I’ve seen the movie Shaft before, but it’s been a few years and I had largely forgotten what a great movie it is. Fistfights! Tight leather pants! Moustaches! A daring rescue! It just doesn’t get much better than this.

The movie takes place in the swinging early seventies in gritty, urban New York. John Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree, is a private detective who is respected by the black community because he hasn’t sold out to the man, and he is respected by the white community because he is the man. Shaft is not intimidated by pressure from the cops, he plays hardball with black gang leaders, and he beats up the mafia. As his theme song attests, “this cat is one bad mother…” “shut your mouth!” chimes in the background vocals.

In tribute to Shaft, I have compiled a list reasons why Shaft is the baddest badass of them all.

1. Shaft is not afraid to express himself. His first words in the movie as he jaywalks and is almost run over by a taxi: “Up Yours!”
2. Look at that moustache! So perfect. So shiny. So… moustacular!
3. Shaft is a real ladies man. What was his name again? Shaft. Hmm… not very subtle.
4. In case you forget that Shaft is a real ladies man, the theme song reminds us: “Who’s the black private dick who’s a sex machine to all the chicks? Shaft! You’re damn right.”
5. Speaking of the Shaft theme song, with a funky wah wah guitar groove playing every time he walks down the street, Shaft can’t help but be a groovy cat. Plus the music from Shaft won an Oscar.
6. The moustache is so amazing that it deserves at least one more mention.
7. Shaft calls everybody “baby”, not just the ladies. Cops, gang members, chicks, friends from Harlem – they are all “baby” to Shaft. That’s suave.
8. Not to appear too tough, Shaft has a soft side. You can count on him to give money to those in need, especially to poor black children in Harlem. But of course, that just endears him even more to the ladies.
9. No one can pull off an endless series of tight turtleneck sweaters, plaid tight slacks, leather pants, and seventies-style leather jackets like Shaft.
10. Did I mention the moustache?

Tags Shaft . Richard Roundtree . moustache