Following the breakout success of Melvin Van Peebles's SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG, Gordon Parks' SHAFT would officially launch the historic Blaxploitation movement. Based on the novel by Ernest Tidyman, the film stars Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, a debonair, tough-talking private detective, who became a full-fledged American archetype after the film was released. Combining street smarts and sharp wit, Shaft is the quintessential black action hero. After battling against Harlem gang kingpin Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn), Shaft decides to help rescue Bumpy's daughter from the Mafia. What follows is an action-packed thrill ride through the rough-and-tumble streets of early 1970s New York City. SHAFT'S BIG SCORE: In this sequel to SHAFT the detective gets caught in the crossfire when a group of competing gangsters start playing hardball for their turf. SHAFT IN AFRICA: Stirling Silliphant penned this tough, action-packed SHAFT adventure in which the super cool detective goes to South Africa to stop a modern day slave trade.