The Ladies of the House (2014) User Reviews

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[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 30 July 2017]

Three guys decide to get their way with a stripper. Things go bad and they get invited to dinner. This is a variation of the normal looking family cannibal theme. "Parents," "Blood Diner," "Hansel & Gretel,""Motel Hell," "Eating Raoul," "Flesh Eating Mothers," "Microwave Massacre," "Fresh Meat" "Delta Delta Die, " and "Cannibal Hookers" were superior films in the normal looking cannibal genre.

The acting was okay considering the theme. The characters were not that great. The plot moved remarkably slow. Four strippers and no real nudity outside of butts and side breast. That amounts to false advertising. Even in the strip club they had their clothes on.

Guide: F-word. Sex. Nudity?

Enjoyable flick. Good for a single watch w/ some good gore & allegory.

[Mike_T-Little_Mtn_Sound_Archive · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

Short and sweet, and this time, in 1st person.

I quite enjoyed this little flick. To say it's a great film is far from the truth; to say it's garbage is equally as incorrect. After reading the reviews, then watching the movie, it is evident that too many of the negative reviews a) judged this against other movies, b) had high and/or different expectations, or c) missed the point entirely. So, to address these points quickly:

• a) Personally, unless there are content, character, or personnel connections between films it is not a good idea to use comparisons when subjectivey reviewing content. Sure...it's easy enough to find flaws here, but flaws can generally be found in any movie, especially when comparing it to one that is preferred or superior.

• b) I learned a long time ago not to carry expectations, of any kind, in to movies (when possible), especially independently produced films or B-flicks. Read the synopsis for this. If it sounds interesting then leave it at that. Know you're likely not going to get a masterpiece of horror, and hit play.

• c) Similar to expectations, though a bit more subjective, this movie was a bit more than just a horror flick, as it contains a bit of allegory and commentary on society and family. That said, the point was to illustrate a dichotomous "family" by displaying both the light and dark side, as well as the human desire for love and acceptance, but done under the guise of a dark, twisted little story. It may not have done it well, hence so many people missing the point, but it was there.

Now, about the flick...

The allegorical content is really interesting, and takes a little while to catch on to Wildman's drift, but by the time the final scenes arrive, it should be pretty clear. I thought he did it very well, especially watching the characters prepare for their "family" time, then observing the roles they each play during these final scenes. It's even a bit of an "a-ha" moment, as Wildman capitulates what he's been driving toward since the beginning of the film.

Regarding the production:

The film is well shot, with pro equipment, sound, and editing. Definitely not your average indie film. There's not much, if anything, I would characterize as "cheesy B-flick," but rather independent horror. The lighting is a little dark at times, but this was likely intentional, as it didn't spoil any aspects of the film. One particularly good aspect was the foley. Too many independent films have poor to average foley sound, but not here. Not only was it well above average, but it was pretty darn good...and in sync! This is due, in large part, to the attention in the editing room, which was also good. Thankfully, having a good director makes all the difference, and Wildman did a good job capturing some difficult scenes, developing a script that provided for some decent character development (though it took a little while), and his placement of actors. The actors all did a good job; they each provided convincing performances of unique characters, each with a bit of quirk and zeal. A good job overall by the cast and crew.

My biggest complaints are in the special effects and editing around them. My beef is not with the fx themselves, as they were more than adequate, rather the quickness they came and went. More than anything, this was likely about budget than capabilities, especially since there was some pretty well done gore.

Regarding parental content:

• This is a dark film. While there are some comical elements - actually, more irony then comedy - it is not a comedy or horror-comedy. If anything, it is more darkly dramatic horror, as there is ample gore, some of which is pretty hefty.
• I wouldn't call it a gore flick, nor is it so disgusting that it becomes exclusionary, but it is a fairly graphic horror flick, especially in the 2nd half of the movie. Personally, I always wish there was "more gore," but there is enough in the second half to make it a worthy viewing, it's just not packed. Naturally, with gore, there is blood. Neither is over the top, and I think Wildman missed some opportunities, but again...I'm not so sure that's what he was after. That, and more gore equals bigger production buck$.
• There is some brief nudity as well as a few sexual situations, but not as an overarching theme or index for exploitation. It moreless fits in to a storyline that allows for these brief situations to occur without them feeling useless, unneeded, or purely for exploitation purposes.
• A bit of profanity, but not incessant or overload.
• Definitley a few disturbing sequences, but I wouldn't call this film scary, and don't recall any jump scares. That's not what kind of horror Wildman intended for this.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. Far better than a lot of indie horror films, especially since Wildman obviously took every aspect of this seriously. Just don't go in to it expecting a gorefest, tons of rampant nudity, or full on grindhouse. As I mentioned...if you read the synopsis and think it sounds appealing, then leave it at that and push play. It's worth the watch...once.

