Amazon Hot Box (2018) User Reviews

A wasted attempt at revitalizing an old genre.

[sNate87 · 3/10 · 14 April 2019]

This was filmed in some beautiful locations and it was also shot real well. That's about where my positive comments end though.

If you're trying to pay homage to a genre from the 70's and 80's, why would you throw in so much horrendous CGI? The movie starts with an awful CG headshot. If you're making me groan out loud within the first minute, that is never a good sign. Lots of really bad CG blood splatter in this, with a few moments of okay practical gore.

If you're paying homage to the WIP genre, where was all the nudity? Why are women showering with their underwear on? Why are they in sexual situations and still have it on? The sheer stupidity was making me laugh. This does not deliver on the sleaze factor.

Most of the performances felt forced and overacted. The guy who played the doctor did not convince me as a villain whatsoever.

This film seemed like a bunch of ideas and characters all throw together with none of them being fully fleshed out. I didn't really care about any of these characters. I was struggling to figure out the point of several of them in the first place. The humor was out of place and none of it was funny.

To add to the positives I mentioned in the first sentence here, I did enjoy aspects of the final act; a montage where most of the characters met their fate. I mainly enjoyed Ellie Church's performance in this part. This was the only portion of the movie that really grabbed my attention (finally). Too little too late.

I was really looking forward to this movie because I love the WIP genre, but I ultimately felt really disappointed after watching. It just didn't deliver for me, but at least it was short at an 80 minute runtime.

I'll tell you all about it over a taco

[jfgibson73 · 2/10 · 20 April 2020]

This story is a mess. It introduces characters and situations that never go anywhere, then keeps adding more. The movie starts out with a secret agent being briefed on her mission. We get to see her in a fight scene that wants to be Black Widow, but just looks like some amateurs playing around. Then, the agent makes it to the prison and immediately gets dumped into a pit, and we never see her again. There is a subplot about a warden who is trying to torture the women into controlling them, but before she can really do much, she hooks herself up to a torture machine that maims and kills her. The girls in the jail are revolting, and the most disgusting one almost ends up as a central character in the final act. It ends with another secret agent flying over in a helicopter and blowing everything up. They had some ideas on how to get this story started, but couldn't figure out where to go with any of it. Avoid.

Oh, also, the score was one of the worst I've ever heard.

It burned my eyes

[chaturaCN · 1/10 · 11 April 2020]

Now i'm blind and i asked my sister to write this review.

Wow such terrible mess...

[ezgolucky · 2/10 · 30 June 2021]

Even the eye candy T and A couldn't help this movie. One of the worst acting performances consistent through out the cast. Better to just watch some of the classic 70's films in this genre, like Women in Cages or Big Doll House. Skip this one...

A successful effort to make a terrible movie. But why?

[I_Ailurophile · 2/10 · 28 October 2021]

So here's the thing. 'Amazon hot box' is an homage to, parody of, and successor to exploitation flicks of decades past, primarily of the "women in prison" variety. In that aim, it is both as over the top as it possibly can be, and as inauthentic as it possibly can be. This goes for dialogue, fight scenes, special effects, acting, hair, makeup, set design, filming locations ("South American prison? That looks like a US state park... Oh. No, it's actually a US national park."), scene writing, character writing, humor, costume design, music, editing, sequencing, pacing, internal continuity, plot reveals, overall narrative, and more. Every aspect of this movie is excruciating - not exciting, not funny, not stimulating, not genuine, not meaningful, not impactful, not satisfying. In the rare, fleeting instance that a good idea is briefly latched onto, that idea is taken a step too far and rendered inert. In the rare, fleeting instance that a modicum of value is discovered, it is not allowed to linger, neither in the film nor in our imaginations.

And yet every passing moment of this picture - however exaggerated, lackluster, seedy, or otherwise dubious - is 100% deliberate. The truly absolute tedium that 'Amazon hot box' represents is realized only with the greatest of effort - cast and crew alike obviously wanted to make this exactly the way it is. A job well done, I suppose; that goal was undeniably accomplished. But why? To what actual end? Does that foulest of cinematic intent mean that 'Amazon hot box' is actually perfect? That's a question of semantics, I suppose. But perfection means nothing if it fails to elicit anything that could be interpreted as a favorable response from a viewer.

