Not as good as the cover promises. Kind of bland and forgettable really. Peggy Sanders looks good with a gun and Michelle Bauer looks great naked, but those are pretty much the only good points of this movie (OK, you can add the purely 80's song as well). The heroine uses a variety of weapons to carry out her vengeance - revolver, grenade, flame thrower, etc. - but there is not much thrill to it all, maybe because her targets seem fairly easy to take out, or maybe because the illogicality of certain scenes (such as her and her boyfriend walking out of a massive car crash almost completely unhurt, or the police leaving a hospitalized crime witness completely unprotected) prevents you from taking this very seriously. See if you can spot two famous lines stolen from "Blade Runner" and "Commando". (*1/2)
11 Reviews
Not all bad
Leofwine_draca21 March 2022
A typical B-movie action thriller, made right at the beginning of David DeCoteau's break-out career which had begun in pornography. This one was mainly shot on the cheap and on the streets, featuring a female-led revenge plot which begins with a brutal double slaying before moving into more familiar territory. Our heroine seems to have borrowed a few ideas from THE EXTERMINATOR and gradually works her way through a cruel street gang. The acting's not up to much, but there's at least one good car stunt, lots of cheese and plenty of violence, so it's not all bad.
She's No Ms .45
saint_brett20 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Given day release to attend her brother's funeral, Lady Snowblood is confronted and manhandled by her fellow inmates before Fat's Domino's daughter is assigned to overshadow her every move while out. Even her shadow has a shadow.
Returning home, Lady Snowblood has to play detective and find out what led to her brother's demise.
And what better place to start than at the cemetery, which holds buried secrets and saucy codes people took with them to the grave?
How to extract information out of the dead - no one has cracked the code yet.
The pastor looks like Howard Cunningham on a successful Jenny Craig weight loss program.
Lady Snowblood backhands thingo and flees the funeral as the heavyset shadow warrior opens fire at the grieving mourners.
You don't see this assigned prison guard after this scene due to back pain.
Elsewhere, a dead woman with no eyes lays in the recovery room of a hospital, and the first lead goes nowhere.
A dead end, you might say.
Lady Snowblood then falls on hard times with the second lead and is reduced to sleeping with a country club gang member in exchange for other leads.
By snooping around, Lady Snowblood exposes her cover, and trouble soon finds her, which ends in a rather silly car chase, but stop the press at the 30 minute, 30 second mark. Look at the perfect body on this clothesless cheerleader, Emily.
Who wears clothes when you've got a body like that?
Is that Dustin Hoffman? He plies this lady, who has a head like a cauliflower, with unknown happy pills. (Killing her softly with medication.) A hit is soon put out on the eyeless dead woman in the recovery room, and she's taken out a second time to make sure the job is complete this time.
Why have Lady Snowblood here as the lead when Emily is better looking?
Lady Snowblood narrows down her search when she finds a suitcase full of Emily's dirty clothes and is one step closer to revealing her brothers killers, who are obviously these three surf nazis from "Point Break," whom she encountered earlier in the movie. (Small world.) They deny they're responsible, but she blows them away anyway without trial.
The real culprits are three preppy boys who are straight off the mean streets of Windsor Square.
Two of the Ivy League boys are wasted, and one dies with no dignity while wearing flamingo pink corduroys.
Lady Snowblood's unlimited handgun sees to it that they become part of the six-foot-deep club, leaving only one to mow down-Ray.
Whoever the hell he is?
We get to see Emily's assets again. It's the only thing keeping this movie alive.
The story kind of drags a bit.
There's very little background explanation as to why the Ivy League gang members killed Lady Snowblood's brother.
I must say that it's more refreshing watching this than a Robert Z'Dar movie.
It turns out Emily is working with this Beach Boy, Ray, and was never on Lady Snowblood's side.
Ray is the top dog of LA's underground crime scene. I'm referring to the kingpin mother of all villains. You wouldn't want to cross paths with him in the dark.
He's not so tough, though, when set on fire by a flame thrower. Where'd she get that from?
According to Lady Snowblood, there are two types of people in life, which I won't repeat as this is a PG-13 review.
After killing over a dozen people, Lady Snowblood is acquitted of all charges, and the movie ends on a happy note with everyone sated, and even a guitar twangs its approval that all is peachy.
I'll give this movie 4/10.
You get to see Emily naked twice in this, so one point for each revelation.
Other than that, this movie fails to hit the mark and is wooden like a Trojan horse on its last legs.
Returning home, Lady Snowblood has to play detective and find out what led to her brother's demise.
And what better place to start than at the cemetery, which holds buried secrets and saucy codes people took with them to the grave?
How to extract information out of the dead - no one has cracked the code yet.
The pastor looks like Howard Cunningham on a successful Jenny Craig weight loss program.
Lady Snowblood backhands thingo and flees the funeral as the heavyset shadow warrior opens fire at the grieving mourners.
You don't see this assigned prison guard after this scene due to back pain.
Elsewhere, a dead woman with no eyes lays in the recovery room of a hospital, and the first lead goes nowhere.
A dead end, you might say.
Lady Snowblood then falls on hard times with the second lead and is reduced to sleeping with a country club gang member in exchange for other leads.
By snooping around, Lady Snowblood exposes her cover, and trouble soon finds her, which ends in a rather silly car chase, but stop the press at the 30 minute, 30 second mark. Look at the perfect body on this clothesless cheerleader, Emily.
Who wears clothes when you've got a body like that?
Is that Dustin Hoffman? He plies this lady, who has a head like a cauliflower, with unknown happy pills. (Killing her softly with medication.) A hit is soon put out on the eyeless dead woman in the recovery room, and she's taken out a second time to make sure the job is complete this time.
Why have Lady Snowblood here as the lead when Emily is better looking?
Lady Snowblood narrows down her search when she finds a suitcase full of Emily's dirty clothes and is one step closer to revealing her brothers killers, who are obviously these three surf nazis from "Point Break," whom she encountered earlier in the movie. (Small world.) They deny they're responsible, but she blows them away anyway without trial.
The real culprits are three preppy boys who are straight off the mean streets of Windsor Square.
Two of the Ivy League boys are wasted, and one dies with no dignity while wearing flamingo pink corduroys.
Lady Snowblood's unlimited handgun sees to it that they become part of the six-foot-deep club, leaving only one to mow down-Ray.
Whoever the hell he is?
We get to see Emily's assets again. It's the only thing keeping this movie alive.
The story kind of drags a bit.
There's very little background explanation as to why the Ivy League gang members killed Lady Snowblood's brother.
I must say that it's more refreshing watching this than a Robert Z'Dar movie.
It turns out Emily is working with this Beach Boy, Ray, and was never on Lady Snowblood's side.
Ray is the top dog of LA's underground crime scene. I'm referring to the kingpin mother of all villains. You wouldn't want to cross paths with him in the dark.
He's not so tough, though, when set on fire by a flame thrower. Where'd she get that from?
According to Lady Snowblood, there are two types of people in life, which I won't repeat as this is a PG-13 review.
After killing over a dozen people, Lady Snowblood is acquitted of all charges, and the movie ends on a happy note with everyone sated, and even a guitar twangs its approval that all is peachy.
I'll give this movie 4/10.
You get to see Emily naked twice in this, so one point for each revelation.
Other than that, this movie fails to hit the mark and is wooden like a Trojan horse on its last legs.
Wrong writer listed
slippaboy25 May 2005
Will Schmitz did not write Lady Avenger, the other writer should receive sole credit. I wrote a first draft, but it has nothing do do with the product as filmed. When I saw what had been done to my material, I decided not to write films I would have no say in the making of. Needlesss to say, I have not worked on many other films and, of the ones I have, I have at least had the opportunity to have my named removed. Thus it goes in such a business. Same old song, eh? There is not much money for the writer in the low-budget end of the film industry, so you have to have been as unwise and hungry for work as I was at the time to bother. I've stuck since to writing for hire or writing what I want, and it's saved me a lot of unnecessary grief.
Awful David DeCoteau film
drgreenthumb100113 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Most of his films are low budget sex films, but in the late 80s he did low budget sex-horror, before the genre died out in the 90s and he did mostly sex movies and sex comedies, etc.
This movie is an action flick, wedged between 2 of his "better" films, "Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama" and "Nightmare Sisters", where Michelle Bauer works with him again. Dr. Alien and Creepozoids were also made around this time, though I think Creepoziods is one of the worst low budget movies ever made. It does have one loan bright spot, which is also why Nightmare Sisters is so well known, LeAnna Quigley. Michelle Bauer also joins in that cult classic film as well.
Speaking of Ms. Bauer, the 80's scream queen is the ONLY reason to watch this flick. Yes, the main lead Peggy McIntaggart is easy on the eyes and athletic enough for the action scenes and the wielding of a gun, but she is a TERRIBLE actress, completely unconvincing not only when she has to deliver a line, but even worse in reaction and still scenes.
Someone mentioned this in their review, but the movie at one point has a car chase scene that ends in a fiery wreck. It is one of the worst shot crashes in the history of cinema because even in movies, NO ONE WOULD HAVE survived. Its got great pyrotechnics but its a complete overkill. The car she is in is literally bursts into fire, yet she is able to escape with no wounds or burns, just a tiny hole in the windshield and some black ash on her face...she has a BF of sorts in the front seat during all of this, but he disappears after the wreck happens and isnt accounted for at all, she and the movie literally forgets about him...until maybe later in the film. (Ill be honest, I started fast forwarding after this) It gets worse when you see that the pursuers, who saw their SUV turn upside down after the wreck and then even blow-up, they were all unscathed (they even yell at her OFF SCREEN about how its not over) They of course return later to kill someone laid up in a hospital they once had a chance to kill, but only sexually assaulted and maimed the victim, thus putting the victim into a coma, they then GO BACK to the hospital, where the victim isnt guarded and kill her. WHY kill someone in a medically induced coma in a hospital when they could have killed her the first time but decided not too? Because the script needed it to happen so they could pad out the time and so the lead could even get more "revenge".
This movie was an attempt by DeCoteau to make a straight action-revenge flick with a female lead, but it horrendous like the acting from most of the other actors in this film. Except for Michelle Bauer you wont recognize anyone.
Someone mentioned this in their review, but the movie at one point has a car chase scene that ends in a fiery wreck. It is one of the worst shot crashes in the history of cinema because even in movies, NO ONE WOULD HAVE survived. Its got great pyrotechnics but its a complete overkill. The car she is in is literally bursts into fire, yet she is able to escape with no wounds or burns, just a tiny hole in the windshield and some black ash on her face...she has a BF of sorts in the front seat during all of this, but he disappears after the wreck happens and isnt accounted for at all, she and the movie literally forgets about him...until maybe later in the film. (Ill be honest, I started fast forwarding after this) It gets worse when you see that the pursuers, who saw their SUV turn upside down after the wreck and then even blow-up, they were all unscathed (they even yell at her OFF SCREEN about how its not over) They of course return later to kill someone laid up in a hospital they once had a chance to kill, but only sexually assaulted and maimed the victim, thus putting the victim into a coma, they then GO BACK to the hospital, where the victim isnt guarded and kill her. WHY kill someone in a medically induced coma in a hospital when they could have killed her the first time but decided not too? Because the script needed it to happen so they could pad out the time and so the lead could even get more "revenge".
This movie was an attempt by DeCoteau to make a straight action-revenge flick with a female lead, but it horrendous like the acting from most of the other actors in this film. Except for Michelle Bauer you wont recognize anyone.
