''Machete Maidens Unleashed!'' is a 2010 Australian

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

directed by

Mark Hartley Mark Hartley is an Australian film maker. He is best known for the documentary '' Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' (2008) and the remake of '' Patrick'' (2013). He also wrote and directed the documentary film '' Elec ...

Synopsis

The documentary explores

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...

s made in the Philippines in the 1970s and 1980s with interviews for the documentary include

Allan Arkush Allan Arkush (born April 30, 1948) is an American director and producer of films, television and videos. He is a collaborator of Joe Dante. Early life Arkush grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He graduated in 1966 from Fort Lee High School. Hi ...

, Judy Brown,

Colleen Camp Colleen Celeste Camp (born June 7, 1953) is an American character actress and producer. After appearing in several bit parts, she had a lead role in the comedy ''The Swinging Cheerleaders'' (1974), followed by roles in two installments of the '' ...

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably '' Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies with ...

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...

Jack Hill Jack Hill (born January 28, 1933) is an American film director in the exploitation film genre. Several of Hill's later films have been characterized as feminist works. Early life Hill was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Mildred (n� ...

John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as '' The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), '' National Lampoon's Animal House'' (19 ...

Danny Peary Dannis Peary (born August 8, 1949) is an American film critic and sports writer. He has written and edited many books on cinema and sports-related topics. Peary is most famous for his book ''Cult Movies'' (1980), which spawned two sequels, ''Cu ...

Eddie Romero Edgar Sinco Romero, (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter. Early life Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philipp ...

Cirio H. Santiago Cirio Hermoso Santiago (January 18, 1936 – September 26, 2008) was a prolific Filipino film producer, director and writer. He used the screen names Cirio Santiago, Cirio H. Santiago and Leonard Hermes. Life and career Santiago was born on Janua ...

, and

Brian Trenchard-Smith Brian Medwin Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English-Australian filmmaker and author, known for his idiosyncratic and satirical low-budget genre films. His filmography covers action, science fiction, martial arts, dystopian fiction, comedy, ...

Interviewees

The actors, directors, screenwriters and producers interviewed for the film were: *

Carmen Argenziano Carmen Antimo Argenziano (October 27, 1943February 10, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 73 movies and around 100 television movies or episodes. He was best known for playing Jacob Carter on ''Stargate SG-1''. He had recurring role ...

* Alan Birkinshaw *Judith Brown *

Andrea Cagan Andrea Cagan is an American writer, biographer and ghostwriter. She has edited and collaborated on more than fifteen books, including biographies of Diana Ross, Grace Slick, Joan Lunden and Prem Rawat. She has brought a dozen books to the bests ...

* Steve Carver * Leigh Christian * Marlene Clark *

* Jon Davison *

Marissa Delgado Maria Epifania Garcia Boyle, better known by her stage name Marissa Delgado, is a Filipino actress of American descent. She has appeared in nearly 90 films from 1965 up to present. She is the mother of former character actor Kevin Delgado and ...

* Nick Deocampo *

R. Lee Ermey Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and U.S. Marine drill instructor. He achieved fame for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film '' Full Metal Jacket'', which earned him a Golden Glob ...

Leo Fong Leo Fong (; 23 November 1928 – 18 February 2022) was a Chinese-American martial artist, actor, boxer, and Methodist minister who had been making films, acting, and directing since the early 1970s. Fong was still acting in action films right u ...

Eddie Garcia Eduardo Verchez Garcia (; May 2, 1929 – June 20, 2019), known colloquially as Manoy, was a Filipino actor, television personality, film director and producer. With almost 600 film and television roles and a career spanning seven decades, he ...

*Franco Guerrero *

Sid Haig Sidney Eddie Mosesian (July 14, 1939 – September 21, 2019), known professionally as Sid Haig, was an American actor, film producer, and musician. He was known for his roles in several of Jack Hill's blaxploitation films from the 1970s, as well ...

