Prison Girls Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "Prison Girls," restored by Kino Lorber, offers a fascinating exploration of 3D technology's limitations and possibilities. Encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, the 1080p transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Notably, the film is available in both 2D and 3D formats, with red/cyan Anaglyph glasses provided. However, viewers should be aware that the dual camera 16-mm Optovision 3-D system utilized during filming resulted in technical obstacles, including the non-interlocked camera shutters that led to an inherent out-of-phase image.

The restoration, while admiringly handled, reveals intrinsic flaws from the original materials. Image density levels fluctuate, and surface imperfections are evident, affecting delineation and depth. The 3D presentation particularly highlights these challenges, demonstrating varying degrees of depth and dimension. Although creative parallax effects enhance close-ups and middle shots, distance shots lose significant three-dimensional impression. Compared to modern standards or other classic restorations like "Treasure of the Four Crowns," the 3D quality is less impressive, though still engaging in certain moments such as specific close-range scenes.

Color saturation appears occasionally washed out, with speckling and trapped hairs evident throughout. Despite these setbacks, the restoration team successfully achieved a watchable quality that brings a unique nostalgic charm. The Z-Axis depth effect provides some enjoyable protrusions, where objects extend towards the viewer. Anaglyph 3-D, while inferior to true 3D, provides a surprisingly comfortable viewing experience with decent dimensionality without significant eyestrain. Overall, this Blu-ray release serves as a detailed case study in 3D technology's historical mechanical intricacies, making "Prison Girls" a noteworthy addition for enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The Blu-ray release of "Prison Girls" features an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, complemented by optional English SDH subtitles. This audio presentation is consistent with the production's overall quality, lacking the refinement found in more polished releases. Dialog clarity varies significantly; while generally intelligible, certain scenes display unevenness, probably from inadequate capture during filming. The dynamic range is unremarkable, providing a basic auditory experience that aligns with the expectations for this type of production. Crucially, there are no audio dropouts or distortions, ensuring an uninterrupted listening experience.

Overall, the audio presentation parallels the visual quality, typified by what can only be deemed as amateur production value. Numerous dialog segments fade or are lost, perhaps due to suboptimal microphone placement during recording. In more static scenes, dialog retention is more successful; however, any form of movement exacerbates the audio inconsistency. Sound effects are noticeably underdeveloped, lacking the richness post-production foley work might have provided. The music, often described as canned and intrusive, dominates the soundscape, further evidencing the modest production efforts. Despite this, minimal hiss and crackling introduce a nostalgic element, offering an authentic flavor to the viewing experience typical for a feature of this nature.

The Blu-ray extras for "Prison Girls" offer a modest yet engaging array of content that will appeal to fans of the genre. The highlights include an audio commentary by James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton, whose insights into genre staples and humorous observations provide significant added value, arguably eclipsing the film itself in entertainment. Additionally, the original U.S. trailer and deleted scenes offer a glimpse into the film's earlier iterations, complementing the main feature with interesting perspectives and additional context. While the bonus features might seem limited, they deliver quality content that enhances the viewing experience.

Extras included in this disc:

• Trailer: Original U.S. trailer for "Prison Girls" in 2D and English.
• Commentary: Audio commentary by critics James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton, offering insightful and entertaining perspectives.
• Deleted Content: Additional sex footage not included in the 3D version, presented with music in 2D.

The 1972 film Prison Girls, directed by Tom DeSimone and now available on 3D/2D Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, exemplifies the era's interest in merging eroticism with 3-D technology—a choice that has left both film and its gimmicks rather deflated. Despite the inclusion of several notable erotic actresses like Candy Samples, Uschi Digard, and Maria Arnold, the film surprisingly lacks explicitness and fails to deliver compelling sensual storytelling. Its episodic nature, featuring characters with minimal development interacting in dispersed scenes of predictably mundane sexual encounters, highlights the absence of a well-structured screenplay. The film's ambitious attempt to capitalize on the allure of 3-D falls short, as its visuals are average and do not fulfill the heightened sensory experience promised by the genre.

The plot ostensibly follows a group of women granted a brief furlough from a correctional facility to prepare for parole, but the storyline feels more like an excuse for fragmented episodes filled with predictable nudity and half-hearted melodrama. The narrative thrust ostensibly centers around speculative crimes associated with these women, but this threadbare storyline does little to engage audiences. The film's reliance on its sensationalist 3-D aspect is more of a distraction than an enhancement, providing isolated moments of creative visual attempt but never truly succeeding in saving the film from its repetitive and uninspiring delivery.

Technical aspects of this Blu-ray release do offer some redeeming qualities, such as a notable remastered vintage trailer that nostalgically promises more than the film delivers. The supplemental features, including commentary from James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton, provide additional context but do not elevate the film's intrinsic lackluster qualities. Whether viewed in 3-D or 2-D, Prison Girls remains, at best, a novelty item reflecting the cinematic quirks and limited successes of early 70s sexploitation cinema.

"Prison Girls" presents itself as a peculiar entry into the world of 3D cinema, straddling the line between salacious and campy. With a paper-thin plot providing mere scaffolding for its risqué content, the film is undoubtedly a curiosity suited for specific tastes. Edited with the expertise of the 3-D Film Archive, the release manages to enhance its appeal by offering both digital polarized 3-D and Anaglyph 3-D experiences, compensating for its otherwise deficient filmmaking quality marked by lackluster direction.

The Blu-ray release captures some enjoyable 3D moments that serve to elevate an otherwise mundane cinematic affair. It's evident that the technical restoration team faced significant challenges, yet they succeeded in making the film accessible in today’s modern formats. However, without the added spectacle of 3D, the film loses much of its allure, becoming rather uninspiring. The cinematic value, therefore, heavily hinges on the viewer's appreciation for bawdy and unconventional entertainment within the nostalgia-infused niche of 3D filming.

In conclusion, while "Prison Girls" boasts a few enjoyable elements and a notable cast including Uschi Digard and Candy Samples, the film ultimately falls short of being considered a substantial genre classic. What potential it might have had as a cultural timepiece akin to Radley Metzger’s works remains unrealized. As such, this restored release appears to cater primarily to ardent collectors of vintage 3D cinema or those intrigued by its camp value. For those not fitting within these categories, acquiring this Blu-ray might only be advisable during promotional discounts.