Plot: What’s it about?
Although explorers usually search for relics and other historical pieces, they often dream of walking into a lost civilization, as impossible as that sounds. But on a trek to hunt down clues as to the location of the Golden Cities of El Dorado, the explorers find themselves smack in the middle of a long lost tribe of people. It seems as though these brutal folks would kill anyone who finds them, but for some reason, they remain under control around one of the explorers. This hidden realm is no normal vision of lost civilization though, as all the inhabitants are gorgeous women, dressed in cute little loincloths. But these chickies have a bite also, as their spears and staffs more than illustrate. These ladies have something to protect it would seem and with someone mean hot on the trail, perhaps this explorer is their only chance to keep what is theirs.
I usually like these low budget adventure flicks with tons of hot chicks, so I went into Gold of the Amazon Women with some level of expectations. In the end, this is a very bad film in the traditional sense, but I though it was also a lot of fun. The focus of this release’s package seems to be the ladies, but since this was a television production, don’t expect much skin here. The chicks do wear some revealing little numbers, but they never become too exposed, which I can see as a disappointment to some viewers. I don’t think it hinders the movie much, as the girls still look good and kick ass, which is what counts in this one. Although Donald Pleasance gives an admirable effort, the rest of the cast here lacks in most aspects, but since this one is for fun, not a lot is lost there. So if you want to see some sexy jungle babes in action and don’t mind some camp, then I recommend this release for your viewing pleasure.
I think he is a very good actor, so I find it interesting that Donald Pleasance is in this movie, since it seems a little, well, below him. I like these movies of course, but it is strange to see Pleasance here, though I am pleased he took the role. This material doesn’t allow him to spread his wings much, but he gets some good lines and some funny antics, which he makes good use of. I always like to see actors in unusual roles and for Pleasance, this was just that and I loved every minute of it. His skills might not be at their peak here, but I think fans of his work will want to check this out, just to see him in an odd role. Other films with Pleasance include Halloween, You Only Live Twice, Django Strikes Again, Phenomena, and Escape From New York. The cast also includes Richard Romanus (Point Of No Return, The Couch Trip), Anita Ekberg (The Red Dwarf, Behind Closed Doors), Bo Svenson (Deep Space, The Delta Force), and Bob Minor (Unlawful Entry, Assassins).
Video: How does it look?
Gold of the Amazon Women is presented in a full frame transfer, which is the same form it was shown on television in. This is an average transfer, but if you’ve seen this on television, then you’ll know what to expect. Some scenes look better than others and some look bad, but most look solid, which is good news. A few have a lot of debris and grain present, but most seem clean enough and look presentable. This is not a film-like transfer, but given the nature of this picture, I think this looks decent enough. The colors are on the faded side, but look stable enough and contrast is solid, which allows for a nice level of detail as well. This isn’t the sharpest transfer I’ve seen, but it looks good enough, given the circumstances.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono track is even handed, but often suffers due to the format’s limitations. This one has a lot of gunshots, car engines, and high energy sequences, all of which could use a boost in the speakers. But this mono track handles the basics, so no real complaints can be made here. It should sound better, but as far as mono goes, this track is a good one. The music and sound effects come off much as they would on television, which is appropriate in the end, I suppose. The vocals are clean and consistent also, no volume issues to discuss in the least. It won’t shake the windows, but it more than handles this material.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials, which just plain sucks.
