Documentary

Take a look back at the musical genre that started small and now dominates the airwaves with this reflective documentary featuring interviews hip-hop legends Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, and Run DMC. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In the world of hip-hop, honor and loyalty are paramount. Perhaps nowhere in the contemporary urban music scene are these sentiments more evident than in the story of the late Notorious B.I.G.. On March 9, 1997 - two weeks before his final album Life After Death shot to the top of the charts - Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed. In the wake of Notorious B.I.G.'s death, his manager D-Roc signed Lil' Kim and Junior Mafia. Later, when gunfire broke out at Hot 97 in New York City, Lil' Kim and D-Roc were sent to prison and their friend were labeled "snitches" by the hip hop community. Now, in a documentary detailing the "Golden Age" of New York hip hop, fans can witness interviews with Jay-Z, Diddy, The Lox, and more in addition to viewing actual footage of the Hot 97 shootout and hearing the recollections of D-Roc - who had previously refused to discuss the event. Jamie Hector of HBO's The Wire hosts a program that no hip hop fan will want to miss. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

King: Man of Peace in a Time of War documents the work Martin Luther King did in attempting to bring peace to people during the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. The film includes interviews with contemporaries such as Jesse Jackson, and military experts like Colin Powell. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Experience the true personification of courage as Russell Simmons' Higher Self Series brings home the tales of African-American icons who refused to take no for an answer and forever altered the course of American history. From Harry Belafonte's valiant efforts to reveal the truth during the civil-rights and anti-apartheid movements to the barriers that Vernon Jordan overcame to join America's elite circle of power, the stories are all here -- and told by the people who experienced the remarkable struggles firsthand. With ten other tales of triumph, including the remarkable stories of Nikki Giovanni, B.B. King, and Angela Davis, this inspirational release shows that even in the face of insurmountable odds, the will to overcome will always triumph. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Part of the American Experience series on PBS, the biopic Citizen King commemorates what would have been the 75th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Directed by Orlando Bagwell and written by W. Noland Walker (the writing/directing team of Africans in America), this documentary explores the last five years of King's life. Using archival materials and contemporary commentary, the story follows the pivotal five years from his famous speech in Washington, D.C., in 1963 to his murder in Memphis, TN, in 1968. It includes insight from King's closest colleagues along with commentary from journalists, historians, and scholars, as well as employees of the U.S. government. Citizen King was both aired on PBS and shown at the Sundance Film Festival as part of a special screening on January 19, 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Directed by Hoop Dreams producer Peter Gilbert, With All Deliberate Speed is a reflection on the state of civil rights in America 50 years after the May 17, 1954, unanimous Supreme Court ruling stating that the doctrine of "separate but equal" was inconsistent with the constitution of the United States. This documentary offers a glance into the lives of the unsung heroes in the struggle for America's desegregation. A series of intimate interviews, eyewitness accounts, and unique original footage helps to illustrate the stories of the teachers, students, lawyers, and judges whose commitment would have a profound effect on African-Americans for decades to come. Among the film's participants are the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's son, Thurgood Marshall Jr., as well as the Reverend Joe Delaine, Barbara Johns, Vernon Jordan, and Julian Bond. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Music Video Distributors and 2RS Entertainment present this entry in the Urban Spotlight video-magazine series. Hip Hop All Stars features a number of segments on various aspects of the rap-music industry, from interviews with musicians to video clips to the cars and clothes that help define the community. Among the hip-hop performers making appearances are Xzibit, Outlaws, Ras Kass, and MC Lyte. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Widely considered one of the landmark albums in history and the starting point for jazz-rock fusion, Miles Davis' Bitches Brew ranked as one of the one hundred greatest albums of all time in a Rolling Stone magazine poll published in 1987. Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue captures Davis performing the album at the 1970 Isle of Weight Music Festival. Along with the music, interviews with performers as varied as Carlos Santana and Joni Mitchell are included. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Free At Last: Civil Rights Heroes offers a look at some of the people who figured prominently in the struggle for civil rights. Among the people showcased in this video are Medgar Evers, Rev. James Rebb, Jimmy Lee Jackson, and Vernon Dahmer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

British director Isaac Julien takes on the Blaxploitation era of the '70s in the hour-long documentary Baadasssss Cinema. 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. Features interviews with some of the genre's biggest stars, like Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, and Richard Roundtree. Director Melvin Van Peebles discusses the historical importance of his landmark film Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song. For a contemporary perspective, the excitable Quentin Tarantino offers his spirited commentary and author/critic bell hooks provides some scholarly social analysis. The music of Blaxploitation movies is rightfully discussed, focusing on Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" and Isaac Hayes' "Shaft." Also features interviews with writer/director Larry Cohen and film historian Armond White. Baadasssss Cinema was originally shown on the Independent Film Channel in August of 2002 as part of a week-long Blaxploitation film festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Socio-economic status, minority rights, and housing codes all come into dramatic conflict in co-directors Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras' 2003 documentary Flag Wars. Set in a historic district in Columbus, OH, named Olde Towne East, Bryant and Poitras discover the serenity of the primarily African-American neighborhood is in jeopardy. Gay professionals are moving into the neighborhood with the intentions of buying inexpensive property, and as they improve upon their acquisitions, the new residents stand accused of using underhanded -- yet legal -- tactics in order to force the longtime residents to either refurbish their properties or move out of the district altogether. Yet the two minority groups are not as far removed from one another as it would initially appear, as certain conservative elements within the greater Columbus community seem interested in using the conflict to further their own agendas. Flag Wars was a competing film at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it was awarded the Jury Documentary Prize. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide

Essentially a cinematic love letter to the game of basketball, this documentary was helmed by filmmaker Leon Gast, the Academy Award-winning director of When We Were Kings. Featuring such basketball luminaries as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant, the film explores the game's modern roots on the blacktop courts of urban America and charts its rise to one of the most popular sports in the world. 1 Love screened at Norway's 2003 Filmquart Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide