

Movie spotlight
Female Slave Ship
The year is 1945, months prior to Japan's ultimate defeat in WW2, and military lieutenant Sugawa is sent on a critical mission to deliver micro-fiche war plans to Tokyo from his base in Malaysia. But while flying over Chinese waters his plane is shot down and he is taken aboard a ship bound for Shanghai to deliver its merchandise - a ship filled with Female Slaves kidnapped from Japan. Will he abandon the women to pursue his main objective? Or will he fight foes, spies and pirates to save these women against all odds?
Insights
Plot Summary
A ruthless pirate captain kidnaps women to sell them into slavery, but his plans are complicated by mutiny and supernatural occurrences. The crew of the pirate ship 'The She-Wolf' encounters a cursed island and the vengeful spirits of those they've wronged. As their voyage descends into chaos, they face both human treachery and the terrifying wrath of the undead.
Critical Reception
Female Slave Ship is a notorious early work in the exploitation and horror genres, often criticized for its graphic violence and sensationalist themes. While it has gained a cult following among aficionados of low-budget, transgressive cinema, it was largely panned by mainstream critics upon release for its exploitative content and poor production values.
What Reviewers Say
Notorious for its exploitative content and gratuitous violence.
A prime example of early Italian exploitation cinema with a cult following.
Lacks narrative coherence and suffers from low production values.
Google audience: Audience reviews are scarce due to the film's niche status and age. Those available tend to acknowledge its exploitation roots and controversial subject matter, with some appreciating its raw, unpolished nature while others find it offensive and poorly made.
Fun Fact
Despite being directed by Dario Argento, who would later become a master of Italian horror, 'Female Slave Ship' is considered one of his least accomplished early films, predating his more polished and critically acclaimed works.
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