Amazon.com

Jack Hill's 1975 drive-in opus, Switchblade Sisters, hasall the requisite cheese and then some: girl fights, gun duels, sex-starvedreform school guards, flashes of nudity, and evenAfrican-American-Maoist-revolutionary-butt-kicking chicks who don'ttake nonsense from anyone. The story is a prime example of how the influence of great filmmakers canbe reprocessed into pure exploitation: Maggie (Joanne Nail), a smart, newmember of a distaff gang, presents a threat to the group's established leader(Robbie Lee). The intricacies of their subsequent relationship--love, betrayal,and a battle for control--has numerous echoes of the films of Nicholas Rayand Howard Hawks, and Hill plays it all with a seriousness that underscoresthe heart within this trash classic. No wonder Quentin Tarantino becamethis film's latter-day benefactor, promoting its 1998 theatrical re-release under the auspices of his revival imprint, Rolling Thunder Pictures.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fun 70s exploitation flick.
"Are they young rebels fighting for survival in a decaying society? Or are they hoodlums taking advantage of their youth?"
Directed by Jack Hill, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS is a cult classic that was sadly overlooked until Quentin Tarantino managed to get it re-released. Cinema snobs (People who think the only films worth watching are arthouse junk that make "statements") will look down on anyone who calls this a movie- but those of us who aren't pretentious geeks (i.e: ME, & hopefully YOU who are reading this) will see merit in this cheesy B grade sex & violence entertainment.
Also known as THE JEZEBELS & PLAYGIRL GANG, the movie centers around two street gangs The Dagger Debs: Lace (Robbie Lee), Patch (Monica Gayle), Donut (Kitty Bruce- Lenny's daughter) & Bunny (Janice Karmen) & their male counterparts the Silver Daggers; who run a drugs & prostitution racket at their high school.
One night at a diner the Dagger Debs try to recruit a customer named Maggie (Joanne Nail) to the gang after she pulls a knife on Patch & nearly cuts out her good eye. Unfortunately the cops sweep the place and Maggie is jailed along with the rest of the gang.
On their release, the gang decide to put Maggie through her first test towards becoming a member. This involves seducing some greasy gimp named Clutch (Paul Lichtman) & stealing his medallion as part of the initiation; but in an act of retaliation Clutch abducts & rapes Bunny, leaving her hospitalised in a critical condition.

This of course leads to an all-out gang war in the movie's latter third- with The Dagger Debs re-christening themselves The Jezebels & joining forces with the Silver Daggers & soon the streets are flowing with blood. There is however, some brief insight into the psychology of the gangs: an explaination one of the Silver Daggers gives for being in a gang is because of his insecurity over having a crooked willy. Now there's a plausible reason to go out and knife people!
SWITCHBLADE SISTERS is a fun explotation flick, but is a bit lacking in the T&A department (that's not to say there isn't any, though)- it's also worth noting that this was made four years before Walter Hill's THE WARRIORS which made this genre hip. Granted, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS isn't up to the standards of director Jack Hill's earlier classic SPIDER BABY; but for its kitschy late night entertainment value, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS is hard to beat. Check it out.

A terrible beauty
This film is top-notch comedy that is terrible on purpose. Kick back with your film student friends and show them this example of film for the fun of it.

Awesomely Bad!
This movie is great, horrible acting, super-low budget, very over-the-top. It's no West Side Story, but definately hilarious after a couple of drinks. Truly Le Bad Cinema!

Great exploitation film
Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures video collection is something for true fans.
From the arthouse masterpiece Chungking Express (also available) to the blaxploitationfilm Detroit 9000 (also available), this series delivers a small collection of different genre classics.

Switchblade sisters even offers exclusive Jack Hill special features including his first film!

Quintessential exploitation, in a good way.
I'm tired of people who consider themselves above the "camp" films they are extolling displaying their sense of superiority to the films they supposedly admire. For example, there is nothing at all "terrible" about the technical aspects of the Evil Dead films (read the other reviews and you'll understand to what I am referring) especially when their budgets are taken into consideration. As for Switchblade Sisters, let me just say that this is one of those quintessential flicks that blur the boundary between "art" and "exploitaiton," much like Jess Franco's better films. In fact, this is precisely what Tarantino did in Pulp Fiction: but since that film had a bigger budget and name actors, mainstream audiences reacted differently. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Two cool guys head out on motorcycles in search of... well, America, but they'll settle for sex and drugs and rock & roll. There's plenty of each as Captain America (Peter Fonda) and paranoid Billy (Dennis Hopper) encounter a commune, convert a small-town drunk (Jack Nicholson) to the Grin Reefer, pick up two pretty lilies of the alley, Karen Black and Toni Basil (who hit the pop charts in the '80s--check out "Mickey"), and get shot for having long hair. Nicholson won an Oscar nomination and Best Supporting Actor nods from the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle, but his acting was better than they knew: he had to pretend to be straight and gradually get plastered in many, many takes using real weed. Find out the far wilder, funnier story behind the film in the book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Peter Fonda's Don't Tell Dad. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (102)

"Helmut? Oh, I got a helmut..."
Easy Rider is a truly landmark film in the true sense of the meaning of the term. Produced on a very low budget and set in the late 60's it was, in my opinion, the first movie to really capture a particularly interesting moment in time. While many films sort of used the notion of the late 60's, drugs, sex, rebellion, idealism, as a means to make money, this seemed really the first film to accurately reflect a realistic image of the time period with an unflinching eye.

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper play Wyatt, or Captain America, and Billy, two free type spirits who, after a making quite a bit of money through a sale of drugs, decide to hit the road and drive cross country to Mardi Gras. Along the way, they pick up George Hanson, a southern lawyer, played by Jack Nicholson.

While watching this movie, you may get a sense that it is sort of a western, with the western landscapes and the main characters riding 'iron' horses. This was the intention of the filmmakers, especially the director, Dennis Hopper. One of my favorite scenes was at the beginning, right before Wyatt and Billy are about to embark on their trip, Wyatt removes his watch and throws it on the ground. This symbolized a sense of throwing off the constraints of the old world and an effort to embrace true freedom, if there is such a thing.

Nicholson tends to steal the scenes he is in, and gives a particularly wonderful piece about what freedom is, and why people are so afraid of it. He sort of represented to me one who has been fed many misconceptions about the individuals and movement Wyatt and Billy represent, but once in their company, finds that much of what he has been told may not be true. A sort of individual caught between the generations.

The film is dated, but that didn't detract anything for me. The only scene I really didn't care for was when Wyatt, Billy, Mary (Toni Basil), and Karen (Karen Black) drop acid in a Louisiana cemetery and proceed to trip for an extended period of time.

Along with wonderful performances, much credit must go to the cinematographer, as the landscapes are beautiful, especially the wide shots of the western scenery. They are truly breathtaking. And the music used was exceptionally good, fitting each scene and helping to create the proper mood throughout the film.

The movie presented here looks excellent, in anamorphic wide screen, and includes a commentary by Dennis Hopper. Also included is a wonderful 'Making of' featurette called Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage which really helps to illustrate all that went into making this film. The production, at time, often reflected the turbulent times of when the film was made, and helps to give more flavor to the movie, really enhancing the overall effect. All in all, Easy Rider is a wonderful slice of outsider Hollywood that captured the true essence of an exceptionally turbulent time in America.

Wholly overrated
"Easy Rider" (1969)

"A classic...a great film for its day...everyone is sure to love it", those were the comments I had been hearing about Easy Rider before I rented it. I expected this movie to be great because it was called a counterculture classic and topped many people's lists of the best film of the 1960's. In my opinion, Easy Rider is a case of don't believe everything you read.

