Reform School Girl [1994]

EMM# : 20321
Added: 2014-12-16

Reform School Girl (1994)
She Was In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

Rating: 5

Movie Details:

Genre: Drama ()

Length: 1 h 22 min - 82 min

Video: 560x416 (23.976 Fps - 1 064 Kbps)

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Location:

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Plot
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She does more than just make friends while inside, she starts a lesbian love affair that draws the wrath of the warden, an ex-Olympic athlete who looks for track and field capabilities in her girls. Meanwhile the rat of a boy friend she protected threatens her younger sister to force her to maintain her silence. Written by

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Ivan McKeon from Fleetwood, UK
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You might expect a made-for-TV remake of a 1950's exploitation flick to be a camp spoof but instead it turns out to be a rather enjoyable, if simplistic, prison movie.

The tone is little uneven, with some of the older actors playing up the melodrama while the younger cast members take it all seriously, but the result is an enjoyable genre romp. Pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc plays the bad-boy teen Vince who leads innocent schoolgirl Donna (Aimee Graham) astray and gives an insight to how his career might have developed if he hadn't been forever entwined with the character of Joey. The most surprising aspect is the tender lesbian love scene between Donna and Carmen (Teresa DiSpina). Fairly explicit and very erotic it is the outstanding scene in the film and totally unexpected in a US TV drama.

It's is true to say to say that the story is fairly shallow and trite but this is pulp fiction not Shakespeare and the film is never less than entertaining. This review is based on the version aired on UK television with a running time of around 6 minutes less than the 85 minutes shown at IMDb.

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James Garfield (axiomattic23@aol.com) from San Diego
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This film, directed by New World Pictures alumnus Jonathan Kaplan and starring cult favorite Aimee Graham, is part of the "Rebel Highway" series of remakes of 1950s juvenile-delinquent films.

For what was basically a chance for the filmmakers to have fun, _Reform School Girl_ is quite watchable. There are the allusions to McCarthyism characteristic of the "Rebel Highway" series (and a well-done general 50s ambiance), and the usual array of interesting types we meet in women-in-prison films. This one is nowhere near as graphic as a typical entry in that genre, but there is one lesbian love scene that is strikingly filmed and acted, suprisingly graphic for such young-looking actresses, and really kind of a tonal shift from the rest of the film. Unfortunately, the film never really resolves the lesbian relationship.

The only time I really cringed was the scene where Donna (Aimee Graham) started dancing and singing with the mop, and the camera began moving around and getting in the faces of the onlookers. This was a totally ridiculous scene (but I guess it's hard to pad these things out to 80 minutes).

Graham is stellar in the title role, a girl who has had to deal with abuse and, while in reform school, awakens to more positive sexual experiences. I really wish Hollywood would take more notice of her.

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mtdoonmeister from Northern Rockies
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Hit all the 'woman in prison' clichés right on the nose; from the warden on down through the various inmates. The inmates seemed to have been allocated one cliché/stereotype per role. (The black girl, the Hispanic girl, the blonde, etc.) The administration got their clichés, too; however they were poorly played. Come to think of it, all the clichés were poorly played. It came out as bland. They started to develop the characters and then just let them drop. In other words, boring, boring, boring.

Nick Chinlund, as the perverted psychiatrist, didn't live up to the role that ultimately defines his career–Donny Pfaster, the death fetishist in the X Files–"Irresistible' in 1995 and 'Orison' in 2000. The movie would have been better if Chinlund has changed into a demon like he did in 'Orison.'

I would have given it '0' stars, but the system won't let me.

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wolftale069 from United States
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this is a must see for Aimee graham fans. i think it's one of her better roles, as she does remarkably well with this made for Cinemax movie. good supporting cast including Matt Le blanc in a cameo role. i wondered when they would get around to putting this one on DVD. congrats to Buena Vista. as for her gift of running, she had a lot to run from, including an abusive father and a lame boyfriend. running can be very therapeutic and can also imply a sense of urgency as a medium to escape the predicaments of life one has been dealt.

Cinematography is well done, at least the TV version that i copied off Cinamax one night. i think i wore that one out. it was released in VHS in other countries including England and Germany, but i believe this future release(April 2005), will be the first time it will be readily available in the U.S..

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lastliberal from United States
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I just wanted to be a nice guy and find something that I could send to PH to help her out during her incarceration. Well, this one isn't it. It is just so bad on so many levels that it was painful to watch.

Aimee Graham hooks up with a loser - It's Joey from Friends! Well, it is Matt LeBlanc before he became the lovable Joey. He is kind of of Fonzi character driving fast in stolen cars while he tokes constantly. He kill someone and guess who goes to jail - Donna (Graham).

This is where it really gets bad. She is in jail for what appears to be months before we get a girl on girl hookup (with Teresa DiSpina) and a shower scene. What's up with that? We get food fights in the mess hall and dancing with a mop, but we have to wait until the movie is almost over before a shower scene? At least there wasn't some Pat Ast Matron, but we sure could have used Sybil Danning as the Warden.

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Matt Willis from Middlesbrough, England
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This has got to be the most terrible film ever committed to celluloid, and I watch Mystery Science Theater 3000. I just couldn't see the point in any of it as it appears to be a series of unconnected scenes badly put together. Girl gets sent to reform school, but she's innocent, there we find the usual prison stereotypes, rough girl, quiet girl etc. She then finds she has a gift for running. So what?? Its a pitiful film in which you can honestly, and I mean honestly, spot what's coming. Leery guidance counselor?? Check. Unnecessary lesbian scene?? Check. Worst Ending EVER?? Check. I won't spoil it but its awful and completely negates the rest of the film. I spent three days telling everyone I saw just how bad it was, I now have no friends thanks to this film. The very worst part comes right at the end when, over the credits, it reads out what happens to the sad reprobates with each one, without fail, going on to something far better. And what the hell was Matt LeBlanc doing in this movie?????

AKAs Titles:

Certifications:
UK:18 / USA:R