There are a whole slew of companies that deliver horror and genre fans some of the most obscure titles on newly mastered home video releases. One of the more exciting and certainly the most entertaining ones is Slasher Video [partnered with Olive Films]. The independent distributor specializes in, you guessed it, slasher flicks, but this time around, they’ve managed to give us one hell of a good time with David A. Prior’s action flick, Mankillers.
Rogue ex-FBI agent, John Mickland (William Zipp, Deadly Prey), is on a killing spree and his new drug cartel is impregnable; The agency is desperate, so they call in the one person who knows Mickland better than himself — his former partner who he believes he left for dead, Rachael McKenna (Lynda Aldon). McKenna can’t do it alone, however. Gathering a dozen of the most ruthless females she can find, the group of ragtag convicts is ready to take down Mickland once and for all.
Mankillers is pretty much what you would expect if you’re well-versed in the wonderful world of 80’s low-budget cinema. The acting is hard to endure at times, the writing isn’t the greatest, and the overall quality is sub-par at best. While these things would generally ruin a movie-viewing experience, they don’t actually hinder the enjoyment one can get from Mankillers. Oh no, this is one of those films that borders on “so bad, it’s good.”
Like most films from this era, low-budget or otherwise, Mankillers features one hell of a soundtrack. Laced with upbeat rock tunes, including one that plays over a kick-ass training montage of McKenna whipping the girls into shape for their big mission, I couldn’t help but bob along. Of course, the girls were sporting short shorts with their bottoms peeking through the entire time. Low-budget 1980’s sleaze at its finest.
Upon my initial viewing, I thought, for an action flick, the action was kind of lacking. Then I remembered what I was actually watching. In truth, the action was actually rather impressive, considering the budget that writer/director, David A. Prior (Killer Workout) was most likely provided. Sure, some of the shootout scenes left quite a bit to the imagination, but the culminating final battle between the cartel and the renegade women was pretty action-packed. Explosions, fire, and bodies everywhere made for a nice end to this fun little 80’s romp.
Mankillers isn’t one of the best flicks out there, but it is certainly an entertaining watch. Pretty girls, explosions, and enough 80’s cheese to keep you satisfied for weeks are good enough reasons to check this one out. Round up a couple of buddies, grab some brews, and enjoy the lovely obscurity that is Mankillers, available on Blu-ray now from Slasher Video and Olive Films.
I give this one 2 knives to the crotch out of 5.
