Schoolgirls in Chains

Synopsis: Frank and his mentally underdeveloped brother live with their mother. They kidnap and hold girls that catch their fancy in a cellar for use in their sick games. Their controlling and incestuous mother has twisted them and now no woman in the is safe.

Thoughts: 'Girls in Chains' (original title: Schoolgirls in Chains) is actually above-average Grindhouse fare from the period. The script is relatively solid and although it borrows from Hitchcock's far superior 'Psycho' manages to build its characters with some pathos and detail. The crew did a pretty good job with limited means to give 'Girls' an interesting look with camera movement and shots not usually afforded to these type of films. The acting was above par as the women weren't your average horror movie bubble-heads and the brothers managed to generate some sympathy. As suggestive as the title may be 'Girls' does have the usual nudity and violent sexual debauchery but it is actual somewhat restrained and doesn't go too overboard. If you're a fan of Grindhouse features and/or 'Mother's Day' than 'Girls in Chains' may be for you.

"Schoolgirls in Chains" is a "Psycho" inspired low-budget slice of sleaze that chronicles the events of several young girls kidnapped by two maladjusted brothers named Frankie and Johnny who store them in a fruit cellar and routinely subject them to harassment.The films underlying theme of misogyny is primarily filtered through verbal intent rather than visual shocks.The film features Gary Kent as a brooding,incestuous bruiser,John Stoglin as his creepy retard brother and Leah Tate and Suzanne Lund.There is a decent amount of smut and perversity and plenty of nudity,so I wasn't disappointed.Unfortunetely there is not enough violence for my liking and the action is rather slow,but if you like grindhouse exploitation flicks you may give this one a try.7 out of 10.

This bizarre slice of "Drive-In" cinema takes obvious influence from films such as Psycho, and handles the graphic and unsettling themes of incest, rape, torture and necrophilia. The film wallows in its sadistic nature, and it's rather unsurprising that Schoolgirls in Chains has suffered banning in several countries, including the UK (although it's not an official Video Nasty). It has to be said, however, that it really isn't all that good; as while the themes comes across in a way that is as sick and as sleazy as possible; the whole piece is actually rather boring on the whole. If you go into this film expecting something along the lines of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre or The Last House on the Left, you will no doubt come out disappointed; as Donald M. Jones' film is as good as neither notorious film. The plot follows the antics of two deranged brothers who take delight in holding schoolgirls captive by chaining them up in their basement. However, they're not content with merely holding the girls; as the brothers' sick and sadistic nature means that they have to subject the girls to a number of humiliating games.

As you would expect from a film with a title like "Schoolgirls in Chains", the atmosphere is very sleazy; and shots that see the young, innocent girls wearing a collar pretty much sum the film up. Director Donald M. Jones (probably a pseudonym) stays away from making the film overly erotic, however, and it's probably a good thing that Schoolgirls in Chains doesn't depict the actions of its lead characters in a favourable light. Jones' direction is solid, but since this film was made for the drive-in, you can't expect any directorial brilliance - and this film doesn't have any. The acting is similar in that it's nothing to write home about, although both Gary Kent and John Stoglin get to have fun in their absurd roles. Stoglin plays the retarded side of the pair of brothers, but it's Gary Kent who wins most of the plaudits where the acting is concerned for his portrayal of the more subdued side of the pair. The locations are well used, and the house in which most of the film takes place is suitably rural and isolated. Overall, this film isn't bad and will no doubt appeal to exploitation fans; but it's not as great as similar seventies genre efforts such as The Last House on the Left and House on Straw Hill.

The term 'grindhouse' gets bandied about a little too much these days (thanks, QT), but Schoolgirls in Chains is the real deal, a sleazy, low-budget shocker aimed specifically at drawing in a crowd keen to see pure exploitation—in this case, beautiful women abducted and abused by a pair of demented brothers, who have been raised by their sick mother to believe that ALL pretty young females are evil (when, in fact, it's only about 90% of them).

Trapped in the grungy basement of a remote house, the captured women are kept as playthings for man-child John (John Stoglin), whose over-enthusiastic approach to his depraved games often results in his 'toys' being broken (and consequently buried in the family's vegetable patch). Meanwhile, big brother Frank (Gary Kent) is on hand to keep the ladies in control, under the ever watchful gaze of domineering, woman-hating Mother (Greta Gayland).

When John's game of hide and seek with his latest toy Sue (Merrie Lynn Ross) ends up with the gal receiving both barrels from Frank's shotgun, Mother agrees to the abduction of Bonnie, an attractive student who John has been spying on. After Bonnie goes missing, however, her lover—a professor at her college—sets out to find what has become of her...

With a dab of psychological drama (ala Psycho), a soupçon of incest (mother loves her lads a little too much), a smidgen of rape (Frank forces himself on pretty prisoner Ginger, played by lovely Suzanne Lund), a touch of torture (I want to play doctor!), and a whole lot of grubby, low-rent photography accompanied by a suitably discordant soundtrack (complete with an effectively unsettling nursery rhyme theme), Schoolgirls in Chains achieves exactly what it sets out to do—entertain its audience through a series of sensational and sordid scenes in which girls in peril are subjected to all manner of horrors.

It's not exactly art, but it sure is fun (but don't tell mama I said so: she doesn't approve of me watching filthy girls). 7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

A good entertaining movie with interesting characters It's not a masterpiece but it's worth watching. The thing that spoils it for me is the abysmal soundtrack!