Film Bombast: Switchblade Sisters
Is there anything better than girl gangs? Answer: NO. And on that note, it’s midnight and I just finished watching a wonderful campy (and wildly unrealistic) movie about a badass girl gang from the ’70s.
If you’re in the mood for some mindless violence and offensive AWESOME, Switchblade Sisters is ’70s exploitation at it’s finest. Jack Hill’s 1975 (dare I say it / obviously I’m gonna say it) masterpiece makes me remember why I never mess with a bitches who roll in crews. It also makes me remember why I love awful ’70s funk music.
The story follows a girl gang called the Dagger Debs (later the Jezebels) who terrorize cops, peers, and rival gangs who step on their turf. Lace is the leader, who becomes threatened by the arrival of a new girl in town- Maggie, who happens to be really good with both knives and men. A lot of shit goes down, and in an effort to be “back on top,” Lace rats out Maggie to a rival gang leader to get her killed. Maggie survives, teams up with a legit all-black “political” female gang, and gets her revenge.
Obviously from the above photos, it would be impossible to talk about this movie without mentioning the incredible fashion inspiration I gleaned from these badass ladies. First of all, the character Patch (leader Lace’s right-hand woman) is straight-up HOT with her blonde hair, sinister smile and signature floral eye patch, which she earned when she “lost her eye for the gang.” Maggie’s denim-on-denim jacket and mini skirt is perfection, Donut’s chain belt needs to come back into style, and Lace’s stripped down all-black ensemble featuring a dominatrix hat is exactly what a girl gang leader should be wearing.
Anyway, the whole thing ends with an epic girl-on-girl knife fight, chaos and blood everywhere. Enough said. Watch it. Or at least watch the trailer below.
Ribbon Around A Bomb 