Susan (Debra Sweaney) is checking out some quite rural real estate with her wimpy real estate agent Cecil (Lory-Michael Ringuette) when they encounter Cocaine manufacturer Mongo (Brian Oldfield) who is a dead ringer for TV series Night Court's Bull (Richard Mull). Susan has a habit of escaping and then being recaptured by mongo's band of misfits lead by the mean diminutive Terk (Sean P. Donahue).
Susan finds her inner MacGyver and creates a number of deadly weapons from items in an tool shed after a much needed afternoon nap. More importantly she loses her Sister wife's with shoulder pads outfit and shows off her impressive abs. Mongos Merry Men experience misfortune at the hands of Susan which adds up to an impressive kill count by the end of the movie. A very enjoyable "B" action flick with quite well placed humor and a genuinely scary physically imposing bad guy Mongo. The one misstep is the overbearing music score which is too loud and distracting at times This is a must see for for all "B" Action fans.
16 Reviews
Low rent actioner shot in the Californian mountains
Leofwine_draca30 October 2016
THEY CALL ME MACHO WOMAN! is another trashy low budget oddity put out by Troma, although this isn't one of their own films as it lacks the bizarre stuff and the humour that typifies a true Troma-made film. Instead it's a cheesy, low rent action film shot in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. Director Patrick G. Donahue made a quartet of similarly-themed action/revenge movies over the course of a decade or so and obviously had a thing for the genre.
Sadly, despite the outlandish title, this is very much par for the course as these things go. The plot is repetitive and merely consists of our heroine being repeatedly captured by the bad guys, managing to turn the tables and escape, only to repeat the scenario again. There is a kind of momentum that sees the story through on occasion but the lack of budget means that this is a cheap adventure indeed. The occasional gore effect is well achieved although limited in scope.
The cast members are probably the worst thing about this film as all of the assembled actors give non-performances. It comes as little surprise that lead actress Debra Sweaney was never heard of again. Hulking villain Brian Oldfield was a real-life shotput champion, if you can believe. Welcome to the world of low-budget filmmaking!
Sadly, despite the outlandish title, this is very much par for the course as these things go. The plot is repetitive and merely consists of our heroine being repeatedly captured by the bad guys, managing to turn the tables and escape, only to repeat the scenario again. There is a kind of momentum that sees the story through on occasion but the lack of budget means that this is a cheap adventure indeed. The occasional gore effect is well achieved although limited in scope.
The cast members are probably the worst thing about this film as all of the assembled actors give non-performances. It comes as little surprise that lead actress Debra Sweaney was never heard of again. Hulking villain Brian Oldfield was a real-life shotput champion, if you can believe. Welcome to the world of low-budget filmmaking!
Maybe the most inept movie EVER!
supercygnus10 August 2003
I saw this on cable. Someone had to lose their job for greenlighting this one for air. Just because a movie is made does not mean it has to be shown! Savage Instinct should be shown in ALL film classes. It is the perfect template for how to not make a movie. The editing alone is so jumbled you'll think it was assembled by a team of trained (poorly) monkeys, traveling across unpaved canyon road in the back of a jeep, blindfolded and drunk. The audio is often not legible. Acting? I can't call anything I saw here acting. Reciting? Hmmm. Can't call it that either. Failing? That works. All that being said...IT IS HILARIOUS! I cannot stress enough that there is not one redeemable factor in this "film" other than the hilarity derived from it's own incredible ineptness. Fun, in a strictly masochistic sort of way. Watch it...if you dare.
really bad
wogboy-324 November 2001
This movie really sucks. This is my second review because its so bad. The girl on the cover is hot but the girl in the movie is not. I cant believe it was rated R there is basiaclly no violence, no sex, no nudity, no swearing nothing. Really crap film.
ridiculous
movieman_kev9 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Susan inadvertently stumbles onto a drug smuggling ring while her realtor gets a flat tire while driving her to see a house. The leader of said drug ring, Mongo (whom only has one week until retirement) thinking she knows much more than this bubbly blond actually does seeks to make sure she won't tell anyone anything and thus begins one of the more bone headed films that I've sat through.
