I love Lenzi's gialli offerings, or at least the one's I have experiences! I still need to see KNIFE OF ICE and A QUIET PLACE TO KILL. SPASMO and EYEBALL are some of my more favorite gialli viewings. Two very stylish yet, odd in nature but still very effective in the payoff!
It's been a long time since I first seen his SO SWEET... SO PERVERSE (1969), was that not just recently issued on DVD again??
I absolutely loved Freda's brilliant I VAMPRI! Now, what was the deal with Bava being uncredited for with this again? I know he had something to do with the overall direction, but what's the full story on that again?
Any opinions about this more recent giallo? I've heard some bad things but when I found it dirt cheap on eBay, I couldn't resist the temptation of picking it up. Figured I need to give some of the more recent horrer/thriller stuff a chance too. Still waiting for it to arrive and I'm not quite sure what to expect of it but at least it has a pretty good cast that includes famous transsexual Eva Robins from TENEBRAE (1982) and the good-looking Elisabetta Rocchietti, who has been cropping up in a lot of horror stuff like THE THREE FACES OF TERROR (2004), DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? (2005) and THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS (2006). Not to mention supporting roles by Florinda Bolkan and Franco Nero! Anyone here seen it?
Interesting looking film out of Italy with Irish/Spanish co-financiers. Directed by Italian SFX man Stefano Bessoni.
In the 1600s, long before the invention of photography, a scientist named Girolamo Fumagalli was obsessed with the idea of reproducing images. He discovered that by killing a victim and removing the victim's eyeballs, it was possible to reproduce on paper the last image imprinted on that person's retinas. He named this technique 'thanatography'. Today, the same kind of gruesome ritual and abominable crime recurs within the walls of an international school of cinema. -imdb.com
Also stars the daughter of Charlie Chapman, Geraldine Chaplin as well as her daughter Oona.
Well, it seems this is yet another Argento flick that is taking a beating in the review department. Even die hard fans are not too pleased with this outing. Anyhow, the PAL R2 DVD is now out via a Polish company that found it important to force the Polish subs!
Looks like this will be getting a UK release first via Arrow Films! I still haven't seen this, it was on my radar during last year's Midnight Madness during the Toronto Film Fest. The disc will be released March 15th..
I'd love to grab this, but for now I'm holding off on the Blu-Ray player for now, too unstable industry right now. Plus, the multi-region player are way too expensive!
Review By-Paul Cooke Director: Rick Jacobson Starring: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivio, Michael Hurst, Ron Melendez, William Gregory Lee, Minae Noji, Scott Hanley, Lucy Lawless, Zoe Bell & Kevin Sorbo Source: Theatrical
"You better pray to whatever God you worship I don’t get out of this thing"
Slap on the baby oil it’s time to get babe basted. A chick flick with a major kick ass attitude on the harpy highway to hell. Dominatrix divas with a penchant for pain and an Atkins free diet, as man meat is definitely off the menu. Three of life’s curvaceous convicts brought together to capitalise on a $200 million diamond haul. Splitting heads, spilling blood, and going bulimic in the face of the male dominated criminal underworld, these chicks with dicks mean business. No man will stand in their way as they slice, dice, shoot and maim, on a splatter spree that takes them to a remote desert spot, where the bounty is buried and their true identities unravel.
This then is a 3B movie !?. Babes, boobs and blood !. You don’t require glasses to view but you may need them to stop you going blind at the scintillating on screen antics. Introducing Camero, the hottest mean bitch, with a Mike Tyson punch and a colourful tongue tirade vicious enough to chew anyone’s ear off. Trixie, the seemingly ditzy chick who’s sweet serenity permeates a little slice of heaven. Hel, the feisty self elected alpha female with a plan, and an insatiable lady lust for Trixie !. All three have a taste for the two lip tango, and in the sun kissed desert the puppies come out to play, as the pink carpet friction rubs off between them. A movie mid point lady love in showcases a male free pink post box servicing delivery, sixty nine degrees hotter than any postman ringing twice !.
