| Actors: |
Melvin Van Peebles, Simon Chuckster, Hubert Scales, Mario Van Peebles, John Dullaghan, Wesley Gale, Niva Ruschell, John Amos, Lavelle Roby |
| Special Features: |
- Commentary features film historian Sergio Mims.
- Booklet (10 pages) contains an essay by Travis Crawford.
- Career Interview (23:24, HD) features Melvin Van Peebles in his home ready to discuss some of the history and legacy of "Sweet Sweetback" and particulars from his other endeavors. The conversation (courtesy of Olumide Productions) starts with artistic origins in Paris, where his first feature, "The Story of a Three-Day Pass," allowed him access to Hollywood, soon creating the 1970 hit, "Watermelon Man." Learning about studio politics during this time, Van Peebles sharpened his scheming in the name of directorial vision, soon setting out to make "Sweet Sweetback" with a small crew and next to no money. Van Peebles answers questions about the movie's influence, especially on the Blaxploitation movement, and his relationship with the Black Panthers, who turned the effort into smash hit when it opened on two screens in March, 1971. Granted, Van Peebles is in his 80s now, and age makes him ramble on a bit, but his mischief and defiance remains. The visit ends with a tour of Van Peebles's art collection.
- Interview (31:58, HD) with Niva Rochelle is a lengthy discussion of the actress's quest to become a major force in Hollywood, eventually finding herself in the role of the prostitute who deflowers 10-year-old Sweetback. Rochelle shares her early Los Angeles experiences, including her introduction to moviemaking in efforts like "Up Tight." She's candid about her dealings with Van Peebles, who was very strict during filming, sharing the mood of the set during the creation of the controversial scene. While Rochelle was rewarded with a misspelling of her name in the "Sweet Sweetback" credits, she seems okay with the picture's legacy, and her part as a major image in marketing efforts. She also details her toil putting together a similar X-rated endeavor, "Tongue," hoping to cash in on industry trends during the 1970s.
- Q&A (36:20, HD) is a video from the 2013 Black Panther Film Festival, which took place at the Maysles Center in Harlem. Van Peebles returns to beguile a small crowd with anecdotes about the "Sweet Sweetback" experience, taking questions from audience.
- "The Real Deal" (22:09, SD) is an undated interview with Van Peebles where he dissects his experience creating, shooting, and living with "Sweet Sweetback." It's a strange featurette, with some time spent following the subject as he wanders around Paris while sharing anecdotes and listing influences, while later on, he recreates the aforementioned deflowering scene with a nude model (who understandably wears a paper bag over her head to protect her identity). At his most eccentric and rascally here, Van Peebles certainly has vivid stories to share about the making of "Sweet Sweetback," including the misplacement of a real gun in a prop box, his battle with gonorrhea after engaging in real sex for the cameras, and the picture's immediate performance at the box office.
- Still Gallery (4:55) is an informative assembly of newspaper ads, reviews, and stories that chart the rise of "Sweet Sweetback," including box office boasting and articles from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.
- Theatrical Trailer (2:30, SD)
- Reversible cover
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