Pam Grier was never one to turn the other cheek; however, she might turn yours.<\/p>\n
Then again, one could expect no less from arguably cinema\u2019s first female action hero, who is best known for 1972\u2019s \u201cThe Big Bird Cage\u201d (produced by B-movie king\/Detroit native Roger Corman), 1973\u2019s \u201cCoffy\u201d and 1974\u2019s \u201cFoxy Brown\u201d\u2014 all Blaxploitation films.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were quite a few black males that had done work in this genre before me, but as soon as I stepped into the men\u2019s shoes, it became exploitation. This was from the conservative moment that didn\u2019t want me out of the kitchen, and wanted me barefoot and pregnant and wifey. When that happened, they called it \u2018Blaxploitation,\u2019\u201d said Grier, 64, of Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the skill and confidence to bring my background with me as part of the ongoing global women\u2019s movement that was happening all over the world. I just happened to be one of the first to bring it to film. And it resonated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grier will appear at the Redford Theatre in Detroit for its Pam Grier Film Festival Friday and Saturday (see sidebar). Although she\u2019s been to Detroit before, she\u2019s never been to the Redford and looks forward to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s gonna be great. I can\u2019t wait to see it. I love Detroit. I\u2019ve always considered Michigan a great state,\u201d said Grier. \u201cI want to be part of (Detroit\u2019s) rebuilding. It would be great to continue to show my films there\u2026 because Detroit has been such a dominating industrial force for so long in the world. To see it stop and now recover is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grier\u2019s place in cinematic history is without question. George Popovich, a film and drama professor at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, went a bit further, saying \u201cBlaxploitation films are genre films.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGenre films are predicated on the notion that the same type of film keeps getting made again and again until it no longer sells,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the genre to continue, it must adapt, change, and offer viewers a new take\u2026 Blaxploitation films represented a successful attempt to alter the formula of the low-budget B-film.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the Blaxploitation era ended, Grier appeared in small or supporting parts for a number of years, most notably 1981\u2019s \u201cFort Apache, The Bronx\u201d and \u201cAbove the Law.\u201d She had a recurring role on NBC\u2019s \u201cMiami Vice\u201d and guest-starred on many TV series, including \u201cThe Cosby Show,\u201d \u201cThe Fresh Prince of Bel Air,\u201d \u201cMartin,\u201d \u201cMad TV\u201d and \u201cCrime Story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her career experienced a revitalization in 1997 when director Quentin Tarantino cast Grier in the titular role of \u201cJackie Brown,\u201d an homage to her Blaxploitation roles and based on late Michigan author Elmore Leonard\u2019s novel \u201cRum Punch.\u201d Grier earned numerous award nominations for \u201cJackie Brown,\u201d including a Golden Globe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely adore Quentin. He\u2019s incredible\u2026 He\u2019s very observant and what he always says, I try to do better. When people do that for you, that\u2019s the greatest gift. If I never worked again, it was the pinnacle to work with (Quentin),\u201d said Grier.<\/p>\n
Added Popovich: \u201cTarantino did much to reboot the careers of stars like Grier (and John Travolta) with his films. He made these stars cool again\u2026 Grier paved the way for high-end female action stars, such as Angelina Jolie.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2004-09, Grier appeared as Kit Porter on Showtime\u2019s \u201cThe L Word\u201d \u2014 a drama about lesbians and their circle of friends in West Hollywood \u2014 where she was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to do \u2018The L Word\u2019 because I had no idea the discriminatory practices against the gay community. I didn\u2019t know they couldn\u2019t get benefits, insurance, or have children. You just assume that everyone is equal \u2014 and that\u2019s not true,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very extraordinary learning experience. I don\u2019t have gay-dar. I don\u2019t know who\u2019s gay \u2014 I don\u2019t care. People are people first. Nobody should have any right to stop people from whom they want to procreate with,\u201d explained Grier. \u201cI had people ask me if I was afraid to do \u2018The L Word\u2019 because I might turn gay. I said, \u2018No. Do you think I might turn into a horse because I hang around my horse?\u2019 It\u2019s really not catching. A third of our society is gay. Keep people ignorant and they\u2019ll create obstacles and civil unrest. I don\u2019t want to be ignorant; I need to know, I need to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
For three episodes, she played Amanda Waller, a hard-nosed government agent who oversees clandestine operations, on the Superman series \u201cSmallville.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved that character. I loved PLAYING her! The universe sent that role to me. I didn\u2019t have to look for it and I\u2019m like, \u2018Amanda Waller? Are you kidding me? I\u2019ll do it!\u2019\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n
Grier is currently filming the TV series \u201cBlack Hawk,\u201d which is slated to air in late 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink \u2018Homeland\u2019 and \u2018Strikeback\u2019 with a little flavah, a little spice,\u201d described Grier.<\/p>\n
Grier\u2019s as tough as her characters \u2014 she\u2019s had to be. She\u2019s been attacked three times in her life \u2014 as early as 6 when she was raped by two boys \u2014 and was diagnosed with cancer in 1988, where she was given 18 months to live.<\/p>\n
But Grier survived.<\/p>\n
All this was detailed in her 2010 autobiography, \u201cFoxy: My Life in Three Acts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEither I victimize myself or come out the other side. I won\u2019t let it knock me down. It didn\u2019t kill me. There are scares, but I\u2019ve learned from it and I can share that with others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m okay. It made me a better person\u2026 a stronger person. I\u2019ve had a boyfriend who said I was tainted. Do you see me unable to get out of bed? No, you see me vibrant, full of life\u2026 Life is too short. If I wake up and I\u2019m breathing, I\u2019m gonna have a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n
MORE INFO: <\/p>\n
The Pam Grier Film Festival at the Redford Theatre in Detroit<\/p>\n
On Friday and Saturday, actress Pam Grier will be appearing at the Redford Theatre, 17360 Lahser in Detroit. There, she will be speaking about three of her best-known films, arriving one hour before show times to meet fans and sign autographs. The following movies that will be shown are:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cCoffy\u201d will be screened Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $6.<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cFoxy Brown\u201d will be screened Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $6.<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cJackie Brown\u201d will be screened Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $6.<\/p>\n
There will also be a VIP event Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event includes dinner at the Old Redford Banquet Center (across from the Redford), an 8×10 autographed glossy photo, a special presentation by Grier and admission into \u201cJackie Brown\u201d with priority seating. Tickets cost $50. Seating is limited.<\/p>\n
To sign up for the VIP event or for questions\/further information, contact the Redford at (313) 333-0800 or go to www.redfordtheatre.com.