Machete Maidens Unleashed! is a hilarious documentary that looks at the inner workings of the B-movie genre at the height of its popularity. Focusing on the period between 1960 and 1980, director Mark Hartley’s documentary explores how many of the most memorable B-movies were actually made in the Philippines. Unable to resist the low production cost and the exotic locales, American filmmakers were heading to the Philippines in droves to get their films made. Since the censors rarely watched the types of films that many of the directors, including Roger Corman and Eddie Romero, were producing, they were able to get away with content that would be considered unheard of today. This resulted in a large quantity of outrageous horror films, blaxploitation flicks, and women in prison type of films being shot. As some of the folks Hartley interviewed pointed out, the crazier the idea the more popular the films ended up being.
Mark Hartley does a good job of interviewing many of the big names of the genre as well as experts in the history of the genre. This includes many of the actors and actresses who had to work in some extremely dangerous conditions. One of the highlights of Machete Maidens Unleashed! is the candid conversation that the likes of Corman, Dante, Sid Haig, Marlene Clark, Colleen Clark and countless others provide in the film. The interesting thing about some of the responses is how many of the actresses viewed many of the B-movies as feminist films.
Although many of the films featured a lot of female nudity and, in some cases, violence against women, the B-movie genre was the only genre to feature female leads in action roles. In many ways they were the first female action heroes. Despite some of the atrocities the characters may have endured, by the end of the film, they always rose up against their oppressors and saved the day. If you really think about it, there are very few action films nowadays that feature a female lead. Studios just do not see them as bankable action stars.
While Machete Maidens Unleashed! tracks the era all the way up to when Francis Ford Coppola was filming Apocalypse Now, Hartley himself does not offer any judgment in regards to the genre. He is mostly concerned with shining a light on a film history that very few people know about. Through wonderfully candid interviews and well selected film clips, Hartley crafts an immensely entertaining documentary that will serve as a great introduction to all who are novices of the world of B-movies.
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