Olga's Girls: Special Edition DVD Review

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Title: Olga’s Girls: Special Edition

Region: Zero (NTSC)

Genre: Soft Core Female Exploitation

Stars: Audrey Campbell, Ricky Bell, Dolly Simmons, Ava Denning, Cynthia Grey, and Darlene Bennett

Narrated By: Perry Peters and Audrey Campbell

Writer: Joseph P. Mawra

Director: Joseph P. Mawra

Feature length: 70 minutes

Extras: Audio Commentary With Star Audrey Campbell and Film Journalist Andre Salas

Languages: English Two-Channel Monaural Sound

Subtitles: N/A

Packaging: Keep Case

Chapter Stops: 16

Sound: Two-Channel Monaural Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 1964/DVD Release: 2005

Home Video Distributor: Synapse Films

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

I am not a big fan of the soft-core female exploitation genre though I think that many contemporary filmmakers have been inspired as much from these cult films as they have the French New Wave or German Expressionism for example. “Olga’s Girls” is the second in a series of low budget feature films about a ruthless and sadistic Madam who keeps young female slaves doped up for prostitution and narcotics trafficking. While the protagonist is completely amoral and subject matter is disturbing, I have to admit there was a certain quality to the film that I actually liked. The film was shot on 16mm black and white stock with little to no synchronized sound. What separates the film from others is the use of classical music to intensify the action and the voice over by Perry Peters, which gives the movie this somewhat surreal quality and it makes it seem as if one is watching some demented film meant to be shown to teenagers in the early 1960s to educate them against the dangers of drugs and prostitution. As a result there are times where I found myself eerily compelled by the movie because despite whatever faults exist, I could not help but think to myself, was Oliver Stone at all compelled to mix images of sadism with classical music in his feature film “Natural Born Killers” or was Stanley Kubrick at all inspired by the same dichotomy of action and music for his big screen adaptation of “A Clockwork Orange”?

I thought the casting was great in part because the women did not look like one would imagine them to be. These are not hard bodied porn stars but people who aside from the time when the film was made, might look like a person you could see returning home from a 9 to 5 shift on the subway. The actor they got to play the pimp was definitely inspired casting in my opinion. It reminded me of one of those characters one might see in a David Lynch film where the actor chosen is often someone I’ve never seen before and therefore appears to be an unlikely villain or dark character that turns out to be one of the most memorable elements from the film, such as the Cowboy in “Mulholland Dive.” In fact I wonder if Lynch ever saw this film since it is becoming increasingly obvious that if you look at enough films or television, you’ll find lots of clues to what may have inspired contemporary filmmakers that you will not see in your college film school class. Please note that none of the filmmakers I have mentioned above have ever stated to my knowledge that “Olga’s Girls” inspired them and my statement is conjecture only and not based on fact.

True to form, Synapse Films hit another home run with an astonishingly clear black and (1.33:1) digitally remastered presentation that is completely uncut and depending on how you view the film is windowboxed to preserve manner in which the film was exhibited theatrically over the years. A two-channel English Monaural Soundtrack is included along with a feature length audio commentary track by Star Audrey Campbell and Film Journalist Andre Salas, who also provides some interesting liner notes within the insert inside the keep case packaging. The theatrical trailer (2:43) is also included and the interactive menus feature animated scene transitions and are easy to navigate.

“Olga’s Girls: Special Edition” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 at retailers on and offline courtesy of Synapse Films.

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