#a.i.p

Nurse by day, ball busting vigilante by night, Coffy (Pam Grier) is a force to be reckoned with. You don’t get more badass than this babe. Out to avenge her sister Lubelle Coffin, Coffy sets out to bring down the drug gangs that lure young girls into heroin and prostitution. Gangs she blames for giving Lubelle a drug habit when she was just eleven years old.

Coffy’s quest sees her infiltrate the gang from the inside, by posing as top class hooker Mystique fresh in from Jamaica; taking her into the clutches of pimp, King George (Robert DoQui). He is eager to make her part of his harem: Such is the power of her disguise Coffy quickly becomes one of the main events in the smorgasbord of fantasy delights offering their sexual services through King George’s organisation. The choice to go native, and her arrival at George’s pad comes much to the disgust of his ‘old lady’ Meg (Linda Haynes), who would like to consider herself queen of the food chain as far as George is concerned. George has other plans and this causes tension in the household as the two women go head to head jostling to be number one. But when mob boss Arturo Vitrioni (Allan Arbus) becomes aware the newcomer is an imposter- and that she is romantically linked with local politician Howard Brunswick (Booker Bradshaw) (a man who has openly declared war on the drug corruption he contributes to being brought into black communities via unscrupulous white crime lords)-, the question becomes has our heroine bitten off more than she can chew here?

American International Pictures cycled through a bunch of drive-in money spinners during their reign as American producers and distributors of low-budget film throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The company covered just about anything and everything that fell into the remit of horror and exploitation-from sci-fi schlock, to luxurious gothic; via plenty of seventies sleaze, cheesy beach party movies, sixties psychedelia and all manner of B grade action and horror.

When it comes to Blaxploitation specifically, A.I.P were quick to realise the potential in the subgenre and tried to meet the market demand with their own take on the theme; following the success of outside independent forerunners such as Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), and Shaft (1971). A.I.P’s freeform approach to the genre brought about some interesting results. For instance the twinning of horror and Blaxploitation themes in the genre busting Blacula (1973) provided an innovative cross-over of ideas that worked in perfect unison and spawned an entire spin-off subgenre of Blaxploitation Horror to burst forth from the A.I.P cannon.

Jack Hill’s Coffy was every bit as diverse as Blacula had proved to be previously. Although the film returned to ‘traditional’ themes, the choice to have a female lead in a typically male role, was ground breaking for the time. The success of the picture lies in Hill’s ingenuity to place a very strong female character centre stage and Pam Grier’s solid performance as the titular Coffy that works to pull it all off. Hill’s career previous to working on Coffy, had already demonstrates the director’s proclivity for female fronted roles at the head of his pictures. Hill had worked with actress Grier already, in notable W.I.P films, The Big Doll House (1971) and The Big Bird Cage (1971); apparently spotting her potential from the outset. Hill has waxed lyrical in many interviews on how he ‘discovered’ the actress while she was working as a receptionist for A.I.P.

Blaxploitation, and indeed the wider remit of exploitation and action film, was chocked with (what were seen as) bankable male stars in the early seventies. Pam matched her male counterparts as an equal on her own terms, creating a new trend and opening up the playing field for a future generation of women working in genre film. This is one of the reasons why her legacy remains so important to the field of both exploitation and Blaxploitation cinema. Hill had envisioned Coffy as a vehicle for the actress to showcase her talents as a sole lead, and rightfully it has gone on to be considered one of her overall career highlights so far, as well as leading her to the (unofficial) sequel Foxy Brown (1974) which was also helmed by Hill; although he has stated on record of the two, it is Coffy he prefers; outlining the reason for this is that he felt he had more input into the final product than he did on the second act.

But then Pam Grier was made to play this type of role- a strong, feisty, independent woman; intelligent, spewing just the right amount of attitude, in charge of her own sexuality and perfectly aware of how to own and use it to get what she wants. Grier’s performance personifies female strength, and never once loses the sense of humanity or femininity. She displays vulnerability, and human emotion in amongst the rage fuelled butt kicking for her part here, to spellbinding effect. The actress isn’t afraid to get naked when she needs to either, and is able to pack a double barrelled shotgun like a pro. What more could you ask for in a female action hero? It is no wonder the role spawned an entire generation of similarly female focused roles, but if you ask me, Coffy still remains unrivalled for being the first and the very best of its kind.