All the actors in this film can't really act in the least. Susan makes a pretty ineffectual hero for most of the movie (she'd never escape multiple times if not for the fact that seemingly every one in the movie wants to have sex with her) and she doesn't take the offensive until the last 20 minutes of the flick. When she does she spouts some generic "I have had enough" line, preach on sister, that very thought ran through my mind multiple times when I was watching this
My Grade: D-
All the actors in this film can't really act in the least. Susan makes a pretty ineffectual hero for most of the movie (she'd never escape multiple times if not for the fact that seemingly every one in the movie wants to have sex with her) and she doesn't take the offensive until the last 20 minutes of the flick. When she does she spouts some generic "I have had enough" line, preach on sister, that very thought ran through my mind multiple times when I was watching this
My Grade: D-
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN
wogboy-326 January 2001
If you like really shocking movies this is for you. The acting is the worst I've ever seen and the story line goes no-where. If you come across this film in your video shop don't even consider borrowing it. The chick on the front cover isn't even the one in the movie.I gave this movie 1/10 only because I couldn't vote 0. Avoid it at all costs.
All rather silly.
david_barnett18 October 2018
Anyone wanting to find out what it is like to waste one hour and twenty minutes of their life, time that is gone for ever and never to be reclaimed, is advised to watch this movie.
A sweet young woman accidentally encounters a gang of thuggish drug dealers, falls in and out of their coarse and evil hands a few ties and is transformed overnight into a female killing machine.
A sweet young woman accidentally encounters a gang of thuggish drug dealers, falls in and out of their coarse and evil hands a few ties and is transformed overnight into a female killing machine.
This movie is dumb but not terrible.
clay_animator29 October 2010
It's hard for me to give this movie a bad review. Yes, almost every aspect of the movie was done poorly. The story is dumb, the cinematography is crappy, the chases don't make any sense, and the acting is just terrible.
But despite all of this, the movie is just incredibly entertaining. Every time you see a boom mic, or a stunt double that is clearly a forty year old man and not the female lead, your soul smiles a little bit inside.
I would say that this is a better bad movie than the Rocky Horror Picture Show. While RHPS kinda drags in the third act, this movie remains entertaining throughout.
Don't go in expecting a masterpiece or even competence and you're in for a good time.
But despite all of this, the movie is just incredibly entertaining. Every time you see a boom mic, or a stunt double that is clearly a forty year old man and not the female lead, your soul smiles a little bit inside.
I would say that this is a better bad movie than the Rocky Horror Picture Show. While RHPS kinda drags in the third act, this movie remains entertaining throughout.
Don't go in expecting a masterpiece or even competence and you're in for a good time.
If you love to make fun of movies...
drmomentum28 March 2000
Bad editing, bad production values, bad continuity, implausible, bad dialogue... this movies is bad, bad, bad. However, if you want a movie to poke fun at (a la MST3000), this is your movie. I wouldn't suggest spending much money on it, but if you do see this movie, make sure it's with plenty of witty, like-minded buddies.
Bad yet endlessly entertaining!
udar5525 August 2009
City girl Susan Morris (Debra Sweaney) and her Realtor head down a country road to check out some property, but run afoul of Mongo (Brian Oldfield) and his drug peddling gang. Like any good movie villain, Mongo can't let them live and Susan endures a long series of chases, captures and escapes before she puts her foot down and fights back RAMBO-style. Wielding two axes, a whip and some nine inch nails, our heroine takes out the crew of 80s looking thugs.
If I whisper "Joseph needs you" in your ear and it gets you all excited, then you need to see SAVAGE INSTINCT. Director Patrick Donahue delivered the bad-yet-amazing actioner KILL SQUAD in 1982 and this was his sophomore feature, which is just as goofy. Sweaney is a terrible actress and her transformation is about as convincing as Olivia Newton-John's in GREASE. There are some good stunt bits (the Donahues always deliver in that arena as co-star son Sean is also the stunt coordinator) but they are almost always undermined by some seriously wonky staging. Look for the scene where Susan escapes by running on top of the heads (!) of the gang and then adds insult to injury by flicking them off and grabbing her crotch. On top of this is some seriously priceless dialog. For example, Susan is saved by three partying dudes who don't heed her warning about the killers after her. Sure enough, the gang members kill the dudes and, while viewing their corpses, Susan says, "I bet you never listened to your mothers either." What?
