Women in Fury (1984)

I was thinking that WOMEN IN FURY would be another run of the mill women-in-prison film, the type of which I'm not very fond. These films always seem plot less and uninspired, filling out their running time with lesbian sex scenes and silly cat fights. However, this film is something more. First off, it's supposedly based on a true story, and there's a sub plot which takes entirely outside the prison which shows a doctor's attempts to prove an inmate's innocence. Secondly, only the first half of the film takes place in the prison. During this section, we're subject to the usual cat fights, lesbian coupling, and copious nudity, this time from an attractive cast. Then, at around the halfway mark, there's a surprise decapitation followed by a jail break and then the film becomes a jungle adventure yarn, following the trials of a handful of women attempting to escape from the guards and dogs pursuing them.This film has action and excitement in spades and the surprise is that it's all rather good. Director Michele Massimo Tarantini, who also made the equally fun MASSACRE IN DINOSAUR VALLEY, knows how to stage an effective fight or shoot-out and the use of lush Brazilian locations add a level of sweaty realism that would be otherwise missing. The cast is undistinguished, but they put in generally good performances for a B-movie. This film has it all: explosions, shoot-outs, gore, violent attacks, cat fights, snakes, wall scaling, beheadings, tough inmates, a despicable villain, and my favourite character, a hulking black woman prisoner who steals all her scenes. So far, this is the most entertaining women in prison flick I've watched thanks to Tarantini's willingness to think outside the box.

Sweet and innocent Angela Duvall (a solid and sympathetic performance by smoldering hot brunette stunner Suzane Carvalho, who quit acting in the late 80's and became a professional race car driver) goes to a harsh women's prison for a murder that was actually committed by her pathetic weakling brother brother Sergio (an appropriately hateful and sniveling Paulo Guarnieri). Naturally, both the nasty guards and vicious inmates alike immediately start lusting after Angela's delectably voluptuous body. Angela and several other hardened felons escape and go on the lam in the dangerous Brazilian jungle. Writer/director Michele Massimo Tarantini, who also blessed us with the deliciously trashy trekking through the jungle action/adventure romp "Massacre in Dinosaur Valley," really delivers the satisfyingly seamy lowdown scuzzy goods: we've got copious tasty distaff nudity, lurid lesbianism (the lascivious head matron has her bawdy way with Angela in an incredibly torrid tryst), sadistic beatdowns, a sizable smattering of bloody violence, rough'n'tumble catfights, leering soft-core sex, the inevitable wild riot, and even a couple of snake attacks. The acting is pretty decent for the genre, with particularly notable contributions by Henri Pagnoncelli as crusading nice guy physician Dr. Cuna and Leonard Jose as the mean and ruthless Captain Bonifacio. Aida Marques' basic cinematography gives the picture a suitably grimy look. Remo Usai's funky score also does the trick. The sordid south-of-the-border setting adds an extra spicy exotic flavor. Worth a look for babes-behind-bars buffs.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*Angela Duvall, (Suzane Carvalho), is sent to a women's prison. For a crime she didn't commit of course. She takes the rap for her lowlife brother and ends up in a sweaty, jungle prison. This is good for the viewer, bad for Angela. She makes a few friends and enemies during her stay. The women are in fury though and want to bust out. The self righteous doctor almost has a stroke contemplating how unfair life is to Angela. He has seen her naked and wants to bust her out of the big house too."Women in Fury" has some good points. The best one is Angela. She gets naked a lot in this flick and has a great body. There are a couple of good scenes of mayhem while in the prison. There is also a great sex scene between Angela and the head female prison warden.But most of the movie is taken up by people having spastic scenes of drama. The doctor in this one is in constant motion. He's yelling at anyone who will listen how horrid the prison is and how Angela must be set free. He never acknowledges that the reason he wants to help her is that he craves her body. He plays it off like he's the most altruistic man in the world. It was annoying. If the women's prison flick is working like it should, I shouldn't even be thinking about the doctor. Clearly, it wasn't working.Once the prisoners bust out of the prison, the movie goes downhill into B-action land. All women prison flicks hit the slopes once they're not in the prison anymore. Hence the genre is called "Women's prison". Not "Escaping from women's prison". The girls are ranting and raving at each other outside the prison. Fighting and cursing when they should be bathing and washing. Why isn't Angela skinny dipping with one of the other prisoners to let loose some of that escaping from prison stress? I wanted breast caressing and kissing. Not hair pulling and eye gouging."Women in Fury" has too much fury and not enough fun. Angela is great to look at naked and the sex scene was hot but overall it was a disappointment. The movie was better directed than most women's prison flicks but of course that counts for zilch if the breasts are not bouncing like they should. My advice: keep the movie in the prison for as long as possible and make the escape portion the last 10-15 minutes, not the last 30-45.

I've seen this one in many video stores -- It looks like a million others, but it's actually one of the better ones. What is it?? Ok, simply put -- innocent girl in Brazilian prison... What makes it worth seeing? Two words: Suzie Carvalho. If you like dark featured women (think Christy Turlington), then Suzie will make your day. A beautiful face on a body to die for. She gets put through all the cliches, almost, in this typical makes-no-sense-but-who-cares women-in-prison flick. This film certainly rivals "Reform School Girls" for best w-i-p flick. Suzie, BTW, is also splendidly naked in "Massacre in Dinosaur Valley", also at most video outlets.