6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A voluptuous black woman takes a job as a high-class prostitute in order to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.
Starring: Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Peter Brown (I), Terry Carter, Kathryn LoderCrime | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Coffy, Jack Hill’s 1973 opus featuring Pam Grier as a nurse with a Death Wish (so to speak), may have helped to establish the template of Blaxploitation fare starring Grier as a voluptuous avenging angel, but it was Hill’s 1974 outing Foxy Brown that really cemented the image of Grier that so many have found so unforgettable for so many years. Foxy was evidently supposed to be Coffy (again) in a sequel to the hit film, but for whatever reason the name if not the intent of the character was changed, and Foxy Brown perhaps eclipsed even Coffy in its impact and lasting legacy. Once again Grier is on the hunt for nefarious criminal types, criminal types once again involved in drugs (among other nasty business), and once again Grier is taken prisoner. In fact, a lot of Foxy Brown ends up playing like a rehash of Coffy, but perhaps surprisingly it’s still a viscerally exciting and enjoyable film, one which pretty easily elides any feeling of being derivative due to its own at times rather graphic violence and of course Grier’s pulchritudinous charms.
Foxy Brown is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. As was the case with Coffy, this domestic release is "in competition" with an Arrow Blu-ray release reviewed by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov. I'm not quite as sure these were sourced from the same master, as appeared to have been the case with Coffy, as the Olive Foxy Brown is, well, browner (or at least darker) than the Arrow, as evidenced by a cursory review of screenshots. Grain seems at least a bit more pronounced in the Olive release as well (again, going only by screenshots). That said, the image quality of Foxy Brown is clearer and sharper than on Coffy, looking like it was sourced off of something closer to an original element than Coffy was. While the Olive release is a bit darker than the Arrow, the color space looks generally accurate, with yellows and reds being especially vivid (and without the tilt toward orange that reds had in Coffy). There are some minor resolution issues with the grain field here (something that seemed to afflict the Arrow release as well, judging by Svet's comments). Elements have their fair share of minus density and issues like small scratches and dirt, but there's nothing overly problematic. As is almost always the case with Olive releases, this presentation has all of the dings of an unrestored element, but none of the problems of over aggressive digital tweaking.
Perhaps surprisingly, Foxy Brown features a repurposed lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (the Arrow release sports an LPCM 2.0 track). Unfortunately, the repurposing has added a slightly phased quality at times, something that's more apparent on the funktastic score by Willie Hutch than in pure dialogue scenes. In fact it's the music that most confidently resides in the surrounds, as dialogue is still fairly stationary, leaving side and rear channels to handle individual sound effects like gunshots. Fidelity is fine and there are no issues with damage to warrant any concern.
Exactly as was the case with Olive Films' release of Coffy, this domestic Foxy Brown offers none of the supplements that graced the recent Arrow Blu-ray reviewed by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov.
Foxy Brown may indeed be Coffy II in all but name, but despite its derivative nature the film is quite a bit of fun, highlighted by Grier's ferocity and some wonderfully ludicrous set pieces involving various revenge tactics. More distinctly "seventies" than Coffy, the film firmly thrust Grier into the limelight as the female face of Blaxploitation. Once again consumers rather unexpectedly have a choice when it comes to this niche fare. Those with region free players should probably at least check out the screenshots for the Arrow release, since that release comes with such excellent supplements. Those who already own the Arrow release may still want to spring for this one due to the surround audio, though that comes with some niggling issues. For those without a region free player, this Olive Films domestic Blu-ray release of Foxy Brown comes Recommended.
1973
2017
Collector's Edition
1976
1985
4K Restoration
1982
2K Restoration
1979
Limited Edition to 3000
1973
1975
1979
1975
Collector's Edition
2011
1974
Bloody Mary Killer / Cui hua kuang mo / 摧花狂魔 / Retailer Slipcover Limited to 6,000 Units
1993
1974
1975
Unrated Director`s Cut
1980
2010
1973
1988
1972