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Released by: Impulse Pictures
Released on: April 13th, 2021.
Director: Kôyû Ohara
Cast: Hitomi Kozue, Yuri Yamashina, Naomi Oka
Year: 1976
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True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love – Movie Reviews:
Mayumi Hôjô (Hitomi Kozue) comes home to find her husband in bed, vigorously going at it with a heavily tattooed woman named Fumiko Kusakabe (Yuri Yamashina). Understandably upset, she pulls out a blade she’s had hidden under her trench coat and makes short work of bot her husband and the other woman – it’s almost like she knew he was cheating on her and planned this attack.
A short time later and Mayumi is whisked off to do some hard time behind bars, trying and failing to escape on the way. Once she arrives at the prison, she miscarries. She wakes up cuffed to a bed, distraught and upset about her lot in life, and after being given a very thorough search on the way into the big house, is situated with her new roommates in Cell 31. Mayumi learns very quickly that she's quite different from these other women. They pray almost constantly and sing hymns almost as often. When the lights go off, however, they prove to be just as horny as every other woman in prison (or so exploitation movies have led us to believe!) and not only engage in rad lesbian sex, but even use the religious statues that adorn the cell as impromptu dildos!
Tension rises between the ladies in Cell 31 and a rival cell group, culminating in a fight on the volleyball court that winds up landing some of the ladies in trouble, and trouble in this prison can frequently mean being brought into a secret underground torture dungeon where electrified rotating dildos are used by the warden (Hiroshi Chô) and his staff members to bring pleasure and pain simultaneously. Just as it seems Mayumi is getting used to her new surroundings, however, a new inmate is brought into the mix, one with some very familiar looking tattoos, a big scar across her chest and a thirst for revenge.
Directed by Kôyû Ohara in 1976, True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love once again sees Hitomi Kozue reprise her role as Mayumi following True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Sex Hell and True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Continues, both made in 1975 by the same director. Without reinventing the women in prison movie wheel, Ohara and company check off pretty much all the boxes you’d want checked if you’re familiar with the genre: lots of lesbianism, some kinky scenes of sexual torture, lecherous warden and staff members, some quality cat fights and even a riot – all set to a killer score and shot with a good eye for composition and lighting.
Kozue is, again, good in the lead role. She’s a pretty intense actress, plenty of sex appeal but you wouldn’t want to mess with her. She doesn’t rise to the levels that Maiko Kaji does in the Female Convict Scorpion films, but then again, nobody does. Still, she’s very good here and she’s a fine choice to carry the film. The supporting cast is also solid, playing things close to over the top but never quite going so far out that it takes you out of the movie.
True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love – DVD Review:
True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love is presented on Region 1 DVD in 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen in a transfer clearly taken from an older master but at least it's one that was clearly in good condition. The image is a bit soft and detail is never particularly strong but the image is stable, no problems with tape rolls or tracking lines of any kind. Colors look a bit flat and black levels are inconsistent. This isn't reference quality by any stretch but it's all watchable enough.
The Japanese language Dolby Digital Mono track is fine. It's a bit flat and it has some audible crackle in the opening few minutes but thankfully that goes away fairly quickly. The white subtitles are clean, clear and easy to read and free of any noticeable typographical errors.
There are no extras outside of a (really good) theatrical trailer and a static menu.
True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love – The Final Word:
True Story Of A Woman In Jail: Hell Of Love doesn’t bring anything new to the women in prison genre, but it hits all the right notes at all the right moments and makes good use of a pretty intense performance from its lead. Impulse Pictures’ DVD release is light on extras and offers a serviceable presentation.