It’s time to hit the streets again with the explosive second volume of Shout Studios’s Blaxploitation Classics! These six high-impact action movies shed further light on the ’70s subgenre whose themes and stars still burn brightly today. Feast your eyes on fiery performances from Pam Grier, Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto, and Godfrey Cambridge as well as unforgettable supporting turns from Eartha Kitt, Redd Foxx, Ed McMahon, Jim Backus, and Cameron Mitchell. Shout Select is once again proud to present a special selection of these highly influential and entertaining films on both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra High Definition.

DISCS ONE & TWO – FOXY BROWN (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 92 min.) The legendary Pam Grier is pure unadulterated cool in the electrifying revenge thriller, Foxy Brown. Foxy has found her soulmate in an undercover narcotics investigator – but when he’s brutally murdered, she swears vengeance against the crime ring responsible. Posing as a call girl to gain access to the criminals, Foxy discovers just how high the corruption goes – igniting a blistering war that takes her from the city streets to a remote drug lab to a mid-air battle behind the controls of a plane! But the most startling confrontations are yet to come, as Foxy plots her ultimate scheme to bring down her boyfriend’s killers once and for all.

DISCS THREE & FOUR – FRIDAY FOSTER (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 90 min.) The Final Boss of Blaxploitation Cinema, Pam Grier, leads an incredible cast, including Yaphet Kotto (Live And Let Die), Eartha Kitt (The Emperor’s New Groove), Carl Weathers (Rocky), Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Ted Lange (The Love Boat), Jim Backus (Gilligan’s Island), and Godfrey Cambridge (Cotton Comes To Harlem) in this ultra-hip action classic.

When photographer Friday Foster (Grier) uncovers a white supremacist plot to assassinate the country’s top black leaders, she and her free-wheeling, trouble-dealing P.I. friend Hawkins (Kotto) go on a mission to stomp the killers’ scheme. From the backstage murders at an oh-so-seventies fashion show to a pedal-to-the-metal car chase in a hearse, Friday will do whatever it takes to expose the corruption – but this time, she won’t be shooting with just a camera.

DISCS FIVE & SIX – COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 97 min.) Detectives ‘Grave Digger’ Jones (Godfrey Cambridge, Watermelon Man) and ‘Coffin Ed’ Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques, The Green Berets) are on the case and in everyone’s face when they investigate the crooked Reverend Deke O’Malley (Calvin Lockhart, Uptown Saturday Night). But when $87,000 of O’Malley’s freshly laundered cash gets stashed in a bale of cotton, Grave Digger and Coffin find they’re not the only dudes with an interest in cotton futures! Trailing the bale all over Harlem, they come up against the mob, the cops, and more in an all-out dash for the cash.

DISCS SEVEN & EIGHT – BUCKTOWN (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 94 min.) It’s a match made in Soul Cinema Heaven when Fred Williamson (Black Caesar) and Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) team up to heat up the streets – and the sheets – in this action-packed flick about a city ripped apart by prejudice and greed.

Duke Johnson (Williamson) arrives in Bucktown to bury his murdered brother. Taking over his brother’s bar, he crosses paths with a foxy local woman (Grier) and runs afoul of the local police force, who are as corrupt as they come. Proving he can’t be pushed, Johnson calls in his friends from the big city to help him set things straight. But when the smoke clears, Johnson discovers that his vicious cohorts are just as bad as the bigoted cops they took down – and now he must rid Bucktown of his violent friends … by any means necessary!

DISCS NINE & TEN – SLAUGHTER (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.39:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 92 min.) The great Jim Brown is cleaning up the streets one mobster at a time in Slaughter! A former Green Beret, Slaughter (Brown) sets out to get the mafia man who blew up his folks’ car … with them still in it! But when he blows up a planeload of mob henchmen, he finds himself the pawn of the feds who were also on their trail. Ordered to tail the gangsters to South America, Slaughter uses any means possible to get his man! Stella Stevens (The Poseidon Adventure), Rip Torn (Freddy Got Fingered), and Cameron Mitchell (Deadly Prey) co-star in this thrill-a-minute actioner. Get ready for the Slaughter!

DISCS ELEVEN & TWELVE – SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP-OFF (2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen & 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.39:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Mono / 94 min.) Slaughter is back – and the mob’s out to get him! Jim Brown (The Dirty Dozen, Mars Attacks!) returns as the ex-Green Beret who takes on the job of scorching the mob in this spectacular action flick! When a gunman tries to take down Slaughter, he knows his battle with the mob – and corrupt cops – is far from over. Helped by an honest detective and a pimp with a heart of gold, Slaughter goes on a mission to expose every politician and policeman on the take. But getting the incriminating list of names won’t be easy. It’s in the safe of the big man himself (Ed McMahon, The Tonight Show), and he’ll do anything to keep it out of Slaughter’s hands!

For thoughts on Blaxploitation Classics: Volume 2, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Shout! Studios presents the Blaxploitation Classics: Volume 2 set with magnificent 2160p HDR/Dolby Vision transfers all in their original aspect ratios sourced from 4K restorations of the Original Camera Negatives. With Shout’s strong showing in the 4K UHD space to date, you might expect some very healthy presentations, but these transfers rank among the top presentations on 4K UHD we have seen from this era. This set includes Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Bucktown, Slaughter, and Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off, all of which were previously released on Blu-Ray by various boutique labels except for Big Rip-Off. We do not have any previous releases for comparison, but we are confident this is a night-and-day upgrade for fans.