Sure, the movie has its good points. The music is fantastic. The songs are all very memorable and suit the road theme, styles of the film and the time in which it is set very well. Many of the songs of the movie have become classics since the films release. Easy Rider is also shot gorgeously, with heaps of great sunset shots and motorcycle journeys.

The performances in the movie are also very good. Jack Nicholson is the stand out as the innocent comic relief Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda meet when they go to jail. Nicholson deserved another Oscar for this role! Hopper clearly put a lot of effort into the film being a writer, director and lead actor, but his continuous "man's" and hippie references annoyed the heck out of me, as did his monologues about what he "sees" after he takes drugs. Peter Fonda was hailed as the leading actor of the movie but he really doesn't say that much and he has very little facial expression. His acting definitely got better.

There was also way too many drugs in this movie. In the film, this is basically the story: these 2 guys take drugs, encounter people, take drugs, make the people they encounter take drugs, take some drugs, sleep, take a couple more drugs, have sex, and then take drugs. And apparently this story is all about "freedom" according to Dennis Hopper. Yeah right. Also, Easy Rider doesn't present any ideas why or why not the characters should be doing this. Why are they doing it in the first place? Is taking drugs a way to make people free and express freedom? No. I found the use of drugs both pointless and excruciatingly unrealistic in this film.

So, the movie does have its good points - the cinematography, bikes and Jack Nicholson - but not enough to overcome the whole pointlessness of the entire production. This is one big disappointment for me, and I can't believe such a film that was hailed as a "classic" could be so banal and stupid.

MY GRADE: C-

The best portrait of a hopeless generation!
Dennis Hopper made a cathartic movie. I 've always recognized his talent as actor and film maker . He's an outsider artist , in all the sense of the expression.
This picture, is reflect of his own character. The tale about two renegades , every one of them trying of seeking his destiny, decide to make a journey (the mythical approach) to New Orleans Mardi Grass (evasion once more) , in his powerful motocycles .
This journey will allow Hopper to express the alienated existence of these guys and the people who surrounds in every point they decide to rest. The violence is free ; and you watch in the visual language of the people who simply don't accept their way of living , the way they dress ; they establish a spiritual rapport with that hippie community in the middle of the road, where the psichodelia images suggest you what's going on.
This film was a low budget . 394.000 bucks , but the script depicted as any other american film of its age the sense of going to nowhere abaout a generation tired of waiting for a change.
The increase dark shadows will cover the landscape and will carry to that magnificent and poetic ending.
I still have the original vynil soundtrack of this picture. If six was nine of Hendrix, Born to be wild and the Pusher of Steppenwolf , or the weight were emblemeatic songs of its age which reflected wise and sincerely , the expecatations of a generation just in the year in which the man reached a superb scientific and technological triumph in Jul 29 1969 .
In a certain way this outlaw couple behaves in similar terms that Butch Cassidy (Western) , Scarecrow (existential mood city) , Midnight cowboy (outsiders in New York).
May be the film age a bit but its descriptive script from its release became in a cult movie.!

Still an Important Film
Every reviewer who has commented on the dated-ness of this film is accurate. However, just because the film cannot be enjoyed in its original context does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed in another -- especially by people who did not live during or do not remember the late '60s. There are different battles to be fought, but the film is still pertinent in this current era of engaging the amorphous "war on terror" and its subsequent erosion of our civil rights, and the continued corporatization of America. Everybody who said that this film doesn't really have a plot is also accurate, but so what? The point isn't to give the viewer a story with a bunch of twists and turns, but to simply show the lives of two cultural rebels (who probably seem quite tame by contemporary standards) as they trek across the southwest to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The cinematography is excellent, especially considering the age of the film and its budget. The acting is really good and Jack Nicholson gives one of the best performances of his long career. He would have completely stolen the show had his character's screen-time not been cut short.

Here's why the film is still important: despite there no longer being a widespread, vicious divide in the nation between people like Fonda and Hopper and mainstream America, the themes of the film (freedom, freedom of expression, and how some are more free than others) remain totally relevant and Fonda and Hopper's characters can be seen as even more iconic than they were in 1969, because now that they don't actually represent you or me (as they could in 1969) they achieve larger-than-life status.

The scenes at the commune may elicit confusion or even a giggle from younger members a contemporary audience, but hopefully these people will look a bit deeper than the long hair and the funny clothes to realize that these characters represented a very real subculture in the late '60s; a movement that not only decided that the ballooning consumer culture was eroding their freedoms, but who also decided to do something about it. How many people today would be brave enough leave behind most of their possessions and live off the land, to protect the values they hold dear? Virtually none.

"They're gonna make it," declares Fonda about the food-strapped commune, and in 1969 it was possible for this line to be legitimately optimistic and to have enough strength and resonance to encompass the entire countercultural movement. Today, we know that they didn't make it. What did America lose by Fonda, Hopper, Nicholson and the commune not making it? That is for the viewer to decide, and that is why the film remains very important. In its day, the tragedy that befalls Fonda and Hopper could have been intended as a rallying cry. Today, it is reason to pause for introspection on the larger issues: What is important to us? What has been taken away? How much have we willingly sold away? And, most importantly, what would we sacrifice to get it back?

Two for the road
Revolutionary in its time but appearing somewhat dated now, "Easy Rider" was the ultimate road trip: two bikers on a cross-country ride from the west coast to Mardi Gras in New Orleans after scoring big in a drug deal. Produced and directed by, and starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, and almost stolen by a then-unknown named Jack Nicholson playing a hippie lawyer, "Easy Rider" follows its two heroes across some of the most stunning scenery in the Southwest as they head towards Louisiana in search of "freedom", whatever that means. "Easy Rider" not only brings us two (or three, counting Nicholson) of society's dropouts, we also meet a community of hippies, some narrow-minded small-town lawmen, and some rednecks in Louisiana who seem to have a more-than-passing relationship to Neanderthals. We wonder if the film's perhaps unwitting message is that the search for meaningless "freedom" results in meaningless and wanton death and destruction. More than any film of its time, "Easy Rider" caught the mood of the late 1960s in America and the fear of the "establishment" for society's rebels. It may be of its own time, but its timeless rejection of mindless conformity echoes down to us. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This time-capsule film from 1971 is a perfect example of having one's cake and eating it, too. Written and directed by filmmaker Tom Laughlin--and starring him in the title role--Billy Jack concerns a half-white, half-Indian karate expert who protects a free school built on principles of pacifism by kicking hell out of pesky rednecks. The story actually embraces that tension between Billy Jack's way of doing things and that of the school's founder (Delores Taylor), but their tension doesn't so much lead to an examination of principles as it leads to an excuse for Laughlin to incorporate fight scenes between hippie politics. Crude and brutal, the film is pretty exploitative of a viewer's torn sympathies, and in that way Billy Jack actually anticipates much of the simple-minded, violent fare that followed in the movies of the '70s and '80s. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Billy Jack is back, but the DVD does lack...
I'm not sure I was even in school when this film came out, but I remember seeing it in the theater and several times in syndicated re-runs. As a young girls, I thought Billy Jack was cute and I nursed my secret crush through all of his films. This movie is a look at a time where people were grappling with society and social responsibility. At the time, it may have seemed to stir up questions, but now, it is a nostalgic look at a time that was to self-involved to understand the situation it was in. Now its funny to watch, in the manner that it deals with the conflict of pacifist teens looking for identity and the good 'ol boys of the past. The fight scenes are tame by today's standards, but are still entertaining. How many action heroes today have the elaborate precurser to a fight like Billy Jack's removing of his boots?
The negative aspect of this DVD is that it is merely a DVD version of the VHS. The only benefit is that you can advance by scene. No trailers, no news clips or interviews. This is a shame since the DVD medium allows for so much more, and especially since there has been recent revisiting of Tom Laughlin and the Billy Jack story by the E! cable channel. Recently, I was in the store and saw a Billy Jack set which had all three movies in it. It claimed to have additional footage. So, I would recommend looking for an alternate version before purchasing this. For my disappointment in the DVD, I'm giving this a 3 star rating.

