Foxy Brown (1974 film)

Foxy Brown is a blaxploitation film from 1974, written and directed by Jack Hill. Its 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. Foxy Brown was meant to be a sequel to Coffy, but changes were made in the script as director Hill was advised that sequels weren't in at the time.

The film's songs were written and performed by Willie Hutch, and a soundtrack album was released on Motown Records in 1975.

Plot

Foxy Brown, a sexy African American woman, seeks revenge when her government-agent boyfriend is shot down by The Man, vowing revenge on the pushers and pimps that have ruled her community. She links her boyfriend's murderers to a modeling agency run by the campy villains of 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 African American woman from a life of drugs and sexual internment. This leads Foxy to a variety of revenge-themed setpieces -often violent and sexual- that range from the cremation of sexual-slavemasters to the castration and presentation of a foe's genitals.

Influence

Foxy Brown is one of the most influential blaxploitation films; Pam Grier's character often considered 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 (1997)
Urban Legend (1998)
Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
Bones (2001)
Undercover Brother (2002)
House of the Dead (2003)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2003)

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 is unique in its establishment of pushers and pimps as villains. Until Foxy Brown, the blaxploitation genre often housed empathy for the social positions of such individuals. A remake of the film, starring Halle Berry, is scheduled for release in 2006. See Foxy Brown (2006 film).

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