Bullet Points: Ten Violent Women

Equality is a great thing, not only in real life but also in movies. This is especially true when it shows both men and women can be violent criminals and do bad things. The female criminal was an underrepresented population of films until the exploitation era of the 60s and 70s paved the way for a heap of bad women. Ten Violent Women is one such film that shows women can be bad and commit stupid crimes just like men. Ten Violent Women also shows I can have some Bullet Points for you.

• The Good Book – Ten Violent Women opens with the words “…in the beginning…” on the screen. If it is good enough for the best selling book of all time it is good enough for me. We then see the words “there were ten good girls.” So this isn’t going to be a retelling of Genesis. Good to know.
• Working in the Gold Mine – We meet a group of women working as gold miners in what can be described as eclectic mining gear. I’m talking high heel boots, hot pants, MLB baseball helmets as hard hats, you know, the usual stuff you would see at a mine. Unfortunately for the women, mining don’t pay shit. Fortunately for us, they decided to make money the classy way. That is armed robbery for those who are curious.

• You Were Meant For Me – Cut to an elaborate jewel heist with class featuring eight of the women (yes I am confused about the numbering also). We later learn the guns used in the robbery were water pistols… not so classy, ladies. The women come away with over a million dollars in jewelry, but that also includes a priceless scarab ring belonging to a Middle East Shah. We also quickly lose some of the women who go their own way, but we do get the shah and his right hand man who keep showing up at random times just to remind you they are still there.
• Something is Rotten in Vegas – The women head to Las Vegas to sell their booty, but the deal for cash ends up being for cocaine instead. Of course, these being particularly violent women, they end up with the jewelry and the coke. It may seem like a good deal, but here are some words to live by, don’t try to sell your ill gotten cocaine to undercover cops. Time to go to prison!

• Behind Bars Night – Only four of the women remain and as soon as they get to prison they are talking about escaping after meeting two more prisoners. I guess the original eight plus the two new women equals ten. Ten Violent Women really bogs down during the prison scenes. We started beboppin’ and scattin’ all over the place but spend the most time in the prison and I’m losing it. I get that women in prison is a big exploitation genre, but we all know prison is bad, guards are sadistic, and women need to take showers. Ok that shower fight was pretty good and that handshake at the end was perfection, but wasn’t there talk of an escape?
• The Escape – Finally, the words “The Escape” show up on screen and I think it might be time for the escape. I actually didn’t need to see the words on screen, because when I saw a prisoner seduce a guard and then give her a judo chop I figured it out on my own. Who do you think is there to pick up the women as they are on the lam? If you guessed the shah you are the big winner. He really wants his garish scarab ring.

Does Ten Violent Women have a happy ending? I suppose it depends, there definitely aren’t ten women left, not that there were even ten women together. The women who survived had to spend time in prison and didn’t end up with any of their jewelry or cocaine, but I am going to say it was a happy ending because the words on the screen told me it was. Ten Violent Women also ends on a boat so there is that. If you are fan of exploitation movies, or equality, you might want to check out Ten Violent Women but don’t expect a masterpiece or even a cult classic. The Ten Violent Women Bullet Points end with some Ten Violent Women Bonus Bullet Points so there is that.

• Leo the Fence – The fence the women go to sell the jewelry was played by the director and cult movie favorite Ted V. Mikels (Angel of Vengeance) which those of you familiar with his work makes complete sense after seeing the movie..
• We Want More – Ten Violent Women has a sequel that came out over 30 years later in Ten Violent Women: Part Two.
• Favorite Kill – High heel to the face and gut.
• Know What I Mean – The sadistic guard Bri Terry was giving me strong Ernest P. Worrell’s Autine Nelda vibes, sans neck brace.
• If You Ever…- Wanted to see someone play cards with one hand and all the cards in one foot while the other hand is used to smoke a cigarette then Ten Violent Women is for you.