by Jones Kirkendall

Jan 25, 2000

Blaxploitation at its best. Award winning photographer Gordon Parks, jr. directs this retro gem. Parks tells the story of the first black action star John Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree. John Shaft is a private investigator in 70's New York looking for a gangster's daughter, who is kidnapped by a rival gang. The story isn't hard to follow, but the style of this film has hardly ever since been matched. The soundtrack to "Shaft" won Issac Hayes an Academy Award, along with a nomination for directer Parks. If retro is your thing, check this flick out. To quote the Shaft himself, "It's wide open, baby".