When you come to the Bev July 19th, we’re sending you to women’s prison! Not that nice Litchfield facility where you get to learn all those deep insights about the human condition, either. You’re going to Grindhouse women’s prison, where the guards are on the take, the girls are on the make, and the catfights are impossible to shake!
Your sentence starts in 1986 with THE NAKED CAGE, where bank employee Michelle (Shari Shattuck) is sent for three years after being framed as an accomplice to her boyfriend Willy’s robbery of her workplace by Rita (Christina Whitaker), the conniving temptress who talked him into it. It’s going to be tough enough for her to steer clear of the corrupt warden (Angel Tompkins), the block’s top bull (Faith Minton), and all the other pervs in power, but when Rita gets transferred to her wing, it’s gonna explode!
Already starting with a good pedigree as a Cannon Films production, CAGE is written and directed by Paul Nicholas, who previously directed another WIP classic, CHAINED HEAT, as well as the underrated evil teenager drama JULIE DARLING with Sybill Danning. And though he was merely an actor in this film, co-star John Terlesky has now become an in-demand director of top TV shows like “CASTLE”, “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “THE BLACKLIST”.
Shari Shattuck has appeared on “THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS”, DEATH SPA, ARENA (where she also sang two songs), and last year’s SCREAM AT THE DEVIL, but she is probably most familiar as the mystery blonde in 38 Special’s videos for “Caught Up In You” and “You Keep Running Away.” Christina Whitaker is best known as Peaches in Anita Rosenberg’s ASSAULT OF THE KILLER BIMBOS. Angel Tompkins is practically a regular face at the Bev, appearing in recently screened faves CRACK HOUSE, ALLIGATOR, and THE DON IS DEAD. Other beloved genre stars in the cast are Lisa London (H.O.T.S.), Flo Gerrish (DON’T ANSWER THE PHONE), Carol Ita White (“LAVERNE & SHIRLEY”’s nemesis Rosie Greenbaum), and Larry Gelman (“THE ODD COUPLE”’s poker regular Vinnie).
Your service now goes back further to 1974, as you’re immersed in SEX LIFE OF A WOMEN’S PRISON (a/k/a PRIGIONE DI DONNE). When Martine (Martine Brochard), a French tour guide living in Italy, tries to help potheads flee a police raid, the treacherous hippies hide their stash on her, the first betrayal of many that will put her behind bars and deeper danger. This prison is run by nuns, who rapidly demonstrate they can be every bit as untrustworthy as cops, and seeing as how her cellmates are a lesbian (Marilu Soto), a political activist, and an abortionist, it would appear church and state are in cahoots to get the freaks off the streets. But soon these caged freaks are going to freak out and riot.
Director and primary writer Brunello Rondi was a frequent collaborator with Federico Fellini, co-scripting six of his movies including 8½ and LA DOLCE VITA. While happily indulging in the tropes of the standard WIP drama, Rondi and his collaborators also used the setting to make political indictments about Italian society of the ‘70’s, similar to the popular “poliziotteschi” crime dramas of the same time. Composer Albert Verrecchia is best known to Americans under the name Albert Weyman, which he used to launch and produce the disco group Belle Epoque and their biggest hit “Miss Broadway,” recently featured on the soundtrack of Richard Linklater’s EVERYBODY WANTS SOME. Verrechia’s score features an aria by Edda Dell’Orso, who provided the soaring vocals for many Ennio Morricone scores, particuarly ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.
Star Martine Brochard also headlined Umberto Lenzi’s giallo EYEBALL and appeared in Tinto Brass’ erotic dramas PAPRIKA and THE VOYEUR. Marilu Tolo, who you may have spotted earlier in this month’s screening of COMMANDOS with Lee Van Cleef, was the favorite fashion model of legendary Italian designer Valentino, and appeared in Giulio Questi’s DJANGO KILL and Dario Argento’s historical farce THE FIVE DAYS OF MILAN. And playing an unfortunate novitiate who gets stripped jack naked in the uprising is Cristina Galbó, star of THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED, LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE, and the recently screened WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE.
So make those concession lines single file, and leave your shivs, loose cigarettes, and toilet wine at home. And remember, if your friend’s movie tastes rub you the wrong way, don’t take the law into your own hands – you take ‘em to the Bev!
