Melvin_NP0 Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 ,_PUN the_AT0 groundbreaking_AJ0 playwright_NN1 ,_PUN musician_NN1 and_CJC movie_NN1 director_NN1 whose_DTQ work_NN1 ushered_VVD in_PRP the_AT0 "_PUQ Blaxploitation_NN1 "_PUQ wave_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 1970s_CRD and_CJC influenced_VVN filmmakers_NN2 long_AV0 after_AV0 ,_PUN has_VHZ died_VVN ._SENT He_PNP was_VBD 89._CRD 
His_DPS family_NN1 said_VVD in_PRP a_AT0 statement_NN1 Wednesday_NP0 that_CJT Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 ,_PUN father_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 actor-director_NN1 Mario_NP0 Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 ,_PUN died_VVD Tuesday_NP0 evening_NN1 at_PRP his_DPS home_NN1 in_PRP Manhattan_NP0 ._SENT 
"_PUQ In_PRP an_AT0 unparalleled_AJ0 career_NN1 distinguished_VVN by_PRP relentless_AJ0 innovation_NN1 ,_PUN boundless_AJ0 curiosity_NN1 and_CJC spiritual_AJ0 empathy_NN1 ,_PUN Melvin_NP0 Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 made_VVD an_AT0 indelible_AJ0 mark_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 international_AJ0 cultural_AJ0 landscape_NN1 through_PRP his_DPS films_NN2 ,_PUN novels_NN2 ,_PUN plays_NN2 and_CJC music_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ the_AT0 statement_NN1 from_PRP the_AT0 Criterion_NN1 Collection_NN1 read_VVB ._SENT 
His_DPS son_NN1 ,_PUN 64_CRD ,_PUN praised_VVD his_DPS late_AJ0 father_NN1 's_POS contributions_NN2 to_PRP the_AT0 cinematic_AJ0 industry_NN1 ._SENT 
"_PUQ Dad_NN1 knew_VVD that_CJT Black_AJ0 images_NN2 matter_NN1 ._SENT If_CJS a_AT0 picture_NN1 is_VBZ worth_PRP a_AT0 thousand_CRD words_NN2 ,_PUN what_DTQ was_VBD a_AT0 movie_NN1 worth_NN1 ?_SENT We_PNP want_VVB to_TO0 be_VBI the_AT0 success_NN1 we_PNP see_VVB ,_PUN thus_AV0 we_PNP need_VVB to_TO0 see_VVI ourselves_PNX being_VBG free_AJ0 ._SENT True_AJ0 liberation_NN1 did_VDD not_XX0 mean_VVI imitating_VVG the_AT0 colonizer_NN1 's_POS mentality_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ he_PNP said_VVD ._SENT "_PUQ It_PNP meant_VVD appreciating_VVG the_AT0 power_NN1 ,_PUN beauty_NN1 and_CJC interconnectivity_NN1 of_PRF all_DT0 people_NN0 ._SENT "_PUQ 
Born_VVN Melvin_NP0 Peebles_NP0 in_PRP Chicago_NP0 on_PRP Aug._NP0 21_CRD ,_PUN 1932_CRD ,_PUN he_PNP would_VM0 later_AV0 add_VVI "_PUQ Van_NP0 "_PUQ to_PRP his_DPS name_NN1 ._SENT He_PNP graduated_VVD from_PRP Ohio_NP0 Wesleyan_AJ0 University_NN1 in_PRP 1953_CRD and_CJC joined_VVD the_AT0 Air_NN1 Force_NN1 ,_PUN serving_VVG as_PRP a_AT0 navigator_NN1 for_PRP three_CRD years_NN2 ._SENT 
Sometimes_AV0 called_VVN the_AT0 "_PUQ godfather_NN1 of_PRF modern_AJ0 Black_AJ0 cinema_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ the_AT0 multitalented_AJ0 Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 wrote_VVD numerous_AJ0 books_NN2 and_CJC plays_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC recorded_VVD several_DT0 albums_NN2 –_PUN playing_VVG multiple_AJ0 instruments_NN2 and_CJC delivering_VVG rap-style_AJ0 lyrics_NN2 ._SENT He_PNP later_AV0 became_VVD a_AT0 successful_AJ0 options_NN2 trader_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 stock_NN1 market_NN1 ._SENT 