The back story is told in flashback in a neat collage of split screens and splashes of violence. Manga styled gory segments gushing siphons of violent imagery across the screen, like a Picasso thrown up by one of the ‘Killer Klowns From Outer Space’ !. The gang land boss is known as Pinky, a feared and faceless head of the underworld. No one knows who this person is or what they look like. A phantom with a reputation of not to be crossed. Those who dare trespass upon Pinky’s vast territory with even a thought of self acquisition become victims of violent ignominy, strung up by hooks, gutted and left hanging with their entrails spilling out to the ground below.
Gage is one of Pinky’s henchmen, who has been secretly siphoning contraband from Pinky for years, and is cleverly played by the girls into divulging information about the diamonds. Pulverised into a patchwork of bruised flesh Gage is thrown into the boot of a car, and along with the galvanised girls ends up in the desert. Now all they need from him is where they have to dig to uncover the priceless gems. Things naturally do not quite go to plan. Gage knows things about Camero that the other two girls are unaware of and tensions rise. Further unease comes into play with the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of the ‘Jack Wood’ County sheriff department, driving his round and stopping to offer assistance to what he perceives as three dames in distress. The aptly named Deputy Roy Fuchs offers his services to the ladies, who have to think fast in order to send him on his way or add him to their kill notch.
The flash back sequences throw up several perspectives involving each of the three girls entanglement in the overall proceedings, as well as introducing some other characters pivotal to the salacious storyline. Along with the scene stealing psycho smut sisters are a curio combo of new age gangster punk and Japanese bimbo bitch. Hot wire is a new world order Sid Vicious, a seriously twitchy psychotic fruit loop with Tourettes syndrome. His equally spaced out pig tailed girl friend Kinki, is an Asian assassin highly skilled in the art of causing pain. Kinki’s weapon of choice is a bladed Yo Yo that she deftly manipulates to distribute flesh cutting precision with each flick of her wrist. A deadly disciple from the hit Japanese TV show and subsequent movies, ‘Sukeban Deka’. Together they are a ferocious freak show not to be messed with. Throw in a cameo by Kevin Sorbo as the mysterious Mr. Phoenix and his hot butt femme fatale Foxy ‘69, as super covert agents ala James Bond, and the mix blends together as one outrageously satirical outing that belies belief. Snappy dialogue and snazzy editing add to the guilty pleasure payoff ‘Bitch Slap’ delivers.
Uncovering more than just diamonds, in the underground complex buried beneath the hot desert sand by Cage for years, Camero, Trixie and Hel snap on heavy artillery, found stashed amidst the hidden reserve within the vault, and prepare to do battle amongst themselves, along with everyone else who has since gate crashed the party. It’s three fit babes in push up bras busting a cap into the cranium of crime, standing up for equal gender rights, and blistering brain matter into camera with repeat action designer weapon. Three sassy sisters of sin crank up the violence with a sexuality that sets the screen ablaze. Knee caps are shot out and skulls splinter with bullet shattering accuracy, with the resultant splurge of blood splattering directly into the screen. Witness Nun on Nun sex in a convent confessionary box, with a making whoopi sister act !. These blasphemous babes sure know how to turn the others cheeks.
Look for the name of Zoe Bell, not just amongst the starring roster but also in the credits as stunt coordinator, and as ‘everyone’s double’ !. An incredible lady who has worked in several Tarantino movies, and stunt doubled for Lucy Lawless, who also appears in this movie, during her lead as ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’.
In the style of Russ Meyer meets Quentin Tarantino, amped up and Rated ‘X’ for extreme violence, and sexual degradation against women … by women !. This is a mastodon of male neutering movie to revel in. A priceless piece of pure female fury, unleashed in the best traditions of Grind House exploitation.
BITCH SLAP
Slap on the baby oil it’s time to get babe basted. A chick flick with a major kick ass attitude on the harpy highway to hell. Dominatrix divas with a penchant for pain and an Atkins free diet, as man meat is definitely off the menu. Three of life’s curvaceous convicts brought together to capitalise on a $200 million diamond haul. Splitting heads, spilling blood, and going bulimic in the face of the male dominated criminal underworld, these chicks with dicks mean business. No man will stand in their way as they slice, dice, shoot and maim, on a splatter spree that takes them to a remote desert spot, where the bounty is buried and their true identities unravel. 
editing add to the guilty pleasure payoff ‘Bitch Slap’ delivers.
