Vengeance de femmes

This is an interesting movie. On one hand, it is a completely earnest. TV-movie style flick about a group of women who have all been victimized by the "Jingle Bell rapist" and ban together to fight against piggish male behavior in general and eventually take on their hockey-masked, Christmas-caroling assailant. Of course, the women are also sexy as hell, frequently undressed, and ALWAYS under-dressed, which supposedly compromises the feminist message. Why? I'd reckon 100 percent of heterosexual men like to see sexy, undressed women, while maybe 2 percent (a lot of whom are already in prison) really want to see ANY woman violently raped (and I'm not talking about one of those ridiculous Japanese "rape" scenarios here). So for 98 percent of men there is no contradiction here. Many present-day filmmakers feel they need bow down to the altar of man-hating "feminists" like Andrea Dworkin who conflate any expression of male heterosexuality with rape, but I thank god 70's filmmakers didn't. And as for female viewers, are they only allowed to relate to rape victims if they are unattractive, butch lesbians who dress like Lizzie Borden on a cold day?

There are some ridiculous scenes (I know I always meet with MY vigilante gang while sitting naked in a hot tub). The end where the gang goes to a deserted zoo to confront the "Jingle Bell rapist" without the one woman who knows karate is pretty dumb. But this movie is also much more believable than most rape-revenge films in that the women don't immediately and easily turn into remorseless fighting/killing machines. Nothing is less believable than the modern-day "butt-kicking babe" stereotype where a 105lb. fashion model takes on guys three times her size just because she knows karate (and, of course, these big guys never do).

The gang here is led by Joanne Harris, who played the young girl who successfully seduces Clint Eastwood in "The Beguiled". I've seen Filipino actress Jennifer Lee in various films. Perennial cheesecake actresses Connie Strickland and Anneka DiLorenzo were both in the similar (but more misogynistic) "The Centerfold Girls". This movie is basically a much more naked and violent version of "Charlie's Angels". But, hey, there's nothing wrong with that. . .

How about that. My first movie with the word "Rape" in the title and it's not Japanese! Unfortunately the Japanese are still the winners when it comes down to movies with the "Rape" in the title. But hell, this was still a nice effort.

Story focuses on a group of women who refer to themselves as The Rape Squad. Guess what they all have in common? Wrong! They've all been raped by the same guy! Jeez, how can you be so off? They all love the black guy from the Mod Squad....? Wow, awful guess. Anyways, they've all been raped by the same Hockey Mask, Orange Jumpsuit wearing rapist who loves the song Jingle Bells. Now they've joined forces and they're about to show these pushy men what real women can do! Rape Squad was a decent enough flick. There are many rape and revenge flicks out there that are much better, but this is definitely one to check out if you're a big fan of the genre. Checking out the Rapist alone is reason enough. It's tough to beat a confident, smooth talking rapist who dresses up like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees combined. And the coolest thing is, this predates both of those movies by a couple years. Oh and he sings Jingle Bells. Whoever was writing this flick had their creative juices flowing big time. The movie suffers from a few lulls when the girls are just chit-chatting....but you gotta admit, it's realistic. And I was hoping for the movie to be a little more graphic, especially the ending, but hell, the movie entertained me enough. So yeah, if you're into rape/revenge films, give this baby a shot. 6.5 outta 10.

Rating Breakdown: Story - 1.25 :: Direction - 1.25 :: Pacing - 1.00 :: Performances - 1.25 :: Entertainment - 1.25 :::: TOTAL - 6/10

If you only judged Acts of Vengeance by its alternate titles - The Violator and Rape Squad - you'd expect the kind of grimy, bottom-shelf exploitation that makes you want to shower afterwards. But surprise! This little revenge thriller has more righteous fury and narrative heft than its schlocky marketing suggests.

The plot? Simple but effective: an orange Jumpsuit hockey-mask-wearing rapist is on the loose, and the police are about as useful as a chocolate teapot. When the system fails them, a group of survivors, led by the ferociously compelling Jo Ann Harris as Linda Shoemaker, decide to take matters (and self-defence weapons) into their own hands. Think Death Wish, but with feminist rage and flared jeans.

The script is better than you'd expect from the genre, giving the women distinct personalities and making their camaraderie feel real. Where it falls short is in its reluctance to dig deeper into the emotional trauma of the victims, or the twisted psychology of the predator. It scratches at these themes but never quite commits.

Bob Kelljan's direction is stylish for the genre, delivering some well-composed shots and a moody '70s aesthetic. Sure, the pacing lags in places, but the film never fully loses its momentum. And let's talk about the cast: Harris is an absolute scene-stealer, her performance brimming with grit and defiance. The rest of the women hold their own, giving their characters enough personality to make you root for them.

Then there's Peter Brown as the villain, who is about as intimidating as an Ikea chair. His wooden performance undercuts what should have been a nail-biting final showdown, making him the weak link in an otherwise strong cast.

Despite its flaws, Acts of Vengeance delivers a surprisingly effective tale of empowerment, revenge, and '70s street justice. Not quite I Spit on Your Grave, but more than just sleazy fluff, it's a grindhouse gem worth unearthing.

A rapist hidden behind hockey mask is on the loose.He forces his female victims to sing Jingle Bells during rape.A group of five women learn martial arts and team up to stop his dirty deeds."Act of Venegance" aka "The Rape Squad" has the special place in my heart,because it was along with Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left" the first rape and revenge flick I have ever seen.It's an odd and strangely unsettling thriller with sleaze and misogynistic violence.The script is lurid as it condemns the act of rape and sides with its victims but also presents those acts in an over-the-top and exploitative style.A must-see for exploitation fans.8 out of 10.

After being brutally beaten and raped one night by a mysterious man wearing a hockey mask "Linda" (Jo Ann Harris) learn that there have been four other women who have had to endure the same kind of treatment by this same person. He then rapes another woman named "Karen" (Lisa Moore) not long afterward. Much to their surprise they soon come to the realization that the limited information they can give to the local police is insufficient to identify their assailant--let alone allow law enforcement to make an arrest. So with few other options left to them they decide to form a "rape squad" in an effort to build awareness of this issue. At the same time, they also secretly decide to aggressively pursue and punish those who have committed these vicious acts but have somehow managed to escape conviction. Unfortunately, while they all of this is taking place they soon discover that the lunatic responsible has not only continued his acts of depravity but subsequently kills one of his victims in the process. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay film for the most part which suffers somewhat from the rather dated script and weak acting. It does, however, benefit from the presence of some cute actresses--in particular Connie Strickland (as "Teresa") and the aforementioned Jo Ann Harris. Again, while not exactly a blockbuster by any means, the movie itself wasn't that bad overall and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.