Ernest Tidyman’s novelisation of his screenplay for the film Shaft’s Big Score! was the third book in the series, with Shaft Among the Jews having been published in hardback six weeks earlier. Production of the film had run from January to April 1972 and it was intended the paperback adaptation be published in May ahead…
Tag: Ernest Tidyman
Shaft Among the Jews published 50 years ago today
SHAFT AMONG THE JEWS by Ernest Tidyman was published in hardback in the US by Dial Press on 29 June 1972 and now celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. In the book, Shaft is hired by a group of Jewish diamond merchants to find out what is causing the destabilisation of their business. Morris Blackburn, an ambitious…
Shaft deserves a “boutique” blu-ray release
Having celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year I was disappointed that SHAFT did not get a celebratory collector’s edition Blu-ray release. With so-called “boutique” distributors such as Criterion, Indicator, BFI and Arrow pushing out high-quality releases of both classic and lesser-known titles with superb packaging, a host of extras and commemorative booklets, it is hard to…
The original Shaft movie celebrates its 50th Anniversary
Exactly fifty years ago today (on Wednesday 23 June 1971) SHAFT premiered in Detroit (the Palms Theatre). Reports originally promoted a dual premiere with Chicago (The Roosevelt Theatre), but that opening actually took place one week later on 30 June. The Roosevelt ran showings from 8:45am through to midnight and the film reportedly grossed $108,000…
Film Review (re-watch) – SHAFT (2019)
After more than a year, I decided to give the new Shaft another go. Whilst I enjoyed it more, I still can’t get past its faults and haven’t changed my opinion that it was a wasted opportunity… SHAFT (2019, USA) **½ Action, Crime, Comedy dist. New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. (USA), Netflix (UK); pr co….
Shaft Trilogy released today on Blu-Ray in UK
Today sees the release of the original Shaft trilogy on Blu-Ray (as well as DVD) in the UK. This mirrors the Warner Archive release in the USA on 21 May 2019. The set includes Shaft (1971), Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). The Shaft disc includes the short documentary Soul in the…
“Shaft” the original novel is 50 today
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Ernest Tidyman’s novel Shaft. The book introduces us to black private eye John Shaft as he is hired by Harlem crime lord, Knocks Persons, to locate and rescue his kidnapped daughter who has been grabbed by the Mafia to force Persons to relent in a turf…
Dynamite release original Shaft novel as audiobook
Dynamite Entertainment announced on 13 December the launch of their new imprint, Dynamite Books, focused on publishing prose novels. Alongside prose novels, the publisher will also release audiobook adaptations and it is reported that Ernest Tidyman’s Shaft is already available (narrated by Will Dixon) through Amazon Audible. No news on whether Dynamite will now finally…
Shaft 2019 style – a wasted opportunity
Four years ago it was announced that New Line had secured the rights from Warner Brothers to make a new Shaft movie. For fans of Ernest Tidyman’s hero and the original 1970s movies this was a welcome surprise. The key question was how would New Line treat the property? Gradually news filtered out that the…
Film Review – SHAFT (2019)
SHAFT (USA, 2019) *½ Distributor: New Line Cinema / Warner Bros. (USA), Netflix (UK); Production Company: Davis Entertainment / Khalabo Ink Society / Netflix / New Line Cinema / Warner Bros.; Release Date: 14 June 2019 (USA), 28 June 2019 (UK); Filming Dates: December 2017 – February 2018; Running Time: 111m; Colour:…