Women in Prison Triple Feature (1983-1985)

Studio: CAV/Panik House Entertainment
DVD Release Date: July 12, 2011
Not Rated

Review by James Klein

Panik House Entertainment has now released for a limited time a triple feature DVD of women in prison films. The three films are uncut and all on DVD for the first time. While I could have used more special features and the presentations of the films are lackluster, it is still a must purchase thanks to the film...

Chained Heat - This could be right up there with Ilsa, She Wolf of the S.S. as one of the sleaziest, hilariously over the top women in prison films ever made. It also stars the beautiful Linda Blair and the film is filled with so many boobs, bush, violence, and drug use that the film rightfully deserved it's non rating. This 1983 film has Linda Blair as Carol, a quiet woman going to jail for the first time after accidentally killing a man in an auto accident. When she gets to jail she finds out the prison is run by a coke addicted, perverted warden (played by an over the top John Vernon) and a sinister guard (Stella Stevens) who is having a fling with the prison's doctor (Henry Silva) who takes some of the female prisoners out at night for group sex with rich businessmen. While in jail, Carol gets mixed up with the evil Sybil Danning whose one of the big shot prisoners that everyone seems to be afraid of. Filled with non stop action, tons of full frontal nudity, graphic violence and some hilariously silly lines of dialogue, this is a must-see! I have been waiting for this film for years to come out on DVD. The picture quality is better than the old VHS tape but that isn't saying much as everything looks very bright but the colors seem faded. There are two interviews with Danning and Stevens regarding this film and while they speak, clips of Chained Heat is shown...in crystal clear picture quality! Still, Chained Heat is on DVD and I can sleep better at night knowing this forgotten gem is available for all to see.

Red Heat - no, this isn't the Arnold Schwarzenegger film. This is the 1985 women in prison film starring Linda Blair as Christine, an American who journeys to Germany to greet her fiancé whose a soldier stationed near Berlin. One night Christine sees a crime being committed and gets taken in by the police and is forced to confess to the crime although she is innocent. She is convicted by the corrupt judges and is sent to jail. While in jail, she gets mixed up with the evil Sofia (Sylvia Kristel) who forces her lesbian lovers to get tattoos on their faces and beats up anyone who gets in her way. While no where near as exciting or over the top as Chained Heat, Red Heat does have it's moments as there is still plenty of fist fights and full frontal nudity to make us guys happy. The picture transfer looks like it was ripped from a VHS source and is pretty crummy at times (many exterior night sequences look pitch black). The film is still worth a look and is entertaining at least.

Jungle Warriors - the third film on this set is my least favorite which is a shame since this has a great cast. When a plane filled with models is shot down over a South American country, the models are imprisoned and raped by an evil drug lord. Can the girls escape and take out the entire army of sleazy Spanish cokeheads? Jungle Warriors suffers from being boring and unexciting. There are a few decent graphic violent kills but there is too much padding for the running time and the movie just drags. This really isn't a women in prison film and it seems an out of place choice to add to this set. Such a shame too because the cast is filled with Chained Heat stars John Vernon and Sybil Danning as well as Marjoe Gortner, Paul L. Smith, and Woody Strode. Of all the films presented, 1984's Jungle Warriors looks the best of the three films but still suffers from heavy grain during exterior night scenes. But it's okay as not much happens in this film.

All three films are presented by Mr. Skin who gives a super brief history on all three films (but mostly promotes its own website). As much as the picture quality is disappointing and there is a lack of extras, the DVD set is still a must purchase just for the uncut version of Chained Heat.