Your Worst Nightmare: Cannibal Strippers

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 1 June 2015]

A birthday outing with two brothers and a friend turns into a horrific fight for survival after they become trapped in a house with a "family" of malevolent women.

Apparently this film was birthed by a single two-word phrase: "cannibal strippers". How do you take that combination and turn it into a feature-length film? If you happen to be talented (such as these filmmakers are), it apparently comes naturally.

Add in some vibrant colors, reminiscent of "Amelie", and you have beautiful cinematography. The film's press kit says the aesthetic as inspired by the films of Douglas Sirk, though it is not obvious. We are also told it is a bit gender-bending and post-feminist, but this, too, seems questionable. Indeed, the victims here are men rather than women, but horror has had a long history of strong women and this is not outside of what we have come to expect. (This is not a criticism of the film, but rather just a question of how accurate the press kit is. Other viewers may see the gender politics differently.)

Early on we have none-too-serious acting, which fits the light-hearted nature of the first few scenes. But the movie has its dark and disturbing moments, too, that will make the viewer squirm. Some great tension, and plenty of gore. We see a wide range from the character of Kyle, who is like a man-child in the body of Tor Johnson. Is he dim-witted, a victim, naive, or something more menacing? His character is quite complex, and perhaps the most interesting.

Horror fans might see the film as Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Til Dawn" with just a dash of "Texas Chain Saw Massacre". But unlike the Sawyer family, this family is a bit more nonchalant about their appetites. Which completely changes the way we look at them: are they monsters if they are just acting "normal"? Or is that even more disturbing, because unlike Leatherface, they can blend in anywhere?

This is not a perfect film, but we should not expect it to be. What it is, however, is a great exposition of a simple concept ("cannibal strippers"). The acting is better than average, and the direction and camera-work are top-notch. These are people to follow. And there is enough originality here to please even the jaded horror fan. A welcome addition to the cannibal subgenre!

A missed opportunity

[arfdawg-1 · 3/10 · 19 June 2015]

The Plot.

THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE follows the events surrounding a birthday outing with two brothers and a friend which turns into a horrific fight for survival after they become trapped in a house with a "family" of malevolent women who enjoy a pin-up lifestyle and a special diet.

Firstly,there were only two reviews when I wrote THIS review. One of them gives the movie 10 stars AND it's the dude's ONLY review which clearly mean he worked on the film.

So right away, I thought this was going to suck.

It is very cheaply made and sort of reminds me of some of those horror films like Frankenhooker -- not plot wise, but the way it looks and the way it's directed. Although some of the direction is disjointed.And the pacing is often slow. A bunch of gore and no nudity! What????

The storyline is really dumb. And soon the movie becomes tedious. Nothing allows you to suspend disbelief. THis movie could have been so much better in the hands of a different director and writer.

It could have been really cool and a cult classic.

Unfortunately It turns out to be a dud

A movie without a purpose...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 21 August 2020]

I was not familiar with this 2014 horror movie titled "The Ladies of the House" from writers Justina Walford and John Stuart Wildman before now in 2020, when I was given the chance to sit down and watch it. Needless to say that with it being a horror movie, of course I sat down to watch it.

Well, turns out that there was very, very little worthwhile to be seen in the movie. First of all, the movie was lacking an interesting storyline and plot. It just felt like a movie that was made up on the go, and there was no red thread throughout the course of the movie. It actually felt like director John Stuart Wildman was just making up things to put in the movie as they filmed it.

I was by no means entertained by "The Ladies of the House". Well, that is not entirely true, because the movie does have a small amount of mayhem, blood and gore in it. However, it is nowhere near sufficient to make up for everything the movie was lacking.

The acting in the movie felt bland, as if the performers themselves weren't really buying into the script - or lack thereof - and having mundane and pointless characters to work with.

My rating of "The Ladies of the House" lands on a generous two out of ten stars, and that is purely and solely because of the gore and blood in the movie. If you enjoy horror movies, do yourself a favor and give "The Ladies of the House" a wide berth. It simply isn't worth the time, money or effort.

Ladies of the House presented at SFF

[drcaudill1964 · 10/10 · 13 April 2014]

If you are interested in seeing a horror.thriller type movie I highly recommend TLotH. The characters of this adventure are what really make the film. ON top of that top notch writing by Justine Walford and the director skills of John Wildman, Make this an enjoyable film that will leave you scratching your head and saying, Did I just see that??

