Phil's Shudder Picks: FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE (1973) - SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

So, I would like to know who the hell comes up with these titles?!? As you may have noticed from my previous two posts, I've been making my way through the series on Shudder, and I am just amused by the title for this one. First there was FEMALE PRISONER: #701 SCORPION . Then came FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41. And now, the third film of the series and today's review entitled FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE! Yeah, that's a fucking crazy title, and so is this movie!

Original Japanese Poster (1973)

The film's official synopsis: The 3rd Female Prisoner film, the Gothic horror-inspired FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE finds Nami branded public enemy #1. She soon finds refuge with a sympathetic prostitute, but is on the run from a local gang, her ex-prison mate and a cop whose arm she hacked off (hell yeah).

The look of the movie is totally different than the previous two chapters. Director Shun'ya Itô abandons his arthouse meets grindhouse, supernatural lighting, sound stage sets look of the last film in favor for a more creepy looking, Gothic style movie. There's a lot of blues and greys in the film, almost melodramatic. It's a visually depressing representation of the environment of our old friend Nami is, now in another hell-hole women's prison. Itô also jettisons the European style directing in favor of a more straight forward exploitation found here. Overall, I missed the directing style of JAILHOUSE 41, but he, once again, delivers the goods and creates another classic flick, filled with nudity, violence, bloodshed, and a incestuous relationship between a sister and her fucked-up-in-the-head brother. What more could anyone ask?

Meiko Kaji proves once again that she is, without a shadow of doubt, the most beautiful and deadliest woman alive! Good grief, I love this woman!! I mean, how can you not?!? She's gorgeous, looks sexy as hell in her trademark black hat and outfit, and can kill you a hundred different ways!! I would love to see her in a movie today! But alas, she has long since retired from the silver scree, and as she puts it, she wants her fans to remember her the way she used to look in her films.

Now, this was supposed to be Shun'ya Itô's final film of the trilogy, and was written as the finale of the FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION series. And the way it ends, it does feel like a logical conclusion to the franchise, all wrapped up in a nice big bow. But when Toei Company released it to theaters in Japan on July 29, 1973, it was another huge blockbuster. However, this was the last FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION that Shun'ya Itô would be involved in.

FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE is another Japanese exploitation classic in the franchise that fans will want to see over and over again! While not as visually stunning and experimental as FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41, there's still plenty for audiences to go crazy for! So grab some popcorn, grab some drinks and then watch this movie!! 4 out of 5 starts! Highly recommended!

FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE is now streaming exclusively on Shudder. To view it, sign up on its website at www.shudder.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the horror!