ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Roman Sampson
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Geraldine
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Leofwine_draca
This is a Bruno Mattei take on the women-in-prison genre. The director of the infamous ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH, Mattei is much derided by fans of Italian trash because of his inability to direct a decent movie. This is pretty poor stuff, but actually better than some I've seen, so any film that shows Mattei in a good light has to have something going for it. As well as being a stand alone WIP/exploitation movie in itself, Mattei ties this into the BLACK EMANUELLE saga by casting Laura Gemser and her real-life lover Gabriele Tinti as the flick's two main stars.For the most part, this is business as usual, and it's notable that the stars are more attractive than you'll find in a film like this. Gemser is sent to a hellhole of a prison, but wait, there's a twist: she's actually working undercover for Amnesty International to look at prison standards. The usual elements are here, rather undistinguished: there's a sympathetic prison doctor; rape scenes; a sadistic warden; butch inmates; plenty of lesbianism; and an inevitable jail break come the climax. Mattei is no stranger to sleaze and the nude shenanigans are what you'd expect from this particular genre. Gemser is great value for money, as is Gabriele Tinti, but there's nothing or no one else here who stands out from the crowd. Cat fights, torture, nudity, sex and violence (although not as much of the latter as you'd expect from the title) and there you have it.
SlasherReviewer
Spoilers ahead....Yes this movie is awesome. One of the better women's prison flicks for sure. A female reporter fakes a criminal record and dives head first into the brutal prison system. She gets raped, bitten bad by rats, beaten, whipped, and just plain tortured!!!Good movie for sure with lots and lots of female on female sex. This movie was also filmed in Rome which makes it unique. If you like female prison exploitation flicks this is a must see. Slasher reviewer, although this is not a slasher movie, gives this masterpiece a big thumbs up!!!!Check it out you won't be disappointed!!
HOTFOOTJACKSON
After the sordid delights of 'SS Camp 5 - Womans' Hell' and the bleakly disturbing 'Womans' Camp 119', Bruno Mattei says farewell Nazis and, plumps instead, for a bunch of jailbirds for his next 'women incarcerated' chunk of sleaze.It is unfortunate I didn't have a copy of 'Blade Violent' to compare this with, this film used the same cast,same sets and virtually same plot. A plus point is that I can review this purely on single merit. On a whole this is a fairly average entry in the Women In Prison genre, featuring three scream queens Gemser, Stoppi and De Selle taking the main roles. Unfortunately these stalwarts of sin cannot save this movie from being a little mundane. The movie tells the tale of our intrepid reporter Emanuelle (Gemser)undercover in a female penitentiary as an inmate. Her task is to report on the corruptive and inhumane practices within the prison/penal system. Eventually we are thrust into the unsavoury W.I.P world where beatings are regularly brandished out by deadpan officers with bad hair, sapphic shennanigans are occurring regularly by the suitably looking 'rough' females and there is of course the obligatory humiliation, mental and physical.I am unsure whether it is because this is Matteis' first stab at the W.I.P genre (though SS films can't be all that dissimilar surely ?) but I feel the whole movie is rather a tame effort. There a few nasty surprises that borderline on the humourous such as the 'poo punch-up' and a very novel way of bell ringing. The rape sequence, although voyeuristically unsettling to begin with, you gradually find yourself amused as two inmates play pass the parcel with a scantily clad virgin most of this sequence and you wonder in disbelief whether this will end or not.The direction is well achieved as Mattei uses commendable editing, although the sets are basic, there is still an oppressive decay to the whole affair. Most of Matteis genre films 'Zombie Creeping Flesh','Rats;Night Of Terror','Womens Camp 119' seem to have this vein of industrial atrophy, clinical but chemical and it is this polluted environment that always is the backdrop to some of Matteis' movies making them seem 'nasty'. Despite sniggering at the dialogue, cringing at the effects and laughing at the dire continuity you always sense a stagnancy that sets the tone from the first frame and lingers throughout until the very last credit. I appreciate Mattei as a director for his grim 'simplicity' and his matter of fact 'I-made-the-films-because-thats-where-the-money-was' attitude. I often think Mattei could've moved onto bigger things but on occasions has been incorrectly underrated. Buy this to add to the Emanuelle collection, The Mattei collection or WIP Collection that may grace the living room shelf. VIEWED; UNCUT UNRATED R1 DISC - 99 MINUTES
Mark Cowherd
its true, not just anyone can! . why are they certain trashy exploitation movies we hold dear?
Mattei did bring style/substance to his films. Watch "Violenza in un carcere femminile" There is a dark mood to this film--done by style of cinematography, the score, the right cast, great flesh, script and direction. And by the way; cheese was intentional!! I really believe this. God I love this movie; I think I'll watch it tonight. I like "women's camp 119" and "Night of the Zombies" aka Virus for the same reasons but "SS girls" is my favorite. Those who do not believe Mattei Cheesiness was not intentional should see this. In fact all of you who have not seen this film, should. It may be his masterpiece.