Lady Avenger is well worth checking out
tarbosh220002 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
While Maggie (McIntaggart) is locked up in jail, a gang of street toughs murder her brother Kevin (Butler). Maggie is allowed a temporary release so she can attend the funeral, and then it's not long before she puts on her red revenge bandanna and aviator sunglasses in order to get tough with the baddies responsible. Maggie reconnects with her old friend Annalee (Bauer), and goes through some family drama as well, but she also finds time to get involved in some shootouts and car chases. Can anything stop Maggie as the LADY AVENGER?
While we prefer director DeCoteau's American Rampage (1989), Lady Avenger has plenty to recommend it as well, providing you have a taste for low-budget 80's action. You likely do, or you wouldn't be reading this site. It's a little bit surprising that Massacre Video didn't pair American Rampage with Lady Avenger on their recent Blu-ray release, instead pairing the former with the Dan Haggerty outing Danger USA (1989) - which is also an entertaining movie in its own right, but the DeCoteau action double bill seems to make sense. Oh well, it must have been a rights issue.
Anyway, we wouldn't necessarily recommend newbies of 80's cult action to watch Lady Avenger - it seems like the type of thing you already have to be a fan of - but, then again, who could fail to love the junkyard fight, the blowing-up of cars, the classic flat line readings by just about everybody, the nudity, and the otherwise down n' dirty vibe of the whole thing? It's a bit like a cross between Cyclone (1987) and Death Feud (1987).
Peggy McIntaggart AKA Peggy Sanders doesn't exactly scream "tough" in the way that Brigitte Nielsen might, but perhaps that was the point. That maybe a woman who isn't a bodybuilder and is slight of stature can still blow away the bad guys. Even though Michelle Bauer provides the eye candy, as she always does, it would have been nice to see her get into the baddie-killing fray alongside Peggy.
I think it's worth mentioning the context into which Lady Avenger was born. In 1988, video stores were hugely popular and always needing product to put on the shelves. It was also a time when the action/revenge genre was at a high point. It was only natural that filmmakers big and small would try to get in the game. One of the joys of going to the video store and perusing the aisles was when you'd come across a VHS tape such as Lady Avenger. It provided something you couldn't get in theaters. We would look at the box art and want to see how Lady Avenger dispensed justice. Now how can that be wrong?
Released on the classic South Gate label on VHS in America, Lady Avenger is well worth checking out for not just 80's VHS fiends such as yourself, but also it's ripe for rediscovery in the Blu-ray era.
While we prefer director DeCoteau's American Rampage (1989), Lady Avenger has plenty to recommend it as well, providing you have a taste for low-budget 80's action. You likely do, or you wouldn't be reading this site. It's a little bit surprising that Massacre Video didn't pair American Rampage with Lady Avenger on their recent Blu-ray release, instead pairing the former with the Dan Haggerty outing Danger USA (1989) - which is also an entertaining movie in its own right, but the DeCoteau action double bill seems to make sense. Oh well, it must have been a rights issue.
Anyway, we wouldn't necessarily recommend newbies of 80's cult action to watch Lady Avenger - it seems like the type of thing you already have to be a fan of - but, then again, who could fail to love the junkyard fight, the blowing-up of cars, the classic flat line readings by just about everybody, the nudity, and the otherwise down n' dirty vibe of the whole thing? It's a bit like a cross between Cyclone (1987) and Death Feud (1987).
Peggy McIntaggart AKA Peggy Sanders doesn't exactly scream "tough" in the way that Brigitte Nielsen might, but perhaps that was the point. That maybe a woman who isn't a bodybuilder and is slight of stature can still blow away the bad guys. Even though Michelle Bauer provides the eye candy, as she always does, it would have been nice to see her get into the baddie-killing fray alongside Peggy.
I think it's worth mentioning the context into which Lady Avenger was born. In 1988, video stores were hugely popular and always needing product to put on the shelves. It was also a time when the action/revenge genre was at a high point. It was only natural that filmmakers big and small would try to get in the game. One of the joys of going to the video store and perusing the aisles was when you'd come across a VHS tape such as Lady Avenger. It provided something you couldn't get in theaters. We would look at the box art and want to see how Lady Avenger dispensed justice. Now how can that be wrong?
