Arrow Video Brings Another Pam Grier Blaxploitation Film to High Definition
Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: February 8, 2016 (UK) / February 9, 2016 (US)
Production Year: 1975
Region Code: ALL
Running Time: 1:29:41
Audio: English LPCM Mono
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH
THE FILM - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:
HOTTER ‘N’ COFFY MEANER ‘N’ FOXY BROWN!
Fresh off her career defining roles for Jack Hill in "Coffy" and "Foxy Brown," Pam Grier returned to pure Blaxploitation (after turns in Blaxploitation-horror and action), in cult filmmaker William Girdler’s (The Manitou, Abby) "Sheba, Baby."
Pam Grier plays Sheba Shayne, a private eye based in Chicago who is called to her hometown to stop the local mob boss (played by “that bad D’Urville Martin”, "Black Caesar," "Dolemite") from moving in on her father’s loan business. Aided by her father’s partner, Brick Williams (Austin Stoker, "Assault on Precinct 13," "Battle for the Planet of the Apes"), Sheba finds out that the violent thugs aren’t going go away with a fight. Car bombs, gun fights and boat chases ensue whilst armed with her curves, street smarts and a .44, Sheba is in for a bloodbath!
Pam Grier would appear in three Blaxploitation classics in 1975 (the others were "Bucktown" and "Friday Foster"), where she was at the top of her game and genre, with the Los Angeles Times calling her “cool, tough and glamorous – a female fantasy Wonder Woman”, further cementing her status as the first female action star.
I found "Sheba, Baby" to be lacking in excitement. I had never gotten around to watching the film before and I expected a badass character in a badass film. While Sheba was a tough woman and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and mix it up with anyone that got in her way, she could have been so much more. Well, being a PG Rated film certainly did not help in any way. Yes the film still contains a reasonable level of violence but you can almost sense a bolder film wanting to break free of its rating constraints and blow you away.
The film includes a number of moments where I wondered, am I supposed to be laughing right now because some characters came off as comedic or even buffoon-like in their performance. The whole scene at the car wash and leading up to it features one such character. I would imagine he was supposed to come off that way and there were some others but that one stood out the most to me.
It was nice seeing Austin Stoker in a supporting role and I thought he did a really fine job as Brick. Pam Grier did a nice job as well as the title character. It just would have been nice to see her be able to let loose some more vigilante justice on the bad guys. Plus of course she looked beautiful as always.
AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
This Blu-ray includes an English LPCM Mono audio track. English SDH Subtitles are also included. I found the audio to sound great. From the terrific score to an assortment of gun shots and of course the dialogue, it all sounded lively and of high quality. The audio had a good balance throughout and sound levels seemed to be fairly consistent. I did not encounter any problems with the audio on this release.
VIDEO - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
"Sheba, Baby" has come to Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video and is available in the U.S. thanks to distributor MVD Entertainment Group. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85 Aspect Ratio. The video looks good with strong colors which look nice with the variety of outfits Sheba wears throughout the film. As is often the case with older films, "Sheba, Baby" looks better in brighter scenes than those that are darker, with an uptick in detail and overall picture quality. Grain is a bit heavy at times but never to the point of becoming distracting to me although others may disagree since it is sometimes very noticeable. While the picture quality may not have that "wow factor" and could have benefited from a new master, most should be pleased with how well the film looks. Black levels are adequate but could be better. On the plus side the film is not hampered with damage in the way of white specks, spots or scratches and I did not notice any digital compression problems.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
Audio Commentary with producer-screenwriter David Sheldon, moderated by critic Nathaniel Thompson - A very technical commentary with Nathaniel Thompson keeping the conversation going with good questions when things get a little quiet. David Sheldon discusses several other films he worked on in his career like "Abby" and "Grizzly." He also speaks highly of Pam Grier, noting how pleasant she was to work with and her excellent work ethic. American International Pictures or AIP is also talked about during the commentary. A number of other cast and crew members are also discussed to varying degrees. If you like commentaries and/or are a fan of the film, I recommend listening to this and actually the second commentary track as well as I really enjoyed both of them.
Audio Commentary with Patty Breen - Miss Breen operates the website williamgirdler.com so if you would like more information on the man who directed this film, please take a look at her website. This was a great commentary! Besides learning a lot about the film and its production, Patty Breen points out numerous things on the screen from notable connections to other films to mistakes that occur throughout the movie. Sometimes there are commentary tracks where you can just sort of let it play while you do other things. This is not one of them. You want to be watching the film as scene specific information is talked about.
Sheldon, Baby (15:16) - In this video interview, shot exclusively for Arrow Video, producer and screenwriter David Sheldon discusses "Sheba, Baby" and his working relationship with director William Girdler. Mr. Sheldon also speaks about some other projects such as "Devil Times Five" and "Grizzly."
Pam Grier: The AIP Years (11:54) - Film historian Chris Poggiali discusses Pam Grier's wonder years with a focus on her work for AIP. This featurette was filmed for Arrow Video in October 2015. Apparently Pam Grier started off at AIP as a switchboard operator before being noticed by Roger Corman and his brother Gene. Mr. Poggiali talks about a number of her films such as "Cleopatra Jones," "Coffy," and "Friday Foster."
Trailer (1:54)
Gallery - Still gallery of promotional images.
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
Booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by Patty Breen, webmaster of WilliamGirdler.com, illustrated with archive stills and posters
IN CONCLUSION:
This Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack from Arrow Video features superior audio and video and includes several extras with two great commentary tracks among them. Pam Grier fans will no doubt want to add this to their collection.
OVERALL RATING - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
