The Sisterhood (1988) - Code Red - June 30, 2015

[rdodolak]

Spine # 43

Available exclusively at Screen Archives Entertainment (SAE)

THE SISTERHOOD (1988) (Limited Edition)

A group of amazon women are stalked by a ruthless barbarian in the aftermath of nuclear war in this science-fiction action feature. Alee (Rebecca Holden) and Vera (Barbara Hooper) lead the tribe across hostile territory to free their sisters held prisoner in the evil city. The thin veil of feminism is thrown into this routine plot. co-starring Lynn Holly Johnson and Chuck Wagner.

Special Features:

• Original director's cut from 35mm vault element
• Interview with star Rebecca Holden
• Original theatrical trailer

The Sisterhood 1988 Trailer - YouTube

[rdodolak]

[rdodolak]

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
00003.MPLS                                                      AVC     1:32:22 19,504,902,144  24,282,476,074  28.15   24.95   DTS-HD Master 2.0 1740Kbps (48kHz/24-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     SISTERHOOD
Disc Size:      24,282,476,074 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BD-Java:        Yes
BDInfo:         0.5.8

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00003.MPLS
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Total Bitrate:          28.15 Mbps

VIDEO:

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-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        24948 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
DTS-HD Master Audio             English         1740 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 1740 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

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00003.M2TS      0:00:00.000     1:32:22.537     19,504,902,144  28,153          

CHAPTERS:

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1               0:00:00.000     1:32:22.537     24,948 kbps     54,952 kbps     00:00:01.501    37,033 kbps     00:26:58.450    32,979 kbps     00:27:21.931    130,070 bytes   518,396 bytes   00:00:02.210    

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00003.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       eng (English)           5542.412                1,740                   1,205,674,152   7,324,994

[The Great Owl]

Long after a nuclear war reduced the world to a desert wasteland, women are enslaved by men and forbidden to travel on their own. The only hope for their salvation is The Sisterhood, a group of tough-as-nails female warriors who each possess unique supernatural abilities and who roam the ravaged landscapes to fight for justice. Marya, a teenage girl played by Lynn-Holly Johnson (Ice Castles, For Your Eyes Only), flees into the desert after her outpost is attacked by barbaric raiders and her little brother is killed by a ruthless rogue soldier played by Chuck Wagner (Automan). She is soon befriended by two wandering Sisterhood fighters, played by Rebecca Holden (Knight Rider) and Barbara Patrick (Lord of Illusions, The X-Files), after they learn that she has the ability to communicate with her trained hawk. With the help of military technology from the old world, the three of them embark on a mission to free their fellow witch warriors and to pursue vengeance against Marya's nemesis, but a gated city of warlords stands in their way.

The 1988 sci-fi action film, The Sisterhood, was financed by B movie king Roger Corman and directed by Corman's Filipino collaborator, Cirio H. Santiago, who also helmed post-apocalyptic drive-in fare like Stryker, Wheels of Fire, Equalizer 2000, and Dune Warriors. Like the other scrappy post-apocalyptic movies overseen by Corman and Santiago, this one was filmed in the Philippines and joins the ranks of countless wondrously destructive Mad Max ripoffs of the 1980s, namely 2019, After the Fall of New York and The Exterminators of the Year 3000, that populated theaters and VHS rental stores. Seeing as how the only apparent necessities for a 1980s post-apocalyptic movie were a rock quarry filming location, the worst-looking vehicles from the nearest junkyard, and a cast of middling, yet attractive actors, the films in this genre likely turned enough profit to ensure subsequent releases.

Since many of these knockoffs of The Road Warrior utilized women for exploitative purposes, The Sisterhood earns coolness points for turning the typical premise on its head in terms of gender dynamics. As such, it succeeds as a “The future is female.” standout, and it is one of the better offerings from the warriors of the wasteland drive-in cinema days. Just as importantly, it is blessed with a more complex script than those of most low-budget action movies of this sort. Lynn-Holly Johnson, Rebecca Holden, and Barbara Patrick are all quite good on the action hero front, and they are all likable in their roles. Chuck Wagner's villain character even has more depth than one might expect.

This feature is not above the standard trappings of foreign-made post-apocalyptic movies of that decade, like nudity and unintentionally comedic fight scenes. After all, it is a Cirio H. Santiago film. If you are looking for a decently engaging prototype of Mad Max: Fury Road, however, then you could do worse.

This Code Red Blu-ray, like the others in Roger Corman's Post Nuke Collection, sports a good-looking and filmic transfer, along with a fun Katarina Leigh Waters supplement. An interview with Rebecca Holden is quite interesting.

[agentalbert]

Since many of these knockoffs of The Road Warrior utilized women for exploitative purposes, The Sisterhood earns coolness points for turning the typical premise on its head in terms of gender dynamics. As such, it succeeds as a “The future is female.” standout, and it is one of the better offerings from the warriors of the wasteland drive-in cinema days. Just as importantly, it is blessed with a more complex script than those of most low-budget action movies of this sort. Lynn-Holly Johnson, Rebecca Holden, and Barbara Patrick are all quite good on the action hero front, and they are all likable in their roles. Chuck Wagner's villain character even has more depth than one might expect.

So what does this mean? If I get it, I'll see a lot of nude man meat instead of ladies? I like exploitation movies and they can't be too sleazy as far as I'm concerned. I like the female form and appreciate the 60's/70's/80's movies that show it in all its glory.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by agentalbert

So what does this mean? If I get it, I'll see a lot of nude man meat instead of ladies? I like exploitation movies and they can't be too sleazy as far as I'm concerned. I like the female form and appreciate the 60's/70's/80's movies that show it in all its glory.

There is no male nudity in The Sisterhood, and there is plenty of female nudity in it for any fan of female nudity (as I hinted at in the paragraph after the one that you quoted). You will likely not be disappointed in this film in the slightest.

By today's standards, The Sisterhood is still gratuitous and exploitative, but it at least tries to turn the genre on its head by featuring multilayered female characters.

This is a really fun film that everyone should check out. I guess that my paragraph that you quoted makes it look like a politically-correct chore of a film, but it's really not. It's just more female-centric than the others, to great result.