Ultimately the film is a hell of a lot of fun. Apart from Grier marching from scene to scene inflicting her wrath on a low-lives and criminals, wrestling with beefy lesbians, or brawling with a room full of scantily clad hookers, there are some colourful and highly entertaining characters to behold. Robert DoQui’s King George- “George, George, George, they call him Mr Cool, don’t play him for a fool”- and his penchant for weird fashion- that has him looking like an escaped villager from The Prisoner series (bizarre cape and all)- is a veritable highlight. As is Jack Hill favourite Sid Haig, appearing this time as mob boss henchman, Omar. The plot races from scene to scene, never really letting go of the tempo. With Grier stealing every frame she appears in. Hill knows how to pack a punch when delivering his key themes- portioning in the right amount of blood and boobs to ease things along-, and does so with the same spirit of fun that can be found running through the bulk of his exploitation oeuvre.

To top it all off we have a fantastic array of unique seventies fashion and the most delicious Roy Ayer funkadelic soundtrack to boot. The film stands as testament to just why Pam Grier rules as one of the most iconic women of seventies independent film. One woman, lots of ass kicking, and some of the best lines to spawn from A.I.P’s short but sweet dalliance with Blaxploitation, Coffy becomes THE definitive female seventies action flick under the skilled hand of director Jack Hill and a must buy for all fans of retro exploitation cinema.

Arrow’s newly restored Blu-ray edition comes with the following specs and extra content. Check out their official site here for more details.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

Restored High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation, on Blu-ray for the first time in the world!

Original uncompressed mono PCM audio

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Audio commentary by writer-director Jack Hill

A Taste of Coffy – A brand new interview with Jack Hill

The Baddest Chick in Town! – A brand new interview with Pam Grier on Coffy and its follow up, Foxy Brown

Blaxploitation! – A video essay by author Mikel J. Koven (Blaxploitation Film) on the history and development of the genre

Original theatrical trailer

Image Gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

Booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Cullen Gallagher and a profile of Pam Grier by Yvonne D. Sims, author of Women in Blaxploitation, illustrated with archive stills and posters

The Story.

Aging spinster Mickey is a fickle woman. Determined to escape her biological reality, she surrounds herself with the company of beautiful young people- using her immense wealth, and possibly a little bit of witchy wonder, to keep them there by her side. Catch her on a good day she will pander to your every dream; dare defy the mistress of the manor and there will be trouble. But then who could resist living a life of luxury and decadence if it means paying lip service to the crone’s ego every once and a while? Tom does more than this. He truly believes he loves Mickey. As her favourite pet he gets more than his fair share of attention. He is granted access to the inner sanctum, the mistresses’ bed, but not to what he really wants, which is her heart. Then one day the young Vicar’s daughter Jane arrives to deliver a puppy and the spell is broken for Tom. Suddenly he sees what he has been looking for in the eyes of someone his own age. Now he knows what he wants, he just has to convince Mickey to let him leave. A simple task maybe? Well you see, no one ever gets to leave Mickey, well not alive anyway.

Cast and Crew.

Interestingly this film is the one and only directorial credit for well-known actor Roddy McDowall. It’s a complete mystery why he didn’t go on to do more films, because for an debut feature there is some vision here; especially in some of the compositions involving the ensemble cast in and around the central manor house; the mood, the atmosphere, and the slow burn pace which demonstrates thoughtfulness in dealing with the material.

For the cast we have Ava Gardner in the lead role of Michaela Cazaret- or simply Mickey- the type of woman people never say no to. This was a late role for the former A-lister, and one that she gives her all to. Even though the actress was in the later stages of her career she still appears every bit the glamourous star too. Her appearance is a real highlight for the piece, and it is Gardner’s strong performance that keeps the tone with two feet firmly on the ground. There is much potential for over the top melodrama in the plotline, thankfully the nuanced performance from the leading lady steers everything in the right direction.

Ian McShane- a young but looking the same as he usually does, Ian McShane- is left to fill the boots of love interest Tom. He does so adequately, although he lacks the charisma of his co-star Gardner and it is difficult to fathom exactly what she sees in him at times. Stephanie Beacham takes the role of the somewhat prim and proper Vicar’s daughter Jane. Her ponytailed hair and wide eyed performance are a far cry away from her usual assertive and strong characters. But the actress rises to the challenge nevertheless.

Less can be said for Madeline Smith or Joanna Lumley who reside among the bulk of the ‘beautiful people’ gathered at Mickey’s home. Lumley pops up with the odd line in her unmistakeable plum laced drawl. Smith also has little to do either, and on that note the two are wholly wasted, even if they look right for their consecutive parts.

