Women Studies

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A grad student and her friends become trapped at a women's academy run by a cult of homicidal feminists




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Writer-producer-director Lonnie Martin has something to say in Women’s Studies and its a damn good message.  What’s more; the viewer doesn’t get bashed over the head with that message for the length of the film (thankfully).  Martin shows extreme restraint and maturity in telling his story despite this being his first feature film (he does have three short horror films under his belt:  2007‘s Posi+ive, 2006’s Under the Bed, 2005’s First Session).  But where Martin succeeds in telling his story he falters slightly in making a movie. The story here centers on Mary (Cindy Marie Martin), an idealistic political science/women’s study major doing her Master’s degree.  Mary volunteers for Senator Gayle Hamlin (played by none other than Judith O’Dea from the original Night of the Living Dead fame), a tough woman and firm supporter herself of women’s rights and equality.  Mary believes very strongly in the right’s of women and it drives her crazy seeing how apathetic other women and girls are when it comes to the topic.  But as Senator Hamlin tells Mary, “You can’t force people to change.”  We join Mary, her best friend Beth (Melissa Breiner-Sanders), Mary’s boyfriend Zack (James A. Radack), and their friend Iris (Laura Bloechl) as they are driving back to school after summer break.  All the characters have their back stories, but the most compelling one is Iris.  Iris comes from essentially an abusive, male-dominated household where her father “rules the roost” through intimidating Iris and her mom and stripping them of their self-esteem and worth.  He’s a despicable man, and Phil Filsoof played him extremely well and effectively.  The father wasn’t an over-the-top, generic character written solely for the audience to hate.  The father was a realistic character that could exist in any household; even the one next door to you.

The cast of Women’s Studies.

Our group stops at a diner and they meet up with a group of women from the nearby all-girl university, Ross-Prentiss Women’s Academy.  They befriend them (kinda) and when Mary’s car is stolen from the parking lot they agree to go with them to the university until the car is found.  Yes there are some problems with this set-up.  Neither Mary nor anyone else from the group ever calls the police; they trust that their new friends will do that.  And once we get to the university it’s never clear whether it was a fully functional school or a private school inhabited by the odd group of girls.  These are a few of the many plot holes you need to look past if you’re gonna sit through this film.  But I think it’s worth it because it does have a interesting message. It doesn’t take long to realize that the group of girl’s our stars hooked up with are homicidal, dogmatic nut bags.  Sure they’re fighting for women’s rights, but their idea of “women’s rights” involves enslaving men through lobotomies and just plain old killing most men.  There is no middle ground or an attempt to “work with” males.  As the “leader” Judith (Tara Garwood) asks Mary, “Do you know why the sexes will never be equal? … Because neither side wants them to be.”

The f/x were well executed.

And these hardcore feminists definitely practice what they preach:  They operate a strip bar where they let guys impregnate them (because this is the only way to procreate … for now) and then they kill the men; they indoctrinate the very fragile Iris into their way of thinking and then initiate her into their group by having her kill her father; and just wait until you see what they do when one of the girls gives birth to a male baby.  Its a pretty chilling scene. This movie is definitely not perfect.  The fight scenes are very awkward and unbelievable; the characters motives aren’t always clear; the f/x are basic albeit passable; and sometimes the pacing gets bogged down with too much talking.  The cast as a whole does a good job, but Cindy Marie Martin (Mary, the star) is the weakest actress in the film.  It was an odd choice casting her in the lead until you notice that she and the director both have the last name.  This could be a complete coincidence; I don’t know.  I’m just saying.  But she’s also listed as a producer and she did the art direction.  Martin would have been fine in the role of one of the crazy, dogmatic feminists, but as a lead actress she just couldn’t carry the film.

Pretty awkward fight scenes took away from the tension.

With all these troubles I’m still giving this a recommendation.  The message here is really strong and, as it is in today’s world, very relevant.  Among other things this film shows how dangerous one-sided dogmatic thinking can be, and how easy it is to get caught up in such groupthink (like Iris was).  But even more dangerous is where such radical and extreme thinking can lead.  So be warned; the message is a timely and effective one, but the film that relays that message could have been better.  I moderately recommend this film.  To find out more aboutWomen’s Studies, visit their website athttp://www.womensstudiesmovie.com/default.asp.  They put together a great site that looks like an actual university’s website for the all-girl’s academy.  Fun stuff!! My Summary: Director:  Lonnie Martin (and writer) Plot:  3.5 out of 5 stars Gore:  3 out of 10 skulls Zombie Mayhem:  0 out of 5 brains Reviewed by Scott Shoyer

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