Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Sheba, Baby Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 12, 2016

William Girdler's "Sheba, Baby" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; collection of stills and promotional materials; new video piece with historian Chris Poggiali; new video interview with producer and screenwriter David Sheldon; and two audio commentaries. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Patty Breen's essay "Sheba, Baby" and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Talk to me

Chicago-based private detective Sheba Shayne (Pam Grier, Black Mama, White Mama, Friday Foster) returns home to Louisville, Kentucky and discovers that someone has been trying to force her father (Rudy Challenger, Detroit 9000) out of business. She immediately begins asking questions and learns that a local tough guy named Pilot (D'Urville Martin, Black Caesar) is responsible for her father’s misery. Assisted by a former lover, Brick (Austin Stoker, Assault on Precinct 13), Sheba goes after Pilot and reaches his boss, Shark (Dick Merrifield), a wealthy gangster whose syndicate controls the city. Sheba vows to get rid of him, but Brick warns her that she will face a formidable opponent.

William Girdler’s Sheba, Baby was apparently inspired by the success of Jack Hill’s Coffy and Foxy Brown, but it is rather difficult to group with these films. It is a PG-rated affair that basically drops all of the edgy/risky material that made Hill’s films attractive and hopes that Grier’s presence will compensate for it. It does not, though admittedly by current standards it is still very much a risky film. (There are no F-bombs but the n-word is all over the place).

The script is a mess. Sheba arrives in Louisville and immediately begins confronting all sorts of different losers who look like seasoned comedians. But without the freedom which an R-rated script would have provided, the film quickly begins to stutter. It also makes the crucial mistake of trying to convince its audience that it can be an edgy crime drama. And when it realizes that it was a silly idea, it veers off in a different direction and decides to take a closer look at the sparks that fly between Sheba and Brick. The end result is very awkward as the film is neither funny nor serious; it is stuck somewhere in between and it is painfully obvious that no one knew how to get it out of there.

Grier looks good -- especially when she puts on the diving suit -- but anyone expecting to see more of her beautiful curves without clothes covering them will be gravely disappointed. This was apparently part of a long-term plan to slowly transform her into a mainstream star – replace the nudity with quality acting. At least in this film the plan did not work, but Grier should not be blamed for the failure. The script simply isn’t good enough and she is basically left to shine without anything of substance. (Here’s how bad the script is: One of the few memorable scenes in the entire film is actually a catfight before a group of wealthy snobs and their lackeys who are having a good time on a luxurious yacht).

There isn’t much of an atmosphere either. There are a couple of sequences where one could sense the rhythm of life in Louisville, but Girdler was not particularly interested in it. A couple of sequences where also shot in the Windy City.

The funky retro soundtrack manages to give the film quite a bit of the proper blaxploitation flavor. Barbara Mason is heard singing the very good “A Good Man is Gone”, “Sheba, Baby”, and “I am in Love With You”. All of the songs Mason sings were later on made available through Buddah Records.

Sheba, Baby Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, William Girdler's Sheba, Baby arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video.

During the daylight footage detail and clarity are consistently pleasing. Occasionally it is easy to see that brightness levels could have been balanced better -- and this is a limitation that is present on many older masters -- but there aren't any serious anomalies to report. During the indoor footage shadow definition also could be better, but the visuals remain rather well balanced. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Grain is visible throughout the entire film, but it is not always as well resolved as it should be. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors are stable and appear healthy; ideally, however, there should be a better range of nuances. Overall image stability is very good. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or torn frames. All in all, the film could look better in high-definition, but this is a stable and pleasing organic presentation that offers some good upgrades in many of the key areas we typically address in our reviews. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Sheba, Baby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity is better than depth, but the many small fluctuations are almost certainly part of the original sound design. Some of the most notable examples are during the mass outdoor scenes. The dialog is stable and easy to follow. There are no serious balance issues to report either. There are no pops, audio dropouts, distracting background hiss, or distortions.

Sheba, Baby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Sheba, Baby. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Gallery - a collection of stills and promotional materials for Sheba, Baby.

• Pam Grier: The AIP Years - in this brand new video piece, film historian Chris Poggiali takes a closer look at Pam Grier's body of work and specifically the films that defined her image during the '70s, as well as the evolution of the blaxploitation genre. The piece was filmed exclusively for Arrow Video in October 2015. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Sheldon, Baby - in this new video interview, producer and screenwriter David Sheldon discusses his time at AIP, the production history of Shiba, Baby (which was one of two films he made before he left AIP), his interaction with Samuel Z. Arkoff, and his professional relationship with director William Girdler. The interview was conducted exclusively for Arrow Video. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Audio Commentary One - in this audio commentary, producer and screenwriter David Sheldon explains how the script for Sheba, Baby came to exist and how the name of the film was chosen, and discusses his work for AIP prior to the shooting of the film, Pam Grier's presence in the film as well as in Coffy and Foxy Brown, his work with William Girdler (including a very unusual project about a group of pirates that was abandoned), etc. The commentary is moderated by Nathaniel Thompson from Mondo Digital.

• Audio Commentary Two - in this audio commentary, Patty Breen, webmaster of WilliamGirdler.com, discusses Pam Grier's relationship with AIP and the films she made for Samuel Z. Arkoff, Shiba, Baby and its reception (the PG rating apparently helped the film quite a lot), the film's visual style and its sound design, the great soundtrack, etc.

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Patty Breen's essay "Sheba, Baby" and technical credits. (2 min).

• Cover - reversible cover featuring original and commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips.

Sheba, Baby Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

William Girdler's Sheba, Baby should appeal only to hardcore fans of Pam Grier. It has a few bits that show the wilder side of its star, but next to such cult hits as Jack Hill's Coffy and Foxy Brown it feels like a weak experimental project. (And Sheba, Baby was in fact part of a big plan to slowly transform Grier into a mainstream star). Arrow Video's technical presentation of the film is good.