Switchblade Sisters (1975)

Thanks for the memories!

Great Film overall

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A classic slice of '70s exploitation, which mixes in all the familiar ingredients from gang movies - drugs, prostitution, street wars, cat fights, double-crosses, and drive-by shootings - into one satisfying whole. Directed by the almost legendary Jack Hill as one of his last movies, this is a fast-paced and sometimes thrilling movie with plenty of treachery, name-calling, back-stabbing, and violence to recommend it to fans. It's also one of Quentin Tarantino's favourites, which is why it got a re-release through his Rolling Thunder label. The acting from the mostly unknown young cast is very good, with each of the (mainly female) cast convincing in their roles, particularly Robbie Lee and Joanne Nail as the two rival antagonists who battle for control of the gang.During the course of its running time, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS packs in a stay at a prison ruled over by a perverted lesbian guard; a shoot-out at an ice rink which makes excellent use of its location; an incredible street battle with Molotov cocktails, armoured vehicles, explosions and machine-gun battles in the street, and to top it all off a sickeningly violent cat fight between two switchblade-wielding gang members. The film does an admirable job of maintaining tension throughout and building up the suspense towards the finale, as evil eye patch-wearing Patch stirs up trouble and leads things to a final showdown. The police can't believe their eyes, and neither will the viewer! A solid juvenile delinquent movie from the drive-in days, the kind of which they don't make any longer, sadly.

The Dagger Debs, tough-talking high school broads with switchblade knives, benevolent snarls, attitude to spare, and propensity for violence, striking fear in the hearts of the citizens on the streets, are on equal footing with a the male Silver Daggers, a bossy, nasty brood whose harsh bullying ways leave the community they frequent cuckolded in a state of quivering angst. Soon a rival gang must attend the Daggers' school due to theirs closing, and a struggle for dominance ensues. Each gang has their own turf, which the other doesn't dare cross into. Crabs, quite old to be still in high school, has a much larger gang than his mortal enemy, Dominick, and runs high enterprise in dope-dealing through the facade of a community organizing group schmoozing with the mayor while selling drugs to the youth they're supposed to be helping.The film's central arch is a love triangle gone terribly wrong. Dominick(Asher Brauner), leader of the Silver Daggers, and Lace(Robbie Lee), leader of the Debs, are an item. Enter Maggie(Joanne Nail), new to their side of the city who gets in an altercation with the Dagger Debs' Patch(Monica Gayle), showing her courage and strength, twirling a mean chain which trips her foes before assaulting them further. Dominick is drawn to Maggie, it's a type of lust Patch recognizes, and capitalizes on when she notices this newcomer moving in on her best friend, Lace. Lace is completely obsessed with Dominick, although she's just a piece of ass to him. When Dominick infuriates Lace after blowing up into a tirade towards her about the revelation of carrying his child, she gets even by informing Crabs of a strategic attack on them at a neutral site, a roller rink, resulting in a bloody shootout which takes out innocent bystanders, among other cataclysmic results. With the Silver Daggers deeply wounded, the Debs must assume control, with Maggie more than willing to take the leadership position after Crabs kicked Lace in the stomach causing a miscarriage. Aligning herself with a bad ass group of sistas who follow the political teachings of Mao, led by Muff(Marlene Clark), the newly named Jezebels prepare to conquer Crabs, crushing his regime, disintegrating his stranglehold on the a specific part of the city. But, what Maggie doesn't realize is that Patch and Lace are planning to murder her, getting rid of the one responsible for taking Dominick away from her. Maggie wants to uncover the culprit behind informing Crabs of the proposed strike at the roller rink, not knowing that it was actually Lace. As expected, the two girls will have to duke it out for supremacy of the Jezebels.With lots of quotable dialogue and campy performances, it's hard to resist such a film as Switchblade Sisters, certainly when you realize that the premise concerns a white girl gang who can actually cause fear in citizens. Switchblade Sisters kind of reminds me of those 50's juvy films confronting the gang mentality and how it's controlling the school system and streets, breeding crime that's swallowing the youth, turning them into unlawful monsters. Transplant such a genre to the 70's, add extra seediness, vulgarity, violence, and current themes of that time that were prevalent(..there was a sentiment of anger towards the police and capitalist society)and it's easy to see why this would appeal to a cult audience. And, as Jack Hill always did, inject a cast of babes in the roles of the protagonists. You gotta love the scene where Maggie knocks Don Stark(..Dagger member, Hook, often slapping girls around)for a loop or Lace's psychopathia and mad ravings. Oh, and Patch..now this is a character that belongs in a Jack Hill gang film. Switchblade Sisters is directed in such a way that you can't take it the least bit seriously, and if you accept it on it's own terms, I can't imagine an exploitation fan not enjoying it. Robbie Lee isn't contained and lets it rip, playing her role as the confrontational Lace to the hilt, with Nail, in her short shorts, delivering her lines with gusto, staring her opposition right in the eyes, unflinchingly, ready for a fight. Nail might be considered unacceptable in such a role in any other film, but Jack Hill made it work. Gayle is my gal, though, as Patch, a ferocious back-stabbing bitch who persuades Lace to commit unspeakable acts that cause major repercussions which change the landscape of their lives, disrupting a harmony her gang had before Maggie came along. The juvenile prison scene, albeit brief, was a hoot as the girls lead a full on assault on the female guards who were on the verge of accosting Maggie. The way the faculty are muzzled by the Daggers and Debs, completely overwhelmed psychologically, afraid to voice their concerns about the dissension of their students, is rather hilarious. You actually get two great closing fights, the Jezebels and Muff's girls besieging Crab's soldiers, and the knife battle between Maggie and Lace. The scene where Maggie, with a bloody face, warns the coppers that when they return, there'll be hell to pay, is priceless.

