Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Blaxploitation Reconsidered: African American Directors and the Political Economy of Hollywood
2. Our Man in Hollywood: Creativity and Compromise in the Films of Michael Schultz
3. Writing His Second Act: Sidney Poitier’s Move Behind the Camera
4. Think Locally, Act Globally: Fred “the Hammer” Williamson, Low-Budget Genre Filmmaking, and the Struggle for Self-Definition
5. Outside of Society: Jamaa Fanaka, the LA Rebellion, and the Complications of Independent Filmmaking
6. Dreams Deferred: Untapped Potential, the Transformation of Black Popular Culture, and the Cinematic Legacies of Gilbert Moses and Stan Lathan
7. Dirty Minds Reformed: Celebrity, Power, and the Directorial Turns of Richard Pryor and Prince
Conclusion
Filmography, 1969–1994
Notes
Bibliography
Index
 

Promotional Information

"A much-needed addition to the history of black filmmaking in America. The histories and contributions of the filmmakers in Corson's book are finally reclaimed; a significant bridge has been built between the blaxploitation and New Black Cinema eras. I gained a new understanding of and respect for these filmmakers." -- Mikel J. Koven, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of Worcester, and author of Blaxploitation Films

About the Author

Keith Corson holds a PhD in Cinema Studies from New York University and has taught courses in film and media studies at Rhodes College, Memphis College of Art, University of Memphis, and NYU.

Reviews

Trying to Get Over is required reading for those interested in film at the intersection of racial politics, production histories, and media industries...[Corson] reminds us of the rich and dynamic history of African Americans in Hollywood persistently making films that are now considered cult classics.
*Media Industries Journal*

Corson provides depth to our knowledge of black filmmaking during the understudied downturn in the decade following Blaxploitation. Understanding changes in the economic and decision-making forces during this time put both the Blaxploitation era and the 1990s into a new context.
*Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television*