"A genre all by herself" (Voice), Pam Grier tacklesand shacklesher sleekest role yet as the feistier half of a pair of women in chains and on the run in this "colorful, outrageous and truly exciting" action flick (The Hollywood Reporter)! Grier is Lee Daniels, a prostitute doing hard time in an island prison camp for women where the guards have a new way to punish inmates who fight: by cuffing 'em together! Chained to her bitter rival, white revolutionary Karen (Margaret Markov), Lee finds herself literally linked to the revolutionary causeand on the flywhenKaren's guerrilla friends stage a coup! But this foxy inmate's got a cause of her own in the form of a secret stash of cold, hard cash and a getaway boat! Brawling with her white counterpart over which way to go, and tracked like a dog by guards, guerrillas and a gangster after the loot, she's gotta make her escapebefore both mamas' enemies bring them down for good!
Pam Grier in a women-in-prison movie? Why did no one think of this sooner? OK, they did. Several times. But this one is different. Black Mama, White Mama is a bizarre update of The Defiant Ones with a little Cool Hand Luke and Chained Heat thrown in for good measure. Grier stars as Lee Daniels, a pimp-and-drug-lord's moll who's looking for a way to escape both prison and her thug boyfriend. The dynamic Margaret Markov ably backs her as rich-girl-turned-revolutionary Karen Brent. The two meet in the friendliest Third World prison ever (Tickling games in the shower! What girlish fun!), and before you can say catfight they're chained together at the wrist. A quick prison break later, our feisty ladies are being chased all over the undefined tropical island by the police, revolutionaries, and dueling pimps. Director Jonathan Demme shares the story credit for this one, and his craftsmanship shows--Black Mama, White Mama hits every mandatory facet of the genre, including butt kicking, gunfire, an Evil Lesbian Prison Guard, gratuitously scanty clothing, and dressing up as nuns. Absolutely not to be missed. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Awesome!:
A shower scene in the first five minutes, cat-fights, lesbian prison guards, Pam Grier & Sid Haig; how is it possible that neither Jack Hill nor Roger Corman had anything to do with this movie? This movie is not really just a Women in Prison flick though as the two main characters spend most of the movie as escapees fleeing across an island from a crime-boss cowboy (Haig, in one of his best roles). I found this movie to be just as entertaining as anything from Roger Corman or Jack Hill (whom I'm a... more info
So bad it's not good !!!:
Blaxploitation, tough chick cinema, pam grier, 1970s. This is strange movie even for the 70's. I love Pam Grier for mamy reason, two I can think of right now, anyway. It lacked skin, as in all her flicks before, I think this might be one of shortcomins of this one. If you love Pam then it a must have for your collection.
Black Mama,White Mama.:
Remember seeing this couple years ago on one of the skin-a-max channels. Lots of Nudity and Cat Fight action, Cheesy stuff, but Good to watch. Pam Grier whether in a crappy movie or not is fun to watch.
Grier,Haig,Markov do what they do best.:
WIP hybrid action flick highly entertained me.Non-stop action as two women escapees fight crooked law and military goverment,battle mercenaries and join in a revolutionary war.If you like any of Pam Grier's starring roles,you will like this one,as it's just as good as any of the best 70's expoiltation action flicks.
