TheGnostic85 One would think that putting Linda Blair (from "Chained Heat") and Sylvia Kristol (from "Emmanuelle") together in a women-in-prison flick would equal a great movie, or at least an entertaining heap of rubbish. Alas, no such luck. Blair plays the wrongfully-accused innocent well enough, and Kristol puts in a convincing performance as the prison's top bully, but both performances lack the necessary nuances - the good girl has to have an inner reserve of strength to help her survive the harsh prison, while the bully must occasionally show a seductive side. Absent those elements, what you get is an hour or so in which Kristol snarls and glowers and Blair whines. Even the obligatory cat-fight is botched, thanks to extremely poor lighting and ridiculously incompetent editing - apparently, someone believed that the spectacle of Blair and Kristol beating the crap out of each other was the LAST thing that anyone wanted to see.Of course, "Red Heat" has a bigger problem than the under-exploitation of its two main attractions: it's dreary as hell. There's the obligatory shower scenes and the lesbianism, but far more attention is paid to the less exciting indignities of life in an East German prison. True, it's more realistic, but does anyone really go to a women-in-prison movie to see realism?

Scott LeBrun Decent entry into the Women In Prison genre finds Linda Blair, two years after "Chained Heat", back in the slammer in this politically loaded yarn. She plays Christine Carlson, an innocent college student visiting her fiancée, Mike (William Ostrander), an Army lieutenant stationed in Germany. After a fight with Mike, Christine finds herself in one of those "wrong place at the wrong time" scenarios by witnessing the abduction of Hedda (Sue Kiel), a spy who was trying to defect. The evil authorities force Christine to confess to espionage activities, and both she and Hedda are thrown in an East German prison. This particular place is ruled by alluring Sylvia "Emmanuelle" Kristel as Sofia, a top con who relishes her position in the pecking order - and relishes enforcing it. "Red Heat" is all just somber enough, trashy enough, and entertaining enough to make it an acceptable diversion. The requirements of the genre are satisfactorily met, with the standard display of delectable female nudity, lesbian couplings, harsh violence, and mean, sadistic villains that fans come to expect. Linda is appealing as always, and compelling to watch as we see her prison stay start changing her - not exactly for the better, of course. One can hardly blame her whenever she does snap. The sub plot of Mike doing everything he possibly can do - his career be damned - helps keep the movie moving along nicely, and the story leads right up to a respectably rousing climactic prison break. Beefy actor Ostrander, whom you may recognize as having played bully Buddy Repperton in the film version of "Christine", is good, as is Kiel, although Kristel remains the most fun to watch as she clearly enjoys playing the part of the bad girl. With the action enhanced by typically fine and atmospheric music by Tangerine Dream, and capable direction by Robert Collector, this movie is definitely good of its kind, with a palpably serious mood and a lack of camp. Overall, solidly done and worth a look. Seven out of 10.

Woodyanders Perky American tourist Christine Carlson (a winningly vibrant and charming performance by Linda Blair) gets arrested on false charges of espionage while vacationing in East Germany. Christine winds up incarcerated at a brutal women's penitentiary, where she runs afoul of vicious top con Sofia (ably played to the nasty hilt by Sylvia Kristel). Meanwhile, Christine's dedicated soldier fiancé Mike (a solid and likable portrayal by William Ostrander) does whatever he can to spring her from the joint. Director Robert Collector, who also co-wrote the tight and engrossing script with Gary Drucker, covers all the satisfyingly seamy babes-behind-bars bases: a handy helping of tasty female nudity, a group shower scene (yep, Linda does indeed show us her yummy stuff in said scene), lesbianism, rape, degradation, fierce catfights, and an exciting last reel breakout. This film further benefits from sound acting by a capable cast: Sue Kiel as fiery and dedicated political activist Hedda, Elisabeth Volkmann as stern warden Einbeck, Herb Andress as sadistic head guard Werner, Barbara Spitz as friendly and helpful English inmate Meg, and Kati Marothy as the meek and browbeaten Barbara. Moreover, the oppressive fascist regime setting is inspired and the potently brooding mood of pervasive gloom, despair, and utter hopelessness inside the prison works extremely well. Wolfgang Dickman's slick cinematography gives the picture an impressively stark and stylish look. The first-rate urgently propulsive score by Tangerine Dream does the stirring pulsating trick. Recommended viewing for fans of 80's exploitation sleaze.

eric-144 Linda Blair gets mistaken for someone else and she and another woman are thrown into a brutal german prison where she has no rights now. Sylvia Kristel plays the leader of the in for life inmates and she torments others until Blair cannot stand it and fights her. Blair doesn't know that her fiancee and his friends are planning to break her out but they better do it quick before angry Kristel gets to her first. Pretty good with a good score by Tangerine Dream.