I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

That was an excellent one.

Nice effects though.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Are you looking for a trashy, earthy junky film? Switchblade Sisters promises to be a highly exploitative movie about a gritty girl gang, and it more than delivers on that promise. All of the indulgences of 1970s cinema are on florid display, from the earthy violence to the big, unkempt hair to those stereotypically bullhorn-loud outfits. This is no subtle film - it's brash trash.The plot's as straight as Cher's hair (then, anyway): the aforementioned gang, called the Dagger Debs (they're sort of the ladies' auxiliary of an all-male gang, the Daggers), harasses an innocent waif named Maggie. Maggie, though, kicks ass, so the girls decide (after the usual you-must-prove-yourself act) to accept her as their own. At least their leader, Lace (Robbie Lee) does. Her #1 cohort, Patch (Monica Gayle) has plenty of reservations about the new meat, probably because she's jealous about how much attention Maggie (Joanne Nail) is getting from Lace. And that might be because Patch wears - go on, guess - an eyepatch. Kind of makes her look badass, but I bet she's a little self conscious about it, too. Fun fact: Quentin Tarantino was such a huge fan of this film that he modeled the character of Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) in the Kill Bill movies after Patch.Anyway, like even the most outrageous premises, one must not only suspend disbelief but expel it for the duration. All of the kids - who are indeed in their late teens or early twenties in real life - look like they're in their forties. Or maybe it's the hair. The Debs and the Daggers attend a high school where they rule the roost. I don't mean just stuff like taking nerds' lunch money. I mean gambling, prostitution, extortion, whatever it takes to get by, man. The principal, who's not really their pal despite his title, tells the head Dagger, Dominic (Asher Brauner) that Dom's chief gangster rival, Crabs (Chase Newhart) is transferring to the high school, and would Dom mind sharing a bit of the action? Ha, ha, it is to laugh, at both the proposition and Newhart's receding hairline. The Daggers try to play it cool but are attacked anyway by Crabs' gang. The big fight scene takes place in - no kidding - a roller skating rink, where members of both gangs zoom around the floor with the greatest of ease. That's when the good violence begins and things get messy, as in bloody, as in over the top.It's hard to call this a terrible film, because it is exactly what it pretends to be. There's nothing highbrow about this production. Even some of the acting is pretty good, although there aren't any "names" among the cast. An Afterschool Special, this ain't. But would you believe, according to writer-director Jack Hill, this is actually loosely based on Othello? You can see the resemblance if you squint hard or have a terrific imagination. Switchblade Sisters has a rough-and-ready title, hot young women, lots of guns and knives and other implements of destruction, an insane fashion sense, and a whole lot of things getting smashed up. This is the paragon of drive-in movies, and if you don't know what those are, ask your grandfather.

Predating the cycle of gang movies by a few years, "The Jezebels" (a.k.a. "Switchblade Sisters") by exploitation icon Jack Hill really is a whole lot of fun. It's colourful entertainment that actually manages to be campy and serious in equal doses. And it does come complete with a feminist statement.Robbie Lee is Lace, the leader of a girl gang dubbed The Dagger Debs, who are affiliated with a male gang known as the Silver Daggers. She's sweet on Dominic (Asher Brauner), their leader. Laces' world starts falling apart when Maggie (Joanne Nail), a loner, attracts the attention of the gangs (especially Dominic) and rises within the ranks - and gains influence - a little too quickly. Amid the personal problems of the main characters, they must go to war with a gang that masquerades as community activists.Considering the fact that some of these actresses don't really convince at all as tough gals (especially Lee), and are clearly too old for their roles, they really are a whole lot of fun. Monica Gayle delivers a standout performance as Patch, a gang member who comes to distrust and despise Maggie. A rich assortment of familiar actors in the supporting roles include Marlene Clark as black revolutionary Muff, Don Stark as Hook, Bill Adler as Fingers, Kate Murtagh as butch lesbian prison guard Mom Smackley, and Bob Minor as police officer Parker. Nail definitely looks very hot in various sexy outfits. Co-star Kitty Bruce, who plays the put-upon Donut, is the daughter of Lenny Bruce.The movie contains some absolute gems of dialogue thanks to screenwriter F.X. Maier; the viewer will find them very quotable. Nails' speech to the cops right before the end credits is hilarious. There's sex and plenty of violence, and some eye catching costumes by Jodie Tillen. And you just know that this is going to a be a most enjoyable film because of the tune "Black Hearted Woman" that's belted out during the opening credits. Many fine scenes include the clichéd action in the penitentiary and the gunfights at the roller rink and in the streets.Fans of this kind of thing would be well advised to seek it out. It really hits the spot in terms of all of its exploitative elements.Nine out of 10.

In the 70s, when women's lib became as much a part of civil rights as race issues, many films portrayed women as being just as vicious as men. I think that this factor often resulted from male studio heads and producers, who were threatened by women's increasing demands for equality in society. As a result, many films with female characters, were portrayed as being even more dangerous than the most violent of males. The Jezebels is a film, that's a perfect example of this 'woman as more deadly than the male' mentality.The film revolves around a group of teen girls, who form a gang called the Jezebels. They all come from dysfunctional families, and live in a crumbling, tenement apartment building. The girls dress in funky, rough-looking leather jackets and torn jeans. They all carry switch-blade knives, and know how to use them. Their boyfriends have their own gang, and they all hang together with the Jezebels, in an abandoned warehouse. These tough kids are all in constant, bloody battles with rival gangs, the police, and even each other. When a drug kingpin threatens their survival, the huge battle that results, severely tests the loyalties of the Jezebels to each other, and to their boyfriends.There's no shortage of car chases, shootings, knifings, and general all-around mayhem in this movie. All of this overwhelms the film, and gives it a tacky, melodramatic quality. The performances of virtually all the actors, are fraught with hammy overacting. It's only a mildly entertaining movie, at best.

"Switchblade Sisters" is little more than a cheaply-made 1970's exploitation movie. Quentin Tarantino may have liked it, but it's not for everyone. The main actresses, Bonnie Lee and Joanna Nail, look too pretty to be the leaders of a tough all-girl street gang. The costuming shows '70s bad taste, not likely to look tough on any gang member. And there aren't any stars to speak of that appear. Although you can see Don Stark from "That '70s Show" as Hook of the Silver Daggers, and Kitty Bruce, daughter of the late Lenny Bruce, appears as Donut of the Dagger Debs. If you're really into action movies, or 70's-era kitsch, you might enjoy it. You might even get a good laugh out of it! Otherwise, don't waste your time!