The Flicks:
Coffy:
Pam Grier plays a nurse who is struggling to keep her sister off drugs – when all else fails Grier takes justice into her own hands. Pam Grier set the standard for the blaxploitation film. Grier is one of the sexiest heroines of all time. Without Grier this flick would be nothing but a joke. The one-liners are hilarious and keep the movie fun. It’s not the kind of movie you are going to watch all the time, but its definitely fun with friends.
Cooley High:
Cooley High is a riot. If you haven’t seen it then you are missing out. I found myself laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Best is there is actually a story here about the trials of life and the good and bad. Its about friendship and might even have you missing the days when nothing was more important than hanging with your friends. There is heart here, if that scares you then don’t forget there are laughs as well.
Foxy Brown:
Pam Grier hit her stride in Foxy Brown. This is the definitive Grier flick. It’s little more than a B-movie that has a star who should have been a full-fledged star. It’s down right dirty and tough – a place where Grier doesn’t appear out of place. This is an action flick that never loses steam. Decades after its release its still better than most of the weak major releases today.
Hell Up In Harlem:
Black Caesar was a great film and this sequel doesn’t hold up. The action is there, a lot of action to keep you excited, but there is something missing. The energy, the excitement, and the originality are sucked out of Hell Up In Harlem. The story is not entirely bad – but the film has no chemistry.
I’m Gonna Get You Sucka:
A spoof of the blaxploitation film is a good idea for a comedy and Keenan Ivory Wayans’ makes most of it float – although plenty doesn’t work. The problem comes from the fact that it is based on a In Living Color skit and we all know how bad most of the films are that are based on Saturday Night Live skits.
Wayans plays Jack Spade who comes back from the service to find his brother has died from an overdose. Of course he has to get revenge. This satire doesn’t only make those fans of the blaxploitatin films laugh – although it helps if you are in on the joke.
Frankly: A few of these films I have never seen and was glad I finally had the chance. They look like the kind of movies you see at Blockbuster and laugh because you are sure they’re the worst films of all time. I bet some of you even picked up the box and laughed at the outfits and busted them for the ‘fro. If only you knew these are actually enjoyable. Are you ready sucka?
+ Charlie Craine
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