Savage Vengeance

I found "Savage Vengeance" after sifting through several thousand DVDs at a nearby second-hand electronics store--with a cover baring the badly pixelated image of a chick with a chainsaw, and the title "I Will Dance on Your Grave," I imagined the millionth "Last House on the Left"/"I Spit on Your Grave" variation...and, at $1.99, picked it up without a second thought. I made it through about 40 minutes before my computer locked up, left with a pervasive sense of familiarity with the lead female (who gets raped at least 6 times during the film's 65 minutes)--dyed red hair, and the facial features of Camille Keaton, who played Jennifer Hills in Meir Zarchi's seminal feminist revenge film, "I Spit on Your Grave" (aka "Day of the Woman"). After perusing the IMDb comments, I was shocked to find out that this was no mere doppleganger, but the long-dormant actress herself. Part of me was happy just to see her in something after all this time, but felt sorry at the overall quality of the product. "Savage Vengeance" is a savage rip-off of "I Spit," though by comparison, actually puts Zarchi's film on a much higher plane (I've always had a respect for the film, even if the screenplay is severely flawed)--the writing, direction, acting, editing, lighting, and pacing were much better in that 1978 film than this 1993 shot-on-video effort. The blame for this zero-budget schlock-fest falls on writer-director-actor Donald Farmer's shoulders--apparently filmed on a VHS camcorder, the image has the quality of a second-generation bootleg, the musical score is terrible (and relentless, even when nothing is happening), and the performances are laughably amateur (even Keaton, who at least had something of a career prior to this, is stuck in a mis-directed role). Under the dubious distributor name 'Eden Entertainment,' I was at least thinking some soft-core porn would be thrown into the mix (what often sells low-budget stuff like this), but was sorely mistaken--while Keaton once again bares her chest to the world (one tasteless touch has her running around the woods with her shirt unbuttoned), the rapes themselves are implausible, fully-clothed acts carried out by guys who make the original "I Spit" gang look Oscar-worthy. But what can I say? At 65 minutes, "Savage Vengeance" kept my not-so-easy-to-keep interest, and made good use of authentic locations (even though the supporting cast of non-actors proves that even something like this needs at least a LITTLE professionalism)...and hell, it's a chance to see the rarely-seen Camille Keaton again!

Apparently, Jennifer learned nothing from I Spit on Your Grave. One would think that after her last hellish vacation in the woods, she'd look to the city when she needs some respite from the stress of being recognized by her professor at the junior college. Small wonder she and the friend she drags with her get raped. Well, "raped" because through some apparently in the country, when you have consensual or non-consensual sex, you leave your clothes on. In all three rape scenes, the filmmaker doesn't even pretend to suggest sex. This is just one of the laughably lame aspects of this video. (Calling it a movie is like calling Kim Kardashian talented.)

How about this little exchange?

Sam: I'm carrying 18 credits this semester! I can't just up and leave! Jennifer: I'll buy the beer. Sam: O-o-o-o-OK

There's not a decent inch of tape in the whole proceedings. After Jennifer gets dry-humped, Tommy takes out a knife and cuts into her chest with a bargain basement blood knife which may actually be plastic. Jennifer gets left for dead (I think...it's not clear). When Jennifer resurrects, GOD BE PRAISED, she's completely healed! PRAISE HIM!

The soundtrack (give me a minute to bang my head against broken glass....thanks) sounds like it's improvised by a six year old who just got a synthesizer. "Oh! Look! This button turns on the flange! On! Off! On! Off!" The keyboardist can't even keep time and occasionally resorts to just banging on the keyboard.

Originally billed as I Spit on Your Grave 2, the resemblance ends at the name. The power of I Spit on Your Grave sprung from its realism and brutality. This one is the wrong kind of cringe-worthy.

Savage Vengeance (1993)

1/2 (out of 4)

This might be the most notorious unknown movie ever made. Legend has it that originally it was meant to be a sequel to I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE as Camille Keaton returned playing a woman named Jennifer. Further legend has it that the entire production was one mess after another, which caused Keaton to quit the picture. Filmed in 1988 it wasn't released until five years later because there was some sort of legal issue that happened when I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE's director Meir Zarchi got involved somehow. After all these years Keaton refuses to discuss the film as the only time she was publicly asked about it she said she wasn't allowed to talk about it. Zarchi has only said a few things on it but said due to legal issues he can't comment further. Then you have director Donald Farmer who has yet to really speak about the film. It pretty much makes sense as the Jennifer character here is raped by four guys, not convicted by a jury and this would pretty much set up a sequel to the original film. Not to mention that Jennifer's last name is dubbed out of this picture.

The rest of the story pretty much has Jennifer and a friend going out to the woods for a vacation but the friend is gang raped and murdered. Jennifer goes to check on her and is raped as well but she then seeks her vengeance against the two creeps. No matter what truth there might be behind the making of this film, it's clear that the only ones who should bother with this thing are those fans of the original 1978 film who just want to see what this thing is about. The film was shot on video and seems to have a budget less than what it would take to buy a couple apples so you really shouldn't go into this thing expecting any type of professional looking film. The entire thing is pretty much a disaster as in its current state there are all sorts of things that happen but don't make sense including all the stuff dealing with Jennifer's previous rape and eventual trial. This is clearly meant to connect this film to the previous one but it just leaves more unanswered questions. There are three different rape scenes here and they have to be among the most pathetic ever shot because both the victims and the rapist keep their pants on the entire time. I understand the actors being camera shy but why not film it in a way where you can't tell that the men don't even have a zipper down? I was rather surprised to see Keaton topless here but you can tell she isn't too thrilled with anything here. I always found her performance in I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE to be brave and quite good but that's not the case here as this is just an embarrassing part. The supporting players aren't any better but the less said the better. The murder scenes are all extremely bad as just about everything else including the opening credits that misspell the title! The only reason I didn't give this thing a BOMB rating is simply because I've been wanting to see it for years now and I must admit that it kept me entertained simply because I kept hoping something good would eventually happen but of course it never did. SAVAGE VENGEANCE is a very bad movie all around and who knows what the original intent was meant to be but I doubt it would have been any better even without the legal trouble. Apparently there's a fan edit out there that adds clips from I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE but I've yet to see it. Again, it probably wouldn't help considering how poorly made this one is.

Part of the "I Will Dance On Your Grave" series of films, this manages to be the worst of the bunch. The others were entertaining in it is so bad, it is good way, but this entry fails to do the same. It is also a rip-off of Day of the Woman. In this entry, we find a woman being raped by four guys at the beginning who later on seeks vengeance against any male she runs across. Filled with terrible gore effects and some really obivious mistakes (the guys never have to unzip or take off there pants to rape the woman).

Unrated; Rape, Nudity, Sexual Situations, Graphic Violence.

Can it get any worse than this..? Okay, the budget probably wasn't all that high, but this looks like some kids have been at it. The only thing that convinced me that this is not the case is that there are actual grownups on screen. The locations (i.e. a dark living room with a bit of colored light and a girl singing is supposed to be a bar),the special effects (papier-mache heads, Halloween toy knives etc.) and the music are even worse than the actors.

I bought this movie for $1, somewhere in a shopping mall in Nevada. It resides in my DVD collection only to be taken out sporadically to prove to people how bad it really is.