The late seventies were the heyday for the genre of film
known as Blaxploitation. Action films that offered starring roles to black
actors with stories urban audiences could relate to were made by low budget
studies at first but once they showed they could draw an audience the larger
studios jumped on the bandwagon.
While male stars like Bernie Casey, James Brown and Richard
Roundtree were topping the box office there was one female star that burst upon
the scene as well. That she could continue to make a name for herself in more
mainstream released from then until now speaks volumes about her abilities. But
back then it was a combination of her sexuality and no nonsense characters that
got her roles. By the time SHEBA BABY arrived Pam Grier had shone in both COFFY
and FOXY BROWN. This time she toned things down enough for a PG rating but the
box office still followed.
Grier stars as the title character, Sheba Shayne, a top
private investigator in Chicago who returns to her hometown of Louisville,
Kentucky, when the mob tries to muscle in on her father’s loan business. Apparently
they weren’t aware of who they were dealing with as Sheba deals out swift
retribution for the attack on her father. Justice is dealt out street wise with
little assistance from the local police and plenty from Sheba’s old flame Brick
(Austin Stoker).
There’s no need for more details than that. The genre was
filled with cardboard cutout bad guys and street smart heroes that took no guff
from both the police and the mob. Instead they sought to handle things on their
own and did so quite well. While the films were not an attack on the
established law enforcement they played up a sense of pride in community and
being able to take care of oneself when it came to criminals. Characters like
Sheba were defenders of all with a strong moral compass when it came to right
and wrong crime wise. Grier’s characters were a positive role model even if
they meted out justice on their own.
Many have faulted SHEBA BABY as the worst film Grier offered
at the time but it holds up still and isn’t near as bad as the naysayers claim.
The problem is after such strong performances and stories as found in her two
prior films this one isn’t quite up to that standard she set. It remains a good
film though.
As with all Arrow Film releases, of which I am a solid fan,
this one does what they do best. It offers the cleanest, sharpest and best
looking rendition of the film with enough extras to keep fans entertained.
Included in this release are:
-Original mono audio (uncompressed PCM
on the Blu-ray)
-Optional English subtitles for the
deaf and hard of hearing
-Audio commentary with
producer-screenwriter David Sheldon, moderated by critic Nathaniel Thompson
-Sheldon: Baby - a brand new interview
with David Sheldon
-Pam Grier: The AIP Years - a look over
the wonder years of the Blaxploitation queen with film historian Chris Poggiali
-Trailer
-Gallery featuring rare publicity
images and Lobby Cards
-Reversible sleeve featuring original
and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
-Booklet featuring brand new writing on
the film by Patty Breen, webmaster of WilliamGirdler.com, illustrated with
archive stills and posters
Fans of Grier and the genre will want
to add this one to their collection to make it complete. If you’ve never
exposed yourself to the genre then Grier’s film are a good way to start.
Perhaps one day the genre will make a comeback. Until then we have Arrow
providing the best offerings of the past.
Click here to order.
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