Hermanas de la muerte

An initiation task for a pair of pledges as part of a ceremony inducting them into a college sorority goes horribly wrong when a live round finds itself into a gun in a game of Russian Roulette, resulting in the death of a pledge. Years later, the surviving sisters are adults & lead various lives. They are contacted out of the blue for a reunion party in Mexico. But upon arriving at the secluded mansion for the party, they find the place belongs to the dead pledge's father, who is determined to find the person responsible for his daughter's death despite the police ruling it an accident. The sisters & a pair of male gatecrashers find themselves trapped inside the property by electric fence, slowly picked off one by one by the secret killer in their midst.

God bless the dirt-cheap budget DVD labels – how else can you find minor gems like Sisters of Death a good 39 years after its release? I initially thought that the film was going to be a borefest or a cheap telepic drama but once the film started, I saw that Sisters of Death was capable of much more than that.

Sisters of Death is a thriller that may have been made years before the slasher film became a fixture of the genre, but it does have certain elements that would make it a slasher film prototype (HALLOWEEN came out two years later). The plot reads like a slasher film in some regards, although the killer doesn't use knives but various methods to kill their victims & the killer's identity doesn't become clear until the very end, which when seen is an effective surprise. The actors do a good job of carrying the film along, which was a hallmark of the genre at the time – 1970s genre films were a bit talky but made a considerable effort to compose solid stories into their being. The setup is solid & the story is interesting, although it does veer into daytime telepic territory at times. Not a classic by any margin but it does have an interesting story & the twists are pretty novel.

B-grade thriller has a bizarre sisterhood initiation that involves a Russian roulette round that ends in tragedy when one of the débutantes is executed. Seven years later the surviving members are summoned to a reunion at an isolated mansion. Despite the welcoming party, they soon discover that the fun and games are just beginning, and they're unlikely to ever leave.

Paul Carr and Joe E.Tata co-star as a pair of hired chauffeurs who inadvertently become stranded with the girls when the fence surrounding the compound is electrified; Tata went on to become a minor celebrity of sorts twenty years later in "Beverly Hills 90210". Playboy playmate, Clauida Jennings is 'ample' in her leading role, but she's somewhat overshadowed by her co-stars Boucher (a one-time Mrs George Peppard) and Howell in particular. Veteran Arthur Franz acts with restraint, though his role is largely confined to peering through door cracks, and making homemade bullets for his gatling gun.

Mildly suspenseful with a couple of chuckles, the plot contrivances are weak and the pace laboured for the lack of material, but still, there's an undeniable b-movie quality that prevails. If you're not too discerning and are familiar with the cast, you should find enough here to keep you entertained.

Seven years have passed since a sorority sister was killed as a result of a Russian-roulette-type initiation, which was ruled an accident. Then, five members get anonymous invitations to a reunion at a place to which the girls are taken from a central meeting spot by two guys. Although the duo has been paid only to transport the quintet, the pair is with the girls when the fence around the estate closes, locks and electrifies. They learn that their captor is the father of the initiation victim, and the remainder of the movie shows how most of them get knocked off - with a minimum of gore. Although much of the film (especially the first half) is slow-moving, I wasn't discontent at having spent the time to view it. In fact, I watched it a second time, thinking that maybe I missed something as far as the ending was concerned. Did somebody believe that THAT was gonna provide the most compact conclusion? I came away questioning it's logic.

"Sisters of Death" has a fairly simple plot. Five women and two men are stuck on the property of a crazed father intent on revenge for his daughters death seven years earlier by a sorority initiation gone wrong. It's not a bad movie but it's a bit too plain and simple. There is no imagination used in the way the houseguests are killed. For those looking for blood and guts, there is none. There are hints of possible nude scenes but that never develops. Just teasers for those looking for nudity. Pretty tame stuff. I don't see any problem with kids watching this. There is no gore or nudity in this film. It is a bit sad to see the young female stereotype. The girls play the old helpless and stupid role a bit too much for me. Although they know they are in danger they go around doing the dumbest things. It's as though they want to get killed. Gee, what can I do next to put me in danger? "Sisters of Death" is an OK low budget drama with a touch of mystery and a little twist for the end. Something to watch when there isn't anything better to do. It's nothing special or anything to go out of your way to view but not a total waste either.

This PG-rated see-how-they-die thriller reunites five sorority sisters seven years after the death of a fellow pledge during a hazing ritual gone terribly wrong. Responding to anonymous invitations to gather at an isolated desert villa, the girls soon learn the day of judgement is at hand - and begin to die one by one.

Made in 1972, but not released until 1978, SISTERS OF DEATH is a passable time killer, but lacks interesting characterizations, thrilling setpieces or the trademark extremes that made drive-in going such a singular thrill. With a film like Bava's BAY OF BLOOD pulling out all the stops, SISTERS OF DEATH is just too tame. Still, the cast is game; check out Claudia Jennings (former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Arthur Franz (MONSTER ON CAMPUS) and Joe Tata (the wistful frycook on TV's "Beverly Hills 90210).