Melvin Van Peebles, the groundbreaking playwright, musician and movie director whose work ushered in the "Blaxploitation" wave of the 1970s and influenced filmmakers long after, has died. He was 89. His family said in a statement Wednesday that Van Peebles, father of the actor-director Mario Van Peebles, died Tuesday evening at his home in Manhattan. Melvin Van Peebles was best known for writing, directing and starring in 1971's landmark film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." The low-budget, art-house film was the frenzied, hyper-sexual and violent tale of a Black street hustler on the run from police after killing white officers who were beating a Black revolutionary. 📸: @gettyimages for @tcm; WireImage; Invision/@apnews