Fans of 1970s Black cinema, this is not a drill. Tubi declares September the month of soul by highlighting over 15 beloved films in its catalog. Super Soul September gathers favorites like Cooley High, Foxy Brown, and Sugar Hill in one easy-to-stream place.
When I heard about this, I was excited. Actually, that’s an understatement; I was thrilled. As someone who writes and creates videos about icons from the past, I love that Tubi keeps these classics alive and makes them available without adding another streaming subscription to my bills.
Super Soul September: The Leading Ladies
These movies were among the first to showcase the strength, beauty, and complexity of Black women in starring roles.
Fearless, soulful leading lady movies: Get Christie Love starring Teresa Graves as an undercover operative for the LAPD, Sugar Hill starring Marki Bey as a woman seeking revenge for her boyfriend’s murder, and TNT Jackson starring Jeanne Bell as a groovy karate expert in Hong Kong searching for her brother’s killer.
Pam Grier films: Coffy (1973),Foxy Brown (1974), Friday Foster (1975), and Sheba, Baby (1975)
Kingpins, Cops, and Tough Guys
Someone had to keep “Jive Turkeys” in check.
- Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) stars Godfrey Cambridge, Redd Foxx, Judy Pace, and Raymond St. Jacques. It follows two Harlem cops who investigate a robbery and believe a reverend is the thief.
- Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown is Gunn in Black Gunn (1972), a successful nightclub owner who becomes a go-between for his militant brother and the mob syndicate his brother robbed.
- Black Caesar (1973) stars former NFL defensive back Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs, who leads Harlem’s Black mafia and challenges New York’s mob. Williamson also stars in Bucktown (1975) alongside Pam Grier. It follows a man named Fred who instigates a revolt after his town’s people are exploited.
- The Black Godfather (1974) follows a kingpin with a conscience who consolidates his power and faces off with both a drug cartel and the FBI.
- Isaac Hayes is an unyielding bounty hunter in Truck Turner (1975) who tracks a ruthless pimp (Yaphet Kotto) through L.A.
Cult Icons
Not everyone can be a cult icon, but that doesn’t apply to the legendary Rudy Ray Moore, who created the character Dolemite. Watch him in the movie of the same name, which follows a framed pimp who fights city corruption with his all-girl kung-fu killers. Then, watch him as Tucker Williams in Disco Godfather.
Drama and Coming-of-Age
Black stories on the big screen in the ‘70s weren’t limited to action. WatchSounder, starring Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield, who earned Oscar nominations for their portrayal of a Depression-era sharecropping family pulled apart when the father is sent to a prison labor camp.
For a nostalgic trip back to high school, check out Cooley High, which follows two friends played by Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as they hang out and dream of the future in 1964 Chicago.
Header image credit: Courtesy of Tubi