All six of these films are of a nearly identical level of exceptional quality, so they will be talked about as a group with any variances pointed out. These films feature appropriately gritty cinematography which deftly captures the urban landscapes filled with deep colors that replicate the subdued nature of the production design. Of course, there are flourishes throughout that beam off the screen like the bold fabrics of certain nightclubs, vibrant outfits, and the glorious outdoor detours like the picnic in Big Rip Off. The Dolby Vision offers a depth and stability of color that is frankly staggering. While the settings may not all be picturesque, they prove to be a stunning sight when viewed here. Highlights are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming even in the brightest environments. The black levels are equally assured with nothing in the way of crush or banding present. Interior stays crisp and clear with valuable depth and delineation.

The level of detail and clarity is awe-inspiring with the ideal amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves very well without ever being clumpy, swarming, or unsightly. The texture on display in the clothing and within the backgrounds is a revelation. Even facial details like sweat emerge with exquisite clarity. We did not clock any specks of damage within the source thanks to the careful restoration efforts. This presentation is authentic to the original look of the film without the added resolution causing elements to seem out of place. There do not appear to be any horrible digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a first-rate effort from the team at Shout! Studios.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray set presents all the films with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono tracks that sound pretty decent considering the production limitations. The audio quality is far from horrendous, but as you get further into this collection, minor deficiencies seem to become more obvious. Foxy Brown seems to have been preserved the best on the audio front, whereas the Slaughter films have a bit of a hollow quality to them in some sequences. Beyond minor age-related issues, though, most of the features stay pretty consistently enjoyable overall. Dialogue is a key aspect for each outing with a presentation that is clear and easily distinguishable with only occasional crackling or muffled exchanges.

These films are usually accompanied by some mighty sound effects in the mix that are an essential part of settling you into the story. The score is the most erratic element with it typically showcasing surprising fidelity, and in some instances exposing age-related wear and tear at the highest amplitudes. All films feature their original soundtrack outside of Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off, which reportedly had a soundtrack populated by James Brown music that has not been heard since the theatrical exhibition. We hate it when any music is replaced, but if it is a choice between music being replaced or never seeing the movie, we would rather be able to watch the film if all avenues have been exhausted. Shout! Studios has handled these with as much care as the source will allow. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for all films.

Special Features

Foxy Brown

Audio Commentary: Director Jack Hill provides an archival commentary track in which he discusses why he thinks Coffy is a better film, the struggles with the budget, working with various performers, and more which is surprisingly candid.

From Black and White to Blaxploitation: A 20-minute archival interview with actor Sid Haig in which he discusses his history with director Jack Hill, working with Pam Grier, memories of working abroad, his place in the blaxploitation genre, stunt mishaps, and more.

A Not So Minor Influence: A 19-minute interview with stuntman Bob Minor in which he discusses his background, how he got involved with being a stuntman, working with Jack Hill, his work on Foxy Brown, and more.

Back to Black: A 25-minute piece featuring interviews with film historians and talent such as Fred Williamson, Austin Stoker, and Rosanne Katon, in which they discuss the blaxploitation genre, why it was such a unique experience for black performers, the cultural resonance of the genre, and more.

Theatrical Trailer (1:54)

Image Gallery (4:50)

Friday Foster

Theatrical Trailer (2:39)

Image Gallery (2:01)

Cotton Comes to Harlem

Theatrical Trailer (2:10)

Bucktown

Theatrical Trailer (2:18)

Slaughter

Theatrical Trailer (2:44)

Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off

Theatrical Trailer (2:20)

Cost To Be the Boss – The Blaxploitation Films of A.I.P. Part Two: The second part of an epic documentary that originated on the first Blaxploitation Classics set continues here featuring new and archival interviews with Film Producer and Son Of AIP film producer Samuel Z. Arkoff – Lou Arkoff, Film Historian Nathaniel Thompson, “Truck Turner” Director Jonathan Kaplan, Film Critic and Author Odie Henderson, “Coffy” Director Jack Hill, Associate Professor and Author Dr. Yvonne D. Sims, Film Critic and Author Quatoyiah Murry, Post-Production Supervisor at AIP – James L. Honore, Afrocentric Film Scholar Dr. Michelle B. Taylor, and Author and Film Historian Chris Poggiali.

Final Thoughts

Blaxploitation Classics: Volume 2 finds more favorites from the subgenre getting the premium treatment and a second life for a new generation of viewers. This set is filled with entertaining tales of revenge, social justice, and love that are not to be missed. Some of these features have been overlooked in the past due to their perceived quality, but they are just as layered as many highly acclaimed narratives from this era. Our personal favorites from this set are Cotton Comes to Harlem and Foxy Brown, but we did not spot a weak title in the bunch. If you are looking to learn more about the blaxploitation movement, this is not to be missed. Shout! Studios has bundled these six films together into a 4K UHD Blu-Ray collection featuring a sterling A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. Highly Recommended

Blaxploitation Classics: Volume 2 will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on August 19, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author