A gabbia nuda

Standard fare about female criminals and a female penitentiary certainly doesn't have the best acting in the world and relies heavily on predictable material. Why bother?

"The Naked Cage" is a textbook anthology of "Women-In-Prison Drama" cliches (innocent heroine, sadistic warden, lesbianism, catfights, stabbings, riots, etc.). Watching it, you feel as if you're wallowing in a cesspool, and the fact that leading actress Shari Shattuck is not believable for a minute certainly doesn't help matters. At least Christina Whitaker is spirited and fun as the "wild" Rita. (*1/2)

I love campy movies like this. The dialogue is a hoot, the scenes of women in jail are so preposterous but who cares? It's a cheap thrill to watch women slap, stab, pull hair and lez out. Even the warden (Angel Thompkins) is a hot babe who gets off being sadistic. In my opinion Faith Minton steals this picture as tough inmate who looks like she just came off of the pro-wrestling circuit. She has the best lines in the movie, my favorite being when she tells a muslim inmate "Nothing you sh#$heads do concerns me!" Sit back, watch and turn your brain off and you will have a good time. Yes, the language is quite foul but when there is this much unintended comedy it loses it shock value. Not the best of this genre (Chained Heat, Concrete Jungle) but close.

A leggy sexy girl (Rita) in short shorts and cowboy boots somehow manages to hitch a ride from some dude driving a stolen red Corvette. They team up in a robbery/shooting and drag the dude's girlfriend (Michelle)into the fracas and she is convicted of armed robbery and is to serve 3 years.

Thrown into an all female prison, Michelle tries to cope with the the requisite evil warden, personal conflicts, bad guards, bad prisoners, but hey it IS prison.

Actually this film has a lot of social justice between the nude prisoners running around and kissing and making out. The blacks are segregated but Michelle bridges the divide and teams up with them to ferment a full fledged Attica style riot.

The big tough gal, Faith Minton, a centerpiece in the population, is tough enough to serve in a men's prison, where she would get respect.

Lots goes on in this above average prison flick, and it kinda reminds me of a female version of Brubaker. If you see it for $5, buy it or rent it for a fun evening of chic on chic action with some social justice thrown in.

Sadly the movie did not provide IMDb with practicals, i.e. photos of all cast members and bios. So faces are blank, making it hard to identify the actors.

Moral: avoid going to prison at all costs. Be a good citizen. Well, even that might not help you if you are framed.

I recently watched The Naked Cage (1986) on Prime. The storyline follows a woman unjustly imprisoned in a women's facility, where she must navigate cliques among the inmates and contend with a corrupt warden who has her own twisted desires. The warden controls the prison through spies who can make life easier or harder for inmates. As the young woman starts to understand the dangerous dynamics inside, even her allies begin to turn against her. Can she survive, or will the prison system destroy her?

Written and directed by Paul Nicholas (Night of the Archer), the film stars Shari Shattuck (Spy Hard), Angel Tompkins (The Teacher), Nick Benedict (Get a Job), and John Terlesky (Deathstalker II).

This is a classic 80s prison drama, complete with all the era's iconic elements. The cast of gorgeous women, 80s hairstyles, and a lively soundtrack make it fun to watch. There are some entertaining action scenes, like the opening robbery, the fight sequences, and the predictable but enjoyable prison riot at the end. The film also has its fair share of girl-on-girl action, nudity, and the inevitable shower scene-though that didn't play out quite as expected. The warden's office looking like a set straight out of a porn film was unintentionally hilarious. However, as you'd expect, there's inconsistent acting, over-the-top situations, and predictable plot points-though they're fun in a campy way.

In conclusion, The Naked Cage is a fun 80s prison drama, but you'll need to manage your expectations. I'd score it a 5-5.5/10 and recommend it only if you're looking for some nostalgic, over-the-top entertainment.