This was part of a VS sale they called "Half Way To Black Friday Sale". There was a limited number of these DVD/Blu-ray combos and I, of course, had to get one as I love this film.
It was released a few years ago on DVD from Code Red and this is a great improvement. There are no original elements left but this release was made possible using multiple 35mm archival prints, and I must admit I am very impressed with the results.
Candice Rialson is a gorgeous young woman named Bonnie who, from the opening frames of the film, is in for hard times. The film opens with her riding with her very abusive brother (Mike Cartrel). She escapes from him by getting three black men to jump him and beat him up.
The next morning she meets up with a lovely woman named Pat. Pat is looking to steal money for food and both women meet a man named Dan who owns a fancy car and a small dog. Bonnie and Pat talk the man into giving them a ride. Pat pulls a gun on him and the make him drive to a secluded area and tie him up.
Pat steals the car and drives to Dan's house to steal money while Bonnie guards Dan whom she rapes and both get satisfaction from it. Pat throws Dan's dog off of a cliff and then runs out on Bonnie.
Wondering farther Bonnie meets Geraldine Mills (Joan Blackman) who is an artist. She convinces Bonnie to move in with her so she can paint her portrait. After a while Bonnie grows bored as there is never a man around. Geraldine has her own desires for Bonnie, but Bonnie needs a man. When one breaks into the home Bonnie keeps him in her room for a night, and when Geraldine finds out the next day she cold bloodily kills the man.
Bonnie is heartbroken and goes to the home of a bizarre art collector named Vincent Stackman (Ed Bishop) and soon becomes part of his bizarre zoo of animals. Stackman tricks Geraldine into coming over and intends to whip and control her as well. Stackman believes women should be kept as pets who are taught to obey men.
Well needless to say Bonnie turns the tables on both of them and locks them in her former cage and takes off in Stackman's car. She picks up a male hitchhiker and drives off and then the movie ends.
This is a film that absolutely defines the exploitation genre. Rialson made her speaking role film debut and really shows everyone how it's supposed to be done. She comes across as brassy, naive, cunning and sexy. Very few actresses ever had the sex appeal Candice did and when she takes off her top...well....need I say more.
Director Raphael Nussbaum who really didn't want to direct the film pulls it off very well. The print looks as good as can be expected under the circumstances and there are not the huge splices that appeared in the Code Red print. It's not perfect, so I am sure the "fanboys" will complain, but this is the BEST presentation of this film we will all probably ever see.
The rest of the cast includes K.T. Stevens, Berry Kroeger and Brett Parker. My burning question is why did lovely Teri Guzman who is excellent as Pat only make two films? There is not much about her listed anywhere as far as I can find. And what can I add about the incredibly sexy Candy Rialson? A talented woman who left the business in 1980 and never returned. She sadly passed away on March 31, 2006 from liver disease at the age of 54 and I don't think she ever knew what a huge impact she had on a lot of us and what a huge fan base she really had/has.
A top release of the year, and if you can find it BUY IT!! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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