But_CJC he_PNP was_VBD best_AV0 known_VVN for_PRP writing_VVG ,_PUN directing_VVG and_CJC starring_VVG in_PRP 1971_CRD 's_POS "_PUQ Sweet_AJ0 Sweetback_NN1 's_POS Baadasssss_NP0 Song_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ a_AT0 landmark_NN1 film_NN1 that_CJT will_VM0 be_VBI screened_VVN at_PRP the_AT0 New_AJ0 York_NP0 Film_NN1 Festival_NN1 this_DT0 week_NN1 in_PRP his_DPS honor_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 low-budget_AJ0 ,_PUN art-house_AJ0 film_NN1 was_VBD the_AT0 frenzied_AJ0 ,_PUN hyper-sexual_AJ0 and_CJC violent_AJ0 tale_NN1 of_PRF a_AT0 Black_AJ0 street_NN1 hustler_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 run_NN1 from_PRP police_NN2 after_PRP killing_VVG white_AJ0 officers_NN2 who_PNQ were_VBD beating_VVG a_AT0 Black_AJ0 revolutionary_AJ0 ._SENT 
In_PRP 2014_CRD ,_PUN Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 spoke_VVD to_PRP Asbury_NP0 Park_NN1 Press_NN1 ,_PUN part_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 USA_NP0 TODAY_AV0 network_NN1 ,_PUN about_PRP writing_VVG the_AT0 soundtrack_NN1 for_PRP the_AT0 movie_NN1 –_PUN which_DTQ he_PNP described_VVD as_PRP a_AT0 form_NN1 of_PRF "_PUQ storytelling_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ 
"_PUQ Before_CJS me_PNP ,_PUN music_NN1 soundtracks_NN2 were_VBD sort_NN1 of_PRF afterthoughts_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 said_VVD at_PRP the_AT0 time_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ See_VVB ,_PUN I_PNP did_VDD n't_XX0 have_VHI money_NN1 ,_PUN so_CJS I_PNP said_VVD hmm_ITJ ,_PUN because_CJS only_AV0 two_CRD theaters_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 United_NP0 States_NP0 would_VM0 show_VVI Sweetback_NN1 ,_PUN I_PNP used_VVD my_DPS music_NN1 to_TO0 publicize_VVI the_AT0 film_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC it_PNP was_VBD such_DT0 a_AT0 success_NN1 that_CJT everybody_PNI copied_VVD it_PNP ._SENT "_PUQ 
Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 also_AV0 went_VVD on_AVP to_TO0 direct_VVI 1970_CRD 's_POS "_PUQ Watermelon_NN1 Man_NN1 "_PUQ and_CJC got_VVD involved_AJ0 in_PRP Broadway_NN1 ,_PUN writing_VVG and_CJC producing_VVG several_DT0 plays_NN2 and_CJC musicals_NN2 like_PRP the_AT0 Tony-nominated_AJ0 "_PUQ Ai_NN1 n't_XX0 Supposed_AJ0 to_TO0 Die_VVI a_AT0 Natural_AJ0 Death_NN1 "_PUQ and_CJC "_PUQ Do_VDB n't_XX0 Play_VVI Us_PNP Cheap_AJ0 ._SENT "_PUQ He_PNP later_AV0 wrote_VVD the_AT0 movie_NN1 "_PUQ Greased_AJ0 Lightning_NN1 "_PUQ starring_VVG Richard_NP0 Pryor_NP0 as_PRP Wendell_NP0 Scott_NP0 ,_PUN the_AT0 first_ORD Black_AJ0 race_NN1 car_NN1 driver_NN1 ._SENT 
Outside_AV0 of_PRF directing_VVG ,_PUN Van_NP0 Peebles_NP0 made_VVD his_DPS television_NN1 acting_VVG debut_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 miniseries_NN2 "_PUQ The_AT0 Sophisticated_AJ0 Gents_NN2 "_PUQ in_PRP 1981._CRD His_DPS other_AJ0 movie_NN1 and_CJC TV_NN1 credits_NN2 include_VVB the_AT0 1997_CRD TV_NN1 series_NN0 "_PUQ The_AT0 Shining_AJ0 ,_PUN "_PUQ 1997_CRD 's_POS Showtime_NN1 film_NN1 "_PUQ Riot_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ 1993_CRD 's_POS "_PUQ Posse_NN1 "_PUQ and_CJC 2013_CRD 's_POS "_PUQ Peeples_NN2 "_PUQ starring_VVG Kerry_NP0 Washington_NP0 and_CJC Craig_NP0 Robinson_NP0 ._SENT 
