The Ladies Club (1985) User Reviews

Remember when Americans took the law into their own hands?

[edgein15 · 6/10 · 11 August 2000]

Too bad no one knows of this film. A group of rape victims, angered over the lack of justice in their respective cases, go on a vigilante spree, capturing repeat sex offenders and castrating them. If only the country could embrace this message, what a wonderful world it would be.

A nice idea, but the realization needs more work

[ColonelPuntridge · 5/10 · 5 July 2022]

It seemed like this movie couldn't make up its mind how seriously it wanted viewers to take it. The idea is good: a group of (female) rape victims band together to inflict vigilante-type punishment on rapists and other (male) predators, but is the actual movie a variation on popular themes from THE ACCUSED and DEATH WISH, or a genre-spoof? It depends on which scene you're watching. The rapists exaggerate their disgustingness to the point of being campy (even the great character actor Nicholas Worth, who was the established go-to-guy for playing terrifying, hideous, disgusting rapists, plays clownishly here, like a cartoon bad-guy). But the scenes where the women try to cope with the psychic damage they suffer from being raped are portrayed seriously, like in THE ACCUSED.

I had the feeling they could have fixed this if they had spent a bit more time on the script and on the directing and really decided on what they were trying to do. I look forward to a possible remake.

Slice and dice

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 24 October 2021]

Based on Casey Bishop and Betty Black's novel The Sisterhood - one of the alt titles along with Violated - this is the kind of movie that sets out to be a feminist film and then must climb the challenge of its own marketing, which led director Janey Greek ("Ricky" by Weird Al, Spellbinder) to use the name A. K. Allen and lead actress Karen Austin to complain about how New Line sold the movie by saying: "I think the way the film is being marketed is tacky."

You mean the tagline "Men who attack women have two big problems. The Ladies Club is about to remove them both." isn't classy enough for you?

Austin was on Night Court as he original romantic interest for Harry Stone for the first ten episodes and was John Candy's wife in Summer Rental. Here, she's LAPD officer Joan Taylor, who has been assaulted by three men who the system allows to get away with their crime. After meeting with a woman's support group, she and other members - like Constance Lewis (Christine Belford) and Lucy Bricker (Diana Scarwid, forever Christina) - to hunt down men who have attacked women and surgically castrate them.

That said, if you're expecting something fully sleazed out, this isn't it, no matter what the posters promise. I mean, it's not anything reputable either, but you know what I mean.

And you may ask, "Is this a slasher?" Ask all the dudes that the Ladies Club picked up in bars and had surgeons around to slice off their tallywhackers. I think they would definitely tell you that this is a slasher.

This movie takes vigilante to a whole different level

[djstevenson · 7/10 · 27 March 2006]

I own this movie and I remember going to see it when it came out. A female cop gets raped by a gang of punks who's lawyer gets them off with a slap on the wrist. This cop is then approached by a lady doctor whose young daughter was attacked and killed by a pedophile. The women form a support group for women who have been sexually assaulted or abused. Within the group the doc and the cop along with other "hardcore" members decide to take matters in to their own hands. With the cop's help, they track down sex offenders and take out their own "special brand" of justice. It was sooo much fun to watch all the women in the theatre cheering the ladies on and watching all the guys slink down in their seats giving their girls covert looks. You could just hear them thinking: Would she?? Remember, this was in the days BEFORE Lorena Bobbit. I think it's a great movie especially for the tongue-in-cheek neo feminist set. If you can find it (try half.com), it's a great movie for a "man bash" session. Just invite your girlfriends over and open a bottle of merlot and have some laughs.

For Women...By Woman...

[bronzesrv · 10/10 · 19 November 2018]

I absolutely loved this movie! I was a teenager when this came out years ago. Me and my sisters always understood it and enjoyed it. There's always some male chauvinist thinking, all this is ridiculous and extreme! Well if Charles Bronson can do it so can we! I think WOMEN make excellent Vigilantes! Even today so often the justice system drops the ball in our court and we have to do what we can to make our best shot. Very emotionally charged this movie was. Low-budget B-movie Yes, it made about 289,000 at the box office, but to this day it is a rare cult classic. And rightly so! There also was a sequel I'm hoping to find that as well. The movie was excellent and if you are a victim of sex crimes yourself you really understand and feel the depth of these characters. I really wish they'll make more movies like this! Maybe it'll make a Predator think again before doing such heinous crimes. It will be all so nice if Predators like this could be castrated automatically with their prison sentences. Now we're talkin!

There are times when women DO need to take CHARGE...

[Gypsybelle · 1 June 2003]

Actually, this film was ahead of its time...I was working in a video store when it came out on video. I don't think it ever went to the big screen. Although it is rather violent (with due intent), this is really a great film for women and by women. We are forever the victims of crimes such as rape. This film just goes to show that if women finally banded together and fought back, woe be to MEN who think that they can get away with violating us like that! It also shows what ramifications can happen with citizens try to take the law into their own hands. Yes they will get punished, but is it worth it? YES! The Ladies Club was definitely on a low budget, I think it could have been done much better, but it is still worth seeing. It is tragic but the viewer (if sympathetic) can feel vilified by the actions these women take. The initial rapists, in a few scenarios, are set free by our court system, as does happen in real life. For those men, they put out their own brand of 'justice' and it is justified. Too bad that it is now hard to find on video and never seen on TV in re-runs. Oh well.

Great Movie

[pgarry-59819 · 10/10 · 28 April 2021]

I felt these ladies came all through the movie it was an excellent movie being a victim of rape itself I feel Justice Disturbed all women who have been victimized of rape should watch this movie excellent choice.

A total letdown..

[horrorbargainbin · 20 June 2002]

This movie could have been a more elaborate 'I Spit on Your Grave'. While it does go further into the ethics as to whether two wrongs make a right, it lacks the strong punch that made 'Spit' unforgettable.

All in all there is more talk than action. Castration is intense yet the movie drops the ball. I'd like to see more of the villains in the post-castration mode. Boring with an ending that barely registers.

Cathartic Fantasy put into action

[sharra_rasheed · 10/10 · 11 October 2002]

This, like ENOUGH, starring Jennifer Lopez, and others dealing with abuse issues are movies about what many women feel about wrongs done, and are a good way to work through the anger without actually having to go to jail for "acting out!" I am waiting for this one on DVD.