I watch movies so you don't have to #12 - Terminal Island (1973)

Terminal Island (1973)
Directed by: Stephanie Rothman
Starring: Don Marshall, Phyllis Davis, Ena Hartman and Tom Selleck

So, this one was interesting. An island "prison" film made by a female director. I'd never actually heard of Stephanie Rothman, but a quick glance at her imdb page told me she was the first female to be given a Directors Guild of America fellowship and the she credits Roger Corman as her only mentor. Not surprising then that her filmography is made up of titles like The Working Girls, The Student Nurses, It's a Bikini World and Blood Bath.

Anyway, I did really enjoy this one. Set in the near future, where the state of California have abolished the death penalty. Instead, convicted murderers (male and female) are sent to Terminal Island, a small island 40 miles off the coast, surrounded by electronic mines, where they are dumped and left to fend for themselves. No guards, no nothing...just an island of murderers trying to survive.

As usual, this post contains big spoilers and some images depicting violence and nudity.

I watch movies so you don't have to #11 - Sweet Sugar (1972)

Sweey Sugar (1972)
Directed by: Michel Levesque
Starring: Phyllis Davis, Ella Edwards and Timothy Brown

Another women-in-prison title ticked off my list and this was one of the better ones. Crazy doctors, shower scenes, voodoo, blood-thirsty kittens, explosions, a bit of hinted-at cannibalism...yup, Sweet Sugar contains something for everyone.

Director Levesque is obviously indebted to the films of Russ Meyers, and the influence can be seen everywhere...from leading lady Phyllis Davis (of Beyond The Valley of the Dolls fame) to the campy goofiness of the script. Although he seems to have given up on directing after Sweet Sugar Levesque continued making a living behind the scenes and later worked on several films with Russ Meyers, including classics like Supervixens and Benath the Valley of the Ultra-vixens.

So...a bit of a warning...this post contains some naked flesh....just so you know.

Let's go...