A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the channels and I landed on TV One because they were playing Pam Grier's "Friday Foster." As many times as I've seen this movie, I still had to stop and watch. Pam Grier will probably always be known as the Queen of the so-called Blaxploitation era. Hey, you can't escape the brash beauty with a gun who knows how to use it. In the 70's, she was symbolized as an image of female empowerment: A Black Female Action Hero. With all the social and civil movements during the time, I guess for many it was exciting to see a woman who could sucker punch a man while looking fly in high heels. Others felt that Pam and the Blaxploitation movies were stereotypical, empty, and objectified women--yes, there was definitely sense of that--but there were also usually strong narratives of black empowerment in these films, social consciousness, and fighting white oppression for the bettering of a people and community. Some films of course were better than others--but that's in any genre. (I'll definitely blog more about my love for these movies in a later post.)
Pam Grier movies (like Foxy Brown, Coffy, Sheba Baby) were always adventurous, even when the scripts were lacking, there was always enough intrigue and action to keep it exciting--plus it's just simply impossible not to want to see Pam kick ass--and, boy, did she ever.
For further reading on Blaxploitation movies, please check out Josiah Howard's Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Guide. It's the most comprehensive guide thus far.
Yes,and she is beautiful and that's a real body, no plastic! God does NOT make bodies like that anymore!! Love her!! and of course she is still beautiful! met her at an actor's workshop in San Diego after her win from cancer via herbs.
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