Rabbiosamente femmine

Jack Hill's 'Switchblade Sisters' is a wild ride that will have you hooked from the get go! It's everything I hoped Ted V. Mikels disappointing 'The Doll Squad' was going to be - a trashy, campy slice of 1970s exploitation that manages to be self-parodic AND take its subject matter seriously simultaneously. Happily, 'Switchblade Sisters' is so good you'd think you'd dreamed it yourself.

Robbie Lee plays Lace the Debs' leader, and fulfills all the promise she showed in Roger Corman's 'Big Bad Mama' the previous year. She's cute but deadly, and why she never became a major star is hard to fathom. Most of the other girls, particularly gang newcomer Maggie (Joanne Nail), and Lace's former second in command Patch (Monica Gayle), are also sexy and dangerous, but none show the sheer charisma of Lee's Lace, surely up there with Tura Satana, Pam Grier or Raven de la Croix as a proto-feminist icon of the drive-in era.

'Switchblade Sister' is trash par excellence. You will both laugh at and laugh with the Dagger Debs and their rival gang, the disco-dudded Crabs, who could easily walk off this movie and straight into 'The Warriors', another surreal gang movie, directed by another Hill, Walter. Both Hill's deserve their place in psychotronic history!

The inner-city, prone to violence, crime, drugs, even sex. The top gang that rules the area are the Silver Daggers. With them are their female counterparts, the Dagger Debs lead by Lace (Robbie Lee). One day, they meet a loner name Maggie (Joanne Nail), who holds her own. After a night in juvenile hall, Maggie joins the ranks and gains the trust of Lace. However, Lace's friend Patch is suspicious of Maggie. As Maggie began to to know the ways of the Dagger Debs, she makes a move on Lace's boyfriend Dominic (Asher Brauner), who would not take the role of a father when he hears about Lace's pregnancy. More to it, Maggie would take in the reins of leading the Dagger Debs following a failed ambush at a roller rink. The men are ousted by Maggie, and they go form the Dagger Debs, to the Jezebels. They even join a militant gang to help boost the power of the group. When Lace re cooperates from her attack, she joins the group, only to suspect Maggie as a traitor. I like the scene where Lace beats up Maggie, and tortures her by sticking a cigarette butt in her bellybutton. Then came the showdown. Classic scene. The gang gains a new leader, while Patch is left behind. Goes to show there is no loyalty among gangs. Power shifts, and questionable leadership can destroy an organization. The Jezebels have not only ousted the men, but Lace as well, without her knowledge. They consider her a weak link in the gang. 4 out of 5 stars.

A persons impression of a movie sometimes depends on what they're expecting before they see it. You gotta go into this one expecting a low budget poorly acted 70's action film. If you do, you'll be quite impressed! The acting isn't all that bad. Lace can get a little annoying, talking through clenched teeth like she does, but she acts pretty well during her softer parts. And the movie is funny! I was not expecting to actually laugh out loud during it, but I did in several spots. This movie is kind of like The Warriors meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High meets L7. :')

And there were even a couple touching moments to the film that I wasn't expecting. The characters are interesting too. I can see why Quentin Tarantino likes this film. If you are a fan of his, and don't mind B movies, I think you'll like this.

Sure this is a really, really stupid movie, but you've got to see it to believe it. The story of the toughest girls ever, The Jezebels, will leave you on the floor in a fit of laughter. Performed totally straight, this is like a really bad comic book brought to lurid life, complete with ear-wiltingly stupid dialogue. The action is so improbable that it may as well be taking place on another planet! Don't miss it, and look for Don Stark (Bob Pinciotti on "That '70's Show") in an early role as gang member "Hook"(so called because a unique anatomical feature). Drink a six pack of tall-boys and get ready to crack up; you won't be disappointed!

As in all thing's this was not made for everyone, it was intended to latch onto a genre that makes money, however, I think Jack Hill has done some great work with this, if one has an open mind, they just cant help but feel for the characters as the story develops, it's interesting the whole way thru, with lots of humor violence & sex involved.