If I whisper "Joseph needs you" in your ear and it gets you all excited, then you need to see SAVAGE INSTINCT. Director Patrick Donahue delivered the bad-yet-amazing actioner KILL SQUAD in 1982 and this was his sophomore feature, which is just as goofy. Sweaney is a terrible actress and her transformation is about as convincing as Olivia Newton-John's in GREASE. There are some good stunt bits (the Donahues always deliver in that arena as co-star son Sean is also the stunt coordinator) but they are almost always undermined by some seriously wonky staging. Look for the scene where Susan escapes by running on top of the heads (!) of the gang and then adds insult to injury by flicking them off and grabbing her crotch. On top of this is some seriously priceless dialog. For example, Susan is saved by three partying dudes who don't heed her warning about the killers after her. Sure enough, the gang members kill the dudes and, while viewing their corpses, Susan says, "I bet you never listened to your mothers either." What?
I have to stick up for this movie
runemesa16 December 2007
This is one of my favorite bad movies. Yes it's badly made, but it's such a fun movie. I was never bored at all while watching it. In my opinion, this has "cult flick" written all over it. My only gripe is that the main character should've been recast and the axe was way too brand new and shiny-looking all the time, but still it's not that big a deal in a movie like this. There's a brief impressive stunt involving a car and a character that very well-done, and you rarely see that in movie like this, not to mention in the rest of the film, period. I love this flick, and I've actually bought it for 2 of my friends, and they loved it, too. Maybe you have to be a bad-movie-troll like me to appreciate movies like this. I'm picky, even with bad movies, but this flick is a real gem to me.
Please dont watch this boring movie! (minor spoilers)
patrick_koestermann1 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Title of thie movie is funny but has nothing to do with the movie.
The whole movie is about a woman who runs away from a few criminals. The criminals catch her, she frees herself, then they catch her again she frees herself and so on and so forth.
No excitement, no action, no gore.
The acting can be hilariously bad a few times BUT its not worth sitting through this god awfull movie for these few laughs.
Female equivalent of "Deadly Prey"
HumanoidOfFlesh29 July 2012
The main character of "They Call Me Macho Woman" is Susan Morris(Deborah Sweaney),a nubile young woman,who is being stalked by Mongo "Unicorn",big bad drug lord and his cohorts of merciless criminals.But Susan ain't gonna become easy victim.It's not in her style.After visiting some kind of tool shed and sleeping there she arms herself with instruments of steel and begins to kill gang members one by one.Hilariously funny action flick with bad acting and hysterical death scenes.There are a couple of really dumb scenes that made my jaw wide open.There is also a lot of running through the woods and a bit of gore.If you like non-stop action with hatches,blades and axes give this funny Troma release a chance.7 nine inch nails out of 10.
one of the funniest movies I've ever seen!
tigermilk8720 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I rate my movies based on the enjoyability factor; I don't care if it's low budget, poorly produced, poorly acted, etc. As long as it provides entertainment, I'm happy. That said, this movie is so shockingly pointless and stupid, that it's quickly become one of my favorite movies. It's SOOOO funny! This woman seriously runs across a crowd of drug dealers, stepping on their shoulders and heads; she battles an Asian (who knows Karate, of course) and when she stabs him with her foot-knife (doesn't make sense, you just have to see it), he actually falls and says, "you have disgraced me" or something like that. Hilarious, hilarious, hilarious!
Savage Instinct represents the goofier end of the action/revenge movie.
