In recent years, I have encountered numerous comments, both online and in print, stating that Shaft was originally intended to be portrayed as a white character in the 1971 film adaptation of Ernest Tidyman’s book. Some go on to say that it wasn’t until Gordon Parks came on board that Shaft reverted to being a…
Tag: Gordon Parks
Shaft’s Big Score! turns Fifty
Fifty years ago, at 8 p.m. on 20 June 1972, SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!, the sequel to 1971’s ground-breaking SHAFT, received its Gala Benefit Premiere at New York’s Cinerama Theatre. The premiere was attended by members of the cast and crew, with Richard Roundtree also accompanied by his 103-year-old grandmother. The beneficiaries were the Studio Museum…
Criterion release of Shaft scheduled for June
Criterion has announced that Shaft will receive its Criterion Collection physical media release (Spine #1130) on 21 June. The title will be available in two forms – a 3-disc 4k and Blu-Ray combo and a 2-disc Blu-Ray set. The Special Features include:- New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Alternate uncompressed stereo soundtrack remastered…
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…
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…
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…
Warner Archive announces Blu-Ray releases of Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft in Africa
As expected ahead of the release of the new Shaft movie in June, Warner Archive has announced it will finally be releasing the second and third of Richard Roundtree’s original Shaft films on Blu-Ray. The releases of both Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973) will take place on 21 May. Both films…
Shaft’s 2017
Well, here we are again. Another year on and it seems to have gone so quickly. At this time last year I gave a summary of activity in the world of John Shaft. It came at the end of an exciting two years, which saw the publication of two original comic books as well as a…