The Adventures of Paula Peril, The Comic Book Babe in Peril

I figured it out.  The dame in this film is a cross between Ada Wong and Jill Valentine from the "Resident Evil" franchise. Clad in red and black, with some shiny boots (heels), big...er, smile...leather belt, tight turtleneck...exquisite. Yep, Valerie Perez in the title role has the look.  Sultry and full of fire and desire.  Taken from the comic book, Paula Perillo, aka Paula Peril, will indeed be in much peril.  Strung up, tied to a chair, gagged, chloroformed, hung from a beam, manhandled by brute thugs, chloroformed again, strung up again...our sultry protagonist will indeed be in peril from dangerous brutes and other sultry dames. Let us take a look at 2014's "The Adventures of Paula Peril," directed by Jason Winn, Benjamin Barak, and Savvy Lorestani. 

As our pulp exploitation tale begins, the sultry Paula Peril, an investigative reporter, is battling several thugs.  She will be knocked out, strung up, gagged, and at their mercy. She will be wearing black heeled boots, black stockings, a tight black miniskirt, a tight red top, and have her great big...smile, on display. This is the life of Paula Peril in her efforts to clean up the city as the beat reporter for the Gazette. Then she will be all decked out in a tight red evening gown showing amazing cleavage.  The formal cocktail party is also attended by her paper's society page reporter, Veronica (Marla Malcom), in her shiny blue, revealing evening gown. Veronica will be wooed by a handsome cult leader, chloroformed, tied to an altar and prepped for sacrifice. Paula to the rescue, in her evening gown.  She too will be overpowered, and look good at it.

Yep, Paula and Veronica have a love/hate relationship. The two babes are rivals but ultimately are fighting the same foes. Again, Paula will be snared, this time by evil lady crime boss Irene (Stacey Turner).  Lucky for the tied up and gagged Paula, and may I say she looks so good in her tight outfit all tied up and in peril, her cub reporter Jimmy (Stephen Hanthorn) is there to save the day.  Being chloroformed, knocked on the noggin, gagged, tied up, and even tied to railroad tracks, always clad in her tight red and black outfit and boots, is a staple of this film. Take my word for it, the comic book plot works, though we won't go into it too much here. 

If you like sultry dames, clad in tight get-ups and boots, in peril...gagged, chloroformed, tied up, hanging from a beam, with bombs or henchmen nearby, this is the film for you.  Yep, a hybrid of Jill Valentine and Ada Wong works very well.  For an alluring and fun movie night, and for comic book fans, see "The Adventures of Paula Peril."

Red Sonja, Introducing Brigitte Nielsen

Yep, her first film.  The Euro-babe will be clad in a skimpy and shiny gladiator outfit the entire film, and also be wielding a big sword.  I have bad news for the unhappy college girl culture.  If you want to make it in the world, attach yourself to a good man.  You cannot do it without him.  Empowered and independent?  Don't make me laugh.  Save us all the trouble and juts find a man.  In 1985's "Red Sonja," Sonja does just that.  She gets into a jam, starts losing, and Arnold Schwarzenegger comes along and saves her impressive a**.  Today we will take a look at this Richard Fleischer film.

Sonja (Nielsen) is left battered, bloodied, and gang raped after Queen Gedren's (Sandahl Bergman) men murder her family.  Some ghost tells Sonja to man-up and go after Gedren. Okay, Gedren is busy.  She raids the fortress of some sultry priestesses and her men massacre the babes and steal a talisman that could destroy the world.  Now Gedren has the deadly talisman and plans to harness its power so she can rule the world. One babe-priestess escapes, Varna (Janet Agren).  As she dies Varna implores Sonja to find and destroy the Talisman before Gedren harnesses its power. Kalidor (Schwarzenegger) made this all possible by saving Varna's life and then fetching Sonja who was off learning to swordfight from the Grand Master. We've all been there.  The world is about to be destroyed and Sonja is off on her own selfish interests. Fortunately, a real man came into the film and refocused this strong, independent, and empowered woman.

Okay, joining Kalidor and Sonja is the little boy Prince Tarn (Ernie Reyes, Jr.) and his helpful valet Falkon (Paul L. Smith). Sonja ditches Kalidor and the other three proceed. They get in a jam when a dragon has them holed up in a cave. Kalidor comes and saves the day. Kalidor expresses interest in having passionate pre-marital sex with Sonja. She tells him she will have no man unless he beats her in a fair fight. A subtle invitation perhaps? Okay, back to the plot. Queen Gedren is waiting for Sonja and wants to kill the warrior herself.  A final battle looms and we wonder how Kalidor will save Sonja's a** in the inevitable catfight with swords.

Will Sonja realize she needs a man in her life if she plans on any kind of success?  Will Kalidor sicken of Sonja's talk of empowerment and independence and move onto Sheena (Tanya Roberts)?  Are babes in skimpy gladiator costumes wielding swords and needing hunks a plot that we need to see more of now that wokeness is dying?  See "Red Sonja" and treat yourself to a man's movie.  

Opposing Force, Stripped, Hosed Down, and Violated

Ah, the 80s.  In the 80s, when you want to look nostalgically back at the 70s you hire Anthony Zerbe and Richard Roundtree for your film. Two great actors, but not the reason why we watch today's film. Lisa Eichhorn!  A real babe!  Many today do not recognize the name. Today's feature is her magnum opus where she will be an Air Force babe, dressed like a stewardess (love those old female military uniforms), stripped, hosed down, humiliated, and yes...violated...ouch! By the enemy?  Nope!  Our feature today is 1986's "Opposing Force," directed by Eric Karson.

Lt. Casey (Eichhorn) arrives in The Philippines, Clark AFB, to begin Escape and Evasion training. Her, and several other Air Force guys will be dropped into a jungle and hunted down, captured, and will go through a realistic simulation of a Vietnamese prison camp. Major Logan (Tom Skerritt) and her team up, but this will do no good.  Soon, everyone is captured and brought in. The camp is run by Colonel Becker (Zerbe) and his main sergeant, Stafford (Roundtree).  Becker's men take glee in beating up and humiliating the students.  This is, of course, what these training schools do. Then Casey catches the eye of Becker and let's just say the evil colonel may go a little off curriculum.  Casey will be made to strip.  She'll be hosed down.  In fairness, so will everyone else.  It will get worse for her.  Becker does bring up a good point when he asks her if she has any idea what the Vietcong would do to her.  We know.

Inadvertently, this film makes a great case for getting women out of combat.  Though this is not the film's intention, we as viewers are all thinking the same thing. We also know what is coming.  The ultimate violation.  Becker will be brutal and torture her as he does the dirty deed.  Logan, who was sort of watching out for Casey is pushed too far when he sees Casey after the brutality.  Now Logan goes bananas and rebels.  He also tries to get his brainwashed men to rebel along with him.  This won't be easy.  Even Casey has been broken down.

Was Becker doing Casey a favor in showing her what would be in store for her if she were ever captured by the enemy?  Could this point been driven home by on-line training followed by a 10 question multiple choice exam?  Will people watch this film and see a message about how the military needs to change, or do they just want to see Lisa Eichhorn naked and wet? This film works as an exploitation film, but not as social commentary.  For brutality, grenades, machineguns, jungle warfare, and torture, see "Opposing Force."