Quentin Tarantino named the lead character “Jackie Brown” as a tribute to Foxy Brown –one of his favorite movies, which also starred Pam Grier and director Jack Hill, who directed Foxy Brown and Coffy, also one of Tarantino’s favorite movies (and another that starred Grier).
The font style used for Jackie Brown is identical to the font used on the theatrical posters for Foxy Brown (1974).
One name on the tenant list for Melanie’s apartment building is “S. Haig”, a reference to Sid Haig, who previously appeared in several 70s Blaxploitation films with Pam Grier (usually as a low life character) got cast in the role of the judge that sentences Jackie to prison. Another is J. Hill, a reference to Jack Hill, the director of the exploitation films Sid Haig and Pam Grier starred in.
The opening credits music is the alternate title theme to the 1971 Blaxploitation film Across 110th Street.
When Jackie Brown, played by Pam Grier, is being locked in prison, the song “Longtime Woman” plays. This song was performed by Grier for The Big Doll House (1971), and plays when the main character in that film is being locked in prison.
Quentin Tarantino used several music scores from Exploitation films that starred Pam Grier including The Big Doll House (Long Time Woman) and Coffy (Aragon, Escape, Brawling Broads, Exotic Dance, Vittroni’s Theme-King Is Dead).
When Ordell tells Melanie to pick up the phone and she grudgingly does so and hands it over quickly, that’s a direct reference to Truck Turner (1974).
General Movie and TV references
In a very rare Hollywood studio crossover appearance, Michael Keaton reprised his character Ray Nicolette in Steven Soderberg’s Out of Sight. Also based on an Elmore Leonard novel.
In one scene, Melanie (Bridget Fonda) is watching the film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) starring her father: Peter Fonda. In another scene she is watching the 1977 film Mad Dog Killer starring Helmut Berger.
The music playing in the scene where Ordell Robbie (Sam Jackson) is talking to Jackie on the phone (and we see his head from behind) is “The Lion and the Cucumber” from the Jess Franco sexploitation-horror film Vampyros Lesbos.
Early in the film Ordell tells Louis (Robert De Niro) that “he’s as serious as a heart attack.” De Niro used the same line in The Fan (1996) when threatening another character.
The song “Street Life” by Randy Crawford was first used as the opening music for the film “Sharkey’s Machine” which starred one of QTs favorite actors: Burt Reynolds.
Samuel L. Jackson says the line, “This is some repugnant shit” towards the end of the movie. He says this line in both Pulp Fiction (1994) and Shaft (2000).
Ordell tells Louis in the beginning, that the people he sells guns to don’t just want one gun, but two “because they all wanna be the Killer.” This is the reference to The Killer (Dip hyut shueng hung (1989)), and John Woo’s style of shootout scenes where a person fires from two guns simultaneously. Later, Jackie Brown is seen holding two guns and pointing them at Ordell at the same time, in the dark, right after she confiscates Ordell’s gun.
The opening sequence is influenced by The Graduate.
Actors referenced: Cheech and Chong, Rutger Hauer, Helmut Berger.
References to Tarantino Movies
Jackie Brown’s car is a Honda Civic, the same white Honda Civic seen in Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill: Volume 2.
References to Pulp Fiction (1994): Jackie eats food from Teriyaki Donut, the same place that Marsellus Wallace bought food from before being run over by Butch.
Sheronda eats takeout from the Acuna Boys Tex-Mex Food in the Del Amo Mall.
The suit that Jackie buys is the same that Mia Wallace wears in Pulp Fiction (1994).
Ordell says, “He didn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out.” This line was used by Dick Ritchie in True Romance (1993), also written by Quentin Tarantino.
Director’s trademarks
Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [trunk] The scene where Ordell is trying to convince Beaumont to get in the trunk of the car is shot entirely from a camera in the trunk looking up at them.
Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [corpse view] After Ordell is shot and killed, the camera points up from his “head” and we see Jackie, Max, and Ray looking down at his body.
Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [bare feet] Melanie is barefoot in all the scenes that take place in the apartment.
Director Trademark [long shot] When Jackie leaves the dressing room after making the switch.
Director Trademark [singing along to music] Melanie sings along in the car.
Director Trademark : Jackie Brown looking in the mirror
Director Trademark : the vinyl record player close up like in Pulp Fiction and Death Proof
Director Trademark : As in Kill Bill to show you the Bride’s trip
The money that’s shown in the bag is also a reccuring thing in Tarantino’s movies.
