Sociopathic social climber Terry (Diane Conti) a hardcore deb straight outta Manhattan, joins the Rebels’ Debs and sets her sights on the Rebels’ prez Johnny (ever notice that J.D.s are almost always named Johnny? Brando should’ve gotten royalties.) and is willing to use any form of seduction and treachery to get him…even if it rends the Rebels and Debs completely asunder. It’s difficult not to compare Teenage Gang Debs with Jack Hill’s Switchblade Sisters, since both films have almost the exact same plot…both have badass women, scumbag lunkhead men, knife fights, rumbles, betrayal, hilarious acting, hardboiled dialogue and Shakesphearean underpinnings (MacBeth for Debs, Othello for Switchblade). Although Debs was made a decade before it, Switchblade is the much better film on all counts, but Debs is a bit sleazier and cheaper and its black and white cinematography gives it a darker, noirish feel…so dark, in fact, that sometimes it almost looks like a negative. So, what does Debs have that Switchblade doesn’t? Awesome That Girl hairdos and cool R&B tunes like Don’t Make Me Mad and the martial-artistic Black Belt, both by Lee Dowell. Dig?
Mondo Confidential 