Incredibly, this isn't the worst movie I've ever watched. Backwards as it may be, the passionate labor put into producing this passionless pablum shines through. That includes, for a prime example, performances that are astoundingly inelegant in their superficial overtness or deficiency. It takes a lot of work to ham it up this much, and though directed to a wholly unconventional end, I think the cast demonstrate their skill in the most perplexing way. And so it is for all other elements of 'Amazon hot box' - bizarrely capable as it bears fruit harvested only to rot. But that still doesn't make it any fun. That still doesn't make it worth watching. The purpose is clear; I just don't understand it. I suppose if one is an especial fan of someone in the cast, or direly curious, then there is an actual reason to watch this. For anyone else at all - most assuredly not.

Not good

[mike61704 · 2/10 · 11 May 2022]

This movie was hard to watch. The acting was so bad. The only thing that saved this movie was Ellie Church. She literally carried the movie. I mean, I had to make myself continue to watch it and I LOVE campy cheap made B style movies. Unless your a big fan of Ellie, I would pass on this one.

Dynga.

[volvorod-92131 · 2/10 · 23 June 2021]

We have a word here in Sweden that describes this movie perfectly.

The word i'm thinking of is "Dynga".

If you don't know what that word means - just simply avoid this movie and watch something good instead.

Disgusting

[cihanthebassist · 1/10 · 11 July 2021]

Why they want to make this film. They have no point for this and they are blind i believe.

Great Movie!

[TuraFan-222 · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

Fast paced and insanely crazy Indie film that might be the best women in prison film ever made. Amazon Hot Box really has everything and the writing is thick and delicious. Very much like a Russ Meyer film. These women are tough. All of them. You don't expect complex characters in action films but The Hot Box delivers them in spades. If you had to make comparisons I would say Caged Heat meets the Hateful 8. The star of this is the warden, played by Ellie Church. She is like a complicated Ilsa she wolf type but not so one dimensional. I also like her assistant, who get this, is a little person. There is nudity but no rape. There is gore but despite the realism it is not to much. This also has a great soundtrack. Really great. This has hot tough ladies, actions, fights, blood and a bunch of crazy characters chewing up scenery. It is all very pretty camera work and well done. I wish they made more of these type of horror and action films that had African American women in them like this does. Very very good movie. Shocking at times but very very good.

Throwing it all in

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 1 October 2022]

Or throwing them all in? Either way, no pun intended. This tries to be many things at once. It is prison movie, it is horror movie and so many other things. The effects are ok I reckon - but the question is, if it just tries to hard? Or has way too much packed in? No pun intended here either.

It all will boil down to you - the viewer. Are you able to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow? The acting is ok - if you consider the genre, the humor (silly) and the budget this had. Again this is not Citizen Kane (or whatever your version of an art movie is or whatever you want to call them). So your choice ... but I reckon this can be a good party movie to watch with a few friends who are down for whatever ... no pun intended.

Confusing and tries to do too much

[Floated2 · 2/10 · 10 December 2022]

From the same director of Dear God No! And Frankenstein Created Bikers, this film has a similar feel yet feels a little lesser and more rushed than FCB.

The story starts off relatively simple yet things seem to happen and move quite quickly. With a much shorter runtime than Bikers, Amazon Hot Box doesn't provide much of anything special.

Ellie Church gets top billing as she was the highlight. Tristan Risk plays the lead prisoner women and does a solid job. Jett Bryant is essentially the same character as he was previously with no depth given.

Nothing memorable about this film, save for a lengthy women's prison fight. Everything is quite toned down in comparison to James Bickert's previous films, the violence and gore, the nudity and the overall craziness. The ending was also very bizarre and ending the way it did with no real explanation.

Amazon Hot Box Is Hot

[s_bradford · 8/10 · 19 March 2020]

Right off the bat, I got to say Amazon Hot Box is hot. The location is hot, and made me believe they were really in South America. The actresses were hot, too. Ellie Church is awesome in just about everything she does. Real natural. Tristan Risk is also pretty amazing. She plays a good bad guy. There was some cheesy effects, specially the CGI stuff with the helocopter. But it just made the movie more fun. I think the zombie stuff was a little bit much, but it was a nice, like the old women in prison movies. I wish Pam Grier was in it. This was a real good indie movie, and I would recommend anybody watch it.