Not as naive a movie as you might think
This film captures the ideals of racial equality of the late 60s tempered by the realities of living in America in a waning civil-rights era of the early 70s.

Billy Jack returns to the reservation after a tour in Vietnam to find tension between the students of the Native "Freedom School" and the local townspeople. Some townspeople are motivated by fear and distrust, others buy old-fashioned racism. Billy Jack defends the students of the Freedom school, violently if need be.

The hippie, anti-racism/fascism message is not subtle. However, the answer to the world's problems does not lie in the simple "love one another" mantra of the the peace movement. Billy Jack gets respect and some degree of safety for the students at the Freedom school only by kicking the racist antagonists in the face.

At the same time, taken too far, a confrontational approach doesn't make it all better..even if you have the moral authority. Billy Jack finds this out as he is surrounded by the authorities, wounded and bleeding to death in a shack. It takes courage to fight back, and it takes just as much to realize that black and white responses to life's challenges do not amount to functional solutions to those problems.

As stated in some reviews of this movie, some of the acting and music leave much to be desired. However, we know that in real life people don't act as emotionally convincing as actors portray them, and the bad hippie songs actually make the movie believable. The improv-theatre scenes are a bit corny, but honest and quite amusing. A few are excellent, actually.

The movie is honest about violence, race, and sexuality. I think it would be viewed as politically incorrect today, in spite of its hippie message.

The opening scene where wild mustangs are coralled against the visual backdrop of a Southwest canyon and the musical background of Coven's anti-war anthem is quite moving. A very beautiful movie, and one of my favorite movies of all time.

Admirably Violent Non-Violence
Any film whose main thread is that it takes an extremely violent advocate of non-violence to truly protect the non-violent, immediately has my full attention and respect. If I could have only been around in the early seventies to watch hordes of stringy-haired American middle to upper class youth cheer, in all seriousness, a denim-clad white guy kicking the living hell out of (and in some cases even kill) anyone who doesn't practice the appropriate level of peace and understanding, I would have truly been in heaven. This movie and it's enduring popularity have confirmed what I have always suspected: disagree with a pacifist and they would like nothing more than to place your head on a pike.

If a person could have jammed anymore sixties clichés into an hour and a half, I'd like to watch their movie, too. Leading the pack would be the connection to "Indians", followed by ear-ringing singalongs at the school.....being bitten by rattlesnakes in a "purification process"....guerilla theater.......expressing yourself......"squares"......and on and on.

Jean is the lady that runs the school and, despite a notable lack of physical contact, is Billy Jack's lady. She is the good cop to his bad and spends a great deal of time doing one of two things: trying to talk Billy Jack out of collapsing your windpipe OR sneering with satisfaction once he actually does it. Jean's philosophy is plain and straightforward: there isn't a problem in the world that couldn't be solved in a peaceful manner if people would just love one another....and if that doesn't work, I'll un-cage Billy Jack and set him out to snapping your limbs like twigs. She also has the most unusual set of sideburns I've ever seen in my life.

There's not been a movie made that I'd rather watch than this one. Buy it. Quickly.

For A 1971 Film It Still Makes The Grade
I love this movie the first time I saw it, and I still love it today. This movie portrays a time when racism was really rampant; when people were searching for meaning in their lives, and when people still believed that good might triumph over evil. Tom Laughlin turns in the performance of a lifetime in this film. I plan on checking out the other Billy Jack movies, but I doubt any will match up to this one. If any of you amazon.com reviewers can think of one, let me know, please.

God Bless! Happy movie watching and book reading everyone.

www.therunninggirl.com

Somewhat dated, but entertaining!
I watched this movie as a 10 year old and found it to be an awesome movie. Upon further review, I found that this movie lost some of it's touch. The movie seems dated with all the hippies walking around. But, Tom Laughin as Billy Jack makes the movie work. BTW, the original Billy Jack movie was "The Born Losers" back in 1967. It works! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cheech & Chong's first cannabis comedy is also their best, a souvenir from the more carefree days before "Just Say No," when people did not feel so defensive about inhaling. In 1978, the prevailing spirit was more like "Just Say Blow." Even New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael liked it (the movie, that is), adding that it was "an exploitation slapstick comedy, rather than a family picture, such as Blazing Saddles or High Anxiety--which means that it's dirtier, wilder, and sillier." The story has to do with bumbling potheads Cheech & Chong searching for primo bud, while being tailed by a team of inept law-enforcement officers, led by Sgt. Stedenko (Stacy Keach). Sample dialogue: When a cop pulls them over to ask if they are any illegal substances in his vehicle, Cheech replies: "Not any more, man." Up in Smoke is an irresistibly silly and charming movie that--despite, or perhaps because of, the national furor over drug use--plays today like a relic from a bygone era, a sweeter, more open, more innocent period in our history. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (76)

A tokin' cult classic
For those of you who grew up in the 70's, Cheech & Chong where the Laurel & Hardy or Abbott & Costello of those times. Seeing this film in DVD is a joy, since I must have seen it on tape more than a 100 times, till it was unwatchable. Now, for the first time we can see the film in it's original panoramic (widescreen) format, and for those who saw it before on tape, you'll see all you've missed before. The copy is pristine clear, and it includes a load of deleted scenes, some actually funnier than what we saw on the original run of the film. Included on those missing scenes, is the infamous one featuring Harry Dean Stanton, who doesn't remember ever appearing in a Cheech & Chong film. Plus there is an audio commentary by Cheech himself and Lou Adler, the director, who prior to this, had never directed a film before. You'll be astonished to learn how much this film influenced other people, guys like Quentin Tarantino, for example, not to mention the numerous rock groups who grew up watching this guys and re-recorded their music. All in all, a real pleasure to discover this seminal gem from the 70's, given it's full use or advantage on DVD. If you saw this guys' films way back then, do yourself a favor, and get hold of this DVD. For those too young to remember them, but who heard of them from an older brother or "stoner" uncle, get hold of it and discover what kept us laughing during those daze, er, uh, days. Filmakers of today, take notice that films can be made without a million cuts per second and only with long continous shots.

Plot-Free Pot-Fest -- Big Whoop about Very Little!
Definitely DATED, this film has 70s "High Times" written all over it. These guys have not much more than "pot" on their brain. All jokes lead to the same subject...dope, man!

Cheech and Chong, already celebrated novelty song artists with several best-selling albums to their credit just had to take their "message" to the next level. "Up In Smoke" gave them plenty of exposure and secured a solid fandom. 25 years later, though, the laughs drop drastically on the dime-bag-scale.

When I was still in high school (and I didn't give in to the smoking of anything, then or now), I may have enjoyed this sort of nonsense more. As a middle aged intellectual, I can offer only a few tired smirks. Give me Laurel & Hardy instead!**

best stoner movie ever!
hello cheech and chong fans i may only be a teenager but i have been a fan for like 4 years now and this is the funniest movie i have ever seen might be the best comedy ever!.and if ypur going to order a cheech and chong movie get this one but if i were you and you had some money to spend buy all of them and all of there cd's.and im so glad chong is finaly out of prison and to all of you die hard c and c fans the new cheech and chong movie is going to start production in september chong and cheech were both on jay leno on july 9th so there back together for awhile. anyways dont get to high later.

