Foxy Brown (film)
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Movie Poster for Foxy Brown
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| Directed by | Jack Hill |
| Produced by | Buzz Feitshans |
| Written by | Jack Hill |
| Starring | Pam Grier Antonio Fargas Peter Brown Terry Carter |
| Music by | Willie Hutch |
| Cinematography | Brick Marquard |
| Edited by | Chuck McClelland |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
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Release dates
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Running time
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94 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
| Box office | $2,460,000[1] |
Foxy Brown is a 1974 American blaxploitation film written and directed by Jack Hill. It stars Pam Grier as the title character, described by one character as "a whole lot of woman" who showcases unrelenting sexiness while battling the villains.[2] The film was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Truck Turner.
Contents
Plot
When her government-agent boyfriend is shot down by members of a drug syndicate, Foxy Brown (Pam Grier) seeks revenge. She links her boyfriend's murderers to a "modeling agency" run by Steve Elias (Peter Brown) and Miss Katherine (Kathryn Loder). Foxy decides to pose as a prostitute to infiltrate the company, and helps save a fellow black woman from a life of drugs and sexual exploitation. This leads Foxy to a variety of revenge-themed setpieces — often violent and sexual — that range from cremating sex slave dealers to castrating a foe and presenting his severed genitals to his girlfriend.
Cast
- Pam Grier as Foxy Brown
- Antonio Fargas as Lincoln "Link" Brown
- Peter Brown as Steve Elias
- Kathryn Loder as "Miss" Katherine Wall
- Terry Carter as Michael Anderson
- Harry Holcombe as Judge Fenton
- Sid Haig as Hays
- Juanita Brown as Claudia
- Bob Minor as Oscar
- Tony Giorgio as Eddie
- Fred Lerner as Bunyon
- H.B. Haggerty as Brandi
- Boyd 'Red' Morgan as Slauson
Production
According to director Jack Hill, this was originally intended to be a sequel to his Coffy (1973), also starring Pam Grier, and in fact the working title of the film was "Burn, Coffy, Burn!". However, American-International Pictures decided at the last minute it did not want to do a sequel, even though Coffy was a huge hit. Therefore, it is never said exactly what kind of job Foxy Brown has -- "Coffy" was a nurse and since this was no longer to be a sequel, they could not give Foxy Brown that job and did not have time to rewrite the script to establish just what kind of job she had.
On the audio commentary on the film's DVD release, Hill also mentioned that he was initially against the outfits that the wardrobe department chose for Foxy Brown. Since Pam Grier had become a star in her prior film Coffy, there was an impetus to present the actress as even more stylish than she had appeared in the previous film. But Hill, by his own account, initially felt that the outfits were too trendy and specific to the time period, and within a few years would cause the film to look dated and obsolete. In the years since the film's release, however, Hill has reversed his opinion on Foxy's clothes, particularly in the wake of not only Foxy Brown's ascent into pop culture icon, but also the '70s nostalgia movement that started in the mid-1990s.
Hill also mentioned that the character of Foxy Brown became something of a female empowerment symbol that seemed to transcend the time period of the film. As such, Hill believes, Foxy's 1970s clothes and hairstyles merely add to the charm of the character.
Reception
Foxy Brown was a financial success. Produced on a budget of half a million, it grossed $2,460,000.[1]
The film received mixed reviews from critics, scoring a 60% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] The movie received a negative reception from Variety magazine.[4]
Soundtrack
The film's songs were written and performed by Willie Hutch, and a soundtrack album was released on Motown Records in 1975.
Release on DVD & HD
- In 2001 it was released on DVD with a commentary track by director Jack Hill.[5]
- In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcast on MGM HD.
- In 2015, Olive Films released a region A/1 (US only) Blu-ray with no extras.
- In 2015, Arrow Video released a region B/2 (UK only) Blu-ray with the following extras:
- Restored High Definition Blu-ray presentation (1080p)
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with director Jack Hill
- "From Black and White to Blaxploitation" actor Sid Haig speaks about his long and influential friendship with Jack Hill
- "A Not So Minor Influence An Interview with Bob Minor", the first African-American member of the Stuntman s Association, and co-star of Foxy Brown
- "Back to Black" Legendary actors Fred The Hammer Williamson (Black Caesar) and Austin Stoker (Sheba Baby, Assault on Precinct 13 ), alongside Rosanne Katon (Ebony, Ivory, and Jade) and film scholar Howard S. Berger speak about the enduring popularity of the Blaxploitation film
- Photo gallery of behind-the-scenes and publicity images
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Trailer Reel Trailers for all the major works by Jack Hill including Foxy Brown, Coffy and Switchblade Sisters
- Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide, a new interview with Pam Grier by Jack Hill biographer Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
Influence
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Foxy Brown is one of the most influential blaxploitation films; Pam Grier's character is often considered to be the female archetype of the genre. The film has directly influenced or been mentioned in many other films, including, but not limited to:
- Girl 6 (1996)
- Jackie Brown (starring Pam Grier) (1997)
- Urban Legend (1998)
- Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
- Bones (starring Pam Grier) (2001)
- Undercover Brother (2002)
- Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)[6]
- House of the Dead (2003)
- Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)
It is often noted by film historians as one of the first blaxploitation films to provide a portrayal of a strong and independent woman; until Pam Grier, women often existed exclusively to support their men for a small part of the film.
Additionally, Foxy Brown and the preceding film Coffy are unique for their establishment of pushers and pimps as villains. Before these films, the blaxploitation genre often espoused empathy for the social positions of such individuals.
Pam Grier titled her memoir Foxy: My Life in Three Acts (2010), clearly influenced by this film.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Samuel Z Arkoff & Richard Turbo, Flying Through Hollywood By the Seat of My Pants, Birch Lane Press, 1992 p 202
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- ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/foxy_brown
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