would worry him/herself with a contest to see how many people one can have sexual intercourse with; but then I guess some will never learn. Too bad for them, and for the rest of us who have to watch this garbage. Millions of dollars to make a movie, and this is what they come up with. The mind boggles. (...)

If you want to screw a lot of chicks, watch this movie.
After seeing this movie I put into action a lot of what the hero did. I got to sleep with 27 woman over the next 5 months, not incredible but still a lot of fun.

A disgrace.
I can't believe that someone actually made a movie about how many women a guy could sleep with and get away with it.This movie is absolutley awful, and it should be thrown off all of the video shelves.There is so muchcussing that anyone should be embarassed to watch it.There is zerosubstance to this movie. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

This animated time-travel adventure features a stellar cast and is a delight for kids and adults alike. When Matt, a black teenager, has to go on a class field trip to the museum of Martin Luther King Jr., he thinks that he'd rather play baseball. But the trip turns into an exciting adventure when he and his best friend, Randy, who's white, are sent back in time to meet Dr. King. Read more

Features

• Animated
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (38)

I watched this in elementary!
I watched this movie every Martin Luther King Day in elementary. I started in 4th grade then ended up in 6th. Every year I was still engrossed in the message and the characters that were put forward. I, in highschool, am ordering this movie to show my little sister who hasn't seen it and hasn't appreciated MLK. It's a must for people OF ALL AGES to see the world through MLK's eyes and what it would be without him. It allows people to connect with MLK and to see what he really strove for. I love this movie, it will never grow old! I hope to show this to my kids one day.

Great pick for MLK day
As a first grade teacher it was hard to find a movie that the kids would enjoy and learn from. This movie was great for both of those needs. The kids love the movie and I also enjoyed watching it. It was a great pick for MLK day.

DVD Our Friend Martin
Excellent service and it was just what I ordered, my students loved it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children    2. Children's Video    3. Childrens    4. Family    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Based on Chester Himes'snovel, this film marked actor-writer Ossie Davis's directing debut. Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques play Himes's volatile police detectives, Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, who are on the trail of white men who pulled an armed stickup at a Back to Africa rally in Harlem. The money belongs to the poor people who paid for a chance to return to the motherland--but was it really a stickup? Or is the flashy preacher at the center of the Back to Africa movement (Calvin Lockhart) involved in a scam to rip off his own people? The plot drags; the best part of the film are the performances (as well as spotting cameos by such actors as the then-unknown Cleavon Little) and the on-location shooting in parts of New York where a camera had rarely ventured previously. Redd Foxx shows up in a small part as a ragpicker that led to his role in TV's Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• Original recording reissued
• NTSC

Reviews (10)

It Got Soul!
Cotton Comes To Harlem is a movie produced in the time of Black Exploitation films.Fortunately, this movie doesn't fit the mode. It got a lot of soul and laughter.A very good cast.

Humor at its finest
This is the funniest movie I have ever seen in my life.Only Richard Pryor ever made me laugh harder.Rex Reed, the movie critic whose tongue was sharper than a sword, said that you needed to sit through two showing in a theatre so you could hear the lines you missed because people were laughing so hard.He was right.

Electrifying Inner-City Comic Thriller
Director Ossie Davis delivers not only a taut police thriller but a film that inserts the concerns of the civil rights movement circa 1970 in a fascinating way.Filmed on actual locations the film just exudes authenticity and atmosphere.For a film that keeps it real I found it interestingthat the film's score was composed by Galt McDermott of "Hair" fame(?!).Another minor quibble is that the violence in the film was at times over-the-top.Godfrey Cambridge as Gravedigger Jones and Raymond St. Jacques as Coffin Ed Johnson make an engaging pair.They assume their duty as New York police detectives is to protect their people from predators whether they be black or white even if at times they are at odds with their white captain.Calvin Lockhart is deliciously smarmy as Reverend Deke O'Malley who bilks his congregants out of cash for a bogus back to Africa scheme.Judy Pace is seductively evil as Iris, O'Malley's main squeeze.Redd Foxx is underutilized here as a junk dealer but his character does prove integral to the film's plot. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

No records were kept, but historians believe more than 100,000 slaves tried to escape their bondage before the Emancipation Proclamation.Most of those who made it to the relative safety of the north--or the wilderness, when slavery still reigned in the north--had help in the form of the Underground Railroad.Whites, free blacks, and Native Americans offered aid and shelter, though the notion of the Railroad as a kind of conspiracy of freedom, organized from north to south, is deeply flawed.Alfre Woodard links together interviews with historians, contemporary photographs, drawings, and dramatic reenactments to show the terrors of slavery and the travails of escape, exploding many of our myths along the way. The economic and political motivations behind many white abolitionists' feelings are explored, and while ultimately it didn't matter to a slave reaching out for liberty why it was offered, we are forced to reevaluate the selfless image of many "conductors." Still, freedom is freedom, and the History Channel's Read more

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Knowledge is power
This is a very good release by the history channel that sheds some light on the underground railroad. I could care less about the acting in this film because this is a documentary. Most documentaires aren't rated on how the acting is but how the information is conveyed to the masses. I felt this is a good release because it is talking about a lot of people and information that are being neglected universally in the schools of amerikkka. More documentaries about africans and our history need to be produced and fused into all schools around the nation.

Could be better
The underground railroad could have been portrayed better, not that thiswas bad, but there was some shoddy acting, aside from alfre woodard who Ithink is a solid actress, but a movie is not complete if the supportingactors aren't putting forth their best efforts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

Robert Townsend has managed to build an entire career on the basis of one funny movie (Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (16)

Simply wasted potential
Strange movie. I find it both incredibly stupid and yet entertaining. I dont mean stupid in a campy fun way. I mean "What lame brained idiot wrote this?!?" kind of stupid. If it weren't for such a large array of a very talented all-star cast this movie would have no hope whatsoever. I do admit, as stupid Meteor Man was I actually enjoyed some parts of it very much.