By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Rick Jacobson
Starring: America Olivo | Erin Cummings | Julia Voth | Michael Hurst | Ron Melendez | William Gregory Lee
Country: united_states
Year: 2010
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212974/
Thom says: “For all those missing the great Russ Meyer and his over-the-top extravaganzas (FASTER, PUSSYCAT, KILL!! KILL!!, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, MUD HONEY, etc.) here’s a terrific substitute. Big-breasted action girls in a sexploitation treat get stuck at a desert outpost trying to find an enormous treasure. There are lots of tough girl-on-girl fight scenes as well as super-fun flashbacks that bit-by-bit set up what came before. Nobody comes to these type of movies to see the acting, nor should they, but the ladies are all really exciting and the conclusion is a knockout. There are also some killer-diller lines in the script. These ladies are hard, mean, and out for themselves only. 5 cats ”
Jason says: “BITCH SLAP is energetic, I’ll give it that. It piles one fight scene on top of another, tying them together with flashbacks that contain even more action and chaos, jumping from a nice-looking desert to locations that were pretty obviously added by computer. It’s also buxom, introducing its three main characters with shots that linger on their breasts and then making sure that, no matter what costume they’re wearing, there’s plenty of pushed-out cleavage to stare at.
“I like both those things, so I’m not complaining. I do wish director Rick Jacobson had just a little bit more craft in tying it together, and maybe a little more talent from his good-looking cast. Julia Voth is the best of the bunch, having a grand time playing the stripper who really isn’t into the same sort of physical stuff as her badass companions as the funniest of the bunch, and Erin Cummings might be a pretty good action heroine with a little more practice. America Olivio gets a little tiresome as the bad girl among bad girls; she just seems to be trying too hard.
“The action isn’t bad at all, though, especially when stunt co-ordinator Zoe Bell gets to take charge of the hand-to-hand stuff. And sure, I really like Ms. Bell (what person who has watched DOUBLE DARE and DEATH PROOF couldn’t?), but I don’t think I’m cutting her any slack; when characters get into it and stunts are done in-camera, the movie’s a lot of fun, much more so than during the crazy, over-the-top gunfights or the convoluted story that tries to hide how simple (and kind of dumb) it is by telling things out of order. 2 1/2 cats
“Seen 19 February 2010 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre #1 (IFFBoston Presents)”