Black History Month has begun and I decided to start with Jack Hill's Coffy and Foxy Brown to simultaneously start a month's worth of Blaxploitation reviews and finish out my Jack Hill reviews (Sorceress coming eventually). Coffy was the first Jack Hill film I saw. I forget exactly why I watched Coffy the first time, but it began my interest in Blax films, Jack Hill and Pam Grier. For that, I owe Coffy a lot.Pam Grier plays Miss Coffin, a young nurse who goes by the name Coffy. Her 11 year old sister is in a hospital after shooting up some bad smack and Coffy makes it her personal goal in life to rid the world of dope dealers.
Pretty simple premise but like all of Jack Hill's films, there is much more to it. Coffy is filled with colorful characters, lots of action and a great story. Pam Grier gives one of her best performances here as the innocent nurse by day/vigilante by night and Sid Haig shows up too as a racist henchman named Omar. Robert DoQui also gives a fine performance as the over the top pimp/drug dealer King George. Coffy is perhaps Hill's most enjoyable, violent and over the top film, which is really saying a lot. It also made Grier one of the first female action stars, also an impressive feat, especially for a low budget blaxploitation film.
RATING: 9/10
Hill/Grier was certainly a great combo. I think he did some of her Filipino W.I.P. films too.
ReplyDeleteI can never tell if I like Coffy or Foxy Brown best... But then, why decide!