Illustration: Chris Forsey

Escape
 

Eddie Romero | USA, Philippines | 1972

A lesser known but still typical slice of New World 70s sleaze, set in a sweaty, steamy jungle and brimming with outrageous dialogue, feisty females and gratuitous bare breasts. Filipino director Eddie Romero never failed to deliver classic Grindhouse fare, and with the added impetus of Jack Hill as co-writer, this Most Dangerous Game variant is no exception. 

The rich, sophisticated and ruthless Spyros (Eddie Garcia; Savage Sisters) is rounding up and abducting women to act as escort girls for a group of super rich guests. His black clad lesbian lackey Magda (Lisa Todd) buys one girl, whilst the greasy Silus (Sid Haig) and fellow thugs Tony (John Ashley) and Karp (Ken Metcalfe) round up another four: Billie (Charlene Jones), Lori (Laurie Rose), Rita (Liza Belmonte) and McGee (Pat Woodell).

After a failed attempt to escape, the four girls arrive at Spryos’ mansion and are each given their own room and glamorous new clothes. The rugged Tony has second thoughts about the whole abduction operation and is held under house arrest by order of Spyros.

Later, four rich men of differing nationalities arrive by helicopter, and the girls are forced to join Spyros and his guests for dinner and social company. Spyros dismisses the girls and reveals to the four men the hunt he has planned — in which the girls are the prey! One of the men, Manheim, objects and is rewarded with a crossbow arrow through the heart for his insolence.

The hunt starts prematurely when a previously held girl escapes, and taking advantage of the confusion, Tony manages to flee, taking the girls with him. To even thing up somewhat, the group manages to steal some machine guns: the hunt is now on!

 

 

Although a prime candidate for the pre-cert era, the film managed to slip through the cracks, and if it wasn't for Apex — which secured the UK video distribution rights in 1985 — the film would have remained off limits, languishing in obscurity.

Passed without cuts by the BBFC in September 1985 under its original title of The Woman Hunt, the film curiously exists in two versions: one with the on-screen original The Woman Hunt title (plus matching videocassette label), and a second variant with the video generated Escape title, (again with matching cassette label). As of this writing no sleeve with a The Woman Hunt title has materialised…

The eye-catching clammy artwork by British watercolour specialist Chris Forsey, removes the action from the dense jungle of the film to that of an open meadowland!

aka : Woman Hunt, The

cast : John Ashley, Pat Woodell, Sid Haig, Charlene Jones, Lisa Todd, Laurie Rose, Ken Metcalfe, Eddie Garcia, Alona Alegre, Liza Belmonte, Lotis Key, Alfonso Carvajal, Tony Gosalvez, Don Lipman, Ruben Rustia, Paquito Salcedo