The Big Bird Cage (1972)

Director:

Jack Hill

Writer:

Jack Hill (writer)

Release Date:

July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Women so hot with desire they melt the chains that enslave them!

Plot:

Grier and Haig are thieving mercenaries who engineer a prison break from the outside.

Plot Keywords:

Revolutionaries | Escape | Women | Prison | W.i.p

Cast

Pam Grier	...	Blossom
Anitra Ford	...	Terry
Candice Roman	...	Carla
Teda Bracci	...	Bull Jones
Carol Speed	...	Mickie
Karen McKevic	...	Karen
Sid Haig	...	Django
Marissa Delgado	...	Rina
Vic Diaz	...	Rocco
Andres Centenera	...	Warden Zappa (as Andy Centenera)
Rizza	...	Lin Tsiang (as Rizza Fabian)
Subas Herrero	...	Moreno
Wendy Green	...	Gertie

Also Known As:

Women's Penitentiary II

Runtime:

88 min | USA:96 min (DVD)

Country:

Philippines | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

At the beginning of the film, when Terry (Anitra Ford) is taken to the prison by boat. The cove that she is dropped off at is the same one that was subsequently used for the location of the Kurtz compound in Apocalypse Now (1979) (both films were shot in the Philippines).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Fairly amusing for a WiP flick...

I got a hold of this one mainly for the presence of Pam Grier. Needless to say, I was surprised at just how amusing this one was. Although it contains its share of exploitation elements, large sections of this film are really tongue-in-cheek and pretty damned funny actually. Sid Haig and Pam Grier are great as revolutionaires, and there are a sprinkling of decent character actors that round out the cast for a decent outing. The ending is chock full of early 70's combat sequences and wonderfully photographed burning buildings. Actually, I was also impressed by the director's good use of scenery; I hate to admit it, but the backdrop (jungle and mountains) were actually breathtaking in parts.