Released on the classic South Gate label on VHS in America, Lady Avenger is well worth checking out for not just 80's VHS fiends such as yourself, but also it's ripe for rediscovery in the Blu-ray era.
Femme avenger.
HumanoidOfFlesh5 January 2015
Maggie's brother is violently killed by a gang of vicious drug dealers.The girl is allowed to leave prison to attend his funeral and escapes.It's time to find people who are responsible for the death of her brother and kill them all...David DeCoteau's "Lady Avenger" is an enjoyable action flick with some brutal violence and a bit of nudity provided by Michelle Bauer.There is even extremely cheesy 80's rock song called "Savage Streets".Maggie uses baseball bat,gun,grenade and flamethrower to kill various thugs.She is a total killing machine.If you like ultra-cheesy revenge thrillers "Lady Avenger" is a must-see.Some script lines are absolutely priceless for example:"He's got a severe case of assholeism".6 femme killers out of 10.
If you give it a chance it's actually pretty decent
hamburger14 September 2001
LADY AVENGER starts off with a young man and his girlfriend who have been kidnapped and tortured by a group of faceless individuals. The man has his throat slit and the woman (who we later find out) has her eyes cut out. Cue cheesy 80s rock music (I love this stuff). Maggie, who is the deceased's sister, is in prison for drugs. She is allowed to leave for her brother's funeral with one of the prison guards to ensure she doesn't escape. Well, she does of course (otherwise there wouldn't be a movie!) and goes after the thugs who murdered her brother. She visits her brother's girlfriend Maria in the hospital to find out some information. Maria's mother is there and doesn't help Maggie much other than give her a headache. She blames Maggie and her brother's life of drugs for her daughter's disfigurement. Slowly, along with the aide of her boyfriend, Maggie manages to find out who slaughtered her brother and gets revenge...boy does she ever. Grenades, blow torches, baseball bats, and guns are her favorite arsenal of destruction. LADY AVENGER screams the 80s (my kind of film), features lots of bloody violence, Michele Bauer showing us the goods, and action to keep you entertained for much of the short 80+ running time. A few scenes drag on...but if you hang in there it's a pretty decent effort. Recommendable though my personal favorite DeCoteau film would be SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA, which is a cheese classic in itself.
One of the worst movies I saw in the 1980s.
Victor Field5 July 2002
Warning: Spoilers
I went to see this as a supporting feature for "A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" - there was no danger of the main feature being outclassed.
This revenge picture - one of many in that decade - was hopeless all the way to the climax, one of two things I've always remembered about it:
***SPOILER ALERT (IF ANYONE CAN'T GUESS HOW IT ENDS ANYWAY)***
"There are two kinds of people in this world - f***ers and the f***ed," says our heroine to the villain in the climax, "and right now you're about to be f***ed!" (Cue slow-motion shot of her drawing a gun and plugging him)
***END OF SPOILER ALERT***
The other was Michelle Bauer's striptease (billed as McClellan here) in a front room to an unseen man, who she then proceeds to give oral pleasure too (offscreen, of course). Bauer in the buff is the one good bit in the entire movie - which is still one more good bit than "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" - but rather annoyingly, this scene was censored on a video copy I later saw (it cut to the next scene just as Annalee (Bauer's character) started to undress). Thanks a LOT, guys...
This revenge picture - one of many in that decade - was hopeless all the way to the climax, one of two things I've always remembered about it:
***SPOILER ALERT (IF ANYONE CAN'T GUESS HOW IT ENDS ANYWAY)***
"There are two kinds of people in this world - f***ers and the f***ed," says our heroine to the villain in the climax, "and right now you're about to be f***ed!" (Cue slow-motion shot of her drawing a gun and plugging him)
***END OF SPOILER ALERT***
The other was Michelle Bauer's striptease (billed as McClellan here) in a front room to an unseen man, who she then proceeds to give oral pleasure too (offscreen, of course). Bauer in the buff is the one good bit in the entire movie - which is still one more good bit than "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" - but rather annoyingly, this scene was censored on a video copy I later saw (it cut to the next scene just as Annalee (Bauer's character) started to undress). Thanks a LOT, guys...