THIS IS A PARODY, DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET IT?
This film does not advocate drug use, this film, and Cheech and Chong's act are parodies of people who do drugs. If anything it takes every stereo type of all kinds of drug users and makes fun of them. If you watch this movie again and think about what I have said you will actually think this film is even funnier than you did before. I have known most of these types of people and think this movie is halarious, one of the funniest films ever made and I do not do drugs.

ALL Pot and NO Plot makes this ONE DULL MOVIE!
Campy trip back to the smoky 70s. Definitely DATED, this film has "High Times" written all over it. These guys have not much more than "pot" on their brain. All jokes lead to the same subject...dope, man!

Cheech and Chong had already enjoyed celebrity as novelty song artists with several best-selling albums to their credit. This effort of "Smokin' Dope - The Movie" takes their "message" to the next level. "Up In Smoke" gave them plenty of exposure and secured a solid fandom. 25 years later, though, the laughs drop drastically on the dime-bag-scale.

When I was still in high school (and I didn't give in to the smoking of anything, then or now), I may have enjoyed this sort of nonsense more. As a middle aged intellectual, I can offer only a few tired smirks. Give me Laurel & Hardy instead!** ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Experience in Boredom
A total fiasco! This movie doesn't even come near as " so bad is good " since is a total bore! The original SUPERFLY is an urban classic with a wonderful Curtis Mayfield score. This one the music by OSIBISA is good but not enough to compensate Mr. Ron O'Neal's lousy direction and Alex Hailey boring script. Sure, Mr.Hailey did a better job with ROOTS, but this story was dumb,uninteresting & forgettable. Beware, you have been warned!

bad sequel
this movie is probably the worst sequel that I have ever seen! please do yourself a favor, and stick to the original superfly. this film would have still been horrible, even if curtis mayfield had returned to do the score. pass on this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The Crow set the standard for dark and violent comic-book movies (like Spawn or director Alex Proyas's superior follow-up, Dark City), but it will forever be remembered as the film during which star Brandon Lee (son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed on the set by a loaded gun. The filmmakers were able to digitally sample what they'd captured of Lee's performance and piece together enough footage to make the movie releasable. Indeed, it is probably more fascinating for that post-production story than for the tale on the screen. The Crow is appropriately cloaked in ominous expressionistic shadows, oozing urban dread and occult menace from every dank concrete crack, but it really adds up to a simple and perfunctory tale of ritual revenge. Guided by a portentous crow (standing in for Poe's raven), Lee plays a deceased rock musician who returns from the grave to systematically torture and kill the outlandishly violent gang of hoodlums who murdered him and his fiancée the year before. The film is worth watching for its compelling visuals and genuinely nightmarish, otherworldly ambience. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (233)

Very stylish and enjoyable goth/graphic novel adaptation
I never saw this originally in '94 because I dismissed it as A. a martial arts film (and I hate those) and B. adapted from a comic (and I just can't get into those) and C. aimed at a teen/goth/punk audience (and I am way too old for that). What a mistake! Finally almost ten years on, a friend heard me say I really liked Alex Proyas' DARK CITY -- a neat sci fi film with a very different story but the same kind of dark fantasy look -- and couldn't believe I had never seen THE CROW and made me watch it.

I have to say that I really think this is a fine, well made movie and none of my preconceptions were remotely correct. The art direction is brilliant, with a wonderful and creepy gothic fantasy look, almost but not quite black-and-white, set in a mysteriously surreal "Detroit" that is in some kind of alternate universe from the real Motown. Brandon Lee is really charismatic and haunting in the role of Eric Draven, and not merely because of the tragic incident surrounding the film. He was real star material and just totally inhabits this part.

After seeing the film, I did read the O'Barr comic, which is very sincere and heartfelt, but I think the filmakers -- in what is a pretty rare event -- IMPROVED the plot and characters while keeping all of the angst and atmosphere. They totally honored the character of Eric and the basic idea of the avenger, the memories of his beautiful girlfriend, and sense of overwhelming grief that inhabits the graphic novel. Where they impoved the storyline in cinematic terms is in the treatment of the minor characters and villians. They really fleshed them out, and it enriches the movie and balances the storyline well.

Bookending the film with quotes from Sarah (Rochelle Davis), the little girl who narrates and observes much of the story is an example of a good idea that doesn't really exist in the comic, where the little girl is called Sherri and only appears briefly. Even more so is the expansion of the character of Top Dollar, who again is a minor episode in the comic and more of a grubby hell's angel/drug dealer -- in the film he has been transformed into a complex and compelling crimelord. Michael Wincott is simply amazing in this part, playing Top Dollar as a kind of depraved, satanic, renaissance prince, and clearly having a great deal of fun with this role, especially some wonderful and very clever dialogue. The very, very sick but quite sincere love story between Top Dollar and his psychic half-sister is the reversed-mirror image of the pure and innocent love of Eric and his fiance, a clever idea.

Wonderful music, great visuals, terrific acting...The Crow should NOT be missed.

NOTE: I bought the "Collector's DVD". Don't bother. There is NOTHING worth looking at on the second DVD, some production sketches and posters, nothing special. The director's commentary (on the first disk) is interesting to listen to ONCE, but you can get that on the single disk DVD. There is a smattering of extra footage, but nothing you will miss. Save some bucks and just get the one disk wide screen version.

Fantastic is an understatement.
For those of you don't know this movie is Brandon Lee's last. Tragically, he died during the last days of filming. This film would have catapulted Brandon Lee into major-stardom.

Knowing this only makes the movie darker, sadder, and more heart-wrenching.

Based on the comic book series of the same name by James O'Barr, the movie stays close to its comic book roots. Dark imagery, up-close shots, and stark contrasts add to the comic book feel and gothic look of the movie. The music in the film, both soundtrack and songs, convey thoughts and imagery.

The Crow is a story of love and revenge, loss and retribution. It is a portrait of the struggle between the pain of seeing the past, and the peace of gaining closure. Director Alex Proyas did a wonderful job of capturing this struggle on film.

While the bulk of the supporting cast is at the very least believable, Michael Wincott is disturbingly creepy as the main antagonist "Top Dollar." Ernie Hudson, here playing a cop who thinks he's seeing a ghost, delivers an even performance.
But the movie is ALL Brandon Lee. He brought his martial arts background and talent to this film and gave 200%. He was also the movie's fight choreographer. This means: sit up and watch!

This movie is 80% action, 5% comedy, and 15% heart-wrenching, tear-jerking tragedy. Be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat, and use up a box of kleenex.

Death.It's a living.
The story of The Crow begins when a rock'n'roll guitarist named Eric Draven along with his fiancee,Shelly Webster were brutally murdered by T-bird's gang.
However,one year after their death,Eric returns from the dead and tries to find out about the murder of himself and the love of his life.The Crow is a very romantic,action,battle story fill with a great historical event that Eric,the undead hero must solve with a police officer and a young kid from the streets.This is for Dar and Tao from Sarah:Dar and Tao.Together forever.

The Crow- A Comic Book Treasure Brought to Life
The Crow is based on the dark comic series by James O'Barr. The film was directed by Alex Proyas who later made Dark City and the upcoming feature I, Robot, which is due out July 16, 2004. The Crow is a stunning film, its visuals are dazzling. This film of course is always remembered for the sad and unfortunate death of Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Brandon Lee had emerged and stunned us with this great performance and if he had lived he could have had a promising and grand career as an action star.
Brandon Lee plays Eric Draven, a rock musician who is brutally murdered along with his fiancee. A year later he comes back to life by the powers of a crow and the crow guides him as he seeks revenge for those who took away his life. The movie does turn simply into a revenge flick, but it is a quite stunning one. This film features some great action sequences and Lee as I stated earlier gives a great performance. The film was released in 1994 and spawned two sequels, neither were as good as the original, infact the third went straight to video. Due to Lee's unfortunate death, the filmmakers were able to finish the film using digital technology by what they had filmed of Lee's performance so the film could be released. Proyas released the film to honor and in tribute of his death, some where upset by this but others think it was good of him. This is a great film and I'm pleased to say it is a part of my DVD collection.
The Crow is rated R for A Great Amount of Strong Violence, Language, Drug Use and Some Sexuality. The violence is pretty intense and some might be offended or upset by it, after it one can expect that considering this is a dark and gritty film. The violence includes the use of guns, knives, swords as well as fisticuffs. There's also use of profanity, most of which is strong, and some drug use. Overall a great movie and one which should be seen.

