Carol Jeffries (known as 'Jeff') is a naive American woman staying in the Phillipines. She is given ten years in prison after being set up by her drug-dealer boyfriend, Rudy. She endures the harsh conditions, sadistic head matron and attempts on her life, then convinces her cell-mates to try to escape with her through the jungle, in spite of the knowledge that ruthless trackers will be sent out after them. American women prisoners in a foreign country. Sex and action. "Women in Cages" is a pretty standard Women In Prison flick, with all of the trappings of the genre. It's got lesbianism, wild catfights, nudity, the obligatory shower scenes, and sadism aplenty. Its main drawing card, however, lies in its casting. Instead of playing one of the inmates, the inimitable Pam Grier dominates the proceedings as a brutal head matron.<br/><br/>Otherwise, this is familiar enough stuff. Jennifer Gan plays Carol "Jeff" Jeffries, the fresh fish in a Filipino prison who was set up by her no-good drug smuggling boyfriend. She soon makes friends with cellmates Theresa (Sofia Moran), Sandy (Judith Brown), and "Stoke" (Roberta Collins), a gal with a serious drug problem. After enduring the barbarism of the guards (who maintain a torture room they call the "play pen"), they decide that they won't tolerate any more and formulate plans for escape.<br/><br/>As directed by the prolific Gerry De Leon, this Roger Corman production is appropriately dingy, gritty, and oppressive. That said, it's not without style: some late scenes take place in silhouette and are quite striking. The ladies are mighty fine looking and throw themselves into their roles, although Gans' co-stars tend to out-act her at every turn. Collins, a mainstay in many Corman productions of this time, is particularly good. However, the chance to see the statuesque Pam Grier as a guard is irresistible, and she makes the most out of the situation. Adding to the midnight movie appeal of "Women in Cages" is the atmospheric music supervised by Tito Arevalo.<br/><br/>Among the stand out scenes are those in the "play pen" and those in "the hole", one of those cramped quarters one can often find in films such as this. The climactic prison escape and subsequent chase sequences are fun, and there are some surprises in store for characters and viewers alike. While this can't compare to the best in the genre, it's still certain to keep trash enthusiasts fairly satisfied.<br/><br/>Seven out of 10. Women in Cages is yet another sleazy women in prison film from the same people that brought us classics such as The Big Doll House and The Big Bird Cage. This film is nowhere near as good as those two, but it's still an entertaining effort that fans of this sort of trash will surely appreciate. The plot is just your general women in prison sort of story and, naturally, focuses on a bunch of women inside a women's prison. One in particular has been sent to jail after being set up by her boyfriend; meanwhile, another prisoner has been given the task of murdering said unfortunate prisoner. There's also an escape attempt being plotted. This women in prison film stands apart from many of the others simply because it stars Pam Grier in the role of a guard rather than a prisoner. Naturally, she steps into this role well and plays the antagonist with relish. Unfortunately, there's no role for Sid Haig in this one. The film is directed by Gerardo de Leon, and regrettably he doesn't have the same flair as Jack Hill and the film does fall a little flat in that respect. However, it's still decent enough entertainment and at about seventy five minutes, it doesn't outstay its welcome either. Worth a look.
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