Directed by Rick Jacobson
Written by Eric Gruendemann and Rick Jacobson
Featuring America Olivo, Erin Cummings, Julia Voth, Kevin Sorbo, Lucy Lawless, Zoe Bell, Minae Noji, Debbie Lee Carrington
Review by Stacie Ponder
The problem with the "exploitation" label is that it's used so liberally that the viewer rarely knows what to expect from a film boasting that it's oh so grindhouse. Will the film feature naughty nuns fucking each other with crucifixes, or Nazi prison wardens torturing naked chicks? Bikers, cannibals, or biker-cannibals? When you're a female (or, to qualify, a female who cares about the portrayals of women in film) even more questions arise- most notably, will the movie be so offensive that my vagina itself will grab a megaphone and stage some sort of protest? Should you be wrestling with any of these issues before checking out Bitch Slap, well, you can rest easy. In fact, rather than marching out and starting a protest after seeing the film, my vagina wanted to wear a Bitch Slap t-shirt. I told her that this is physically impossible, but she's a girl so she doesn't really understand science...
Okay, when I started writing this review, I had no intention of mentioning my vagina whatsoever, but there you go.
The girls
Three archetypal bad/hot girls- Trixie, the ditzy stripper (Julia Voth), Hel, the no-nonsense ringleader (Erin Cummings), and loose cannon Camero (America Olivo)- head out to the desert to find $200 million in diamonds pilfered from a kingpin. That simple premise launches a labyrinthine plot that jumps back and forth through time, winding in and around itself as allegiances are formed and forgotten, other criminals make a bid for the loot, and layers are peeled away, revealing the truth that's been hiding.
Oh yeah, and girls make out with one another, have slow-motion water fights, and generally beat the shit out of each other…and it's an absolute blast. From the opening moments when the trio (and theircaptive) arrive at the desert hideaway, it's obvious that writers Eric Gruendemann and Rick Jacobson (who also directed) have crafted an exploitation film that's more in line with Russ Meyer than with Ilsa of the SS. In other words, it skirts the line between exploiting and empowering women, and at all times it's celebratory of the female form. The camera slowly lingers over cleavage, but before you can even think to raise an eyebrow, it becomes apparent that the filmmakers are reminding us all- men and women- that yeah, cleavage is pretty fucking great. Like Varla, Rosie, and Billie in Meyers's Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Trixie, Hel, and Camero are in charge of their own sexuality and they make no apologies. Bitch Slap is loving homage to the "bad girl" flicks of the '60s and a parody as well.
However, this isn't a parody on level with one of those God-awful Epic Movies or some such, which is one reason why it succeeds. Everyone involved, from the actors to the director, treats the subject matter very seriously, rendering the film outrageous but never broad. No one's winking at the camera here, pointing out just how clever it all is- least of all the three leads. They deliver their lines in a pitch perfect fashion, with hilarious gravitas that never quite goes over the top. The dialogue is entirely quotable, frequently laugh out loud funny, and lightning-fast; again, if you're a fan of Russ Meyer, you're going to be a fan of Bitch Slap.
You can see the Russ Meyer influence in this shot
No movie with multiple female leads is complete without a catfight (come on, I'd pay to see Sex and the City if I knew the one with the red hair was going to kick Kim Cattrall in the crotch once or twice), and Bitch Slap boasts what may possibly the longest, most brutal catfight of all time. Thanks to the talents of Stunt Coordinator Zoe Bell, these ladies really let loose and do a number on each other with their feet, their fists, their mouths, and anything else close at hand.
My gripes, if they can be called such, are few. There were several minor characters that I wished had more screen time, such as the razor blade yoyo-wielding Kinki (Minae Noji) to the diminutive, Rambo-esque Hot Pocket (Debbie Lee Carrington)- not to mention the too-brief appearances of Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless. There's a chance that the film is a bit too long, yet I was having so much fun with it (like, 'grinning like an idiot' fun) I didn't want it to end. Bitch Slap is the smartest mindless entertainment I've had in some time.
Rating: (4 out of 5):
And I now want to see this movie! :hat:
I made this website. I'm sorry.