Episode 39 - Savage Sisters (1974)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE 39 - SAVAGE SISTERS (1974)
Welcome to the first week of listener request month here on the Grindbin Podcast. Today’s request comes from our great friend of the show, Shawn Thompson. If you want to get your movie on the next listener request month all you have to do is rate and review this show (hopefully 5 stars) on Itunes or any other podcast service and send us your request.
Savage Sisters is one of those Grindhouse films that really sticks with you. It’s one of the hidden gems that is begging to be discovered by a larger audience. Like a Quentin Tarantino film or an Elmore Leonard novel, there are many threads to this crime caper - each one unique enough for their own film - and they play off each other so well that you’ll be sad it’s only 90 minutes.
Lately we’ve been covering films that can be described as “lazy” or “incompetent”. Whether they are quick cash grabs or misguided flops, they simply exist because someone had to make them; they didn’t want to make them.
This is not the case with Savage Sisters. This film is brimming with creative ideas and characters and you can tell the filmmakers absolutely loved what they were doing. Despite the grindhouse budget and appeal you could tell this was made by people who cared - they genuinely wanted to make the best movie they could - and this is something that translates beautifully to the audience.
When a corrupt General decides to smuggle a million dollars off this mysterious island near the Philippines every local faction of criminals and revolutionaries decides they want their hands on it.
The main players all have their individual quirks and backstories. Whether it’s a hustler who’s found his way onto this island, a hooker turned police interrogator, or an overly ambitious captain with high aspirations and an obsession with publicity; these are characters we want to know about and are happy spending the length of the film with. We leave wanting to know more about them and wishing we could have pulled one of those random threads and lead us into a whole new story just begging to be told.
If Quentin Tarantino was making movies in the 1970s I imagine they would look a lot like Savage Sisters. He certainly takes inspiration from these types of films and this one in particular is a real treat. The filmmakers created a rich world and a complex set of circumstances with the limited materials they had on hand.
Next Week's Film - Listener Request from Stephen M
Elves (1989)
Director: Jeffrey Mandel (as Jeff Mandel)
Writers: Jeffrey Mandel (as Jeff Mandel), Mike Griffin
Stars: Dan Haggerty, Julie Austin, Deanna Lund
