Get Christie Love!

I recently watched Get Christie Love! (1974) on Prime. This TV movie, which later launched a television series by the same name, follows a charismatic police detective in search of her next big break. She believes she's found it when she uncovers clues leading to a drug lord. Can she bring down the drug lord and finally gain recognition for her work?

Directed by William A. Graham (Return to the Blue Lagoon), the film stars Teresa Graves (That Man Bolt), Harry Guardino (The Enforcer), Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives), and Darlene Conley (The Bold and the Beautiful),

Set in the heart of the blaxploitation era, alongside the peaks of icons like Pamela Grier and the Cleopatra Jones pictures, "Get Christie Love!" aligns with the content of its time. Graves, though strikingly beautiful, delivers an inconsistent performance, and her fight scenes lack authenticity, failing to resonate, especially when facing male opponents. In comparison to Grier, she falls short. Additionally, the film lacks compelling car chases and shootouts, with a notably poorly executed "fall" scene adding to its flaws.

In conclusion, Get Christie Love! Boasts a beautiful lead actress but little else. I would rate it a 4/10 and recommend it solely to dedicated blaxploitation enthusiasts.

I really find it offensive that this site said she "ruined her career" by turning down roles due to religious views. MORE black people needed to do the same so perhaps we still wouldn't be playing prostitutes, gang members, tough cops, scared comic relief aside white actors, and buffoons. She had hire morals and this site calls that a negative? So her infamous comment of the word "nigger" is positive? I am proud of this lady and her courage to NOT play negative roles. WHAT can ANYONE say against that? In todays times it is clear that many actors such as chris Tucker, play the typical scared black man roles, or even greats like richard prior took degrading roles in movies, never playing the brains till eddie murphy gave him the chance, but alas, eddie played the joke next to the white actor when he started off as well with nick nolte. So I feel Ms graves is a hero for black actors and actresses. Better to NOT work than play a pimp... Like the classic movie "hollywood shuffle" so aptly put it, "there is work at the post office"

Christie Love's friends, enemies, and co-workers live in an alternate-reality world that attempts to depict Los Angeles in the early 1970's. Not the way it really was, but the way the scriptwriters wanted it to be. Along the way, expect Ms Love to blatantly flip off her boss and get away with it, for him to make advances to her when there's no apparent chemistry, and for her to behave like Superwoman "with emotions". One of the bad guys simply lets himself be flipped out an upper-story window. It doesn't matter that he weighs over twice what she does, if you look closely enough, he's actually helping her. What a guy! Did I say that almost everyone she knows in this movie dies? Ms. Graves also appears to be in a contest with everyone else to see who can be the worst actor. It's fun watching who's worse, it pays to actually have a scorecard. You can rank Harry Guardino first for the bad opening, and then keep notes from there.

This movie actually succeeds in points, despite itself. They put a bit of money into it, there are some good production values - I mean the now-vintage cars sometimes project better than the humans, but hey, the scale I'm using refers to television, not the cinema. You won't be crying with the actors as much as laughing at them, but you won't be turning this show off, either.

I had no trouble with the volume on my copy. But, at two DVD's for a dollar in my local supermarket, I don't feel ripped off either.

Blaxploitation flicks were very popular in the early 70's. "Get Christie Love!" was a watered-down TV movie version of this genre about a female detective. It was also turned into a short lived TV series ('74-'75). It's star, Teresa Graves was the first black actress to have a one hour television series. She was featured on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", appeared in some films, & was a member of the pop group The Doodletown Pipers. She also released a self-titled solo album in 1970 (songs included "Everybody's Talking'", "My Cherie Amour", "Hey Jude", & "A Time For Us" among others). In the TV movie, Christie is tracking down a drug dealer's ledger. She knocks out the bad guys with her large handbags & karate chops them unconscious. This cartoon aspect of the movie was later toned down in the TV show. I was about 14 when the series was on the air, & it was shown at the same time as the popular "Police Woman" with Angie Dickinson, which never made any sense to me. I liked both shows, so I alternated between them each week. This time slot may have added to it's downfall. (Purchase this on VHS, because the cheapo DVD's that are floating around out there, so far, are atrocious!)

"Get Christie Love!" is included in many DVD packages along with "TNT Jackson", and the two films do have a lot of things in common: most importantly, they both have black female action leads who have the right attitude for their roles down pat, but their actual fight scenes leave a lot to be desired. "Get Christie Love" doesn't have nearly as much action as "TNT Jackson", but Teresa Graves is a better actress than Jeanne Bell, and (in my opinion at least) prettier as well. However, this film is hurt by the flat direction, a dreary pace and an uninteresting plot that wastes far too much time with an investigation about an adopted kid. And I have to agree with a previous reviewer, the DVD transfer is pretty bad. You turn the volume almost all the way up and you still can't listen to the dialogue clearly. (**)