On a summer day in 1983, a treasure trove of dusty film canisters was discovered in a warehouse in Tyler, Texas. On the verge of throwing them out, the warehouse manager hesitated and called G. William Jones, then the director of the Southwest Film/Video Archives at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. To Jones’ amazement, 22 of these canisters were race films, specifically made for all-black audiences. Over 20 years later, these films are now available in digital format for all to see.

Although appearing seemingly shallow on first glance, Don Jon offers an insightful view on human nature and the effects society has on it. In Joseph Gordon-Levitt's debut as writer and director, Levitt...