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7/23/09
Ladies Night Presents: I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
It's time to turn the Lair over to the Ladies once again, and this month I picked out quite the film for them. It will be no easy task for the Ladies to take a long look at this one, but I have all faith they can handle it. So without further ado, I give you the Ladies and their review of.....



Thinking that her ordeal was over, Jennifer crawls through the woods back to her house. As she arrives, she realizes that the men are waiting for her. They continue to rape and taunt her and rip up her manuscript. When they are done with her, they leave Andy behind to finish her off. Andy cannot kill her, but he makes the others believe that he got the job done.
Jennifer takes some time to heal, and to piece her novel back together. She then sets out to seek revenge.
TIDBITS
--Camille Keaton is the grandniece of Buster Keaton. She was also married to, and divorced from director Meir Zarchi. She also starred in the 1993 film Savage Vengance a.k.a. I Spit On Your Grave 2.
Let me get this out of the way. I did not think this was the worst movie ever made by any means no matter what Roger Ebert claimed. However, it sure ain’t the best. The first thing that struck me when the film started was the lack of a soundtrack. The long shots out of the car widow as Jennifer drove to her summer house in silence gave the movie a realistic feel which I actually liked. This continues into the movie as the characters developed, and as Jennifer’s rapists start to stalk her, the silence leads to a tension all women can relate to.



Putting aside all the controversy, this is the bottom line. The first part of the movie is drama; the last half is Grindhouse. A drama needs to convince me, a grind house film needs to dazzle me, and for me this film achieved neither.
Grave Rating


This was not a bad film. It was not a good film. But it was above average. It had a point to make, and it did so effectively. Personally, I think my rape/revenge money was better spent with Thriller: A Cruel Tale or Last House On The Left. I do like this film. I’ve seen it twice, but it is not at the top of my suggestions list.
Grave Rating

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Yeah this film isn't one to entertain the children. Or most adults. Hell, I can't even say that I enjoyed it. But it's highly effective and it works almost perfectly at its intention. Yeah, the rape scene may drag out, but I honestly believe that was the point of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. You're supposed to feel exhausted watching this because it makes what happens next that much more satisfying to the viewer. And yes, I was satisfied at the end and I'm a dude.
ReplyDeleteWorst film ever made? Not even close.
Most uncomfortable? Probably.
Great write up, ladies!
For film quality, I feel that this film is the most technically proficient of the rape-revenge movies, and it is my personal favorite although I enjoy all three. I dont know what it is that I really enjoy about the film, but it feels more like a Greek tragedy to me than a straight Exploitation film. Still.. Its hard to top an eye patch and a sawed off..
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