The detail is noted right down to the color themes selected throughout the film. All the actors and actresses took to really making us believe in their characters and as you watch you find your self routing for the woman.

Farah White as the motherly Lin, Shows compassion but when needed is tough as nails.

Melodie Sisk as Getty, The real deal, Gets her hands bloody dirty, kicks ass and takes no bull s@#%t.

Brina Palencia as Crystal, Love struck,young oh and crazy.

The woman rule this movie from start to finish.

All the males were fantastic but without a doubt for this one it definitely is fem-power.

Great grindhouse fun!

[ryangrantlong · 9/10 · 2 September 2015]

Disclosure: I realized AFTER I watched the movie that I am acquainted with one of its writers via mutual friends on social media. But since it was afterward it didn't affect my viewing of it. I had immediately said it was great and recommended it to others prior to realizing.

I loved it, and I'd place it somewhat in the same vein as great feminist horror movies I've enjoyed like Teeth or Ginger Snaps. This isn't that silly Tumblr style of modern feminism mind you, but a genuine and smart exploration of gender roles and, in some respects, a powerful female revenge fantasy (although truthfully none of the characters come off like great people, which is part of the dark appeal). But since it's grindhouse style of course, the main idea is gruesome sexy fun, you won't be beaten over the head with any ham-handed social commentary.

Great acting, special effects, drama, humor, and eroticism. I say it's funny, but it isn't overt comedy; it's more funny in the way the NBC Hannibal series is funny. Very dark and sharp humor, if you're sick like me you'll probably laugh.

Watch it on Hulu if you're into this genre, you won't have a bad time!

Sometimes we create our own family and traditions

[charleskersey · 9/10 · 16 December 2016]

"Ladies of the House" is an intelligent and insightful film with even some touching moments that upends the "grindhouse" and "slash horror" genres completely and logically in a way that hasn't been done before. It's also about family, in a way, and how, especially in today's fast-paced society, we make our own family. The characters are wonderfully deep and developed and excellently portrayed. Writers Justina Walford and John Wildman craft a believable and intriguing story and Director Wildman does an excellent job bringing it to life on camera. Kudos to the cast and crew for a well-done buffet of lovingly crafted genre delight!! ** Full Disclosure: I backed this film when it was in its formative stages via crowdfunding.

All the ladies in the house say 'Die!!!'.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 26 July 2015]

Three guys—Jacob (Gabriel Horn), his simple brother Kai (Rj Hanson) and pal Derek (Samrat Chakrabarti)—leave the strip joint where they have been celebrating Kai's birthday and decide to follow one of the strippers, Ginger (Michelle Sinclair), back to her home in the hope of partying in private. Amazingly, Ginger agrees, inviting the guys (along with their bottle of tequila) into the house.

The merriment takes a downward turn during a drunken game of 'dare' when Kai assaults Ginger: weapons are drawn and both Kai and Ginger are shot, Kai in the shoulder, the stripper taking a slug in the belly. When Ginger's stripper house-mates, lesbians Lin and Getty (Farah White and Melodie Sisk) and young protégé Crystal, suddenly arrive home, the men panic and hide; their evening goes from bad to worse when it transpires that the ladies of the house are cannibals and intend to have Ginger's attackers for dinner.

Taking obvious inspiration from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM's iconic shot of a sliding door slamming shut is mimicked here), with echoes of Wes Craven's The People Under The Stairs, Ladies of the House might seem derivative in many ways, but proves to be an impressive debut from writer/director John Stuart Wildman nonetheless. The film owes much of its success to the well defined characters, a testament not only to Wildman's writing, but also the skill of the cast, whose nuanced performances ensure that the film's more cartoonish aspects never verge on the downright ridiculous.

Inspired production design also helps to lend this film a unique atmosphere: the girls' style is a colourful mish-mash of '50s-themed pin-up kitsch and rockabilly, a garish look that lends itself perfectly to the tawdry subject matter, their home an eclectic collection of weird kitsch ephemera, the origins of which would most likely tell many an unsettling story.

With its obvious exploitational elements, The Ladies of the House doesn't shy away from the nudity and gore either: there's a rather graphic lesbian sex scene between Lin and Getty (as Derek hides under their bed!), while the film's more splattery moments include a brutal scene of butchery and the macabre sight of a mutilated corpse presented as a guest at the girls' dinner table.

A suitably downbeat ending sees the only survivor of the strippers' wrath dreaming of escape, while in reality resigned to his fate as Crystal's plaything.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.