Switchblade Sisters (1975)
Cast: Robbie Lee, Joanne Nail, Asher Brauner, Kitty Bruce, Monica Gayle
Director: Jack Hill
Nutshell: top-notch 70’s exploitationer features chick gang warfare and revolutionary sisters, just for starters. Wonderful
“cinephiliac slumming” Time Out.
“this gem is a wild, amazing, anything-goes tale. The best female jd movie ever” Psychotronic
“pretty good cheapie”, Maltin’s
“Kitsch and fun” Empire
Epic 70’s exploitation flick by the master of the genre, Jack Hill, scores a bull’s eye with its badass, no-nonsense attitude. It’s high voltage, kick-ass gang warfare here with the Dagger Debs, the Silver Daggers and the Jezebels all going hell for leather. It’s a classic tale of revenge, territory and respect with elements of righteousness, especially in the form of the Revolutionary Red Book-wielding Sisters from Harlem.
The performances are spot on, with a fine cameo by the woman playing the obligatory lesbo-prison warden from hell who relishes putting her rubber gloves on for a probing session. If anything, the Afro-American revolutionary sisters steal the show when they take to the streets in armoured tanks to bring about the People’s Sister’s revolution. This movie is a laugh riot from beginning to end – brilliant low-grade exploitation with oodles of attitude. The script is loaded with gems, and the acting is suitably excellent. One is grateful to Quentin Tarantino (and good buddy Harvey Weinstein) for reintroducing this gem to audiences through his subsidiary Miramax label, Rolling Thunder Pictures.
