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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An early 70's must-see, January 13, 2000
After her younger sister dies (offscreen) of a drug overdose, surgical nurse and one-woman vigilante army Pam Grier sets out to punish those she believes responsible for her sister's addiction. Masquerading as a for-hire call girl, Coffy infiltrates the supposed hierarchy of the city's dope and sex trade in what starts as vengeance for her sister but turns into a crusade to rid the city of all its filth, murdering all along the way, from a small-time pimp and drug dealer (who gets his head blown off shortly after the opening credits) to her congressman lover, who turns out to have a piece of the action as well and is as corrupt as the rest of the bunch. Despite the sober description, this is not an "important" film per se; actually, it's pretty trashy, but fascinating when trying to examine who this movie is made for. I guess we're supposed to root for Coffy as she goes on her murder spree, but, as her "good cop" friend (who naturally is murdered before the end of the first reel) explains to her, the drug problem is already widespread, and who is ultimately to blame? Factor in also that our heroine is also asked to disrobe a number of times for the camera and act very promiscuously, and that instead of the "black heroes" that this genre supposedly provided to the minority audiences, we mostly get pimps, dealers, addicts, chauffeurs :)... At the end, we see Coffy, having recently snuffed out her boyfriend and dejectedly thrown her trusty shotgun on the floor in front of him, walking down a beach alone, almost certain to be picked up by the cops eventually (though the closing credits song proclaim Coffy as "a shining symbol of black pride")...Very cynical filmmaking and confusing stuff--the general message seems to be "everything and everyone around you is polluted--you can try to fight the system, but ultimately, you'll lose." How's that for uplifting the race? Strangely enough, I like this movie for all of its negatives and excesses, and it is an emblem of a time when "blaxploitation" producers and filmmakers were trying to tap into something different, however misguided; reflects a lot of backlash from the supposedly idealistic 60s. Incredible amounts of violence and gobs of gratuitous nudity in this one. A HEAVILY edited version of this was recently shown on TV with Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, who awkwardly tried to promote this stuff as quality Black Heritage cinema. Add some sleaze to your life and rent this one.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE Movie That Set the Style of 70s, December 23, 2001
All of Pam Grier movies in the 70s, "Coffy" is the most famous. She deserves it; watch this movie, and you see what so-called blaxploitation films are all about. The fast-paced "Coffy" starts with a dynamite opening, in which Pam's character Coffy lures her enemy into a nasty surprise, and she blows away poor fool's head with a shotgun literally. Then, her mission of eradicating drug racket goes on until a very bitter ending. There are actions, fighting, nudity, and battling girls at a party where Pam uses most unexpected weapon -- salad! Frankly they look rather bland by today's standard, but good soundtrack by Roy Ayres is still wonderful. Probably the most interesting thing about "Coffy" is its gorgeous 70s fashion: music, clothes, and hairstyle. even if you find its story a little stale, you never get tired of watching dresses, glasses, hats, and everything -- they are so big! And surprising thing is that the film to certain extent reflects the political condition of those days (see how a black congressman address a speech about drug issues among Afro-Americans). "Coffy" is one of the movies that set the style of the 70s. Those who are interested in that period should watch it (and the original "Shaft") once.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you Pam for a Blaxploitation classic!, October 3, 2006
Maxim magazine lists Coffy as number 7 on its list of the 50 best B-movies of all time, and there can clearly be no mistake about its status as a B-movie. Pam Grier shines in this hilarious action-packed blaxploitation flick where she first got her name as a 'black pin-up queen' during the early 70's. It is apparent after watching this film that no one remembers this for the bad-acting and dialogue, but for Pam Grier herself she is one mean sister.
This movie SCREAMS 'early 70's', from the afro wigs to the awesome outfits Coffy finds herself wearing whether it be at a gala for call girls or when she's undercover to kick some drug-dealer's nasty behind!
This brilliant film mixes comedy right in there with the action. From the campy catfight scenes when Coffy dumps a salad bowl onto a blonde girl's head, to when King George makes his first appearance and steps out of his car in his pimp outfit, complete right down to the feather in his hat!!! Just seeing Coffy smash a wine bottle on a table to defend herself against a crack head wielding a knife is riotous enough and also goes old school by putting razor blades in her hair!!! The action is fairly consistent. There are a lot of guns firing off and endless catfights.
But every time Coffy appears on screen and you just KNOW that some bad stuff is about to go down, you know that you're going to be taken for a fun ride! As I mentioned above, no one is watching this movie for an Oscar-nominated performance or even a decent soundtrack (the "Coffy" theme sung by the Gladys Knight & The Pips-wannabes halfway through the movie is timeless!!!) - You're there to be entertained... and entertained is what you'll get, guaranteed. This is one movie where you don't have to be drunk to enjoy it.
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