Gloria Hendry Gloria Hendry (born March 3, 1949) is an American actress and former model. Hendry is best known for her roles in films from the 1970s, most notably: portraying Rosie Carver in 1973's James Bond film '' Live and Let Die''; and Helen Bradley in ...

* Darby Hinton *Mark Holcomb * Lenore Kasdorf *

Rosanne Katon Rosanne Katon (born February 5, 1954) is an American model, actress, comedian and activist. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli. Background Katon ...

Jayne Kennedy Jayne Kennedy Overton (née Harrison; born October 27, 1951) is an American television personality, actress, model, corporate spokeswoman, producer, writer, public speaker, philanthropist, and sports broadcaster. Personal life Jayne Kennedy g ...

Leon Isaac Kennedy Leon Isaac Kennedy (born June 1, 1948 or January 1, 1949) (sources differ) is an American actor, disc jockey, film producer and playwright. Kennedy's acting roles include Martel "Too Sweet" Gordone in Jamaa Fanaka's ''Penitentiary'' (1979), '' Pe ...

Paul Koslo Paul Koslo (born Manfred Koslowski; June 27, 1944 – January 9, 2019) was a German-born Canadian actor. Career Koslo started his career in such 1970s films as ''Nam's Angels'' a.k.a. ''The Losers'', ''Vanishing Point'' and '' The Stone Kil ...

Marrie Lee use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = ...

Margaret Markov Margaret Mary Markov (born November 22, 1948) is an American retired actress. She had a supporting role in the romantic drama '' The Sterile Cuckoo'' (1969) with Liza Minnelli and co-starred in '' There Is No 13'' (1974), as well as appearing in ...

* Jan Merlin *

Dick Miller Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Cor ...

Christopher Mitchum Christopher Mitchum (born October 16, 1943) is an American film actor, screenwriter, and businessman. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and Dorothy Mitchum. He is the younger brother of actor Jame ...

*Eddie Nicart *

Trina Parks Trina Parks (born Trina Frazier; December 26, 1946) is an American actress, vocalist, choreographer, principal dancer and dance instructor. Parks is best known for portraying Thumper in the 1971 James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Movies ...

* Efren C. Piñon *Barbara Pokras *Corliss Randall *Susanne Reed *Ricardo Remias *

Fred Roos Frederick Ried Roos (born May 22, 1934) is an American film producer. Biography Fred Roos was born on May 22, 1934, in Santa Monica, California, the son of Florence Mary (née Stout) and Victor Otto Roos. He attended Hollywood High School and sub ...

*Laurie Rose *Digna Santiago *Jane Schaffer *Samuel M. Sherman * Dean Tavoularis *Pete Tombs *

Joe Viola Joe Viola is a writer, producer and director of films and TV, best known for his work in television and exploitation films. He started in the industry as a director of TV commercials produced by his friend Jonathan Demme Robert Jonathan Dem ...

* Patrick Wayne * Celeste Yarnall *Joseph Zucchero

Films referenced

This is a list of the films that are commented on or analyzed in the voiceover or by the interviewees. The list is in chronological order. The main films referenced in the documentary are: *''

Terror Is a Man ''Terror Is a Man'' (also known as ''Blood Creature'', ''Creature from Blood Island'', ''The Gory Creatures'', ''Island of Terror'' and ''Gore Creature'') is a 1959Warren, Bill (1986). ''Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2''. McFarland & Co., Inc. ...

'' (1959) *''

Brides of Blood ''Brides of Blood'' (a.k.a. ''Brides of the Beast'', ''Danger on Tiki Island'' and ''Grave Desires'') is a 1968O'Neill, James (1994). ''Terror on Tape''. Billboard Books. . Page 54Weldon, Michael (1983). ''The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film''. B ...

'' (1968) *''

The Mad Doctor of Blood Island ''The Mad Doctor of Blood Island'' is a 1969 Filipino horror film, co-directed by Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon, and starring John Ashley, Angelique Pettyjohn, Eddie Garcia and Ronald Remy. It was the third in a series of four Filipino horror ...