tarbosh220003 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Susan Morris (Sweaney) is a mild-mannered woman whose husband was recently killed in a car accident. Seeking to fulfill their dream of having a nice house out in the country, she attempts to move to rural Loma County, California. But while driving out to the property, Susan and real estate agent Cecil (Ringuette) run afoul of a sinister gang of drug dealers. Led by the hulking brute Mongo (Brian Oldfield in what is criminally his only screen role to date), the gang of baddies seeks to make one last big score before disbanding their criminal enterprise. But since Susan has stumbled upon it, they must kill her. So they chase her all over the woods, but Susan decides she's had enough of her Mongo-based ordeal and decides to fight back. It's now time for revenge, Susan Morris style! What follows you must see! Ridiculous. Silly. Funny. Enjoyable. There are some words for you. But all these words - and so many more I'm leaving out - perfectly describe the wonderful Savage Instinct. You will have a smile on your face for most of this movie's running time (provided you have an inkling of a sense of humor - some people out there don't, it seems). Everything from the clothing choices of the goons, to the acting, to the effects, to the plot points and pretty much everything is totally winning, and the icing on the cake are some priceless bits of dialogue, none of which we'll spoil for you here. This movie is just a great take on the revenge movie, showing it can be done in a less-than-serious fashion. Take Mongo and his illegal barn of drugs. He looks like a cross between Richard Moll and Jesse Ventura. And when he really gets mad, he has some special headgear that will inspire some major fear.
Troma released this movie as They Call Me Macho Woman, and then AIP re-released it as Savage Instinct. Judging by the box art and typeface font, they certainly weren't trying to capitalize on Basic Instinct. No sirree. But I'll take this movie any day of the week. Debra Sweaney deserves the fame Sharon Stone has. Life's not fair I tell ya. (It should be noted that the woman on the box is not Sweaney, but a cover model that has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie). But Savage Instinct is just further proof that writer/producer/director Patrick Donahue is an underrated genius. His first movie, Kill Squad (1982) is a Comeuppance Reviews favorite and is totally great. Savage Instinct is his second movie - although there was a nine year gap in between them. These two titles as your first two movies is impressive, but it seems his output after that is hard to get ahold of. We just want to tell the world we're fans of his work, at least his first two films. His son Sean has been involved in his father's work from the beginning, as well as many other productions (including Omega Cop, 1990) - but here, as Terk, the guy with the open-necked ballerina-like shirt and the classic Rachel Bolan-style earring-connected-to-nose-ring-by-a-chain, he really shines.
Savage Instinct represents the goofier end of the action/revenge movie. We recommend it.
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
Troma released this movie as They Call Me Macho Woman, and then AIP re-released it as Savage Instinct. Judging by the box art and typeface font, they certainly weren't trying to capitalize on Basic Instinct. No sirree. But I'll take this movie any day of the week. Debra Sweaney deserves the fame Sharon Stone has. Life's not fair I tell ya. (It should be noted that the woman on the box is not Sweaney, but a cover model that has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie). But Savage Instinct is just further proof that writer/producer/director Patrick Donahue is an underrated genius. His first movie, Kill Squad (1982) is a Comeuppance Reviews favorite and is totally great. Savage Instinct is his second movie - although there was a nine year gap in between them. These two titles as your first two movies is impressive, but it seems his output after that is hard to get ahold of. We just want to tell the world we're fans of his work, at least his first two films. His son Sean has been involved in his father's work from the beginning, as well as many other productions (including Omega Cop, 1990) - but here, as Terk, the guy with the open-necked ballerina-like shirt and the classic Rachel Bolan-style earring-connected-to-nose-ring-by-a-chain, he really shines.
Savage Instinct represents the goofier end of the action/revenge movie. We recommend it.
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
The weirdest and crappiest movie I´ve seen in my life
moviefan-8525 February 2004
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie by accident from old vhs tape. I think everybody should watch this movie and they would get new perspective "what is a bad movie" The story makes no sense. There is no charecter development. We dont even know who the hell is our leading female hero. We dont know a sh*t about the. (WARNING: SOME MINOR SPOILERS) We just know that the bad guys are cocaine dealers and believe they have a lot of cocaine. ´Gangs leader is huge skinhead look alike guy who executes people with SM type unicorn device on head, very strange!!! So they want to kill her for trespassing in their turf. But all the crap comes when she starts killing them with the whip, axes, and using other sharp objects ( and booby traps) She is dressed up like amazon woman. She just turns from the victim to killer in a second, thats very strange. She kills chinese guy by throwing spikes in his eyes, so you pretty well know what kind a movie is this. I liked independent film feeling in this but it isnit much. This movie is hilarious and that is the strenght of the movie. Watch it and laugh at it!
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