Switchblade Sisters is a 1975 movie directed by Jack Hill.
WHAT HAPPENS?
An inner city street gang faces pressures from the outside and inner turmoil.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Switchblade Sisters is a fun, stylish piece of essential 70’s exploitation.
THE ACTORS
Robbie Lee and Joanne Nail portray the antagonistic leads Lace and Maggie. Lee takes on a Marlon Brando-esque The Wild One vibe, albeit with a shrill, accusatory Brooklyn accent. Her Lace is the most interesting character and her tortured relationship with Asher Brauner’s leather-clad Dominic presents some opportunities for real acting. Nail is more style – her Maggie is the confident outcast who eventually takes over the gang. She’s given some fun action scenes to convince the audience of her grit – which produce mixed results.
THE DIRECTOR
Jack Hill mixes a fun blend of action and style to create a unique sub genre. The movie takes off once Brauner’s Dominic is killed and the gang becomes uniquely female. Some of the action is sloppy but a few scenes contain some vivid brutality. Hill’s constant slashing transitions between scenes is a personal favorite – the technique is a perfect representation of the times.
THE BEST – The Final Fight
The movie sluggishly builds to a showdown between Lace and Maggie, which offers a violent end. Hill indulges himself – casting the scene in a stylish noir of shadows. It’s a fitting end for a final showdown that featured some clumsy moments.
THE BEST Part 2 – Dom’s Demise
Brauner’s Dominic is equal parts hapless comic book greaser and vile human being. There’s some foreshadowing in his character – he inhabits likable features of what would become Arthur Fonzarelli and Tony Manero. However, any empathy is lost when he assaults Nail’s Maggie and casts aside Lee’s Lace when she reveals her pregnancy. His final moment is sudden but essentially satisfying.
THE BEST Part 3 – The Black Revolutionaries
Hill’s movie stumbles at times but picks up momentum when Marlene Clark’s Muff enters. Clark’s character is the leader of a Black Revolutionary group who finds in Maggie a partner to take on the drug dealing gang led by Crabs. The resulting scenes advance the movie’s street scraps to militarized shootouts.
THE BEST Part 4 – Gritting Teeth
Lee’s Lace is such a fun, quirky character. Throughout the movie, she rarely moves her mouth when speaking – instead, she delivers her lines while gritting her teeth.
THE WORST – Crabs
Chase Newhart’s Crabs character is built up to be both a revolutionary and vicious crime leader – yet, neither are exactly true. It’s a confusing character which isn’t helped by Newhart’s diminutive, fairie-esque appearance. According to the black revolutionaries, he’s a “capitalist gangster” – which seems to upend his former image of a wild revolutionary.
THE WORST Part 2 – Poor Donut
Kitty Bruce’s Donut gets picked on throughout the movie – mainly for just being broke and hungry. It’s a one-note joke (and character) that is an unfortunate sign of the times.
THE WORST Part 3 – Patch’s Persuasive Skills
Monica Gayle’s Patch is the most stylish of the gang – mainly because of her mysterious silver eyepatch. However, her mystique is quickly extinguished as Maggie defeats her in a brawl – sending her into a movie-long quest to convince Lace that the newcomer is trouble. Unfortunately, Patch completely fails in her quest.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 3.25/5
Switchblade Sisters is a fun, stylish 70s exploitation offering. The characters are stupidly fun and Hill presents some solid action. However, there are some gaping logic holes and characters that don’t make much sense. Nonetheless, it’s a great representation of its time and genre.