'' (1969) *'' Beast of Blood'' (1970) *'' The Losers'' (1970) *'' Beast of the Yellow Night'' (1971) *'' The Big Doll House'' (1971) *''

Women in Cages ''Women in Cages'' is a 1971 women in prison sexploitation film directed by Gerardo de León and starring Jennifer Gan, Judy Brown, Roberta Collins, and Pam Grier. Co-produced by Roger Corman, it was prominently featured in the '' Planet Te ...

'' (1971) *'' Night of the Cobra Woman'' (1972) *'' The Twilight People'' (1972) *''

The Hot Box ''The Hot Box'' is a 1972 women in prison film from Joe Viola and Jonathan Demme, who had previously made ''Angels Hard as They Come'' (1971) for New World Pictures. It was shot in the Philippines and was originally known as ''The Prescription Rev ...

'' (1972) *''

The Big Bird Cage ''The Big Bird Cage'' is a 1972 American exploitation film of the " women in prison" subgenre. It serves as a non-sequel follow-up to the 1971 film '' The Big Doll House''. The film was written and directed by Jack Hill, and stars Pam Grier, Sid ...

'' (1972) *'' The Woman Hunt'' (1972) *'' Beyond Atlantis'' (1973) *''

Black Mama White Mama ''Black Mama White Mama'' (also known as ''Women in Chains'') is a 1973 women in prison film directed by Eddie Romero and starring Pam Grier and Margaret Markov. The film has elements of blaxploitation. The movie also was released as ''Hot, Hard ...

'' (1973) *''

Fly Me ''Fly Me'' is a 1973 United States-Filipino sexploitation film about the adventures of three flight attendants. Plot Three young flight attendants fly from Los Angeles, California to Hong Kong. Toby's mother has followed her on the plane and Toby ...

'' (1973) *'' Savage!'' (1973) *''

TNT Jackson ''TNT Jackson'', released in the Philippines as ''Dynamite Wong and T.N.T. Jackson'', is a 1974 American blaxploitation film produced and directed by Cirio H. Santiago. The script was originally written by actor Dick Miller, but Roger Corman had ...

'' (1974) *''

Savage Sisters ''Savage Sisters'' is a 1974 women in prison film made in the Philippines and directed by Eddie Romero. It was the last and most expensive of several movies actor/producer John Ashley filmed in that country. Plot In a revolution-torn country, ...

'' (1974) *'' Cover Girl Models'' (1975) *'' Ebony, Ivory & Jade'' (1976) *''

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywo ...

'' (1976) *''

The Muthers ''The Muthers'' is a 1976 women in prison film. It starred Jeannie Bell, Rosanne Katon, Trina Parks, Jayne Kennedy, Tony Carreon and John Montgomery. Quentin Tarantino later wrote, "So why is this cruddy little flick one of my favorite movies? ...

'' (1976) *'' They Call Her Cleopatra Wong'' (1978) *''

Vampire Hookers ''Vampire Hookers'' is a 1978 sexploitation horror film directed by Cirio H. Santiago and written by Howard R. Cohen. An international co-production of the Philippines and the United States, the film stars John Carradine as a vampire named Ric ...

'' (1978) *''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph C ...

'' (1979) *''Dynamite Johnson'' (1979) *''

Up from the Depths ''Up From the Depths'' is a 1979 horror film directed by Charles B. Griffith and starring Sam Bottoms, Susanne Reed, Virgil Frye, Kedric Wolfe, and Charles Howerton. The film, along with many other natural horror films at the time of its rele ...

'' (1979) *''Firecracker'' (1981) *''

For Y'ur Height Only ''For Your Height Only'' (also known as ''For Y'ur Height Only'') is a 1981 Filipino comedy spy action film starring Weng Weng. Its title is a play on words on '' For Your Eyes Only'', the title of the James Bond film released that same year. A s ...

'' (1981) *''The One-Armed Executioner'' (1981) *'' The Impossible Kid'' (1982) *''Invaders of the Lost Gold'' (1982) *'' The Siege of Firebase Gloria'' (1989)

Reception

The film was met with critical acclaim as it has an 88% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

References

External links