The late 80's were a glorious time for b-movies and this is a prime example of the type of flick that I loved in my teenage years. In addition to naked babes, I developed a taste for that low-budget look and attitude that made me feel like I was a part of the experience. This is because the actors and actresses all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and this transcended into a light and goofy experience onscreen that has always been very enjoyable to watch. Don't get me wrong, I love classic movies and appreciate technical prowess but sometimes it is fun to kick back and feel like you are hanging with your friends rather than watching a serious statement about society. Fred Olen Ray was one of the best at making me feel like I was a part of his world.

Jay Richardson stars as Jack Chandler, a private eye who reminds me of Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe (obviously the intention hence the name). Chandler is looking for a teenage runaway named Samantha (Linnea Quigley) and his search leads him to a chainsaw-worshiping cult led by Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre). The movie is short and the plot moves at a quick pace with two main set pieces and a short middle section before we reach the finale. We follow Chandler on his investigation while also seeing a number of human sacrifices being made by the cult members who pose as hookers to lure their victims in so that they can carve them up. Along the way we are treated to some gratuitous, cartoonish gore, and silly lines such as when Chandler quips "you could have knocked me over with a pubic hair".

On the surface, this movie is as cheap as they come and it shows. Ray, however, had the good sense to start the movie off quickly with arguably the most memorable scene featuring Michelle Bauer, a shower cap, and a chainsaw. She grinds through her john while dancing to an Elvis clone and gets covered in blood and body parts. This is one of the more memorable displays of nudity from any b-movie of the time and firmly established Bauer as a cult movie icon. Another topless bloodbath soon follows courtesy of Esther Elise and then the movie progresses to a finale which features the "virgin dance of the double chainsaws" (which is quirky but not nearly as exciting as it sounds) and a chainsaw battle between Bauer and Quigley. Although this showdown is not quite as entertaining as Dennis Hopper versus Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, it is a fun moment as these two are always great together.

Before his current fascination with assembly-line bikini movies, Fred Olen Ray was one of my favorite directors. He was the guy making the movies that me and my friends at the time dreamed of making because it looked like so much fun. He also made it seem like a career in movies wasn't entirely out of reach and that was very inspiring to us as young wannabe filmmakers. Quigley, Bauer, and Richardson were all at the top of their game in this film which came from the period from 1987 to 1993 which brought us many memorable movies featuring either Ray as director or starring one of the aforementioned actors. I miss these days when I used to get excited about these flicks and it is a shame that this era has passed. I like the idea of a stock company and enjoyed seeing the various actors pop up in movies directed by Ray, Jim Wynorski, or David DeCoteau. In recent years, Seduction Cinema attempted to use the same ensemble concept with Misty Mundae, Darian Caine, and others but these movies were just not as fun. As silly as they were, the end result felt like a business project rather than a labour of love. The classic scream queen movies that Ray and his peers made always felt like they has as much fun making them as I had watching them and it was that feeling that kept me coming back for more. (Josh Pasnak, 1/4/09)

Directed By: Fred Olen Ray.
Written By: Fred Olen Ray, T.L. Lankford.

Starring: Jay Richardson, Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, Gunnar Hansen.