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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Sexploitation Amidst the Jungle, 2 August 2005
4/10
Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC

Strange, depraved vision of Jess Franco's concerning Ilsa, that wicked, blouse-popping sadist of the famous/infamous series starring statuesque/bosomy Dyanne Thorne. This time around a young girl gets into a hospital run for women who suffer from sex-related diseases such as lesbianism and nymphomania. It seems she had a sister admitted a year ago and wants to find out what has happened to her even though she knows no patient has ever left. The film takes place somewhere in South America where a government is fighting rebels. Well, you get what you might expect from a series like this: lots of nude girls, lots of perversion, lots of sadism, lots of sleaze, and generally a sick/guilty feeling having seen it. There are many scenes which are downright disgusting such as one dealing with the use of a plastic bag, another with pins and a human pin cushion, shock therapy, a night with the boys from the local prison, and the grand finale where Greta(Thorne) is out to lunch with the girls. Franco is a decent director in terms of piecing a film together(despite what the subject matter might be). He can draw scenes out for suspense. He can also shock which he does well too. The acting was decent overall. Thorne is way over-the-top, but hey who cares once they see her? She is the personification of voluptuousness wearing her strained military blouse and high boots with red hair this time round. Ilsa, the Wicked Warden is a unique look at what film can do...and perhaps should not do.

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Ilsa, The Wicked Warden (1977) **1/2, 3 April 2005
6/10
Author: MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta

Today, I watched another 2 Jess Franco titles from the Anchor Bay UK 8-Disc Set (which I rented from my local DVD outlet): ILSA, THE WICKED WARDEN (1977) and JACK THE RIPPER*** (1976).

Though I wouldn't say that ILSA is exactly a good film, I was still quite surprised by how it managed to hold my interest throughout. Not that it made particularly inspired use of the various subtexts suggested in the script (the snuff movie angle, for instance, is not dealt with in any depth) – apart from its over-the-top, and undeniably horrific, conclusion – but it was certainly above-average for an Erwin C. Dietrich production with adequate scenery, an evocative if repetitive score and competent performances. The dialogue of the German-language version, however, was pretty hilarious (the various odes to Greta/Ilsa recited by the inmates, the sanitation officials who arrive for a surprise inspection complaining that the rumors of the supposedly corrupt management inside the prison are unfounded – for obvious reasons, they may not have been taken to see the dungeons where the female convicts are tortured, but did they even question themselves why these were forbidden the use of underwear while serving their sentence?!); still, the English dubbing (heard during the interview section of the supplements) makes it sound even worse!

I haven't seen the 'original' Ilsa films but, while Dyanne Thorne seemed to be relatively at ease inhabiting the Jess Franco movieworld, I also feel that her character was pretty one-dimensional and not really the main focus of the film; Lina Romay, on the other hand, has a lot of fun with one of her better roles; even Tania Busselier (in her third and last film for Franco) seems to have matured somewhat and here makes for a creditable heroine (for whom Franco boldly reserves an unexpected tragic fate, though this was perhaps done so as not to involve her in the film's cannibalistic climax).

Unfortunately, this edition was cut by more than 2 minutes by the BBFC: the death-by-asphyxiation of Rosa Philips was evidently trimmed as it now occurs in a split-second; I may be wrong but I reckon that the remainder of the censored footage involved the lobotomy performed on the Tania Busselier character (did they even show this?) as her sudden appearance as a 'vegetable' is most jarring…

Anyway, I look forward now to renting and watching another of Franco's notorious 'Women-In-Prison' films for Dietrich, namely BARBED WIRE DOLLS (1975).

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Where is Dyanne Thorne?, 15 May 2004
Author: Nick Faust (vidfaust1@me.com) from Evansville, Indiana

As far as politically incorrect movies are concerned, this one (and the entire "series", for that matter) must rank as one of the MOST incorrect ever. Not a recommendation for all movie viewers, that's for sure. But for some of us, the blunt outrageousness of ILSA, THE WICKED WARDEN with its calculated S&M games filling in for a plot, and the grand, almost operatic, pleasure that actress Dyanne Thorne unapologetically conveys with each terrible torture bit, makes this a jaw dropping, exploitation adventure. WICKED WARDEN is my favorite of the series for a couple of reasons. First of all, Jess Franco, not one of my favorites and not a great one for telling an understandable story, obviously enjoys stringing together horrible moments of torture and violence. His approach, surprisingly effective here, is to provide a context for what's going on - and the context is enough. The prison is Ilsa's own private funhouse; what she does is for her own pleasure, period. Unlike Don Edmons, Franco understands this kind of movie: he starts with Ilsa and filters the punishment down through the ranks. Ilsa's brand of immoral hedonism turns the entire prison into an S&M club where inmates use sex and humiliation as currency. Franco knows how to stage scenes with pins and plastic bags; played low key and with simple means, this stuff gets to you. It seems like the movie is constantly crossing the line and what we're watching is real - which, of course, it's not. But Franco's straight forward, unashamed voyeuristic style transcends the silliness inherent in material like this and gives it a weird kind of weight. Sometimes you can hardly watch what's going on, but you can't take your eyes off of it either. The other element at work here is the GREAT Dyanne Thorne who in my mind is a terrific actress. As big a performance as her Ilsa is (and is in all the movies) there's not a hint of parody. That would be the easy way out for any actress playing such a despicable role. Thorne plays it straight. You believe that Ilsa's life is worth living because of what she does in this prison. Her gestures are grand, but her playing is internal: she shares Ilsa's dark and primal joy with the viewer. That's what makes these movies still sort of difficult today. Ilsa's not kidding, and Dyanne Thorne drives this movie with an unbeatable force. If these movies had been made in the 1940's (Ha!) Thorne would have emerged a big star. Where is she now? Am convinced that an actress who can pull off Ilsa can pull off just about anything. No longer a young woman, I know; but I'll bet she's still a striking figure. Come back, Dyanne, come back. All that said, ILSA THE WICKED WARDEN is worth the effort. It's as guilty a pleasure as you could ever hope to find.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
More sleaze to please from Jesus Franco., 27 July 2006
8/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland

