I was 12 years of age the first time I saw Pam Grier on the big screen. It was the Circle Theater on St. Bernard Avenue in New Orleans. It was in walking distance from the house; me and my friends would take our allowance and head to the movies. In those days you could see two movies and a cartoon. A Rally's was put on that spot when malls started to become popular with the introduction of multiple screen theaters.
The film (although its a movie, it is iconic)(I see a difference between a film and a movie) we had gone to see was Coffy. I don't know what it was about Pam Grier, but I was captivated. Maybe it was love at first sight. It definitely had a profound impact on me and I wanted to see anything that she was attached too. As I got older it started with magazines, and articles. Back tracking to see what films she had made previously. At the time I was starting my fascination, she had already made 17 films. I had a lot of catching up to do.
Although she would be known as the queen of the Blaxploitation films, she also did a string of B movies with Roger Corman. Other than the costumes, the storyline of Coffy still works. There is still drugs and corruption and no one really seems to be working hard enough. It makes you want to grab a gun and take control. Not many people could walk in Coffy's shoes.
It's been over 40 years since I've seen Coffy on the big screen. I usually watch this film and others by Pam Grier during the month of May to celebrate her birthday. This Monday, Alamo DraftHouse will do a screening in their new series entitled Fist City which will focus on films from the 70's.
If the weather cooperates, I plan to be there.
Coffy is my all time favorite film by the sex goddess. Pam Grier was like the black version of Marilyn Monroe for me. Of all of the movies the actress has done, I think Fort Apache The Bronx is second on my list followed by Black Mama, White Mama and Something Wicked this Way Comes. Pam Grier is the first black actress to have a lead role in a Disney film.
Pam Grier has now done well over 40 films and several television series. She has also written a book of some events in her life. I wish the book had been longer, but it added a lot of insight into a few things I didn't know.
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Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.