Switchblade Sisters is an undoubtedly silly and unrealistic slice of Grindhouse exploitation, but it's also an absolute blast and a real must see for any fan of cult cinema! The film will likely get compared with later but better known gang flick 'The Warriors' and I suppose you could determine Switchblade Sisters to be the female version of Walter Hill's classic exploitation film. But just because it focuses on the fairer sex, don't let that fool you into thinking that Switchblade Sisters doesn't have its own nasty edge; as while you cant really take this film seriously, there's certainly plenty to please exploitation fans. The plot actually has more layers to it than you might expect considering the type of film but the main focus is on a gang named 'The Dagger Debs'. The Debs are controlled by Dominic; the leader of 'The Silver Daggers'. The plot kicks off properly upon the introduction of Maggie; a new girl in town who makes a splash when she beats one of the senior Debs in a knife fight. However, Maggie also exposes jealousies within the gang and adding to the problem is the rival lead by a man named Crabs...The film is difficult to take seriously, mostly owing to the terrible acting and unfocused plot line. You never really know where the film is going, though that's more down to the fact that it just seems to do whatever it feels like without following a logical progression; although to the film's credit, this does work rather well. I wasn't surprised to find that most of the main player's didn't make much else aside from this film (Monica Gayle being the only exception) and most of them fail to convince with their performances - though again, it's actually to the film's credit as it helps to instill the Grindhouse style. The film is mainly set around a school and this is hilarious as all the actors clearly left school years before the filming of this movie took place! Despite the numerous problems (which would only really be problems in a serious film), Switchblade Sisters is still an awesome trash flick as it's just so much fun to watch. There's always plenty going on in the film, most of the lead characters are very amusing and the liberal attitude to violence that is displayed makes for great entertainment. This film is an absolute must see for fans of this sort of stuff!

Here's a girl gang film where the members wear leather boots and hot pants and pull tricks in their high school bathroom for five bucks a pop. So how can you not enjoy this? Story is about the Dagger Debs that is led by Lace (Robbie Lee) and she and her bunch of gals hang out with a boy gang named The Daggers. These two gangs go to the same high school and patrol the same turf and Lace is dating the Dagger leader Dominic (Asher Brauner) but they hear that another gang is to transfer to their area and conflict is inevitable. Lace and her gang run into a new girl in the neighborhood named Maggie (Joanne Nail) and after testing her Lace is impressed by her toughness. They all get busted at a burger joint and after the lesbian Warden and her guards try to rape Maggie the rest of the Debs get involved and beat them. Later Maggie gets out of juvenile hall and gives Dominic a letter from Lace but he puts the moves on her instead and practically rapes her.*****SPOILER ALERT*****Lace and the rest of the Debs get out also and plan on attacking a gang led by Crabs (Chase Newhart) but Lace hears that Maggie and Dominic have been more than friends. After a terrible shootout at a roller rink Dominic gets killed and Lace lands in the hospital but while she is mending Maggie starts taking over the Debs and renames them the "Jezebels". Lace's authority is challenged and she must reclaim her role in the gang as it's leader.This film is directed by Jack Hill who made a career out of making some of the best exploitation films of all time and helped make Pam Grier a star. Sure this is low budget junk but that's the appeal to these types of films. The dialogue is clumsy like "If you leave me it's going to be bad" and the casting has Lenny Bruce's daughter Kitty playing a chubby gang member named Donut who spends the entire film getting slapped around. But I did take note of the performance by Robbie Lee who has been described by many as "Whining" but I disagree with that and while I won't consider this on the level as Charlize Theron in "Monster" I do think her performance carries the film. Lee reminded me a bit of a female James Cagney with her toughness and the way she speaks through her teeth and there is even a scene where she flips a coin up and down while talking tough with the Warden. A few other familiar faces pop up in small roles like Kate Murtagh and John Voldstad but Monica Gayle as Patch does make an impact in her part and she seems to be secretly in love with Lace. Hill creates a silly but fun film to watch that has a few shots of nudity but the emphasis is strictly on action and melodrama and no matter how far fetched this is this is still a lot of fun to view.