Being a fan of tasteless "Ilsa" series and Jesus Franco's sleazy filth I always wanted to see "Greta:The Mad Butcher".Thankfully I just bought uncut DVD of this film and wasn't disappointed.The film,in which starred Dyanne Thorne,was later repackaged as an Ilsa movie and there was in plans a fourth official film under the title "Ilsa Meets Bruce Lee in the Devil's Triangle",unfortunately it never got made.Thorne plays Greta del Pino,who runs correction centre for women somewhere in the jungles of South America.Women are tortured and degraded for her sadistic pleasure.However one of the inmates Abby leads the prisoners to revolt..."Greta:The Mad Butcher" is a sleazy and depraved exploitation pick that contains tons of full-frontal nudity and sleaze.A must-see for anyone into WIP cinema.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Satan is female!, 1 July 2002
Author: DJ Inferno

I´ve always been a huge fan of the wonderful depraved Ilsa-series: "She Wolf of the SS" is a classic sexploitation sicko, "Harem Keeper" a funny desert adventure and "Tigress" a silly but entertaining secret agent story. However, Jess Franco´s more indirect sequel is the most disturbing one, because "The Wicked Warden" is most realistic installment and the silly humor of the other parts is totally missing. The WIP-part of the series.

So get ready for a range of all thinkable sickness like violent torture with whips and electro shocks, snuff movies or a gruesome mass rape sequence, which brings director Jess Franco almost on the same level as a Joe D´Amato or a Bruno Mattei! The final Ilsa-munch is one of the most disgusting scenes ever, although it reminded me somehow on the showdown in William Lustig´s "Maniac" (1980)...

Not to forget its unique main actress Dyanne Thorne who is damn hot, even with over forty! Dyanne makes the whole film, ever scene is hers! God, how I love that woman! Franco´s darling Lina Romay looks pretty pale in comparison..!

"The Wicked Warden" is a sicko de luxe: realistic background, disturbing violence and hot sex! What do you want more?!? Go and see it now!!!

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
The Cinema of Jesus Franco: Ilsa, The Wicked Warden., 2 September 2004
10/10
Author: Captain_Couth (sirjosephu@aol.com) from Sacramento, CA

Ilsa, The Wicked Warden (1977) was the last of the Ilsa "franchise"s. I don't even think it's was a true "Ilsa" film. However it's been labeled here in the 'States as a legit Ilsa picture so I will refer to it as such. The ever reliable Jesus Franco makes a real sleaze fest with this film. I always wondered why this movie and Barbed Wire Dolls seem so similar (The ever frugal Mr. Franco shot it back to back along with The Wicked Warden).

A not so bright woman wants to know what happened to her sister. She decides to "break into prison" and search for some clues. Unfortunately she finds out some hard facts about her sister first hand. Jesus Franco co-stars along with his protégé Lina Romay (who was at the peak of her hotness) as a female inmate. Dyanne Thorne stars as "Ilsa" a.k.a. Wanda. Your average sleazy women in prison flick that has one wicked ending.

If you enjoy Ilsa the Wicked Warden then by all means watch Barbed Wire Dolls. An even sleazier Women in Prison flick with all of Franco's trademark weirdness and raunchiness straight from his bizarro mind scape. Great stuff and a must for all Ilsa fans.

Highly recommended.