Cyril Cusack- father of actresses Sinead and Niamh- takes the role of Jane’s father, the Vicar. Again he doesn’t have a large scope for his role, but puts in a solid turn anyway. Cyril’s daughter Sinead also pops up in the wider cast. As does 70’s Brit star Jenny Hanley.

Production.

As far as British thrillers go- although this is a British/American co-production (through A.I.P) strictly speaking- Tam -Lin aka The Ballad of Tam-Lin, The Devil’s Widow or The Devil’s Woman is none too shabby as far as the production values go. The film boasts the look and feel of something much bigger than it is. Oscar winning cinematographer Billy Williams (Ghandi (1982), On Golden Pond (1981), Women in Love (1969)) has a lot to do with establishing such a strong ambience and at times, striking composition.

  Highs and Lows.

Tam- Lin, as well as being relatively obscure, is one of those films that seems impossible to peg down to an exact sub-genre. If you had to mark out its boundaries occult thriller would most likely be the best fit; I should say it is occult-flavoured, because the fact is nothing is exactly clear. There is an ambiguity there which will either enthral you, or drive you insane- either way this isn’t your straight up common garden British thriller. The film takes an incredibly long time to build to any sort of conclusion, when it does I would argue it is worth the pay off. But if you are looking for definitive answers, you will not find them. Instead Tam- Lin is very much the mood piece that will linger in the corners of your mind. Confusing, beguiling, thought-provoking, and highly sophisticated, Tam- Lin sucks you in and leaves you dangling. Whether you enjoy that completely depends on your patience threshold.

Part of the confusion comes from the initial set-up; a narrator relays the folklore legend of Tam Lin who is rescued by his true love from the clutches of the Queen of the Fairies. It is insinuated- in a very, very subtle way- that Mickey, our leading lady, has some relation to this evil queen as the story starts to weave its wicked web. There is also no escaping the relationship between the name Tam- Lin and Ian McShane’s character Tom. While if you look into the legend the plot does follow a very similar structure- although there are different versions, they all follow a similar flow. The idea of a fantasy world is downplayed here however, in favour of a more realistic foundation. Viewers are left to question whether the character of Mickey has supernatural powers, and whether she has managed to defy the aging process through the use of the dark arts. Do her cohorts stay there of their own accord, or is it the shiny baubles she offers them that make them hang around? Further still, is it something else? Something magical? One thing is for sure when Mickey wants to turn she gives a nasty bite, making her quite the bunny boiler supreme- if she wants to be of course. We also have an essence of the cult leader, the powerful figure who is able to coerce through bribery, and control, making the psychological implications of the plot fascinating on that level. As well as the sub-text surrounding the fear of aging and death, and the limits people will go to escape that. Even though everything tip-toes along- in a fairly predictable direction- the feeling of uneasy dread that builds, is what gets you- the confusion working to keep you locked into the narrative. Again though, this is the type of film you need to be in the right frame of mind for, one you need to absorb. If you are looking for action, there is very little. What there is, is worth waiting for. Also be advised, even though this is an early seventies thriller with a scent of the horrific, it also lacks the nudity and/or a blood factor of its associated peers.

What makes the film is a number of facets, including the strong script which ensures the proceedings never veer into that well know arena of retro British camp. The performances support this tone; Gardner, especially in the leading role as Mickey puts in a blinding performance- vain, nasty, sadistic on some level, that’s one hell of the woman you don’t want to get on the wrong side of. But on the other hand she also allows softer, vulnerable aspects of the character shine through, and becomes almost childlike during certain moments. We also have a beautiful cinematography to consider. Tam- Lin isn’t a film that relies on opulent period sets, or an attempt to bury its message in special effects. It’s told quite simply- bar one scene with a ropey fire effect. There are moments of the psychedelic that pop up during the closing act that add in a nice tone of nightmarish macabre. Other than that the film has a fresh, slick, retro-fashion cool look which infuses the organic folky feel of lush countryside settings to make something quite strange in its atmosphere. The final piece that brings it together is the spectacular score by British folk/jazz outfit Pentangle- credited as The Pentangle here. The music bounces around between dreamy New Wave of British folk ballads and some rousing sleaze tinged jazz. It’s really something, and not quite like anything else from its time or place.

Verdict: One for the patient. What Tam- Lin lacks on shocks it makes up for in tone and atmosphere. Worth seeking out for whensomething with a thoughtful edge and chilling slow burn is called for.