Les évadées

A film so good they made it twice (they shot the equally lurid `Hotel Paradise' at the same time), and even released a scratch mix version called `Savage Island' with Linda Blair which wasn't so good. We all know by now that the plot involves a couple of dozen half naked women being terrorised by the brutal guards in a jungle prison camp. It also has a host of titillating titles which translate as `The Torture Camp of the Dear Witches', `The Dear Witches of the Rio Cannibale' `Escapees from the Love Camp' and `Infernal Women', although that was the original. In Britain it was called `Hell Prison' and back in 1980 when I saw it the cover was enough to get me interested, probably a bit too interested. I've seen it twice since and might even buy the DVD one day.

On the cast, everyone seems to know about the late Ajita Wilson, but have you noticed that Christina Lai (Vivien) appears in Moonraker for all of two seconds (credited there as Christina Hui)? So 1979 was a big year for her. All of which set me to thinking who she really was, and what was her real name. Well, she was Miss Italy 1978 (then known as Loren Cristina Mai). Further `research' reveals that Zaira Zoccheddu, who plays `Lucy' was a Miss World contestant in 1974, but she finished nowhere. Don't you just love the internet?

Also Anna Maria Panaro (aka Annamaria Pace) appeared in a couple of `Sword and Sandal' epics in the 60s and then seems to have disappeared until she turned up in an episode of Sex and the City. Here she plays `Marie Antoinette' who pretends to be mad and has an affair with a dog to keep the guards off her case, smart move.

Handsome Serafino Profumo (`Martinez') has a scary list of film credits, though I think the IMDB has missed at least one of those icky Italian Nazi-sex epics of the 70s. And Brazilian born Anthony Steffen did a lot of spaghetti westerns before landing his greatest role here as the alcoholic doctor.

Wow, there's certainly more to this skin-fest than meets the eye. I'm going to write a thesis on this movie. Or maybe start a fan club which is long overdue. Help me out and I guarantee a million hits.

Whoever has the rights should be informed that some of us are crying out for the director's cut. Or maybe we could arrange a 25th anniversary reunion somewhere in Italy.

This is a state of the art Girls-In-Jungle-Prison-Camp movie. It is loaded with nudity and all kinds of abuse. No wonder the good handsome doctor is a drunk. But there's only so much a decent person can absorb before they stand up and snap back. The doctor is their only chance of survival from the notorious warden and guards.

There is a death scene that has to be one of the worst, most frightening I've ever seen. I've seen a million ways to die on screen, but I have never seen this one before.

A fool could say this only happens in movies... but I'm sure similar events happen all the time around the world. And yes... even to girls! They could be taken advantage easier.

Lets remember the inmates are all criminals to be there, but what goes on in the remote jungle miles from civilization is an unseen, unspeakable hell where people who are supposed to represent authority and teach correction just turn into criminals themselves. The moral of the story; two wrongs don't make a right and good always prevails.

A superbly crafted intense, dramatic, romantic film that is both meaningful and immensely entertaining. Escape!

Anthony Steffen trades in his Western poncho for a whiskey bottle in this sleazy Italian W.I.P. film. He plays a drunk Doctor in a jungle prison for women only. This leads to all sorts of depravity by the male guards. Everything is as you would expect, with rape, torture, lesbian groping, and of course that old standby implied bestiality. The movie is grainy, dark, and the acting marginal high school caliber. You have to ask yourself this question, why would anyone want to sit through this train wreck of a film? The dubbing alone is so atrocious that lips are moving before and after the over dub, but none of that matters because the intended audience will be totally fixated on the grimy writhing screen images. One other thing, I just hope no snakes or leeches were harmed during filming? - MERK

Great family entertainment! OK, maybe not.... But, man, what an excellent piece of sleaze. Great sex scenes (in the first sex scene you can see that the girl is actually performing REAL oral sex on the male guard),the stand-out being the sweaty lesbian scene in the jail cell... very steamy. The rape scenes are a little too rough and suprisingly realistic (one guard holds the lead actress while the other gropes and performs REAL oral sex her) but my guess is that the cast is probably of the hardcore background due to the scenes they perform in this film. It may not have the wit of Caged Heat or the originality of The Big Bird Cage but it sure does know the right parts to imitate. While this may not be the "watch with the girlfriend" type movie it's a great guilty pleasure... and one hell of a Sleazy/Trashy/Morally devoid piece of filth!!! GOD, I LOVE IT! 9/10.

Naked helpless babes trapped on an island where they are brutalized and used by the powers that be. What more could an exploitation fan ask for? It's just a notch above your average babes in prison movie since the characters are believable in their desire to get out. Also, When the setting says tropical island they are not kidding. The island our beauties are stranded on looks about as tropical and steamy as you can get. Not for the squeamish!