Friday Foster (1975)

Director:

Arthur Marks

Writers:

Orville H. Hampton (screenplay)
Arthur Marks (story)

Release Date:

1 August 1977 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Thank God - - It's Friday! She's out to score for more of what you love her for!

Plot:

Friday Foster, an ex-model magazine photographer, goes to Los Angeles International airport to photograph the arrival of Blake Tarr...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Photographer | Professional Hit | Washington D.C. | Political

Cast

Pam Grier	...	Friday Foster
Yaphet Kotto	...	Colt Hawkins
Godfrey Cambridge	...	Ford Malotte
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Blake Tarr
Eartha Kitt	...	Madame Rena
Jim Backus	...	Enos Griffith
Scatman Crothers	...	Noble Franklin
Ted Lange	...	Fancy Dexter
Tierre Turner	...	Cleve
Paul Benjamin	...	Sen. David Lee Hart
Jason Bernard	...	Charles Foley
Ed Cambridge	...	Lt. Jake Wayne (as Edmund Cambridge)
Julius Harris	...	Monk Riley
Rosalind Miles	...	Clorils Boston
Carl Weathers	...	Yarbro

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

"Friday Foster" was based on a newspaper comic strip that debuted January 18, 1970 by writer Jim Lawrence and artist Jorje Longeron. It was the first mainstream comic strip with a black lead character. The movie gives a "thank you" credit to Chicago Tribune Syndication which licensed the comic strip to newspapers. Ironically, by the time the movie was released in 1975, the comic strip was no more, having ended the previous year.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Madame Rena's fashion show, an assistant is frantically searching backstage for Cloris. The four models who are on stage at that time are also seen in the backstage shot.

Quotes:

Friday Foster: [to Blake] You treat a person like a person... and a woman like a woman.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jackie Brown: How It Went Down (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

FRIDAY

A Total HOOT! Yay Pam!

I don't understand all the negative reviews this film has received on this site--it's a total hoot. It may not have the story or grittiness of Coffy or Foxy Brown, but it has all the fun elements, and plenty of 'em. I watched Foxy Brown expecting a hilarious time capsule of black 70s style, slang, and b-grade action, and was surprised that it was actually a great movie. THIS is the movie I expected, and it is great just for being what it is.

My favorite scene of all is when Ted Lange (Isaac from Love Boat) drives up in his Cadillac, trying to persuade Friday to join his harem. Pam is hilarious in this scene, as is Lange, with his WONDERFUL speech about his ladies' fine clothes, ride, heavy blow, and best of all, they each have their own personal health and welfare plan! Then cut to the 'ladies,' who are THE skankiest trash you could imagine. Friday refuses, and Fancy says 'Well, at least you have to admit my sh*t is… HEEEEAAAAAAAVVVVVVYYYYYYY!' I'm sorry, who can resist this?

MINUTES after this we see Carl Weathers in his red-and-white plaid jacket with mirrored sunglasses! Then Chloris (friend of Friday's) throws MASSIVE shade at Friday for not running at her beck and call! Then Eartha Kitt delivers this speech about her new fashion collection, called 'the four seasons of S-E-X…. rrroooawwww!' As you can see the hits come fast and furious in this little gem.

Special mention must be made of the fashion show. Four women come out VERY dramatically, as this insipid music repeats its four-bar melody over and over and over. They never alter the expression on their faces, they engage in these vogue-type gestures that are stiff and ridiculous… after a certain point it becomes this sort of alien pantomime bearing no relation to anything human. Was this supposed, at one time, to be sexy? Is this what all our 'sexy' Britney's and co. will look like in 30 years? Take special note of the one in white--she looks like the creature from the black lagoon or that floating head from 'Zardoz,' and NEVER alters her living corpse expression.

Pam is great and fun as ever, and she has more to DO here than in Foxy Brown or Coffy, much as I love them. Here she plays more of a human with a sense of humor. There is also a parade of FIIIIINE-lookin' men ('You don't forget the fine-lookin' ones' says Friday), including Carl Weathers and Thalamus Rasulala.

There were also quite a few snappy little one-liners that went by so fast they're almost hard to catch. Anyway, not the best Pam Grier movie in terms of quality, but maybe the best in terms of fun, laughs, and just WAYYYY out-there 70s mojo.

--- Check out my website devoted to bad and cheesy movies: www.cinemademerde.com