Lina Romay was one hot woman.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
If this movie doesn't upset you, you're already dead, 30 June 1999
Author: Rusty-61 from Vegas

I have seen all of the Ilsa movies several times and this one is by far the best. First, a warning: if you are easily shocked, offended, or disturbed, you won't make it through this (or any other Ilsa)movie. It takes a lot to disturb me, but this movie did the trick. If you love campy women's prison movies, this is also a must-see, though it is darker than most of them.Yes, this is an exploitation flick and does not try to hide this fact, but it has a plot, and characters you care about. A woman's sister is being held in a women's prison, so she goes 'undercover' to try to rescue her. The b*tch in charge of the prison is the most twisted, sick, evil, sadistic warden you will ever find in any women's prison movie--Ilsa, (or Wanda, depending on which version you see) the Wicked Warden. Her idea of a nice relaxing evening is using one of the female inmates for a pincushion, and I am describing the scene tactfully. Others she lobotomizes when they get out of line. The woman's plan to infiltrate the prison and her sister goes horribly awry when she realizes things in there are much, much worse than she could have dreamed of and there is no escape. The movie's ending is a total show-stopper, when Ilsa comes to one of the most fitting, vividly grisly, ugly endings that you will ever see. Not the most pleasant movie to watch--the first time I saw it, I felt sick for not turning it off and continuing to watch the horrible acts being committed. However, I've seen a lot of really bad horror/shock/exploitation films, and this one really stands out amongst the rest, with realistic characters, the courage to have a very downbeat ending, and no glamourization of the violence. The images in this movie will stay with you for a long, long time. For some people, that's a warning, for others, a strong recommendation. You think you've seen it all? You haven't, till you've seen this.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Ilsa as Wicked as Ever, 22 July 2003
Author: squeezebox from United States

ILSA--THE WICKED WARDEN (aka any one of the dozen other titles it goes under) is not the most disturbing, brutal or violent of the infamous series, but it is by far the sleaziest.

Dependably twisted schlockmeister Jess Franco dishes up enough nastiness, violence, sex, nudity and sleaze for a dozen average exploitation pictures. A female journalist infiltrates a women's prison to expose the corruption within. Once inside (posing as a prisoner), she is exposed to the grim, vile world that is a women's prison.

Ilsa (Greta? Wanda?), played by Diane Thorne, is the vicious warden, who puts her prisoners through all sorts of physical and psychological abuse, although the prisoners manage some pretty outrageous behavior on their own. There's a nice, long, voyeuristic catfight in the showers, as well as an unspeakably tacky scene in which self-appointed lead prisoner Lina Romay forces the reporter to lick her ass clean after a bout of diarrhea. That pretty much sets the standard for taste in this movie.

Franco shows an odd Tinto Brass-like fetish for female buttocks in this movie, as every prisoner's standard uniform is knee high boots and a prison shirt--no pants or underwear--thus giving the viewer plenty of glimpses of bare bottoms.

Overall, THE WICKED WARDEN is about as sick and twisted a movie as the average viewer is ever likely to find. There are nastier movies out there, even nastier women in prison movies, but this will more than acquaint you with the subgenre.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Bring on the sleaze!, 12 February 2005
7/10
Author: slake09 from Silver Lake, Ohio, USA

You have Jess Franco directing and Lina Romay starring, is there a more sure guarantee of a high sleaze content? You just can't ask for much more.

However, this movie doesn't approach the pure, unadulterated, in your face sleaze of other Franco/Romay movies, although it tries. It tries hard.

You have Ilsa, the wicked warden, torturing and tormenting the poor female inmates, although to be sure the torture and torment wasn't very convincing. You get the feeling the actresses might have looked a bit more tormented if Franco had told them they had to take a pay cut. So it goes.

You have Lina Romay, hot as molten steel, running around naked as the day she was born and enjoying it as usual. I have to admire a girl who is so completely dedicated to being naked all the time, in every situation. She is just an unabashed exhibitionist, not even requiring the flimsiest of excuses to remove her clothing. She insists on it! She demands it! It's probably in her contract somewhere that she gets to spend at least ninety percent of the runtime of any movie naked.

The plot line is the standard Ilsa fare, a wicked woman giving everyone a hard time until she gets her just deserts. Yawn. If you even thought about watching this for the plot then you are in line for a sanity check. This is, as has been said, Class A Euro-Sleaze.

Too bad they don't make them like this any more.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Every beating means I love you, 2 August 2003
Author: Dr. Gore (drgore@hotmail.com) from Los Angeles, California

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

I love Ilsa/Greta/Wanda (Dyanne Thorne). I'm not afraid to admit it. Her massive breasts of power make me want to check into her prison system. Once again, Ilsa is reincarnated to give more females beatings and tortures galore. This time she is running a clinic in the jungle for sexual deviants. You know the remedy Dr. Ilsa prescribes: Whips, pins and electro shock therapy. "Now, you will scream."

The movie starts out with a mass shower scene. So right away, we know we are in good hands. Ilsa also takes a bath to show some camaraderie. The suspense is over. We've seen everybody naked in five minutes. So the rest of the flick is Ilsa dealing out punishment to the often naked inmates while some flimsy story plays itself out. One of the inmates wants to find her sister in the gulag and some other stuff.

This is the sleaziest of the series. It gets close to the first one in brutality but doesn't quite make it. One of the prison guards decides to film all the atrocities they commit and sell it to a pornographer. Was this some weird attempt at self criticism by Franco? Not sure. It was an interesting sick twist in a sleazy women's prison flick.

Long live Ilsa. Highly recommended.

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