Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (Part 2 of 3)

Score: 8 Out Of 10

           So let me say this right off the bat, the film featured on this weeks blog is a sequel to last weeks entry (true, there is one film between the two, but this one is far superior to that sequel and picks right up where the first film left off. By skipping the second film, you're not missing anything. I promise). By reading this you will know the ending to the first film. This is the official "Spoiler Alert." If you read any further it will ruin the ending to Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. She kills the guy who set her up and his whole crew after she escapes from prison. Told you so.
          Wow. This is a really good follow up. I have to admit I'm kinda jaded when it comes to sequels. Lets face it, we live in a society where a second and/or third film normally means ninety minutes of actors and actresses not returning, directors not returning, bad plots and movies made quick and cheep just to cash in on the success of the original. Director Shunya Ito clearly has his shit together. The first thing he does right is bring back Meiko Kaji as Nami Matsushima (Scorpion). No joke, she plays this role so well, if I ever run into her in person I'm going to turn around and walk away out of fear for my life.
             The story follows our main character, Nami, as she is now out of prison and trying to evade authorities (she doesn't help that cause by spending the duration of the opening credits running through Tokyo waving a severed arm around). Not long into the movie she befriends a down-and-out prostitute and soon attempts to liberate her from her pimps. Despite the films plot (and the previously mentioned severed arm waving), this one is actually a bit slower than the first. There is some graphic violence (I don't want to give to much away, but there's a pretty nasty scene with a golf club and I'm wondering if writer, Hiro Matsuda, has something against pregnant women), but is few and far between. There is also not a lot of nudity when you compare it to the first as well. The main focus here seemed to be character building and giving the audience a bit more of an idea as to what makes Nami tick.
           Overall, I have to say this is a pretty great follow up. Meiko Kaji turns in a great performance despite the fact that her character is silent through most of the film. The plot also serves the first film well while leaving out enough details to still be enjoyable if you haven't seen the first. The only question left is how good will a third film be?



Did you see the arm in the trailer? Awesome, right?

Love,
   The B-Movie Guy
#Bmovieblog  #Femaleprisoner701

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (Part 1 of 3)

Score: 9 Out Of 10

           
         Holy Japanese-women-in-prison-films was this film ever awesome! No joke, I have run the complete gamut of emotions with in the last hour and a half. First I was laughing, then I was mad as hell, then I was almost crying and then i was... well... you know... Anyway. I must say this film really impressed me. I am no stranger to women's prison films (ex: "Caged Heat(1974)" and "Women In Cell Block 7(1974)"), but this one is different! It was directed by Shunya Ito, and it stars Meiko Kaji, Rie Yokoyama and Isao Natsuyagi. It was released (in Japan) in 1972. The plot of the film is a woman is tricked by her police officer boyfriend and sent in undercover on a drug bust which leads to her brutal rape. Later she attempts to kill her now exboyfriend in an act of revenge and is sent to prison for her troubles where she tries to escape and later is mixed up in a hostage situation.
            I'm not going to lie to you guys, alot of the classic exploitation elements are here. There is alot of female nudity (some male nudity, but no penis... sorry girls) through out the film and plenty over the top violence. What sets this film apart from others in the genre is the fact that the story and the action os all prtrayed very tastefully and the film over all is very emotionally driven. it did not feel at all like the movie was an excuse to get a bunch of hot (and some of them were pretty hot!) japanese girls to parade around naked, there was very good stroy to tie it all together. A story so good that I've already to dedicated the next to blog posts to the films two sequals. There were however some unintentional laughs. Mainly from feighned hits between characters. More than a few times, one character would strike another, clearly missing by about a half a foot, and the character on the receiving end would over react. But all in all, I didn't feel that hindered the film at all. Lets hope the sequals are as good!



Love,
   The B-Movie Guy.

#Bmovieblog  #Femaleprisoner701

Retardead (A Fail On Every Level)

Score: 1 Out Of 10         

     

                I don't even know where to begin with what is wrong with this film.  Have you ever sat through a movie to see the main characters make a stupid pun at the end just before the credits role and wonder if the entire film was written just for that one pun? That pretty much sums up how I feel right now. For a film that runs a little more than an hour and a half, the best part is when they make the lame joke at the end (well, that and when the credits finally came). "Retardead (after having viewed the film I realize now just how appropriate that title is)" was written, directed, produced and stars Rick Popko and Dan West. It also features Tony Adams and Michael Allen. All of the people mentioned should feel ashamed.

             

               The movie opens with some fake trailers (A la "Grindhouse"), then flows into a film that is supposed to be a sequel to "Monsturd." The plot revolves around a little girl telling a story (that aspect of the film is for some reason abandoned by the end of the film) about a mad man who creates zombies out of mentally challenged adults who for some reason are in a classroom like setting (this is never explained). The problem with the movie is that until about half way through, it's a movie about the police chasing a guy who masturbates in public. The movie as a whole falls short because of bad acting, bad camera work (it feels like the movie was shot on hand held digital cameras) and the nagging feeling that the film was written by a thirteen year old. Overall it was just boring.

Love,

   The B-Movie Guy.

#Bmovieblog #Retardead