Search - Girls in Chains on DVD

The cover art is misleading......

CraigalsCosmosis | Chicago,IL USA | 01/17/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"What you see on the cover is not what you get.However this movie was still entertaining enough.There are girls in a cellar that are used as playthings for two momma's boys who live with their mother(who we don't see till the end),one brother has the mind of a 5 year old. They have mommy issues that are reminiscent of Norman Bates but 1000's of light years away from the Hitchcock horror classic .They use dog leash collar chains when they take the girls out to play.Never do they chain any girls up.The monster on the cover is not in the movie and there are also no bars,only a cellar with a bunk bed.The house where most of the movie takes place is a neat nice looking home in the suburbs.The torture is more mental then anything else.More of a twisted drama with 'BAD' acting then sleaze.Don't expect'much'nudity or any gore what so ever if your looking at buying "Girls in Chains"based solely on the cover alone.3 stars for some funny scenes.Good for a laugh."

Let's Play Dead!!!

Christian Green "C.T." | San Francisco, CA | 11/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"More like "Let's Play Doctor"...

"Let's Play Dead" aka "Schoolgirls in Chains" is a great 70's explotation horror film... featured as "Schoolgirls in Chans" in Psychtronic Film Guide as well as many other places. (Yes it's all the same film!)

This was very very hard to come by on VHS!!!
I remember renting it back in the early 90's..
One thing that I did notice was you will see in the DVD menu under special features there is indeed a "photo gallery" containing original VHS box art/poster of the original film titles..

..very similar to "Last House on the Left" , "House on the Edge of the Park", "Hitch-Hike", mixed with "Psycho"

If you like those type of films and 70's style horror explotation... Give this one a chance!!!

Cult collectors --BUY IT!!
"

Girls in chains

Card Recipient | Arkansas | 08/13/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I wanted to see this movie ever since I saw the official trailer for "Schoolgirls in Chaiins" as a feature
on another CodeRed DVD. It's pretty low budget, but some parts are serious. In fact, this film had pretty descent acting,
which is a shock considering the type of movie it is. The video quality sucks though!! It's like an ancient VHS release!
This isn't actually a bad thing, since the grain and the static lines add some atmosphere and nolstalgia, but it appears
to be untouched whatsoever from the vhs transfer. The story itself is reminiscent of Psycho and Halloween, even though it predates Halloween by 5 years. Two insane brothers abduct young beautiful women and chain them up in the cellar, where they are mistreated and
subjected to childish games and sexual tortures. I found the main suspense to start when the final victim's boyfriend begins getting suspicious when he learns she is missing. I was like "Finally! This movie picks up and is going somewhere!". Lol. The film features 3 audio commentaries, one of which has some rap star named "The Rugged Man", whoever that is! It also has interviews, a photo gallery of some of the original artwork featuring various titles the film is known for, and some highly graphic and sexual trailers also available from Exploitation Digital, who works with CodeRed to produce these cheesy obsure titles. The movies advertised seem horrible and highly sexual. They are definately from the past where even trailers could show full frontal nudity in al its fullness and bareness! The main film is fullscreen; however, there is an option under special featuers to watch the movie in a matted widescreen format. Apparently, this version makes the movie look uneven and even worse off than before, so we are still left with the original fullscreen option.
In conclusing, Girls in Chains is a descent cheesy exploitatiion movie from the early 70's, featuring some good acting, and even some humourous parts. There is nudity, but not as graphic as what are shown in the other trailers, and not as what is suggested by the DVD cover. The visual aspect rivals that of old dusty VHS films, but that just adds to the cheesiness and atmosphere of the movie.
Recommended for fans of low budget, sleasy, cheesy, obsucre, and rare old films."

Fine drama with Arline Judge

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 03/09/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Long considered one of Edgar G. Ulmer's "lost" movies, GIRLS IN CHAINS (1943, Producers Releasing Corporation), stars pre-code and 1930s favourite Arline Judge ("Sensation Hunters", "The Lady is Willing") as Helen Martin, the sister-in-law of notorious gangster Johnny Moon (Addison Randall). She's tried to devote herself to helping those less fortunate, but 'family connections' have often tarnished the pristine reputation she's worked hard for. When Helen is appointed as the new liaison officer at a girls' reformatory--another of Johnny's "establishments"--she decides to take action, joining forces with undercover cop Frank Donovan (Roger Clark), in the hopes that Johnny's crooked empire will crumble.

Arline Judge (with a head of hair that looks strangely like a bread loaf!) offers a keenly-understated performance; one of her last major starring roles as it turned out. Toning down her usual screwball antics in favour of heartfelt drama, she's superb here. Judge is surrounded by a bright cast including Barbara Pepper, Robin Raymond, Dorothy Burgess, Emmett Lynn and Patricia Knox.

For a movie that has been classed as "lost" for the better part of four decades, Alpha has done a pretty good job at bringing GIRLS IN CHAINS to DVD. The picture is quite soft and the soundtrack often falls out of synch, however those shortcomings can be overlooked given the circumstances. Definitely one to check out."