Exploitive? How about BORING?!!
04/08/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Why do people even bother making women-in-prison films when they don't understand what their audience is looking for? I mean, nobody REALLY wants to see the serious side of what goes on behind bars --- it's mostly dull and uninteresting, right? So when I rented this video, I expected the fun stuff --- the mean, bitchy guards and their cold, dykey warden, preying on their pretty little helpless female prisoners. This should include at least two or three shower scenes, and at least one nocturnal visit between barely clad cellmates! But this movie had NONE OF THIS! It was a poorly-scripted soap-opera, with a totally forgettable script. Note to director: Next time, stick to life on the outside!"
A hilarious spoof on women prison flicks.
05/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This little gem is so campy you have to love it. Anne Heche is very funny as the "queen of mean" and all the actors do a terrific job. It is a very funny spoof of all those serious women- behind-bars movies (not to mention one of the most popular Charlie's Angels episodes), but this one is made just for laughs and it works!"
Song of a prisoner
D. Roberts | Battle Creek, Michigan United States | 10/29/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This is a women-in-prison movie with a slight twist in that it's a period movie. It takes place during the 1950s, during the height of McCarthyism. McCarthyism actually has an indirect role in the plot, in fact.
The story details 3 women who are given life sentences for murder. Two are guilty while 1 was framed (Missy Crider). Missy's character is a musician who has a song that just might be a "hit" (and it's actually a decent song, too!). Anne Heche plays a sort of sadistic femme fatale who is out to claim rights to the song.
While some of the plot elements are rather contrived, this movie still has more depth to it than most women-in-prison films. In fact, many times you don't even know what the women are locked up for! Not so in this flick. Whether more plot is good or bad in a WIP movie is something you need to decide for yourself.
There are two ubiquitous shower scenes, and that's all well & good. Those are the only scenes where we get the obligatory nudity that's always featured in WIP films. Anne Heche looks great minus her shirt, but we only get tantalizing angles of the stunning Missy Crider. That's too bad. Kudos to the writers for ensuring there were a few shower scenes, but they should not have underestimated their utility.
If you're into WIP films and / or the 1950s / McCarthyism, this movie might be up your alley. The McCarthyism angle actually has a resurgence in relevance these days with politicians being accused of having ties to terrorism. Sadly, more witch hunts may be on the horizon."