Directed By: Tanya Rosenberg Written By: Craig Clyde, James Hennessy & George Saunders Story By: Jim Makichuk Cinematography: Sam Gart Editor: Rick Mitchell
Cast: Gregory Scott Cummins, Laura Albert, Shelley Abblett, Luke Shay, Ross Hagen, Don Dowe, George Buck Flower, Julie Hall, Paula Manga, Sabrina Hills
A team of softball players get lost in the woods after their bus breaks down. They get attacked, beaten, raped and murdered by some psychotic men. The women fight back with baseball bats and bows and arrows.
The film is simply and stupid yet entertaining. As it was released in 1990 but feels made from pure 1980’s ideas all the way.
As essentially it pits an innocent team of female softball players versus what seems like a whole county of evil redneck men bent on revenge. Even though the females are assaulted the perpetrator is killed by accident but he is seen as innocent and the ladies as bloodthirsty.
The film is made by a female filmmaker. So that it feels more sympathetic to the female character as heroes and survivors. As even though they have short cut tight semi revealing outfits. They are rarely nude and the sex that the film shows is violent and involves rape. So that while it heaps on the violence. It stays not explosive when it comes to sex and nudity. Giving the female characters a sense of pride. It treats them more as human beings and less as sex objects. They are treated more respectful
As even when it comes to the deaths of characters When it’s a male you feel a kind of happiness. More like they deserved it. Whereas when it is a female character it is tragic and makes you in the audience want to get emotional.
The villains come off at times as more comedic releif than at least two of the characters do. Who manages to survive despite being thought of, or left for dead in many accidents throughout. Though early on they are more comedic releif until the hunt begins. Where they are rarely scary just armed doofuses and then only own becomes a threat later in the film. Even though most of the male characters believe themselves to be badass. That only appears to be true in numbers.
Titillation was used to their advantage constantly though more accidentally and as a survival technique.
The film stands as a kind Of statement in a genre that usually leaves female characters as the damsels in distress who can’t help themselves, wives & girlfriends meant to be by someone’s side but barely have anything to do or as sex objects. This film sets the female characters apart from that not necessarily in a better quality of filmmaking.
The one Minority character gets killed off early and quickly.
The initial premise that sets this film up is ridiculous. Why would the females' team coach/manager trust the town’s matriarch in a fair game? Also is the female team professional traveling along to take on exhibition games and pick-up games? Are they hustling unsuspecting towns and teams which should be tipped off by their team bus and matching uniforms? Are they using sexism to help them be underestimated and hoping that by showing their talent that men will see them in a different ear and be respectful? That seems like the premise for another film. As this film seems to want to set up and get to the action quickly.
The film is barely 90 minutes. Though while it doesn’t feel longer than Its running time. It could have been easily 10 minutes shorter
This film is ultimately meant to be a tale of survival.
Grade: C+
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