Female Convict Scorpion - Jailhouse 41 (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: Meiko Kaji, Fumio Watanabe, Kayoko Shiraishi, Yuki Arasa, Hiroko Isayama, Yukie Kagawa, H�sei Komatsu, G�z� S�ma, Shunya Ito, Tooru Shinohara: DVD

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Gonzo doesn't begin to describe this wild women-in-prison film. A mad mix of outrageous exploitation, flamboyant art movie, and energetic comic book, this manga-inspired cult classic is actually the second film in a series, but you hardly need the history. Matsu (Meiko Kaji, of Lady Snowblood fame) is an innocent woman in jail who defies the sadistic warden and brutal guards with silent stares and sudden strikes. Nicknamed "Scorpion" for her lethal, lightning attacks, she is systematically abused, tortured, and humiliated by the vengeful warden (guess why he wears that eye patch), but escapes with a chain gang and leads the cops on a violent chase through the countryside. The doomed "Seven Sinful Women" are systematically cut down by the trigger-happy posse, but not before they take a few with them. Kaji gives a near silent performance as the smoldering Matsu, who stares out from under artfully tousled hair with piercing eyes and spars with her bullying, psychotic cellblock rival. Director Shunya Ito paints his striking set pieces in brilliant colors: an autumnal death scene that turns from restful, leaf-blown orange to a desolate gray in a flash, a blue waterfall that suddenly runs red with blood, an escape down a literal mountain of garbage. Never has exploitation looked so beautiful.

Mastered from a gorgeous widescreen print, the image is sharp and the colors vivid. The subtitles are printed on the film, but in this case they are easy to read and grammatically sound. The DVD also features the theatrical trailer and informative liner notes that chart the series' background history by film programmer and historian Chris D. --Sean Axmaker

Video Details

An absolutely phenomenal surrealist-cum-exploitation picture, "Female Convict Scorpion--Jailhouse 41" is the second in a series of films about Matsu (known to her fellow inmates as "Scorpion"), a diminutive but volatile woman who is wrongly sent to prison by a betraying boyfriend. Incredibly satisfying and spectacularly photographed, these women's prison pictures feature an anti-heroine who is beautiful, strong, principled and basically honorable and decent--especially when compared to everyone around her. One of the truly genuine masterpieces of violent 1970s cinema, "Female Convict Scorpion--Jailhouse 41" is, in its own way, as subversive as Donald Cammell & Nicolas Roeg's "Performance," John Boorman's "Point Blank" and Jean-Luc Godard's "Weekend."

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price too high Jan 28 2011

By Matthew J. Mitchell

Format:DVD

I am just wondering, why the price for this movie is so high. I haven't seen this movie and I may never get to watch it with the price so high. If anyone knows why it's so high, I'd like to know why. I would love to purchase this movie so I can watch it, but not at this price. I know this isn't reviewing the movie and probably isn't very helpful, but am curious why this movie is so abnormally high.

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Unforgettable and not for everyone Jun 2 2004

By Scott McCormick

If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, check out this amazing film. The opening scene alone is worth the price of admission. I saw this at a film festival and knew I had to own it so I could loan it out to other people. This easily makes my Top 10 Best Movies You Never Heard of list.

A Visual Feast April 7 2002

By "jetboy77"

Well, I think I should cut right to the chase: FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 is quite possibly the most fascinating and visually stunning film I have ever had the pleasure to see ... And that praise comes from fan who loves ( and also admires ) films such as BLACK NARCISSUS, KWAIDAN, SUSPIRIA, and VERTIGO to name a few ...... To simply describe the plot of FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION would be a great injustice .. This is not your run-of-the-mill women in prison film ( although I do enjoy that genre ) ... YES, the story is fascinating and so perfectly simple ... The true beauty comes in the genius of transforming a simple story into a visual and creative feast for the senses, in particular, your eyes ...... But what are visuals without performance ??? ... This film wouldn't know .... The acting is brilliant, particularly Meiko Kaji who, with one glance, can send either a chill down your spine, or send butterflies to your stomach ... Does it sound as if I love this film ??? ... I DO !!! ... I highly recommend FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 .... The colors are breathtaking, and the overall look for the film is awesome ...If there is one flaw regarding this DVD, it is in the transfer: during dark scenes, a "transparent" ( for lack of a better word ) band can be seen down the right side of the screen ... Strangely, this line is NOT visible in the trailer ... This band can also be seen occasionally in BLACK TIGHT KILLERS, a Japanese film released by the same manufacturer .... It's not bad enough to take a star away, but it is noticable during dark scenes ... Simply put, FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION is one of the best films I've ever seen ...