First of all, Bitch slap is a film I have known about since a long time (March 2009 to be exact. At least that’s when I first blogged about it.) I followed news about the movie for a very long time (I followed their twitter & subscribed to their YouTube channel).

I finally succumbed & ordered the DVD (unrated) from USA & watched it in May this year. I didn’t think of reviewing it till I saw to my absolute shock that it’s actually in Mumbai theaters right now!

First, about the film:

Bitch Slap is described as a post-modern, thinking man’s throwback to the ‘B’ Movie/Exploitation films of the 1950s–70s as well as a loving, sly parody of the same.” The movie is inspired by the movies Dragstrip Girl, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Kung Fu Nun, and the pantheon of blaxploitation films.

Now, what I thought of it. Keep in mind that I am very positively biased towards the film because it features Lucy Lawless, Renée O’Connor & Kevin Sorbo (Xena & Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess & Hercules from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) in cameo roles. It also stars Michael Hurst (Iolaus from Hercules…) in a pretty big role. So, when I finally settled down on vacation in a very nice five star hotel, I was in a very good mood.

And then I saw the film.

It maybe feminist in some ways, but I must admit it really did shock me. It has a non-linear story line, & more than half into the film, I was still confused as to who’s who (maybe that was the point, still.) The acting was pretty hokey from the leads & I think it was just the cameos that made me feel good about the film even after watching it – bear in mind that the critics haven’t been kind at all; and I definitely see their point of view.

It is full of explicitness (mostly verbal), is pretty crass, & there were a few times when I wondered whether I was watching a soft-core lesbian porno film (they did say it was inspired by Blaxploitation films!) Keep in mind that I am reviewing the unrated version, not the mulch you’re gonna see in cinemas after it passes through the Indian Censor Board! It’s full of hot women & has lots of mindless violence & fighting (cat fights mostly). It does have a few decent plot twists, though.

After I’ve said all that, I must say I still enjoyed the film.

And if you do wanna see it, take my advice, don’t see in a cinema, get your hands on the unrated version & enjoy it as it was meant to be seen. x