A truly dark masterpiece!
Brandon Lee plays Eric Draven in this story of revenge and justice. Eric Draven and his fiancee are alone on "Devil's Night" which has been named that because of the crime and arson that goes on in the city. Devil's Night takes place on the night before Halloween. Eric and his fiancee are interrupted by a group of thugs that rape and kill Eric's fiancee in front of him, and then proceed to kill him. Now the idea of The Crow is this; when a person dies, a crow carries their soul to the afterlife, but sometimes the crow will bring the person back for unfinished business. Guided by the crow, Draven returns to exact revenge on those responsible for the rape and murders, and he targets each and every person involved. He returns as a tortured soul, bent on revenge for taking the life that he and his fiancee Shelly wanted to live, a life that was taken from them for no reason.Along the way Eric is helped by Sargeant Albrecht, who is the only one who truly cared about bringing the killers to justice. Every time Eric kills one, the task at hand gets harder as he gets to the source of the evil.

This is a superb film, perfect in every way in my opinion. It is dark, graphic and I would even go so far to call this a true masterpiece of American cinema. Brandon Lee plays his role with a passion, truly giving the dark feel of this film and the message behind it. It really is a shame that he died, I think he would have been a great actor. But this is his legacy, and it is a great legacy to leave behind. I have not seen the 2 sequels yet, but I am fairly certain this is the best one. I encourage you to see this movie if you haven't already.

The dvd itself is packed with extras that take an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the film as well as other things. The movie really sounds great turned way up on a surround system, and the picture quality is great.I should also mention the soundtrack to the movie, which is one of the best I have ever heard. Seeing this will make you want to buy the soundtrack, it is just that cool. My only regret about this movie is that I didnt see it sooner. So I have given my opinion, and I really recommend that you see this movie. If it isn't considered one already, it will go down as a true classic in cinema for the rest of time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ann-Margret never actually touches a whip in this seedy jailbait drama of juvenile delinquents and square-john fall guys, but her slithery moves and schizophrenic mood swings are still enough to give anyone whiplash. The teen temptress makes her entrance skittering through an industrial park in nothing more than a baby-doll nightie as bongos pound away on the soundtrack. Taking refuge in the seemingly deserted house of political hopeful John Forsythe, she begins her torment of the man who would be her savior with her gang of beatnik buddies. "Now cool it and co-exist!" exclaims nominal leader Peter Brown. Fat chance.

Ann-Margret yo-yos from little girl lost to feral femme fatale with sharp claws and a taste for blood. She becomes a hellcat who turns on everyone in her nocturnal flight to Tijuana. She even growls with glee while gunning a jeep over a running buddy tangled in barbed wire! Stiff Forsythe is uncomfortably out of place next to the slinky sex kitten, like a sitcom dad who walked onto the wrong set, and the dated portrait of nihilistic, pseudo-philosophical teens makes the film unintentionally campy. But give it credit for energy: Ann-Margret almost single-handedly powers this offbeat drama with pure sass. If the music sounds familiar in the south-of-the-border scenes, that's because it borrows liberally from Henri Mancini's Latin-flavored Touch of Evil score. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Hot Ann-Margret Flick
Talk about sexy. In this film Ann-Margret has got it going on. She is indeed a Kitten With A Whip. Filmed in black and white it has film noir quality. I'm sure she turned on a million teenage boys back in 1964 playing Jody, a troubled JD who prays on the frailties of politician John Forstythe. This kitten made me purr.

Raggedy Ann...
David Stratton (John Forsythe) an up and coming San Diego politician, finds a beautiful seventeen year old girl (Ann-Margret), asleep in his daughter's room. Her name is Jody, and she has a sad story to tell. The kind hearted Stratton decides against turning the girl over to the authorities, dropping her off at a bus stop, thinking he'll never see the young beauty again. The truth is she's a runaway from a reform school, who stabbed a staff member in making her escape, and is wanted by the law.

Stratton's wife and child are away from home, and later upon learning the facts about his recent houseguest, he is perhaps feeling fortunate that there are no serious repercussions from the young delinquent's visit. That is, until he returns home to find that Jody is back in his house again. Already compromised, he now has a guest who won't leave, and it gets worse when she invites three of her friends over for a party. The politician just wants to get out with his reputation intact, and is forced to go along with the game. An accident with a razor leads to a trip to Tijuana for medical attention. South of the border, Jody just can't keep from making trouble, and matters get more complicated, culminating in mad car chase with the wild child herself behind the wheel.

There is budding star quality evident in Ann-Margret's vampy performance. Displaying both innocence as well as a malicious dark side, Jody is a manipulative little sex kitten. Wild and troubled, but still with dreams of an ordinary life. John Forsythe gives a solid performance as a model citizen overwhelmed by circumstances and trapped by good intentions. A bit cliched, but interesting for the performances of the two stars.

One Of The Greatest Movie Titles Of All Time!
Ann-Margret turns in a star-making performance in "Kitten With A Whip," alternately acting scared, sexy, angry and even psychotic. This kitten has claws and she's not afraid to use them! She breaks out of a girls' reformatory and breaks into what she thinks is a deserted house. Later that night, the owner of the house returns home. John Forsythe plays his straight-laced character to perfection. Ann-Margret decides that she'd rather stay with him instead of running from the law. When she invites her beatnik friends over for a party, the action really heats up. After the head beatnik accidentally gets cut with a straight razor, they hightail it to Tijuana. There's a doctor friend of theirs who will patch him up with no questions asked. The violence escalates until the movie reaches its surprise ending. Hopefully, Rhino will release the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of this cult classic!

Creepy.
At first glance this movie looks like a campy, b-flick from the early sixties; perhaps this is all there is to it. But when I watched it, I was floored by how genuinely eerie it is. The title is a euphemism for what in male circles is called being (..)whipped, and the term aludes to the power of female sexuality over the male. Ann-Margret plays up that power, both as an apparently helpless, almost childlike girl and as a ferocious femme fatale. (spoiler)

Ann-Margaret's "beat" friends also appear campy, or almost like a frightened suburbanite's sterotype of wayward youth. But when one listens to their conversation and watches their behavior, one wonders whether their campiness is in fact deliberate. These kids are so off-center and weird that they make your skin crawl. This is David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino territory, early sixties version.

Ann-Margaret is great, John Forsythe shows up. As the Amazon reviewer notes, the film lifts Henry Mancini's "A Touch of Evil score. How did they dare use it so soon after A Touch of Evil came out?

