Sadomania
Spain/Germany
1980. Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Ajita Wilson, Andrea Guzon, Antonio Mayans, Gina Janssen
Aka: Hölle der Lust
Another Jess Franco tale about women and prison.
The late Ajita Wilson (a real life transexual who later died of brain
cancer) stars as the wicked warden Magda who makes Ilsa seem like an
angel. The film begins with Olga and Michael, a couple on honeymoon,
who by accident trespasses a "rehability camp for delinquent girls"
and their honeymoon reaches an abrupt end when Olga is locked up behind
bars. A governor soon arrives on the scene to buy some slaves for him
and his horny wife as well as to play his favorite game "Run or
be shot", starring the most beautiful inmates the prison can offer.
And, by the way, clothes on the upper part of the body is forbidden
for all females. Olga is of course rescued by her husband and Magda
eventually gets the punishment she deserves.
Sadomania lives up to it's title more than well. There's numerous scenes of sex and sadism, boring lesbianism and an overall misogynistic tone throughout. As so often Franco almost makes you regret your choice of entertainment for the evening and reach for the fast forward button, but equally often he manage to charm as well as intrigue. It's hard not to be fascinated by the events taking place, even if they are constantly on the verge of the acceptable. Ultimately though, I don't really know what to make of the film. Some say it's one of Franco's better movies, some say it's definitely not as good as this or that. I found it to be better than Greta-The Mad Butcher for example, but only really for the slightly more classy production values. Make what you want of it.
© The Inzomniac's Movie Madness Review.