Corman Hill

 

THE BIG DOLL HOUSE-1971-In a women's prison in "some banana republic" newbie Marni Collier (Judy Brown) shares a cell with Alcott (Roberta Collins; later in CAGED HEAT), Grear (Pam Grier), Bodine (Pat Woodell), Ferina (Gina Stuart) and Harrad (Brooke Mills). The place is run by Ms. Dietrich (Christiane Schmidtmer) but the real boss is the mysterious Col. Mendoza. 

After cockroach races, food suppliers Harry (Sid Haig) and Fred (Jerry Franks) come by and Harry feels up Grear. Bodine has a boyfriend revolutionary in the mountains and is tortured by head guard Lucian (Kathryn Loder) for info. When Alcott is caught having sex with Fred she's tortured too. Bodine and Alcott plan an escape and want Collier to help them. Then Alcott and Grear have a fight in the mud. The women plot their escape but Lucian tortures Collier to find out their plans while Dietrich dines with the prison doctor (Jack Davis). Then Harrad stabs Grear in the neck. Though Harry and Fred came for sex with Grear they wind up hiding the remaining women in their truck with Dietrich and the doc as hostages. Ferina is killed chasing her cat. There's an attempted rape, shoot out and explosion before the ironic ending.

This sleazy crazy entertaining movie was an early production from Roger Corman's New World Pictures and was shot in The Philippines by Jack Hill soon after the race car film PIT STOP and few years after filming Boris Karloff's US scenes for his quartet of Mexican made horror films. It's also the feature film debut of Pam Grier (who sings the title song). Before this she had a bit role in BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and was a receptionist at New World. Corman co-produced it with John Ashley. Hill made THE BIG BIRD CAGE the next year also with Grier and Haig.

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Blackout

BLACKOUT-2007-In this Philippines based drama a landlord named Gil (Robin Padilla) suffers from seemingly alcoholic blackouts, He lives in a dingy apartment with his young son after his wife has left them. One night it seems he has killed his neighbor's young daughter while driving. Reality seems to blur for Gil. This is really not a horror film. It's more like a eerie psychological study on alcoholism directed by Ato Bautista.

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Happy Sunday!

CAVITE-2005-This Philippines based film was filmed on a low budget using mostly hand held shots. It’s been touted as little masterpiece by some but I thought it was very over rated, drawn out and lacking a reasonable resolution.

Adam (Ian Gamazon also the co-director, co-writer, producer and editor) is a Philippine born security guard living in the US. He returns to his homeland because of a family crisis. It turns out to be a hell of a crisis he didn’t expect. His mother and sister are being held hostage by Muslim terrorists who threaten to kill them if Adam doesn’t follow their precise directions. It’s rather suspenseful and mysterious for a while but then it peters out. The ending seems to justify the terrorists’ action.

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