Reviewed by: Jonny T
Posted by: Root Rot
Directed by: Jack Hill
Starring: Pam Grier, Judy Brown, Roberta Collins, Sid Haig, Brooke Mills, Pat Woodell, Gina Stuart
Good day to you all, Jonny T back again with a cup of tea some biscuits and yet another Sunday Morning classic.
Even if you have never seen any of the genre women in prison films or any Jack Hill films you could do no better than starting with this classic WIP movie.
Directed by the legendary Jack hill, Director of many classics such as Spider baby, The big bird cage and 2 of the best blaxploitation films ever made Coffy and Foxy Brown.This was his 13th film as a director and a huge hit with the budget of $125,000 and grossing just under an amazing $10,000,00.
The basic premise of the film is Female prisoners in a Philippine jail a very tough jail where they are subjected daily to horrendous torture at the hands of the guards. So we get the plot unfolding in where the female prisoners are plotting an escape with help from two guys who come in daily to deliver there supplies.
As well as a sub plot that involves one of the prisoners boyfriend on the outside planning a revolution!
Here I have to say that Pam Grier and Sid Haig are at their finest, The interaction on screen is just a joy to watch.
The women are in the prison from a variety of offences from political insurgency to heroin trafficking,this is where we see the new comer arrive (collier, Judy Brown) and we get a glimpse in the cells where all the badass ladies live day to day and they are badass.
Alcot (Roberta Collins) and Bodine (Pat Woodell) are the master minds behind the escape and Collier (Judy Brown), Ferina (Gina Stuart) and Grear (Pam Grier) agree to assist but have doubts over the other cellmate Grear’s heroin addict girlfriend Harrad (Brooke Mills).
If the guards find out about this they will be in biiiiig trouble! The lead loony guard lady is called Miss Dietrich played brilliantly by Christiane Shmidtmer and is a very similar roll played by Sheila Keith a few years later in Pete Walker’s classic Frightmare.
She dish’s out torture like candy, ranging from cold water showers to tied to a table and you could say fiddled with as well as the ultimate punishment of being hung in bamboo cage above the courtyard and left to basically die,the tortures are also overseen by a mysterious shadowy hooded figure,who can this be? Will they escape?
Well you’ll just have to track it down and find out good people, it does sound a lot harsher than it is in places, but you get a bit of gore, lesbian scenes and of course as I have said Pam Grier and Sid haig in one of thier finest rolls together so this is a high reccomend from me and a Sunday morning classic indeed, all Hail Jack Hill! 8/10
- Jonny T.
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great review, I’ve always wanted to check this one out but haven’t gotten around to it, you’re review definitely has inspired me to seek it out. I’m a Women in Prison newb having just last night watched CHAINED HEAT which was awesome, and tonight there’ll be more Linda Blair WIP goodness w. RED HEAT.