ONE TERRIFIC MOVIE!
MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WATCHED THIS FILM ON AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS.FEBUARY 4TH..AT 3 IN THE MORNING AND WE LOVED IT!!!...I NEVER REALLY SAT DOWN AND WATCHED A ANN-MARGRET MOVIE.....AND I GOTTA TELL YA I'M GLAD THIS WAS MY FIRST!...IT WAS GREAT..WE ABSOLUTLY ENJOYED IT!....THE WANNA-BE ACTRESSES OF TODAY HAVE NOTHING ON THOSE OF THE PAST...THESE BLONDE BRAIN-DEAD NO TALET ACTRESSES ON THESE SIT-COMS AND DRAMAS SHOULD WATCH THIS FIM AND SEE TURE TALET AT WORK! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

4 Stars for Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled
In terms of sheer number of bullets fired, Hard Boiled has far more action than the Killer. Some of the gunfights are really spectacular. If all you want is gunplay then it's a movie worth renting, but not something you should buy. The problem with Hard Boiled is that after the opening gunfight it starts to resemble Walker: Texas Ranger in both realism and plot. I actually found myself laughing at the sheer stupidity of it (particularly the save-the-babies part at the end). And while John Woo's movies have never been the most realistic, this one is just plain silly at points. (I could never understand how the main character's shotgun blasts have more power than most claymore mines) But it is cool to watch the gun duels. On the other hand, the Killer has less violence but wins out on story. You actually care about the two heros and want them to survive. There are some scenes that are quite tense. And while the gunfights are less spectacular, they are more meaningful because you care about the people involved. Another plus for the Killer is the gunfight in the church. While Hard Boiled's duels took place in a sterile hospital with fake flames, this one's setting looks real and has a much grittier feel to it. I return to my title: 4 stars for The Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled.

Classic...
These two films... in my opinion... are the pinncale of Woo and Fat's achievements. The two must collaborate on a Holywood production... Replacement Killers just lacked the intensity and story of these Classics. The Killer has more of a plot... and has better character development. Killer, Cop, love interest/victim... and the bad guys. The action choreography and cinematography have become their own genre... distinctly Woo. Action galore and sound acting performances. Hard Boiled is my personal favorite of any HK flick... because the first shoot-out scene is the best ever. Bird cage... stair rail and lots of guns. The story revolves around a cop and an ex-gangster taking down a crimelord. Not much in the story but has sound performances. The story drags between the action sequences. Woo ties in all his brilliant stunt choreography and cinematography in this film as well with better settings than the killer making this a more action orientated film. A must in any action library... something you will never tire of watching.

not very good
this movie is plain bad. yes good gun fight but where's the kung fu. Theirs plenty of american made film that are way better in terms of action sequence. Man even the gun fight in Face off was much better then the killer or hard boiled. Maybe im not into old fashion gun fight like in these two movie, i would rather watch a movie like ballistic kiss, great gun fight, some kungfu and a little special effect. I don't care if the killer or hard boil was made 10 or 20 years ago. It's just didn't live up to my potential. This is the 21st century, i need some special effect. I don't understand why some of you people keep living in the past. trust me their are way better mivie then these two and were made in the 70 and 80. Take for example the God Father 1 and 2, much better movie then these two, go and recomend this movie for the customer not some lame movie like killer and hard boil. As for chow yun fat check out my review for Hidden dragon crouching tiger.

Why Put Two Movies Together?!!!
I love both movies here, but why not release them individually,DVD 2-packs are a pet peeve of mine. Somtimes you just want each film treated with individual respect, and sometimes you may just want 1 movie and not both!

JOHN WOO'S HARDBOILED/THE KILLER
HARD BOILED IS A VERY GOOD MOVIE, THE LOVE STORY IS REALLY A NICE ONE, AND THE HOSPITAL SCENE IS REALLY RIVITING! THE KILLER IS MY VERY FAVORITE. I BOUGHT THESE TOGETHER AND WATCHED THEM OVER AND OVER. ANY CHOW YUN FAT FAN WILL LOVE THEM BOTH. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Big Doll House equels Big Fun
Wow....I just finished watching this movie and it is a real jem. Ladies in prison flicks are cool but this one takes the cake as far as campy goes. Here are some of the things you will experience if you watch this flick.
1. Tons of 70's babes with tight skimpy outfits on.
2. More babes with skimpy outfits on.
3. Homosexual prison gaurds
4. Homosexual prison warden
5. A Philipino Revolution
6. More 70's babes with tight outfits on.
7. A woman hanging by her ponytail as punishment for trying to escape
8. Mud wrestling
9. Crazed women inmates imprisoned in an cage with other crazy wild women (they act like animals....funny!)
10. Inmates who want to be "raped" by men, because they haven't "had any sex in a very long time".
11. More sex starved female inmates in tight outfits.....especially one very "hot blond babe" who begs for sex!!
I must admit this is by far the funniest and sickest movie I have seen in a long time. The plot centers around this band of revolutionaries who want to take over thier country by force. They come up with the crazy idea of breaking into an all "womens prison" and freeing the women who will help them with the revolution.(This is the first time I have ever seen anyone break "into" a prison.) Not much of what goes on makes any sence but it sure makes for one hell of a laugh riot. Roger Corman impressed me again. I have only seen one other Roger Corman movie "Bucket of Blood" and I have to admit that this film is stranger and funnier than "Bucket". As I was watching this film I kept asking myself "Is Roger Corman for real?... is he trying to be serious or trying to be funny?"....the script is a zany hoot and the film kept my attention all the way through. I recieved the VHS version and there was 2 spots where the audio did not sync up to the film, this error actually added to the wierdness of the flick. The entire movie had that "made for T.V" feel to it. There is some nudity and bad launguage but the contentnt is so bizzare and offbeat that it deserved a "R" rating. I highly recommned this film for the cinema nut who thinks he has seen it all. You will not be dissapointed!.....the highlight of the film is when halfway thru the movie you find out the prison guards and warden prefer men sexually over women...gay prison guards!!!!.....this twist in the scipt is just TOO FUNNY!!........buy it today....you will thank me!!

Judith Brown & Pam Grier!
What a combo. 'Ladies in Prison' movies is the best idea next to breast implants, and we all know Pammy don't need those. Nudity, violence, one liners, sex, and the great cat-fights. Pam is the star, but Judith don't take no back seat! When farmer man wants to feel Pam's melons through the bars, he get's more than what he bargained for. Talk about plowing. All these characters pop up again and again in the 'Pam Prison' series. SOmetimes she the prisoner, sometimes the warden, and sometimes the revolutionist. Why does every 'woman in prison' film have to have a revolution anyway??? Well no matter, Pam and Judith like I said are a pair that can't be beat!

Scantily Clad...and Behind Bars..!
A CLASSIC. Pam Grier is sublime.

A Fast-paced Exploitation Classic
While not the first or last of the so-called "women in prison" movies, The Big Doll House is certainly one of the best.

A fast-paced exploitation classic from the Lord of the Schlockmeisters, i.e., Roger Corman, The Big Doll House stars Judy Brown, who is taken to a remote island prison and meets fellow jailbirds Pam Grier (!), Brooke Mills and Roberta Collins; Grier and Collins seem to run the entire prison themselves, while Mills plays Harrad, a psycho junkie who makes an art out of hallucinating. Sid Haig is the dominating warden who uses poisonous local snakes to torture the inmates.

All in all, a tongue-in-cheek blend of sex, comedy and violence from a more creative time in American cinema.

The Big Bird Cage was next.

