WICag-01

One of Your Humble Reviewer’s favorite releases this year thus far is def­i­nitely Shout! Factory’s Women In Cages Collection.  If you missed Schlockmania’s ear­lier cov­er­age, this set col­lects three clas­sic New World Pictures entries into the women-in-prison genre — The Big Doll House, Women In Cages and The Big Bird Cage — and gives them sleek-looking video upgrades plus a worth­while col­lec­tion of extras.  Thus, Schlockmania is happy to report this set has recently been issued in the blu-ray for­mat — and it’s even bet­ter when seen this way.

The DVD set ben­e­fited from fresh, anamor­phic HD trans­fers that made these films look bet­ter than they ever had on video.  The increased res­o­lu­tion of the blu-ray for­mat allows the viewer to see these trans­fers in all their high-definition glory and the results are worth the upgrade.  The visual main­tain their cel­lu­loid tex­ture but the col­ors have new depth (par­tic­u­larly the use of black in jail cell inte­ri­ors) and the amped-up level of detail really shows off how well-shot these low bud­get out­ings are.

The audio side of the trans­fers uses the same mono ele­ments but they are uncom­pressed on these blu-ray discs and they pack a nice sonic punch despite their vin­tage.  The extras remain the same on both sets but it’s worth not­ing that the From Manila With Love fea­turette and the Judy Brown inter­view boast a new visual clar­ity because both were shot in HD and are thus ide­ally suited to blu-ray treat­ment (con­sult Schlockmania’s ear­lier DVD review for a break­down of these extras).

Simply put, if you like these films, this blu-ray set is the best way to see them and this set is def­i­nitely worth the upgrade.  If you want more infor­ma­tion on this set, check out Schlockmania’s full cov­er­age of the Women In Cages Collection below:

The Big Doll House — Film Review: http://www.schlockmania.com/big-doll-house/

Women In Cages — Film Review: http://www.schlockmania.com/women-in-cages/

The Big Bird Cage — Film Review: http://www.schlockmania.com/big-bird-cage/

Women In Cages Collection — DVD Review: http://www.schlockmania.com/ds-women-in-cages-collection/

The Women In Cages Collection [Triple Feature]

The Women In Cages Collection [Triple Feature]

The Women In Cages Collection — Triple Feature       Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) joins a group of sexy, young female pris­on­ers in their strug­gle against a sadis­tic war­den in Big Doll House. This shock­ingly real film is per­haps one of the most influ­en­tial of all women-in-prison films! Also star­ring Judy Brown, Roberta Collins (Death Race 2000) and Sid Haig (House Of 1,000 Corpses). Directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Foxy Brown).Innocent Carol Jeffries (Jennifer Gan, Naked Angels) is framed by her drug-dealing boyfriend and ends up in a tough prison in the Philippines jun­gle in Women In Cages. She must face off against the sadis­tic war­den, Alabama (Pam Grier), who takes great plea­sure in alter­nately seduc­ing and tor­tur­ing her pris­on­ers. Also star­ring Judy Brown and Roberta Collins. Directed by Gerry De Leon (Mad Doctor Of Blood Island).Inside the hell­ish women’s prison called The Big Bird Cage, inmates like Terry (Anitra Ford, The Price Is Right) strug­gles to sur­vive. They get their chance to escape when schem­ing rev­o­lu­tion­ary Blossom (Pam Grier) engi­neers a prison break … from the out­side in. Also star­ring Carol Speed (Abby). Directed by Jack Hill.


The Women In Cages Collection [Triple Feature] (Blu-ray)

The Women In Cages Collection [Triple Feature] (Blu-ray)

The Women In Cages Collection — Triple Feature       Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) joins a group of sexy, young female pris­on­ers in their strug­gle against a sadis­tic war­den in Big Doll House. This shock­ingly real film is per­haps one of the most influ­en­tial of all women-in-prison films! Also star­ring Judy Brown, Roberta Collins (Death Race 2000) and Sid Haig (House Of 1,000 Corpses). Directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Foxy Brown).Innocent Carol Jeffries (Jennifer Gan, Naked Angels) is framed by her drug-dealing boyfriend and ends up in a tough prison in the Philippines jun­gle in Women In Cages. She must face off against the sadis­tic war­den, Alabama (Pam Grier), who takes great plea­sure in alter­nately seduc­ing and tor­tur­ing her pris­on­ers. Also star­ring Judy Brown and Roberta Collins. Directed by Gerry De Leon (Mad Doctor Of Blood Island).Inside the hell­ish women’s prison called The Big Bird Cage, inmates like Terry (Anitra Ford, The Price Is Right) strug­gles to sur­vive. They get their chance to escape when schem­ing rev­o­lu­tion­ary Blossom (Pam Grier) engi­neers a prison break … from the out­side in. Also star­ring Carol Speed (Abby). Directed by Jack Hill.