The Doll Squad
| The Doll Squad | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Ted V. Mikels |
| Produced by | Ted V. Mikels Paul Burkett |
| Screenplay by | Jack Richesin Pam Eddy Ted V. Mikels |
| Starring | Michael Ansara Francine York Anthony Eisley John Carter Tura Satana |
| Music by | Nicholas Carras |
| Cinematography | Anthony Salinas |
| Editing by | Ted V. Mikels |
| Distributed by | Feature-Faire Productions |
| Release date(s) | September 19, 1973 |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Doll Squad is a 1973 low-budget action film Z movie by Feature-Faire that was later re-released under the title Seduce and Destroy.[1] Directed, edited, co-written and co-produced by Ted V. Mikels, it features Francine York, Michael Ansara, John Carter, Anthony Eisley, Leigh Christian and Tura Satana.[2][3] Mikels claimed he filmed it for a total cost of $256,000.
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[edit] Plot
CIA operative Connolly (Eisley) assigns Sabrina (York), the leader of a group of five shapely female operatives individually selected by a computer. Code named the Doll Squad, they thwart the efforts of a mad man who formerly worked alongside Sabrina as a fellow CIA agent who has become an entrepreneur to overthrow world governments. His plan is to release rats infected with bubonic plague.[4]
[edit] Production
Time Inc. contributor Ed White notes that the visuals for the action sequences near the end of the film are unusually dark. This part of the film was shot in a single night. The multiple machine guns used by the actresses in this sequence was really a single weapon that was on temporarily loan to the director.[5]
DVD reviewer and Rolling Stone contributor Doug Pratt called it "an enjoyable action romp". He adds, "the girls kick some serious butt and they look terrific in their hot black jumpsuits. Who can resist?"[6] Film critic Michael Adams said the film is "so slow in parts I think it should be called The Dull Squad", but "it picks up at the end". He rated it a solid 37/100.[7] Nonetheless, it has become something of a cult film for fans of actress Francine York.[8]
[edit] Legacy
This film may have been the inspiration for the Charlie's Angels television series.[4] Aaron Spelling, who later produced the television series, was invited to the premiere of this movie,[9] and the lead member of the squad was named Sabrina, just as in Charlie's Angels.[8] Quentin Tarantino has cited the film as an influence on his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in his film Kill Bill.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ Tucker, Ed (2004), "The Ted V. Mikels Interview", Crazed Fanboy Presents..., http://www.crazedfanboy.com/spotlight/tedmikels.html, retrieved 2011-10-22
- ^ "The Doll Squad (1973)". The New York Times. Beldin. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/14225/The-Doll-Squad/overview. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ^ Staff (2004). The Scarecrow Movie Guide. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. p. 385. ISBN 1570614156.
- ^ a b Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (2002). Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973. McFarland. p. 316. ISBN 0786411945.
- ^ White, Ed (November 10, 2000), Astro Zombies and Corpse Grinders, Time Inc., http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,87616,00.html, retrieved 2011-08-23
- ^ Pratt, Douglas (2004), Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, 1, UNET 2 Corporation, pp. 350–351, ISBN 1932916008, http://books.google.com/books?id=DTUw1SDQECoC&pg=PA351
- ^ Adams, Michael (2010). Showgirls, Teen Wolves, and Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's Year-Long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made. HarperCollins. p. 236. ISBN 0061806293. http://books.google.com/books?id=2AeL09OCjLEC&pg=PA236.
- ^ a b Lisanti, Tom (2001). Fantasy femmes of sixties cinema: interviews with 20 actresses from biker, beach, and Elvis movies. McFarland. p. 103. ISBN 0786408685. http://books.google.com/books?id=2_E6M3LEGP4C&pg=PA103.
- ^ Paul, Louis (2007). Tales from the cult film trenches: interviews with 36 actors from horror, science fiction and exploitation cinema. McFarland. p. 203. ISBN 0786429941. http://books.google.com/books?id=6NQ-Y8lbGAsC&pg=PA203.
- ^ Machiyama, Tomohiro (August 28, 2003), "Quentin Tarantino reveals almost everything that inspired Kill Bill in... The Japattack Interview", Film (The Jap Attack), http://japattack.com/japattack/film/tarantino.html, retrieved 2011-10-22
[edit] External links
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