Below average revenge flick...with Michelle Bauer sex scenes
ManBehindTheMask6314 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Lady Avenger" is another movie from the legendarily bad David Decoteau shot for the home video market. The films stars Peggie Sanders (who has a topless scene) as prison escapee Maggie, who hunts down her brother's murderers. She also stumble upon a drug conspiracy and nips through her wife-beater throughout the majority of the film.
The acting is what you'd expect from a Decoteau film...it doesn't exist. However, the acting by Sanders is laughably bad and she never comes off as "tough" or "deadly". Her facial expressions (or lack there of) are quite amusing. The tag-line is classic; same with the film's poster. But "Lady Avenger" is a wannabe Rambo/Death Wish that never lives up to the great VHS cover (like most 80's tapes). Boring chase scenes and unexciting shootouts.
On a positive note, there are two Michelle Bauer sex scenes in the film and pretty cool flame thrower death scene. Overall, it's what you expect from an 80's straight to video flick.
"Lady Avenger" features gang rape, slit throats, car explosions, women in prison, Michelle Bauer stripping, a bad stepfather, and a cool flame thrower scene.
The acting is what you'd expect from a Decoteau film...it doesn't exist. However, the acting by Sanders is laughably bad and she never comes off as "tough" or "deadly". Her facial expressions (or lack there of) are quite amusing. The tag-line is classic; same with the film's poster. But "Lady Avenger" is a wannabe Rambo/Death Wish that never lives up to the great VHS cover (like most 80's tapes). Boring chase scenes and unexciting shootouts.
On a positive note, there are two Michelle Bauer sex scenes in the film and pretty cool flame thrower death scene. Overall, it's what you expect from an 80's straight to video flick.
"Lady Avenger" features gang rape, slit throats, car explosions, women in prison, Michelle Bauer stripping, a bad stepfather, and a cool flame thrower scene.
A sexy female vigilante (is there any other kind?)
lor_12 April 2023
My review was written in July 1989 after watching the movie on South Gate Entertainment video cassette.
"Lady Avenger" is a direct-to-video release of an off-beat woman vigilante pic from director David DeCoteau, who's usually involved in fantasy projects.
Peggie Sanders, distinctively styled with shades and tight t-shirt, is the marauding lady who has escaped from prison and is after the L. A. gang that murdered her brother. Pic holds out genre promise of a "Colors" at outset but soon downplays the gang aspect as Sanders gradually finds out that her corrupt stepdad (Tony Josephs) and her best friend (DeCoteau regular Michelle Bauer) have dirty hands.
Besides Sanders' adept action performance, Bauer (billed her with her alternate moniker Michelle McClellan) is impressive in a character role that still finds excuses for sexploitation footage. Director's usual black humor is eschewed in favor of melodrama played straight.
"Lady Avenger" is a direct-to-video release of an off-beat woman vigilante pic from director David DeCoteau, who's usually involved in fantasy projects.
Peggie Sanders, distinctively styled with shades and tight t-shirt, is the marauding lady who has escaped from prison and is after the L. A. gang that murdered her brother. Pic holds out genre promise of a "Colors" at outset but soon downplays the gang aspect as Sanders gradually finds out that her corrupt stepdad (Tony Josephs) and her best friend (DeCoteau regular Michelle Bauer) have dirty hands.
Besides Sanders' adept action performance, Bauer (billed her with her alternate moniker Michelle McClellan) is impressive in a character role that still finds excuses for sexploitation footage. Director's usual black humor is eschewed in favor of melodrama played straight.
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