Handsome is only a light switch away!

[DarylJGittings · 6/10 · 20 January 2024]

Brian K. Williams (Space Babes from Outer Space) brings us "Amazon Hot Box". Amazon Hot Box is a throwback to those good ol' 1970s women in prison flicks with a bit of Ilsa She Wolf of the SS thrown in.

In the Amazon Hot Box cruel torture and experiments are being done. Ellie Church (Space Babes from Outer Space) is the leader in the prison, the one ahead of the "torture" experiments that are going on. A special agent disguised as a missing tourist is brought into the prison along with a couple of other young gals. Of course there's the gal who's top dog in the prison, Val. Val has a couple of gals who are her lackies, one is played by Alyssa Winkler (Slaughterhouse Slumber Party).

Amazon Hot Box is a mix of women in prison movies, comedy, and a bit of horror. There's plenty of gore, nudity, and laughs.

Love it. A new post-grindhouse classic masterpiece.

[BigRed-714666 · 10/10 · 14 September 2018]

What do you get when you throw actresses Ellie Church and Tristan Risk into a rat infested island jungle prison hell? A classic! This film is SO much fun you stop reading my review and see it. Now! Alright, I told you so. Since that Tarantino / Rodriquez film (that shall be unnamed) there has been a plethora of throwback imitators. Writer and director James Bickert is the only one that seems uninterested in making a revenge style film covered in fake scratches and thank god! His first two films were pretty damn good original takes on the 1970's 42nd street vibe but this one is a masterpiece. Like life everything in this flick is complicated. How the gazillion ideas all come together in the end, flawlessly, is just so satisfying. Big shout out to Kelsey Carlisle. This actress manages to play to stereotype and then move it way beyond. I caught this one at Horror hound Weekend and it was the best film there, by a mile. There is a lot going on here but it works. And Jet from Dear God No! is back. Love this guy. He's nice in this one and really funny. And all you gore-hounds will not be disappointed, the grue is plentiful and the effects are excellent. Great acting, cinematography, locations, alligators, helicopters, explosions, nudity and a dang torture machine! See this film!

They don't make them like this anymore and they should.

[bigboy-86770 · 10/10 · 17 September 2018]

Expectations were very high when watching this, and I wan't disappointed. The women are tough as nails or as a velvet glove dipped in snake venom, almost all lines of this movie are memorable, I promise you'll laugh out loud more than a few times. This ain't your daddy's women in prison film. This holds the trophy for the bloodiest, craziest, sleaziest, what in the world just happened, action-horror-women with guns hybrid. Some of the visuals are iconic. Meaning, you won't forget them because they only exist in this film. There are about 10 frames that could be famous album covers if a savvy band so choose to us them. The bands on this soundtrack should, they rock. Acting is excellent, pacing fast, beautiful cinematography, rocking score and like I said, those funny quotable lines make for a real good time. Really big cast too. Were they trying to start an action figure line? I don't know but I would buy them if they did. I have watched this movie four times now and it just gets better. They pack so much in there, I didn't get it all the first watch. This may be the only type of these films you can watch with your lady. It has that uncomfortable sex factor but my lady cheered for all the women and some of their big surprises. Which this film has many. Nice to see a movie with a complex plot. Just a 100% good time. You can share this one with friends. Call me obsessed. I would like to see just two movies this good a year.

Complex and brilliant

[barbara-13270 · 10/10 · 14 September 2018]

I'm not sure what this other reviewer (that gave it 1 star) watched but it wasn't this hilarious and challenging film that defies expectations, challenges the viewer and re-writes the blueprint for exploitation cinema. You might think this is your typical women in prison trash but it's really a feminist deconstruction that still manages to deliver all the graphic sex and violence one would expect from these. The effects are really good too and the dialog is very funny. Laugh out loud amazing! This is so much better than it should be! I find it refreshing that anyone would take the time with this grind house staple and re-work it so carefully with these successful results.

The acting is wonderful. What makes this movie so fun is it takes every cliche that one associates with this genre, especially character, and turns it upside down. Nothing develops as expected. And the way it all comes together is so satisfying and brilliant. Stand outs are the evil warden, the new girl, the lead prisoner Val (genius), the religious zealot, crazed CIA boss and the comic relief President.

Totally original and very twisted, this is by far the stand out in all the films I've seen in 2018. I'll be hunting down everything this writer has done. That's for sure. If you want to see a really well made film with strong (beautiful) women and a heck of a good time, then this is it. I hope they make a sequel because it ended to fast. Loved Val. She deserves her own film.

A really enjoyable seventies Women-In-Prison clone with strong women.

[coldcream · 8/10 · 17 September 2018]

'Amazon Hot Box' comes from the same period as those Jack Hill led Filipino "chicks in chains" flicks of the early seventies ( see 'The Big Doll House' and 'The Big Bird Cage' for the best of the genre). Fans of them will really like this one. As always, the movie is set in some unnamed Banana Republic. What sets this movie apart is the female actresses and their characters. I have a sneaking suspicion that this was written by or had some re-writes by a woman. The women feel to real compared to what men write. While they do inhabit this world and those trappings, the females are multi dimensional and the men are stock characters. Really unusual for these films but it works. I doubt a man would come up with that so the actresses probably had some input and they are all on point. Actress Tristan Risk (Val) get's the best arch and lines to work with and shows what a great actress she is, I won't spoil it. Ellie Church is one of the most wicked wardens ever brought to the screen and her relations with a evil religious man is at first comical but then very real and hurtful. One of the film highlights for sure is that dynamic. There is also reference to older women (Samara Scott) and their relationships with younger women (Jordan Phipps), the secret agents, that was refreshing and felt authentic. The lead "new fish" is played by Kelsey Carlisle and she is really good, as are her inmate friends.

The men are about as useless and stupid as they come. None of them are interested in the women, yeah right! They are funny. The real standout is the hapless guard who Val keeps getting over on. At first you think he will be a lecherous pervert but he's a dope like the rest of them. Most of the comedy comes from the men but the women have some good lines too. The president and his captor are hilarious additions.

My biggest complaint is that it should have been longer. I could have spent more time with these women. Newcomers to these kinds of movies may not enjoy this as those more familiar with the Filipino women-in-prison style and approach will, but I enjoyed 'Amazon Hot Box' a great deal, and think it deserves to be much better known than it currently is. A tough and cool movie with plenty of fun and thrills. This is not safe for the kiddies.

The best of 80s Horror B movies

[justtotalcrap · 10/10 · 19 September 2018]

This movie is amazing it all the B movie horror fun and tropes you could want. if you loved movies like Frankenstein created bikers and Dear God No! You will also love this

Beer and Tacos

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 9 January 2023]

Penny (Kelsey Carlisle) is taken prisoner on an island in the tropical Republic of Rattica. Rattica is a rogue state that deals in drugs and has a large prison (filmed Fort Pulaski, Savannah, Georgia). At this point the typical prison women film antics happens. It includes Jett Bryant who plays himself as he does in nearly every film. There are also zombies locked up.

The film is a spoof of prison films. Warden Inga Von Krupp (Ellie Church) is an Ilsa of the SS clone. Agent Blossom (Samara Scott) is our Pam Grier character. Sir Dr. Greeley (Paul McComiskey) is a sadistic Sardu from "Blood Sucking Freaks" Also from the same film is Gordo (Aaron Beelner) the sidekick. The fights are horribly choreographed. The airport scene had trees in autumn colors in the background. I loved Jett Bryant's banter that had reoccurring themes.

Guide: F-word. Sex. Nudity (Danielle Page, Alyss Winkler, Kris Donta, Janine Cygan, Kelsey Carlisle, Tristan Risk, Ellie Church-back, partial. And NOT Jordan Phipps)

Crazy Wild Gonzo Female Prison

[dave-05139 · 10/10 · 11 April 2019]

This is one of the most crazy films I've ever laid eyes on. Its a homage to so many 1960's/70's exploitation flicks I can't mention all of them. Its brilliant, wild, zany, mental, sexy, OTT and wacko. Outrageous performances. Imagine the Aussie prision TV series Prisoner Cell Block H written by Hunter S Thompson with Russ Myers and Ed Wood thrown in. Genius.