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"A negro and a white man linked to each other by four feet of hate and a steel chain!' - an immortal Defiant Ones tag line from a fascinating compendium of coming attractions, hyping mass-market black-oriented features from 1946 to 1976. Rare promos reveal the kitschy packaging of people of colour, from Uncle Remus to Mandingo.
"Watch how ethnic images evolve, debonair Nat King Cole and Dorothy Dandridge at one end, the aggressively violent and sexual blaxploitation icons Fred Williamson and Pam Grier at the other. Adventures set in Africa are the most cringeworthy, pitting Anglo hunters and troops against dehumanised tribesmen and the naked splendor of '200 Zulu virgins!'
"Co-collectors Knapper and Olson present the trailers without comment, letting you evaluate Afro Promo as sociological specimen or tasteless, campy fun. Maybe both." - Charles Cassady, Cleveland International Film Festival
"Olson, creator of Homo Promo and Trailer Camp, and Knapper, film critic and Frameline board member, prove themselves as adept at curating African American imagery as they've been with handling lesbian/gay material. The program is thought-provoking, informative and more entertaining than many of the films their trailers hype." - San Francisco Examiner