Pam Grier stars in a "Women in Prison" action film.
While any movie starring Pam Grier is worth watching, the Big Doll House is a particularly entertaining entry in the "Women in Prison" film genre. Produced by the great Roger Corman and filmed in the Philippines, this movie features all the violence, mayhem, and nudity one expects in a 70's "Girls Behind Bars" flick. It also has the added bonus of a great scene where Pam Grier and another woman fight it out in the mud of the rice fields (where the women are forced to toil). Don't miss it! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Big Classic!!
Wow....I just finished watching this movie and it is a real jem. Ladies in prison flicks are cool but this one takes the cake as far as campy goes. Here are some of the things you will experience if you watch this flick.
1. Tons of 70's babes with tight skimpy outfits on.
2. More babes with skimpy outfits on.
3. Homosexual prison gaurds
4. Homosexual prison warden
5. A Philipino Revolution
6. More 70's babes with tight outfits on.
7. A woman hanging by her ponytail as punishment for trying to escape
8. Mud wrestling
9. Crazed women inmates imprisoned in an cage with other crazy wild women (they act like animals....funny!)
10. Inmates who want to be "raped" by men, because they haven't "had any sex in a very long time".
11. More sex starved female inmates in tight outfits.....especially one very "hot blond babe" who begs for sex!!
I must admit this is by far the funniest and sickest movie I have seen in a long time. The plot centers around this band of revolutionaries who want to take over thier country by force. They come up with the crazy idea of breaking into an all "womens prison" and freeing the women who will help them with the revolution.(This is the first time I have ever seen anyone break "into" a prison.) Not much of what goes on makes any sence but it sure makes for one hell of a laugh riot. Roger Corman impressed me again. I have only seen one other Roger Corman movie "Bucket of Blood" and I have to admit that this film is stranger and funnier than "Bucket". As I was watching this film I kept asking myself "Is Roger Corman for real?... is he trying to be serious or trying to be funny?"....the script is a zany hoot and the film kept my attention all the way through. I recieved the VHS version and there was 2 spots where the audio did not sync up to the film, this error actually added to the wierdness of the flick. The entire movie had that "made for T.V" feel to it. There is some nudity and bad launguage but the contentnt is so bizzare and offbeat that it deserved a "R" rating. I highly recommned this film for the cinema nut who thinks he has seen it all. You will not be dissapointed!.....the highlight of the film is when halfway thru the movie you find out the prison guards and warden prefer men sexually over women...gay prison guards!!!!.....this twist in the scipt is just TOO FUNNY!!........buy it today....you will thank me!!

Saving Stars for Quality Films
This movie was highly enjoyable; one of the highlights for me was the revolutionary humor; a goofball group of wanna-be revolutionaries decide they need chicks from prison to have their revolution. Their leader stays in power by making increasingly dubious promises that the revolution is coming "soon."
I watched this film because I'm a Pam Grier fan. I'm very interested in her progression from 'chicks in chains' films (such as this one) through her 'half badass, half exploited for skin' roles in the 1970s to her legendary performance as the classy, kickass Jackie Brown, possibly the climax of her career.
Indeed, it's hard to believe that this film contains the same Pam as Jackie Brown. I would recommend this film to people who are interested in Pam's career; if you want to watch it for other reasons, that's up to you.

B-movie Splendor
I would have to say this was a brilliant movie. I was highly entertained from this Mr.Corman and Hill flick. Beautiful women getting roughed up, from the somewhat feminine guards. Pam Grier gets your full attention.

Good Movie
There are tons of women in prison films out there. There are so many that often times they seem almost repetitive. However, this film was very unique because it provided a great mix of comedy and action. Pam Grier as a tough revolutionary provided all the action as she ploted to free the mistreated women from prison. The comedy mostly came from the sexually deprived women, who were full of one-liners and crazy notions. But of course the movie still contained all the things that make a good prison explotation film....lots of nudity...violence...bad laguage and did I mention lots of nudity. It's worth seeing! If you like it also check out THE BIG DOLL HOUSE. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best of the series anyway.
Let's go easy and be fair: "Caged Heat" deserved its rank as the best of the women-in-prison series that marked the glory days of drive-in movies. Although Jonathan Demme's directorial debut was not a real success, it gave us a chance to enjoy the glamour of so many beautiful girls while showing their skin off and on did try their best to act as well: Erica Gavin (the famous vixen in "Vixen!"), Roberta Collins (Pam Grier's co-star in such previous WIP flicks as "Women In Cages", "The Big Bird Cage", "The Big Doll House"), Rainbeaux Smith (aka Cheryl Smith in "Slumber Party '57"), Juanita Brown (Pam Grier's co-star in "Foxy Brown") etc... What else can we ask for??? I'm glad to watch "Caged Heat" again, now on DVD so I can go to any "hot" chapter any time. Too bad "Vixen!" hasn't been released on DVD yet, but if you like this one I would recommend all the above mentioned WIP hits of the '70s. They aren't as good as "Caged Heat" but still worth checking out for their own flavors.

Caged Heat is Dead Beat
This movie was a big dissapointment. Lame acting, lame script and 70's chicks with bad acting skills. Not a very good "Women In Prison" film....there are better one like "Reform School Girls"....the band Caged Heat is way better than the movie...pass it up and get a life!

Good to the last drop
Do you like women's prison movies? Do you like shower scenes of women's prison movies? This is your movie. Also, do you like completely nude solitary confinement scenes in women's prison movies? Then this has two scenes. Plot, women in prison, psycho prison doctor, women escape during farm labor, they break back in to release their friends, shower scenes... all natural torpedos.

wow
I was delighted to see more than one shower scene. All natural. Different body types. You will not be disappointed.

AWESOME
This film is a classic. There are a lot of women in prison films out there, but this one takes the cake. Most films of this type do not contain any real substance aside from violence and nudity. However, not only does this movie have violence and nudity (lots of nudity)but it has real meaning. The story is about the power of friendship. All of the women in prison have done horrible things to get there, but now that they're in a situation where they are faced with extreme punishment they have to stick together in order to survive. It's a masterpiece! Own it....and if you really like it be sure to check out THE BIG BIRD CAGE. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Long Live Jim Kelly
This title, as bad in production value as it is, definitely ranks up there with the most entertaining movies I've ever seen. I laughed so hard at times, I nearly cried. Either they were doing this tongue in cheek, which then makes it brilliant, or it was complete schlock. Either way, it's a keeper for the library.

NOTE: I bought the VHS version thinking it would contain the edited footage, but it does not. Seems there is no fully uncut version available, because someone wrote the DVD version is edited. Ripoff.

Jim Kelly is a classic, and when he delivers the line "your credibility has reached an all time low", he is unforgettable.

LOVE THE MOVIE, BUT THEY'VE CUT IT
I have the older video copy of this and it's BAD, but fun. Looks like the newer VHS and DVD copies have been badly cut. Too bad! We need an uncut version of this on DVD! Try to find older versions and enjoy the great fights and silly crap served up with the original [***], Kelly's colorful use of language and some good old fashion sex and violence. The "G rated" version they have out on DVD is absurd.

Maybe the worst movie ever - but a must see!
This is singlehandedly the worst movie I've ever seen. Some movies have bad acting. Some have bad direction, bad writing, or just a bad feel. Black Samurai has all of that in spades, and just as icing, bad sound editing, and bad action scenes. Don't waste your time on this movie if you're expecting a martial arts movie on par with.. well, real martial arts movies.

What this movie is, however, is absolutely, although unintentionally hilarious. I laughed so hard my eyes watered up several times. But let's be clear: there are no jokes in Black Samurai. Black Samurai IS the joke, and I think Jim Kelly was in on it.

First of all, the title is horribly misleading. Jim Kelly, while indeed black, is no samurai. There is one scene where Kelly practices with a katana and some nunchucks, but that was apparently just to keep him sharp for later movies; they never appear again.

Secondly, for a government agent, Black Samurai is one evil dude. Even though Kelly is apparently some manner of law-enforcement official, he doesn't arrest anyone. He deals out his own brand of justice: knocking most people out, while selecting a few at random for life-altering injury. In one instance, Kelly chooses a seemingly random opponent and yells THE single most classic line in '70s film: "You never gonna walk again, sucka!", whilst snapping his spine. You cold as ice, BS.

But you don't just have bad titling or random acts of evil to glean cheap laughs from! You still have the veritable treasure trove of laughter that is the sound editing and effects!

First, the punches and kicks for some reason sound just like gunshots. Actual gunshots sound like gunshots too, which sounds confusing, but when you're watching the movie trust me, it'll be the least of your concerns.

