The Muthers

Director - Cirio H. Santiago (Hell Hole, Vampire Hookers)
Starring - Jeannie Bell (Disco 9000, Klansman), Roseanne Katon (Motel Hell, Bachelor Party), and Trina Parks (The Big Rip-Off, Night Gallery)
Release Date - 1976
Genre - Action/Adventure
Tagline - "Out of the steaming slave market come the ravaging sea savages"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several people have something that inspires them to do something they really want but never had the motivation to do so.  Several reviewers inspired me to start my review blog which led to my involvement with Horror Society but my original goal was to review forgotten horror/exploitation/blaxploitation flicks that people had forgot about over the years.  Somewhere along the way that changed when I was added to the HS roster and was allowed to check out films before they were released.  This put my original goal on the backburner but sometimes I receive these films for review when they are remastered by several fine distribution companies.  Several weeks ago I caught wind that Vinegar Syndrome was releasing the 1976 flick The Muthers.  This was the type of movie I wanted to review and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy.  Thanks Vin Syn!

     The film follows a group of female pirates known as The Muthers and their Filipino crew that rob the rich and sell their loot.  One of the Muthers receives word that her sister is missing and they set anchor on an island to look for her where they discover she has been captured and is forced into labor on a coffee bean plantation.  They allow themselves to get captured and forced into labor in order to find her.  When they get to the plantation they learn they she recently tried to escape and the owner of the plantation sent his private army out into the jungle to look for her.  They soon find one of the girls that escaped with her and string her up to die.  The Muthers try to plan an escape with one of the inmates so they can search for their missing sister and friend.  They go work the fields and when they return they find her strung up.  They snap and start fighting back only to be put down and put in their place.  They then put in motion another plan to get their pirate crew to bust them out but an unlikely foe from their past intervene resulting in one big shootout.  

     I love blaxploitation flicks.  These films are always so far out there and so much fun especially the ones that focus on kung-fu and high end action scenes.  I was under the impression that The Muthers would be one of these films.  The film has these at heart but in actuality the film is a women in prison flick that just tosses the others in with it.  The acting in this one is abysmal by most of the cast.  I have seen hundreds and hundreds of blaxploitation flicks that had a great cast and amazing performances and sadly, this one is not one of those films.  For most of the film the entire cast has the same expressions.  This is something that drives me crazy when I watch a flick.  The story for this one is actually pretty out there especially for a blaxploitation flick.  The film is a feminist blaxploitation flick in the same line as Coffy that tosses in a bit of martial arts and then puts it all in a prison setting to appeal to those that love the sleazy women in prison films.  This is a bit different when compared to so many others and they are actually able to pull it off.  Well, would have pulled it off if the cast would have actually tried.  Finally, the film does have several on screen kills but they are mostly poorly done gunshot wounds that leave something to be admired.  Those looking for amazing kills are barking up the wrong tree.  Overall, The Muthers is a film that could have been fucking amazing but was not able to capitalize on everything the film had going for it.  I would love to see this one get a remake!