Shaft vs Dolemite
In honor of Black History Month, we put two titans of the Blaxploitation genre against each other. For this VS, we watched Shaft and Dolemite. Shaft is probably the "better" film. It's a lot more polished and is considered the granddaddy of Blaxploitation. Dolemite is the riskier, edgier, more independent work. It's also a lot clunkier, but that's what makes it so great. Both are undeniably iconic. Who will take home the gold? Let's talk about movies!
BRAD'S GOLDEN IDOLS
Best Location: Shaft NY
Best Character: TIE Shaft & Dolemite
Best Screen Duo: Dole Dolemite & Queen Bee
Best Villain/Antagonist: Shaft Bumpy
Best Hero/Protagonist: Shaft
Best Kill: Dole Dolemite rips Willie Green's heart out
WTF: Dole -The prison warden releases Dolemite from prison so he can prove his own innocence
Best Score or Soundtrack: Shaft Isaac Hayes & Johnny Allen
Best Quote: Dole Trick: "I am Joe Blow, the lover man! You should be payin' me, bitch!"
Best Screenplay: Dole Rudy Ray Moore & Jerry Jones
Best Special Achievement: Shaft Pioneer of the genre, one of the first Hollywood movies lead by a black man, and one of the first movies that has a character saying he's gay
Best Supporting: Dole Vainus Rackstraw
Best Lead Performance: TIE Shaft & Dolemite Richard Roundtree & Rudy Ray Moore
Best Scene: Dole Dolemite stripping outside of the prison
Defining Moment: Shaft The opening moments capture the spirit of the 70's both in image and sound
Best Director: Shaft Gordon Parks
Wild Card: Dole Karate Showdown at Dolemite's club
Best Picture: Dolemite
Total after deductions:
Shaft: 9
Dolemite: 10
Wayne'S GOLDEN IDOLS
Best Location: Shaft NY
Best Character: Shaft
Best Screen Duo: Dole Dolemite & Queen Bee
Best Villain/Antagonist: Shaft Bumpy
Best Hero/Protagonist: Shaft
Best Kill: Shaft threw that son of a bitch out the window
WTF: Dole -Boom Mics
Best Score or Soundtrack: Shaft Isaac Hayes & Johnny Allen
Best Quote: Dole Trick: "I am Joe Blow, the lover man! You should be payin' me, bitch!"
Best Screenplay: Dole Rudy Ray Moore & Jerry Jones
Best Special Achievement: Rubber Chicken
Best Supporting: Shaft Moses Gunn
Best Lead Performance: Shaft Richard Roundtree
Best Scene: Shaft Grappling outside the apartment
Defining Moment: Shaft Shaft tells the detective, "You're gonna have to close it yourself, shitty" then hangs up the phone as he walks away laughing.
Best Director: Shaft Gordon Parks
Wild Card: Dole Most Fun
Best Picture: Shaft
Total after deductions:
Shaft: 14
Dolemite: 4
MATT'S GOLDEN IDOLS
Best Location: Dole The Total Experience
Best Character: Shaft
Best Screen Duo: Shaft Shaft & Vic
Best Villain/Antagonist: Dole Mayor Daley
Best Hero/Protagonist: Shaft
Best Kill: Dole Dolemite's girl slicing up a guy with a knife in The Total Experience
WTF: Dole -Mayor Daley becoming psychotic as he kills Pinky
Best Score or Soundtrack: Shaft Isaac Hayes & Johnny Allen
Best Quote: TIE Shaft & Dole Vic Androzzi: "You ain't so black." John Shaft: [Holds a white coffee cup next to Vic's face] "And you ain't so white either, baby." And Dolemite: "Tell him I want him out of here in 24 hours...and 23 of um's already gone."
Best Screenplay: Shaft Ernest Tidyman & John D. F. Black
Best Special Achievement: Shaft Cinematography by Urs Furrer
Best Supporting: Shaft Moses Gunn
Best Lead Performance: Shaft Richard Roundtree
Best Scene: Shaft Shaft & Bumpy's first meeting
Defining Moment: Shaft The opening moments capture the spirit of the 70's both in image and sound
Best Director: Shaft Gordon Parks
Wild Card: TIE Shaft & Dole Best improvised weapon: Shaft's Gasoline-doused newspaper. Best Delivery of Profanity: Dolemite's Rudy Ray Moore
Best Picture: Shaft
Total after deductions:
Shaft: 14
Dolemite: 5
Jeremy'S GOLDEN IDOLS
Best Location: Dole Whorehouse
Best Character: Shaft
Best Screen Duo: Dole Dolemite & Queen Bee
Best Villain/Antagonist: Shaft Bumpy
Best Hero/Protagonist: Dole FBI Agent Blakely
Best Kill: Dole Mayor
WTF: Dole -Parking Lot Poetry
Best Score or Soundtrack: Shaft Isaac Hayes & Johnny Allen
Best Quote: Shaft The original "I love you, I know?"
Best Screenplay: Shaft Ernest Tidyman & John D. F. Black
Best Special Achievement: Shaft Budget exceeding expectations
Best Supporting: Dole Jerry Jones
Best Lead Performance: Shaft Richard Roundtree
Best Scene: Shaft Bar scene
Defining Moment: Shaft The opening moments capture the spirit of the 70's both in image and sound
Best Director: Shaft Gordon Parks
Wild Card: Dole Best Style: Dolemite
Best Picture: Shaft
Total after deductions:
Shaft: 13
Dolemite: 6