Here's the best part: there are entire scenes complete with dialog where nobodys mouths move. Yes, really. No, I'm not making this up. There's a five minute scene where Kelly and an opponent move around sizing each other up. They're talking the whole time, but no mouths move. Maybe they're doing it telepathically. Also, apparently Kelly saw the movie after it was filmed and refused to do the dubbing for his character, hoping the movie would die, because there are several occasions where Kelly is supposed to be talking, but someone else's voice comes out.

This isn't a B Movie. This is more like an H movie. It's WAY down on the chain. I'm buying it anyway! I want to show it to my kids someday when they tell me classics like Ferris Beuller and Spaceballs suck. "...no little Timmy, THIS sucks."

What a terrible film !!!!!!!!!!
First of all let me say I love Jim Kelly but this movie is just plain awful, the acting is the worst i have ever seen and even the fights not the best Jim has ever done.
I actually turned the film off half way through because I was so bored with the story line.
Thank god Jim did "Black Belt Jones" !!

Black Samurai ¿ Not to be Taken Seriously
When watching this DVD all conventional expectations of standard film making (decent acting, editing, direction etc.), should be put aside. Instead this DVD should be enjoyed for what it is a schlock B - grade cult/martial arts send up that is performed with tongue firmly in cheek. "Black Samurai" is directed by Al Adamson who knows his way around low budget action fare. This film stars Jim Kelly as a wealthy agent for the government organization D.R.A.G.O.N. Kelly is lured back into action when his girlfriend is kidnapped by a group of Haitian voodoo slavers. Things do go from the sublime to the ridiculous as Kelly is pitted against a vulture, a slew of diminutive bad guys and the evil warlock Janicott (Bill Roy) all while never messing up one hair of his immaculate afro. Also, there is a scene of Kelly donning a jet-pack to sneak up on the evil doers that has to be seen to be believed. Adamson keeps things from spiraling into an incoherent mess while keeping a brisk pace. The supporting cast is odd but will be familiar to cult movie buffs including D' Urville Martin ("Black Caesar"), Felix Silla (Cousin It from "The Addams Family"), Marilyn Joi ("Kentucky Fried Movie") and tough guy Aldo Ray ("We're No Angeles"). The primary reason to watch this DVD is for the choreographed fight scenes that are done well enough and really do showcase Kelly's martial arts ability. All in all this film is not going to be remembered as great cinema but the charm of its silliness makes it enjoyable. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

There is something rotten in the Kingdom of Gudavia
"The Gamma People" is a 1956 science fiction/horror film that can be described as a cross between "1984," "The Boys From Brazil," "Night of the Living Dead," and "Brigadoon" (sorry, I am really into offering up such comparisons this week). American reporter Mike Wilson (Paul Douglas) and his English photographer, Howard Meade (Leslie Phillips) are on a train bound for Salzburg to cover the music festival when their car becomes uncoupled, ends up on an abandoned spur, and rolls all the way to the Kingdom of Gudavia, nestled somewhere in Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain. The two unwanted visitors discover a weird confluence of strange people and events. There are military types in costume uniforms lend by a bungling kommandant named Koerner (Philip Leaver), a young boy named Hugo (Michael Caridia) who clearly has Hitler as a role model, an even younger piano protégé named Hedda (Pauline Drewett), strange monstrous figures walking the streets, a beautiful fraulein scientist named Paula Wendt (Eva Bartok) riding a horse, and Bronoski (Walter Rilla), a brilliant scientist who prattles on about the wonderful effects of Gamma rays on improving the human species. Oh, and there turns out to be a castle. Mike likes Paula, feels sorry for Hedda, declares Hugo to be strange, and worries that Boronski is fooling around too much with the Gamma rays (keep in mind that this film was made years before Stan Lee used Gamma rays to create the Incredible Hulk). Meanwhile, the original music by George Melachrino underscores every scene with tension and peril even when the plot is unclear and the acting misses the moment.

It is not that "The Gamma People" is MST3K fodder because it is so bad, but rather because it is just not good (yes, there is a difference). For example, there is a point where Hedda and her father try to escape from Gudavia and Hugo's harsh critique of her piano playing, taking a horse over the mountains. But of course the bad guys show up to foil their escape. A moment later Mike shows up, apparently just out for a nice little walk so he can smoke a cigarette, even if it means wearing a suit and tie and hiking a couple of miles out of town up the side of a mountain. Then again, it is amazing how many characters happen to pop up during this scene out in the middle of nowhere.

John Gilling's film will really remind you of "Night of the Living Dead" in its visual style and the acting (tilted camera angles, groups of characters moving in an exaggerated manner, etc.), which I guess is not surprising for a man who directed "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire" and wrote the script for "Trog." Perhaps the strangest thing in the film is Paul Douglas as the hero. I mean, this is an actor I associate with baseball comedy movies like "It Happens Every Spring" and the original "Angels in the Outfield," and not as some sort of action hero. Douglas seems like a fish out of water in "The Gamma People," but then everybody seems out of place in this rather ambitious low-budget Fifties science fiction/horror film. Certainly worth a look, 'The Gamma People' is not quite up to cult classic status.

"Gamma People" creepy 1984-like vision of mind control
"The Gamma People" is excellent rainy, Saturday afternoon science fiction/horror fare. Two journalists on their way to a music festival in Salzburg accidentally arrive in the unknown Kingdom of Gudavia (somewhere in Eastern Europe), where mysterious deaths occur, brown-shirted bully boys run amok in the village and hideous goons lurking in the shadows diverts our heroes from their planned itinerary. This movie and its goons gave me the creeps as a child. Not a perfect film, but a highly entertaining and enjoyable one.

Check the production credits and you will see some notable names: Irwin Allen ("Lost In Space") and Albert Broccoli (James Bond films) are executive producers. Syd Cain art designer for such films as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "Frenzy" provides his touch in the creation of a diabolical mind-control laboratory. Cinematographer Ted Moore, who filmed many of the early James Bond films, captures the essence of the film in dark, black and white German expressionistic tones. The lyircal music score by George Melachrino also adds to the fantasy atmosphere of the mysterious Kingdom of Gudavia and its secrets. Paul Douglas and Leslie Phillps are not your stereotypical leading men, yet they add heroic style and aplomb to the solving of Gudavia's dark secrets. Walter Rilla plays the Mabuse-like evil scientist Brononski with diabolical grace. Philip Leaver as the bungling Commandant Koerner lends comic relief to ease the 1984 nightmarish tension of the film.

Do-it-yourself MST3K material
OK, folks, it's a "good news/bad news" situation. The bad news is that this is really a bad movie. A REALLY bad movie. Our heros arrive in Ruritania (which reminds me more than anything of the Grand Duchy of Fenwick, but that's a different movie...) when (wait for it) their railroad car inadvertantly decouples from the train and rolls sloooooowly to a stop in the boondocks of what is supposed to be?? Eastern Europe?? Never mind - it's just a show, and you should really just relax. The locals are, um, different. Maybe it's because they are all zapped by gamma rays (you know, the kind that turned mild-mannered Bruce Banner into The Incredible Hulk) at an early age, turning them into either geniuses or goons.

So - what's the GOOD news, you ask? This is essentially virgin territory for your own riffing! Get this tape, invite over some pals, and have a do-it-yourself Mystery Science Theater! Believe me, it isn't good for anything else. It's filmed in painfully depressing black and white, has scenery reminiscent of the local slag heap, pot holes big enough to drag solar systems through, surprisingly old and unattractive male protagonists, cheesy and short-lived special effects, in short - PERFECT for that hard-to-kill rainy Saturday afternoon. END ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nobody escapes from