Get Christie Love

Buy This Item Get Christie Love by Leisure Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $4.99  on 11-24-2008     Starring Theresa Graves, <I>Get Christie Love!</I> is a tame TV-movie imitation of early 1970s female blaxploitation films such Pam Grier's <I>Coffy</I> (1973) and <I>Foxy Brown</I> (1974). With a low budget and content sanitized to network standards, this is lightweight stuff about an undercover cop determined to smash a drug ring. Nevertheless the movie was popular enough to spawn a short-lived TV show and is significant for being the first time a black woman took the title role in any American network production. Tarantino completists may be interested, as he paid homage to Christie Love in the dialogue of <I>Reservoir Dogs</I> (1991). <I>--Gary S. Dalkin</I> Reader Reviews That quote was also spoken in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary). This is a reasonably moderate slice of blaxploitation that is apparently the pilot of a short lived TV series. I didn't know that at the time, but it makes a lot of sense now. It concerns the typically foxy, spirited black woman who, this time, is a cop. There is a small point of interest in that, because this was on television, it was probably required that she be a cop, that is, on the side of official "decency," as opposed to being a street vigilante or average woman moved to take the law into her own hands. But be aware that that point of interest is not actually IN the movie. This movie does stand out a little bit because it was based on a novel, and as such it actually has characters, an attempt at a subtext, and a somewhat decent story. Christie is a hip and tough detective who portrays prostitutes in order to bring killers to justice. In her first confrontation, she seems terrified, and goes on a long time begging for her life before she finally karate-chops the guys'.....A... butt. Well, why did she wait so long? There is also a small point of scandal when a guy she refuses calls her "ni$$er," and she come back with: "Ni$$er lover." And this was on TV! Eventually the story proper starts and Christie is deployed to get close to Helena, the girlfriend of a wanted drug dealer. There is a lot of subtext given lip service about how Christie and Helena share similar backgrounds and "are the same person," but it is not developed at all. But Christie's character is surprisingly developed; she's very bold, sassy, in-your-face in a somewhat friendly way, and style. Teresa Graves does look like Whitney Houston and ironically Whitney was suppose to do the remake for "Get Christie Love" under Danny's Devito's Jersey films production in the late 90's, what happen after that nobody really knows. For those who are interested check out some of her clips on this site. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAVQXNeIrgg On the side Note: 'Get Christy Love' ran only one season, from September 1974 to June 1975 on ABC. Because of low audience numbers, the series went through an overhaul midseason when Glen Larson (Battlestar Galactica - Razor (Unrated Extended Edition)) took over as producer and Christy was assigned to a new gruff boss played by Jack Kelly. There weren't many notable guest stars seen during the series, but Graves' former Laugh-in buddies Arte Johnson, Jo Anne Worley, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson, Gary Owens and Johnny Brown guest starred on one of the January, 1975 episodes. Graves was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Get Christie Love. After the series ended, Graves costarred in several TV-movies (like the campy with David Niven 'Old Dracula" aka:'Vampira') in the early-seventies. In the early-eighties, Teresa Graves receded from the spotlight and was rarely seen on screen again. She died on October 9, 2002 at age 53 due to a fire in her Hyde Park (LA) apartment. A faulty space heater sparked the blaze. RIP Ms. Graves.

Get Christie Love Available from Amazon Price: $4.99 Updated on 11-24-2008.

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