☆ ☆ ½
Caged
Heat (1974) – J. Demme
Jonathan Demme’s directorial debut is an
exploitation film, no doubt about it.
But it holds up pretty well and is a bit more engaging than most similar
fare – not that I’ve seen too much. As
far as Women in Prison films go, Caged (1950) with Eleanor Parker has got to be
the pinnacle – but that was more of a serious problem pic than a go-for-broke
B-picture. What more can be said? The
trials and travails of a bunch of ladies in the slammer, with loads of
gratuitous nudity, some violence (and fake blood), a couple of lobotomies and
some shock treatment, a few gals in solitary, a breakout, a repressed and
sadistic warden (Barbara Steele!), and some truly 1970’s low budget cars,
clothes, and hairstyles. Apparently John
Cale wrote the soundtrack (!). Amiable
and fun, not sordid and lurid.
No comments:
Post a Comment