Mix three bad girls, one desert, a ruthless crime lord, 1,473 exotic weapons, $206 million in stolen diamonds and more cleavage than you can shake a stick at, and you'll get Bitch Slap – a rip-roaring, sexy mashup of the audacious sexploitation films of the sixties and seventies. Like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! injected with a lethal cocktail of estrogen, pheromones and steroids, Bitch Slap hits hard with machine-gun battles, corny jokes, knock-'em-out fisticuffs and even a refreshing slow-motion water fight.
When three busty babes arrive at a desert hideaway to steal over $200 million from a ruthless underworld kingpin, things quickly spiral out of control. Hel (Erin Cummings), the caper's mastermind, is a corporate bombshell with a taste for vengeance. Trixie (Julia Voth) is the bait, a gorgeous stripper with a heart of gold and a dress to match, irresistible to men and women alike. Camero (Ameríca Olivo) is the drug-running, man-hating psycho killer who trusts nobody but herself. Allegiances are switched, truths are revealed, criminals are unmasked (and undressed) and nothing is quite what it seems as the fate of the world is precariously balanced among this trio of smouldering, sexy femmes fatales.
Bitch Slap knows never to take itself too seriously. Thanks to its tongue-in-cheek script, the film flips tired sexual stereotypes and clichés. Director Rick Jacobson wrote and produced this latest feature with partner Eric Gruendemann, with whom he first worked on the cult TV sensations Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. The three strong-willed leads are also to be credited for Bitch Slap's wild thrills. They were put through their paces by action director Zoe Bell, Uma Thurman's stunt double for Kill Bill, who starred in Death Proof and can be seen at this year's Festival as a roller-derby hellcat in Drew Barrymore's Whip It.
The cast tossed aside any prim, ladylike mannerisms for a tough rumble in the dirt, and it's clear they're having a grand time whooping it up in this femme-tastic fight fantasy. Bitch Slap is full of clever nods to the down-and-dirty sexploitation classics, but these saucy minxes are no copycats – they're prepared to grab the old genre by the balls, drag it, kick it, crush it and mix it all up.
Colin Geddes
Rick Jacobson graduated from the California Institute of the Arts film program. He has directed over 100 episodes of television including the series
Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and
Baywatch. With fifteen features to his credit, his filmography includes
Strategic Command (97),
A Bold Affair (98),
Black Thunder (98),
Bad Guys (08) and
Bitch Slap (09).