Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Holstra Boring, long, and too preachy.

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Michael_Elliott The Big Bird Cage (1972) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Jack Hill directed women-in-prison flick has Pam Grier and Sig Haig playing revolutionary lovers who kidnap a woman (Anitra Ford) who ends up going to a brutal prison ran by a sadistic warden (Andres Centenera) and a bunch of homosexual male guards. Soon the two lovers decide to get into the prison and free all of the ladies. THE BIG BIRD CAGE is a fairly entertaining WIP flick but at the same time you might also call it one of the tamest to come from this era. Yes, this still more graphic than most Hollywood films that were out during this period but when compared to other films in the genre this one here puts comedy first and exploitation second. I was really surprised to see how much comic relief was here and it's really too bad so much attention was given to it because the majority of it doesn't work. The first twenty-minutes of the movie seems to be nothing but comic relief and there's really nothing overly funny going on. The biggest laughs in the film come from the homosexual male guards who are constantly hitting up on each other and not looking at all the beautiful women that surround them. This leads to some funny scenes towards the end with Haig must pretend to be gay in order to seduce the male guards into getting him in the prison. Yeah, as you can tell this could only be from the 70s. While there's nudity here most viewers are probably going to be shocked at how little there is. Even the violence really doesn't happen until the end of the picture and there's no lesbian scenes, which is another rare thing for the genre. Grier is sadly wasted as she's not seen enough in the film but whenever she's here it's certainly the highlight of the picture. Haig appears to be having fun in his part and Vic Diaz is a blast as the main gay guard. At 96-minutes the film runs way too long as I'm sure ten or so minutes edited out would have helped the pacing.

Scarecrow-88 In one of those jungle prison camps, females are forced into hard labor, working within the "bird cage" of the title, an elaborate sugar mill. Sid Haig and Pam Grier are revolutionaries who rob from societal fat cats, soon finding themselves within the prison labor camp causing a revolt against maniacal warden(Andres Centenera) and his host of homosexual male guards(..including a hilarious turn by Vic Diaz).The center of my attention was the incredibly yummy Anitra Ford, a stunning beauty whose character has a reputation notorious for her sexual involvements with various political leaders..she's deemed a threat whose knowledge is a threat. She seems to have no fear or nervousness about her current situation due to her confidence in getting out of captivity. While Pam Grier is recognized as the star, she often plays second fiddle to Ford because her role doesn't really make a certain impact until getting herself purposely put in Zappa's(Centenera)labor camp, where she forges the girls together in a planned rebellion, tired of their superior's tyrannical ways and slave labor. Teda Bracci is the leader over the girls until Grier challenges for authority / supremacy and secures the role. Candice Roman and the statuesque Karen McKevic supply extra eye candy as other white girls who found their ways into this camp. Carol Speed is the feisty(..she has a mouth that often gets her into heated situations where she runs and squeals when potential harm could come to her)token black girl of the bunch until Grier comes along..her fate when the mill breaks down, in regards to needed repairs, is horrifying. Marissa Delgado is Rina, a nutty prisoner Ford befriends and helps along the way.The mill is essentially a tower with a wooden skeletal frame, gears moving in proactive fashion, the girls keeping it running through blood, sweat, and tears...in the shape of a bird cage, this was designed by Hill's father. You get everything the women-in-prison genre offers in unique ways. There's the shower, cat fights, explosive finale with shootouts and violence, sadistic bonkers warden constantly shouting(barking orders), women yearning for the touch of a man(..poor Vic Diaz gets balled at the end!), attempted escapes, torture towards our heroines, and grim conclusion(..few make it out alive).Haig and Grier are superb together and have marvelous chemistry(..they're mud fight where Haig hits her across the ass with a dead duck is hilarious). Haig's posing as a gay man to gain access inside the labor camp, actually getting hired as a guard because Diaz wants to ravage him, had me in ribbons. The beautiful Phillipine locations compliment the lovely women quite well..and, best of all, the girls are outfitted in short shorts and shirts tied off above their wastes, so that we can lustfully gaze at their impressive figures throughout.

Witchfinder General 666 Jack Hill's "The Big Bird Cage" of 1972 is another highly entertaining Women's Prison Exploitation flick, starring the wonderful Pam Grier and exploitation badass Sid Haig. Director Hill, who has proved himself to be a master of exploitation cinema, as he directed blaxploitation cult flicks "Coffy" (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974), both starring Pam Grier as the sexy and vengeful heroine, is furthermore one of the pioneers of the WIP (Women In Prison) sub-genre, having directed "The Big Doll House" in 1971 and this "The Big Bird Cage" in 1972.Somewhere on a dictatorially reigned tropical island, American actress Terry (Anita Ford) is taken hostage by revolutionary Django (Sid Haig), when he pulls of a heist on a bar with his girlfriend Blossom (Pam Grier) and other fellow revolutionaries. While on the run from the police, Django leaves Terry back, who is mistaken for his female accomplice and brought to a jungle prison camp for women...Pam Grier, the sexiest, coolest and most charismatic heroine in Blaxploitation cinema, is great as always in her role of the badass female revolutionary and Sid Haig is the epitome of coolness as rebel leader boyfriend Django. Sexy Anita Ford also fits in her role very well. "The Big Bird Cage" has all the typical WIP flick elements, such as shower scenes, lesbianism, catfights and a fair amount of violence including cruel punishments, as well as some special curiosities, such as two fat and disgusting gay wardens (one of them Vic Diaz whom WIP/exploitation fans might recognize for his role as the sadistic drug-lord in "Black Mama, White Mama") and a huge lesbian inmate.All things considered, "The Big Birdcage" may not be an exploitation highlight, and it is terribly cheesy in some occasions, but it is also a great fun flick that doesn't take it self seriously. Highly sarcastic more than once, this is not to be missed by fans of 70s exploitation cinema and Pam Grier.

Justin Kelly In the 70s, a popular exploitation sub genre known as women in prison produced low budget schlock after low budget schlock. Somewhere in the shuffle, there were a few enjoyable gems. Pam Grier (The L Word, Jackie Brown) seems to have a lock on these, as her "Women in Cages," "The Big Doll House," "The Arena," and this one, "The Big Bird Cage" all seem to be the most fun. I'm sure Roger Corman is to thank for these hilarious movies as well.There really isn't much to the plot. A bunch of broads are in a prison and used as slave labor. They are trying to get out. They have some in fighting and it usually involves mud. The guards are gay stereotypes. Pam Grier doesn't take any crap. Sound like your cup of tea?If you go into this movie expecting "The Godfather," you may not enjoy it, but if you are looking for an enjoyable flick to catch, this is the one. Pam Grier and Sid Haig(The Devil's Rejects) steal the show here, as their over the top performances anchor the rest of the mostly there to exploit, but serviceable cast. If you like your women in prison exploitation films to be more bouncy fun and less disturbing torture, I highly recommend you start here. If only they still made flicks like this.