Grace Jones is truly a force of nature; a conqueror of both the music and film industries (with varying degrees of success). We’ve picked out some of Grace’s most notable roles for this feature looking at her eclectic cinematic career – we’re talking from mainstream Hollywood to co-starring in trashy horrors with Tim Curry. There’s also the helpful ‘Grace Scale’ – a new technological breakthrough to tell you if it’s worth seeing for Grace.
STRYX (1978)
Plot: Stryx is an obscure Italian TV series revolving around hell and the underworld set in the middle ages. It features a mix of period drama and camp musical performances.
Verdict: Stryx is just bizarre, it has incredibly sinister undertones, that suddenly cut to over-the-top musical performances. The musical interludes are worth watching if you are a fan of any of the performers, but the drama sections are a mystery – I’m unsure of how to interpret the combination of dwarves and geese.
Floppage:
This piece of bizarre television is not widely available on DVD but several of Grace (and co-star Amanda Lear’s clips are on Youtube). The series caused a great deal of controversy, due to the controversial content and was cancelled six episodes in.
Grace-Scale: 2.5 Graces – This is sheer madness, combining the 70’s disco craze with Hell. Click here to see one of Grace’s performances (Warning: She does attempt to kiss a monkey). “Grace, you dirty devil!” 
SHAKA ZULA: THE CITADEL (2001)
Verdict: Stryx is just bizarre, it has incredibly sinister undertones, that suddenly cut to over-the-top musical performances. The musical interludes are worth watching if you are a fan of any of the performers, but the drama sections are a mystery – I’m unsure of how to interpret the combination of dwarves and geese.
Floppage:
This piece of bizarre television is not widely available on DVD but several of Grace (and co-star Amanda Lear’s clips are on Youtube). The series caused a great deal of controversy, due to the controversial content and was cancelled six episodes in.
Grace-Scale: 2.5 Graces – This is sheer madness, combining the 70’s disco craze with Hell. Click here to see one of Grace’s performances (Warning: She does attempt to kiss a monkey). “Grace, you dirty devil!”
CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984)
Plot: Slightly more mainstream, Grace appeared in this sequel to Conan The Barbarian alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, in this tale of rag-tag adventurers rescuing a princess.
Verdict: Better than the first (which is not saying much) purely for Grace’s appearance as Zula a warrior thief. She’s overacts completely, which is wonderful to watch – just check out this scene where she talks about attracting men. She’s also terrifyingly convincing in the fight scenes – buffer than Arnie.
Floppage: Minor success, although never reached the same financial heights are it’s predecessor.
Grace-Scale: 3.0 Graces – “Grace in Your Face”
Floppage: Minor success, although never reached the same financial heights are it’s predecessor.
Grace-Scale: 3.0 Graces – “Grace in Your Face”
A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
Plot: James Bond faces a mad industrialist who plans to destroy Silicon Valley.
Verdict: My personal favourite of Grace’s performances – she plays downright evil superbly well and the complete Paris sequence in the film featuring Grace & Roger Moore is one of the Bond series’ finest moments. Of course, seeing Jones paired with the equally terrifying Christopher Walken was a cinematic dream team also. And I’m sutr many fans of Roger Moore, may have read his autobiography where he discusses taking a love toy into the pair’s sex scene to give Grace a little fright.
Floppage: Financial success but mixed critical reaction.
Grace-Scale: 5.0 Graces – “La Vie En Grace!”
Floppage: Financial success but mixed critical reaction.
Grace-Scale: 5.0 Graces – “La Vie En Grace!”
VAMP (1986)
Plot: Two young frat boys end up in a bar populated by vampires whilst on the hunt for a stripper.
Verdict: Clearly an inspiration to Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn, this is a tongue-in-cheek is great fun with some genuine laughs and some chills. Grace manages to be sexy and completely terrifying at the same time as she hams it up as the Vampire Leader, Katrina.
Floppage: Negative critical reception and minor financial success, however, has become a firm cult favourite.
Grace-Scale: 4.0 Graces – “Grace of Spades!”
Floppage: Negative critical reception and minor financial success, however, has become a firm cult favourite.
Grace-Scale: 4.0 Graces – “Grace of Spades!”
BOOMERANG (1992)
Plot: Eddie Murphy stars as a hotshot advertising executive, as well as a constant womanizer. Once he meets his new boss, who acts like a female version of himself, he decides to change his ways.
Verdict: Grace has a small role but is completely hilarious when she does appear and demands that Eddie Murphy tends to her “pussy”
Floppage: Box office success, making $131m on a $42m budget.
Grace-Scale: 4 Graces. “Gracefully after some action.”
Floppage: Box office success, making $131m on a $42m budget.
Grace-Scale: 4 Graces. “Gracefully after some action.”
WOLF GIRL (2001)
Plot: We’re now entering stranger territory with this low budget horror about a girl with a rare genetic order, who travels to a freak show.
Verdict: Grace or her co-star Tim Curry, don’t feature too heavily which is somewhat disappointing for fans watching for them (which is likely to be 90% of viewers). However, Grace brings some light to the proceedings with a musical number as Christoph/Christine – the he/she. Otherwise it’s slightly forgettable generic horror.
Floppage: TV Movie – generally slammed by critics and viewers.
Grace-Scale: 2 Graces – “Graceful-transgender-antics!”
Grace-Scale: 2 Graces – “Graceful-transgender-antics!”
SHAKA ZULA: THE CITADEL (2001)
Plot: Lackluster sequel to Shaka Zulu featuring a slave trader in Africa.
Verdict: We love the Hoff but when he’s in a leading role – you know this is a hot mess of a film. Grace is more toned down than her usual performances, but disappears fairly soon on. It’s watchable, but stick to the original 1986 miniseries.
Floppage: Tv Movie – Panned!
Grace-Scale: 1 Grace – “This ain’t too grace”.
Floppage: Tv Movie – Panned!
Grace-Scale: 1 Grace – “This ain’t too grace”.
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