Verdict
Summary
A certifiable grindhouse classic with pizzazz and verve, Jack Hill’s snappy Switchblade Sisters is a quick study on ’70s youthful gangs in revolt on film, and with startling violence, sharp performances by virtual unknowns at the time, and a really appealing sense of time and place, the film works extremely well for the kind of genre it’s in.
Plot:
A girl gang clashes with other gangs and all manner of authority while inner turmoil unbalances the gang itself.
Review:
A girl gang called The Dagger Debs is in league with a guy gang called The Silver Daggers, and they reign supreme in and around the high school where they all commingle. The Dagger Debs’ leader is Lace (played by Robbie Lee), a little spitfire whose beau is Dominic (Asher Brauner), the leader of The Silver Daggers, but everything changes when a new member is inducted into The Dagger Debs. Maggie (Joanne Nail) proves her worth to Lace and everyone else, but her beauty and skill is unmatched, and so she gets Dominic’s eye and Lace’s jealousy, which could prove disastrous to both gangs. Meanwhile, their arch rival gang – the Crabs – muscles in on both gangs thanks to a turncoat traitor within The Dagger Debs, and when Dominic is killed, The Dagger Debs regroup and reform into The Jezebels with Maggie as the new leader, and there will be hell to pay.
A certifiable grindhouse classic with pizzazz and verve, Jack Hill’s snappy Switchblade Sisters is a quick study on ’70s youthful gangs in revolt on film, and with startling violence, sharp performances by virtual unknowns at the time, and a really appealing sense of time and place, the film works extremely well for the kind of genre it’s in. I’ve seen it multiple times and it just seems to get better with age. It has it all: women in prison (complete with an old lesbian guard who wants to get in the pants of any fresh fish), knife fights (and a doozy of an ending), roller derbies, scuzzy cops, teen sex, and shootouts too. What’s not to like?
Arrow Video has just released a new Blu-ray edition of Switchblade Sisters, and it looks quite nice in high definition. Special features include a new audio commentary by film critics, archival documentaries, archival interviews, behind the scenes stills, trailers, and a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork. Jack Hill fans need to snap this one up!
