Film

Melinda

Name: Melinda
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Released: 1972
Cast: Calvin Lockhart, Rosalind Cash, Vonetta McGee, Paul Stevens, Rockne Tarkington

Crime

A slick DJ gets framed for a murder when the woman he's fallen for is killed by the mob. What unfolds is a stylish 1972 revenge thriller that moves fast, looks beautiful, and doesn't waste time on sentiment. Made for people who love blaxploitation's energy and attitude, but want character and craft underneath the cool.

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Shaft1971

The template for the blaxploitation hero—confident, capable, uncompromising. Richard Roundtree's detective is pure cool, moving through Harlem with purpose. The score alone is worth the ticket.

But The plot is fairly straightforward, and some of the gender politics belong firmly to 1971. It prioritizes attitude over intricacy.

Super Fly1972

A cocaine dealer plans one final score. It's stylish, morally complex, and moves with genuine rhythm. Curtis Mayfield's soundtrack is a masterpiece that elevates everything it touches.

But The hero is chasing money and status, not justice, which can feel hollow. The ending refuses neat resolution.

The Italian Job1969

A caper film with real charm—smart criminals, elaborate planning, and Michael Caine at his most charismatic. It's about the heist, the crew, and the sheer pleasure of a well-executed scheme.

But It's lighter in tone than Melinda, almost playful. If you want moral weight or darkness, this pivots away from it.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Melinda

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Johnny O'Clock1947

Both are revenge thrillers built on a false murder charge, with a protagonist using cunning and connections to outmaneuver more powerful enemies.

A nightclub manager framed for a woman's death has to clear his name while navigating crime and corruption. Same bones as Melinda, same urgency, but a 1940s film noir in crisp black-and-white. It proves the structure is timeless.

But It's slower-paced and more mannered than a 1972 film. The glamour is different—suits instead of silks, jazz instead of funk.

Cotton Comes to Harlem1970

Two Harlem detectives navigate crime and corruption with humor and heart. It's got action, intrigue, and a real affection for its community. Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques make an irresistible team.

But The comedy can overshadow the crime story. Tonal shifts between funny and serious don't always land smoothly.

The Mack1973

Max Julien is magnetic as a pimp building an empire while trying to stay ahead of rivals and the law. It's morally murky, visually stunning, and doesn't apologize for its protagonist.

But The treatment of women is as ugly as the world depicted. If you need a hero with redeeming qualities, look elsewhere.

Coffy1973

Pam Grier as a nurse on a vigilante rampage. Pure energy, genuine fury, and a performance that rewrites what action cinema could be. The action sequences are inventive and visceral.

But The plot is thin and serves mostly as scaffolding for set pieces. Some violence is genuinely hard to watch.

Three the Hard Way1974

Three action stars—Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly—team up to stop a race-based assassination plot. It's entertaining, moves fast, and doesn't take itself seriously.

But The script is workmanlike and the plotting is thin. The entertainment is purely in watching charismatic actors do their thing.

Across 110th Street1972

A robbery goes wrong, triggering a gang war and police manhunt. Gritty, violent, and genuinely tense, with real consequences. Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto make an excellent unlikely team.

But It's darker and more violent than Melinda, without quite the same style. Some found it too bleak on release.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door1973

A Black CIA agent trains an urban guerrilla army. It's provocative, intelligent, and rare—a blaxploitation film with genuine political teeth and ideas beneath the action.

But The action is less polished than Melinda's, and the politics can feel didactic. It was withdrawn from release, which tells you it doesn't sit easy.

Serie Noire1979

Same visual sensibility—neon, cool, lethal women, men navigating crime with charm and ruthlessness. But filtered through a different cinema entirely.

A French crime thriller with Alain Delon as a drifter drawn into a criminal underworld. It's stylish and amoral in ways that feel close to blaxploitation's DNA, but made by Europeans who understand film noir deeply.

But It's in French with subtitles. The pacing is European, not American—slower and more meditative than Melinda's drive.

Three Days of the Condor1975

A protagonist framed for murder, forced to rely on street smarts and strangers to survive. But Melinda's urban cool meets The Condor's existential dread—same pressure, different temperature.

Robert Redford as a CIA analyst framed for murders he didn't commit, forced to run and trust nobody. It's a paranoid thriller about institutional corruption, with real tension and a beautiful, restrained performance.

But It's a thinking person's thriller, not an action film. The pacing is deliberate, the violence is sparse, and it privileges mood over excitement.