My review was written in January 1989 after a Times Square screening.
Tanya Roberts, erstwhile "Sheena" (Queen of the Jungle), returns to Africa for desultory women-in-stir opus "Purgatory", more embarrassing than her earlier flop.
One of scores of recent pics lensed in South Africa and environs, pic is less fun than a similar S. A. direct-to-video captive women feature, "Captive Rage", but has received theatrical exposure.
Roberts is undeniably sexy as a Peace Corps worker in a fictional African country who's locked up with pal Julie Pop on a trumped-up drugs charge. Despite her mom Clare Marshall's bribes, the gals get 11-year sentences in a rundown prison known as Purgatory.
Twist is that the evil warden Bledsoe (Hal Orlandini playing a sleazeball with posh accent, similar to Paul Freeman in "Raiders of the Lost Ark") has his prettier inmates serve their time as prostitutes. Roberts whines and squeals as she's put through the wringer including discreetly filmed but sleazy scenes of simulated fellatio, while Pop is gang-raped by the black prison guards, leading to her suicide.
Poorly lit pic limps listlessly to a tired escape-from-stir climax, with time out for typical political content. The American Ambassador (played by uncredited John Newland, a helmer familiar from his "One Step Beyond" tv hosting stint) is a heavy more interested in covering up the fracas than helping U. S. citizens. Unlike the film's numerous Filipino-lensed forebears of 15-plus years back which often featured Pam Grier and Juanita Brown, there are no strong black femme roles among the prisoners, giving the film an unfortunate racist undertone.
Roberts tries hard but the acting is miserable. Though the script was co-written by her "Sheena" mentor Paul Aratow, she nonetheless gets stuck with an unflattering roel. Filmmaker Ami Artzi's direction is leaden and he doesn't know how to have fun with an exploitation subject.
Tanya Roberts, erstwhile "Sheena" (Queen of the Jungle), returns to Africa for desultory women-in-stir opus "Purgatory", more embarrassing than her earlier flop.
One of scores of recent pics lensed in South Africa and environs, pic is less fun than a similar S. A. direct-to-video captive women feature, "Captive Rage", but has received theatrical exposure.
Roberts is undeniably sexy as a Peace Corps worker in a fictional African country who's locked up with pal Julie Pop on a trumped-up drugs charge. Despite her mom Clare Marshall's bribes, the gals get 11-year sentences in a rundown prison known as Purgatory.
Twist is that the evil warden Bledsoe (Hal Orlandini playing a sleazeball with posh accent, similar to Paul Freeman in "Raiders of the Lost Ark") has his prettier inmates serve their time as prostitutes. Roberts whines and squeals as she's put through the wringer including discreetly filmed but sleazy scenes of simulated fellatio, while Pop is gang-raped by the black prison guards, leading to her suicide.
Poorly lit pic limps listlessly to a tired escape-from-stir climax, with time out for typical political content. The American Ambassador (played by uncredited John Newland, a helmer familiar from his "One Step Beyond" tv hosting stint) is a heavy more interested in covering up the fracas than helping U. S. citizens. Unlike the film's numerous Filipino-lensed forebears of 15-plus years back which often featured Pam Grier and Juanita Brown, there are no strong black femme roles among the prisoners, giving the film an unfortunate racist undertone.
Roberts tries hard but the acting is miserable. Though the script was co-written by her "Sheena" mentor Paul Aratow, she nonetheless gets stuck with an unflattering roel. Filmmaker Ami Artzi's direction is leaden and he doesn't know how to have fun with an exploitation subject.