Thursday Movie Picks: Character Name in Title

Happy 2018, just in case I didn't wish it to you already. Thursday Movie Picks, hosted once again by our fearless leader in exploring the fourth day of the work week, Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. She's got lots of great topics lined up for us to play with, starting with this one. We're talking movies with a character's name in the title. I was going to go the super easy route and just pick out three Batman titles and call it a day. I couldn't start the year like that. I needed something more...um...Dell. Looking back through my recent picks for TMP, I've been playing it pretty straight. Being more Dell, means at least trying to go with a theme within the theme. You know what? The most beautiful woman in the history of the Delliverse, other than Mrs. Dell...and Nia Long, of course, starred in a bunch of movies in which her character's name serves as the title. I'm talking none other than Pam Grier. Before posting any of those, I realized I used most of them at one time or another for TMP. However, the train of thought that brought me to the mercy of Ms. Grier's considerable womanhood led me here...

Cleopatra Jones

(1973)

Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson), Cleo for short, travels the world as a supermodel, Jack. But that's just a cover for her real gig, ya dig? No? Then peep this, she does the James Bond thing for Uncle Sam, bustin' up big drug cartels and whatnot.Yeah man, she even got a bad ride - a brand new, '73 Corvette Stingray, silver and black - look mean when it come 'round the corner. To be honest, I don't even know he she fit in that thang, this babe stands 'bout 6'2." Anyway, she done messed with the wrong one. She took out a whole poppy field that belongs to Mommy (Shelley Winters), the baddest druglord out there. And Mommy wants some get-back.

(Oddity to watch for: Shelley Winters as the oversexed lesbian druglord)

TNT Jackson

(1974)

Listen, that Neeson dude ain't the only one with a particular set of skills. This chick, Diana Jackson (Jeannie Bell) - that's what her mama call 'er but we call 'er TNT, showed her stuff 30 years before that. Her brother went missing all the way the hell over in Hong Kong. Don't know what that jive turkey doin' way over there anyhow, but TNT ain't ask no questions. She just got her ass on the first thang smokin' and starts whuppin' all sortsa ass - black, white, AND Chinese - makes no difference to her, ya get where I'm coming from? (Full Review)

(Oddity to watch for: Star Jeannie Bell was only the second African-American Playmate of the Month in the history of Playboy magazine - RIP Hef; possibly the greatest continuity error of all-time)

Velvet Smooth

(1976)

So this dude I know got somebody musclin' in on his territory, but he's not sure who. You know he can't go to the pigs, so he hires this lady PI, Velvet Smooth (Johnnie Hill) to check things out for him. Next thing you know, she got big, rough-lookin' dudes comin' at her from every angle you can think of. But that don't phase her 'cuz she's a baaaaaaad mother (Shut yo' mouth!)...I'm just tallkin''bout Smooth, baby.

(Oddity to watch for: some of the worst fight choreography ever featuring henchmen who wear Hannibal Lecter-like masks)