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ILSA SHE WOLF OF THE SS (1974)
Director: Don Edmonds
Anchor Bay Entertainment

ILSA HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHIEKS (1975)
Director: Don Edmonds
Anchor Bay Entertainment

ILSA THE WICKED WARDEN (1977)
Director: Jess Franco
Anchor Bay Entertainment

In the late 1960s, Dave Friedman produced a sexploitation potboiler known as LOVE CAMP 7. That film was such a hit in Canada that the Canadian distributors demanded a similar work of depravity. So ILSA SHE WOLF OF THE SS was born, recruiting former actor Don Edmonds as director and the incredible Dyanne Thorne as the treacherous lead.

Filmed in just 9 days in 1973, ILSA SHE WOLF OF THE SS takes place in a Nazi death camp during World War II where bizarre experiments are being performed on women. Ilsa is unflinchingly involved in abominable atrocities, while attempting to satisfy her sexual cravings at night. If a man can't satisfy her, he is castrated, yet one American prisoner (Greg Knoph) is able to oblige ("When I reached puberty, I discovered something about myself that set me apart from all the rest of the guys").

The acting is surprisingly good, highlighted by the talents of the deliciously endowed Thorne, who comes off authentically nasty with her convincing accent. Most of the other actors used pseudonyms, but those of you perverts who follow sexploitation films will easily recognize mammary maidens Uschi Digard and Sharon Kelly, as well as future John Carpenter regular George "Buck" Flower (they all appear in HAREM KEEPER as well). Joe Blasco's inventive makeup looks very realistic. With his early use of prosthetics, the various scars, burns, open wounds, bloody whippings, and deformities are absolutely not for the squeamish!

Edmonds' film is tight and looks much more lavish than its reportedly very modest budget. Using exteriors from the old "Hogan's Heroes" TV series, the film almost looks like it could have been produced by a major studio, and there's even some well-staged explosions and a climatic shootout worthy of Sam Peckinpah. After this film, there was an onslaught of Italian Nazi "death camp" films produced, some more outrageous than their prototype.

SHE WOLF was an enormous smash thanks to a prosperous run at a 42nd Street grindhouse theater. Even though the Ilsa character is killed, a sequel was called for in the form of ILSA HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHIEKS. This time, the character is ingeniously brought back in a different time and place as the harem keeper for a depraved Sheik. The plot deals with a slavery ring that kidnaps young girls to be sold to rich oil mavericks in the Middle East. Since she had two blond, Arian assistants in the first film, this time Ilsa has two athletic black girls (Tanya Boyd and Al Adamson favorite Marilyn Joy) who use martial arts to slay their opponents. Russ Meyer regular Haji plays a spy who after being caught receives much graphic abuse.

HAREM KEEPER is more toned down than its predecessor, yet it's still perverse and gory, and it's a bit more campier. Although the film looks like it could've been made in a foreign country, it was actually produced inexpensively in Hollywood utilizing any foundation or setting that was appropriate, and interiors that were literally constructed from cardboard. Again, Thorne shines and Edmonds' direction is slicker than any low budget film deserves.

Next stop for Thorne's evil personification was Europe to star in Jess Franco's ILSA THE WICKED WARDEN. Though the film was not originally intended to be an official Ilsa entry (there are several alternative titles that suggest "Greta" or "Wanda" as the character's name), the film is now identified as so. This time the character is the warden of an all girls' prison, reserved for the so-called deranged. When a young journalist discovers that her sister is missing, she goes undercover and is committed to the prison, only to discover the vast barbarity within its confines.

Since WICKED WARDEN is directed by the prolifically hasty Franco, much of the film is sluggish in comparison with the other two, with endless shots of nude women taking showers or lying about naked in their quarters. This is still one of Franco's better 70s efforts, and Thorne (now replacing her golden locks with longer, curlier red ones) is in fine form, whipping prisoners into shape and employing little Lina Romay as her plaything informant. Although it does not relish in the graphic intensity attributed to Blasco's work in the earlier films, WICKED WARDEN is still inventively sleazy, capped off by an unsettlingly bizarre orgy sequence. You'll definitely want to take a shower after watching this one.

Anchor Bay has now presented the Ilsa films as definitive special edition DVDs. All three films are equal in quality, and they all look fantastic. Obviously using the original negative source for the transfers, the presentations are in flawless condition. The colors are vibrant, with a great level of detail, and the mono sound is excellent, with dialog and sound effects clearer and crisper than ever. All are appropriately letterboxed at 1.66:1 and 16x9 enhanced.

All three have a full running commentary; SHE WOLF has Dyanne Thorne, Don Edmonds, and legendary producer Dave Friedman (using the nom de plume, Herman Traeger, due to a dispute with the film's financiers); HAREM KEEPER has Thorne, Edmonds and Howard Maurer, who has a small role and later married Thorne; and WICKED WARDEN has Thorne and Maurer (again featured in a small role). Each is moderated by a cockney sounding "humorist," Martin Lewis, who does a decent job but constantly refers to "South Park," as well as his last minute research on "The International Movie Database" (he never even heard of Franco before!). The commentaries all contain wonderful humor-filled, affectionate reminisces from the films' participants, and there are some fascinating anecdotes about low budget filmmaking at its best. HAREM KEEPER's remarks even commence with an open plea to Quentin Tarentino to produce a new Ilsa movie!

Other extras include well written talent bios, and the original theatrical trailers. A final Ilsa film, ILSA, THE TIGRESS OF SIBERIA was produced in Canada in 1977, but has not yet been announced by Anchor Bay or any other DVD company for that matter. If you like drive-in/grindhouse movies at their most extremely outrageous, do yourself a favor and pick up these DVDs for an Ilsa marathon. You won't regret it and you certainly won't forget it! (George R. Reis)

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