Furia enjaulada

My review was written in March 1990 after watching the movie on RCA/Columbia video cassettes.

The first of Menahem Golan's 21st Century pics to go direct-to-video, "Caged Fury" is a haphazardly slapped together but entertaining throwback to the women in prison genre of the early 1970s. It's unrelated to a 1984 Filipino-made release of the same name.

Pic is set in the underbelly of L. A., where unscrupulous Jack Carter and Beano prey upon young girls like Utah-born Roxanna Michaels who heat to lotus land to become actresses. She goes to an audition, the videotape of which is used by Carter & Beano to frame her for a jail sentence.

It turns out to be a fke prison, run by entertainingly exortic domiatrix "warden" Ty Randolph (in the film's most impressive role). This is a front for white slavery and it takes Michaels' older sister Elena Sahagun and pals Erik Estrada and Richie Barathy to save the heroine and expose the scam.

Fast-paced pic is virtually a catalog of genre cliches, but suffers from poor editing. Several brief scenes seem placed out of order and the finale is loaded with contradictions.

Cast does a good job, particularly Michaels as the heroine and karate expert Barathy kicking every heavy in sight. Porn star Ron Jeremy, previously featured in Golan's "52 Pick-Up", pops up as a prison guard and the film opens memorably with statuesque porn star Kascha (billed here as Alison LePriol) crawling around in her lace undies trying to escape from stir.

...or cry 'till you laugh. One or the other. It's a terrible film, but you've got to be made of stone not to enjoy this. There is line drawn in the sand of the desert where all bad films dwell. It separates those films that are just bad from those that are so appallingly terrible they just have to be seen. The word tacky doesn't do this justice. you absolutely have to see this film. Get a couple of mates around and watch it with plenty of alcohol on standby. I promise you you'll enjoy it.

Plus, Dirk Ramsey? There's never been an action hero like him before. There never will be again. He should have his own theme tune.

When I popped "Caged Fury" into my VCR, I had no idea what to expect because I didn't have the VHS sleeve, so I thought I might be in for a kind of kick boxing movie... and I wasn't so far off. Let me explain. The film revolves around two sisters who get sent to this women's prison unjustifiably. Granted, lots of eye candy, but most of the scenes with any kind of nudity we're due to sexual harrasement and such... not much fun. Our hero is the top of the cake though. It's not explained how he is so talented at fighting, but he looked like a professional kickboxer! It was hilarious! There is no motive either for him to put his life on the line to save these two girls. Very bad though, but fun for a late night romp.

This has got to be one of the funniest films of all time; featuring the most underrated action hero ever to grace the silver screen. For those of you who have yet to watch this masterpiece, Dirk Ramsey is the MAN! He is far superior to Spiderman; his intellect makes Batman look like a dunce, while his strength, even Superman would struggle against the might that is Ramsey. And did I mention that he oozes sex appeal? Throw in sleazy Eric Estrada as his side-kick Victor, and you have all the ingredients for one hell of a viewing. Also, all the 'ladies' on offer apart from Cat and Tracey Collins, are porn stars in real life, you've gotta love this film.

Once the opening scene of the woman in the prison is over, there really is no reason to keep watching. It was clear they suffered, as their clothes are very skimpy, lacy, and in some, don't hold the person in. But we have a young woman living on a ranch in Utah who has dreams of making it big as an actress in LA. It then becomes very predictable. So she gets framed, sent to Honeywell State Prison for Woman, a very 'butch' place. The warden wears leather with plenty of buckles. There are guards wearing a police uniform, which is not how prisons are run. And yes, Eric Estrada has a decent sized role and rides his Harley, and Richard Barathy, sporting a mullet, does a lot of kung fu. There are far better WIP movies out there (any with Ilsa would do), as this is a waste of time.