Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		1.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

Lust for Freedom Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 11, 2023

1987’s “Lust for Freedom” marks the directorial debut for Eric Louzil, a B-movie man who would go on to help stock video store shelves with “Fortress of Amerikkka,” “Bikini Beach Race,” and “Class of Nuke ‘Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown.” Louzil isn’t one to pay close attention to the fine details of filmmaking, and he comes right out of the gate with a blunt instrument of entertainment with “Lust for Freedom.” It’s a women in prison picture, following a grand tradition of exploitation entertainment, only Louzil doesn’t have a big imagination for revulsion and revenge. He mostly stumbles through this tedious endeavor, receiving help from Troma Entertainment, who worked to bring the effort up to a sellable run time, giving the feature plenty of padding, which does little to make an already listless production exciting.

Gillian (Melanie Coll) has suffered greatly, with the cop losing her partner and future husband in an undercover operation, leaving the woman alone with her dire thoughts. Electing to try to clear her mind, Gillian drives into the middle of nowhere on the hunt for inner peace, only to encounter a screaming stranger running out of the hills. The panicked woman is looking for help, but she’s soon taken away by armed strangers, leaving Gillian confused and confronted by Sheriff Coale (William J. Kulzer), who asks the visitor to return to the police station for questioning. However, instead of offering her witness statement, Gillian is drugged by Coale, waking up inside a women’s correctional facility, where she joins others who’ve been framed for crimes. Realizing she’s in danger and prepped for trafficking purposes, Gillian uses her police training to defend herself against aggressors, and her detective training to understand what Coale’s up to, joined by community creeps who take advantage of their power.

Gillian’s horror story serves as the opening of “Lust for Freedom,” with the undercover cop working alongside her fiancé, watching the pair try to bring down a drug trafficking organization with help from two bumbling officers. The plan goes south in a hurry, triggering a shootout, which gives Louzil his first opportunity to prove himself with action. He doesn’t have much to offer, with even basic spatial relationships confounding the helmer. Gillian is left with a dead lover and no future she can think of, while the character is tasked with providing narration throughout the entire movie, which is likely one of many Troma-inspired additions as they scramble to do something with Louzil’s initial version of the feature.

Gillian’s heartbreak takes her into a phantom zone called Georgia County, which is located somewhere near in the Mexico border in California, despite the characters looking as though they were raised in the southeastern part of the country. The ex-cop is duped by Coale, framed for drug trafficking and soon finding herself trapped behind bars, joining others with the same story. It’s a world of humiliation and violence, keeping up with subgenre demands, with prison official Ms. Pusker (Judi Trevor) offering little interest in the safety of the inmates, leaving ruffian Vicky (Elisabeth Carlisle) to terrorize Gillian. And the men of the system are simply here to exploit everyone, serving up women to pimps and snuff pornography.

There’s plenty of ugliness in “Lust for Freedom,” with Louzil/Troma lovingly detailing sexual assaults and torture (a lesbian encounter is here to warm things up). A story doesn’t take shape, with Gillian experiencing an episodic prison stint, while wonky editing tries to form supporting characters and panic among prison officials. Perhaps the most baffling addition to the tale is Gillian’s growing concern for Sheriff Coale, trying to find the goodness in a man who framed her for a crime she didn’t commit, drugged her, and sent her to prison where she’s prepped for sale. Perhaps Coale isn’t really an angel down deep, but “Lust for Freedom” looks to add some emotionality with this idea, which ultimately fails.

Lust for Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation represents a typical Troma Entertainment Blu-ray release. It's a grainer feature, shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm for theatrical presentation, but a film-like viewing experience isn't offered here. Encoding is rough and grain looks blocky, lacking a natural screen presence. Detail is missing, with no sense of skin particulars and costuming. Jail interiors aren't defined, while exteriors lose expected dimension. Color is acceptable, maintaining the gray and white world of prison life, while dresses and signage offer a bit more primary pop. Skin tones are within the realm of natural. Source shows wear and tear, with scratches detected and rough reel changes.

Lust for Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital mix doesn't have sharpness, and there are elements of age restraining the track as well. Dialogue exchanges are adequate at best, dealing with inherent production limitations. Scoring and soundtrack selections support with a more muted presence in the mix, lacking heavy metal fury.

Lust for Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (1:01, HD) finds Troma Entertainment honcho Lloyd Kaufman offering a message of solidarity with Ukraine the only way he can: by having the Toxic Avenger attack a Russian tank.

• Commentary features co-writer/director Eric Louzil.

• Original DVD Intro (1:14, SD) takes viewers to a minimum security prison in Danbury, Connecticut, where Lloyd Kaufman infiltrates a party breaking out behind bars, pointing out prisoners and commenting on the criminal justice system.

• Interview (10:40, SD) catches up with Lloyd Kaufman at lunch, where he recalls Troma's involvement with "Lust for Freedom," with the company taking control of Eric Louzil's film, reshooting parts of the picture to make it more of a "feminist" action endeavor. Memories of Louzil are shared, and Kaufman tracks the decline of Troma's theatrical distribution capabilities, still working to provide communal viewing experiences to the best of his ability. Some information on "Lust for Freedom" is shared, with the interviewee discussing music choices, profitability, and Louzil's professional limitations.

• "Mercedes: The Tromette" (1:15, SD) is a brief clip of the "Honor Killing" filmmaker as she promotes the Troma brand with some nudity and exploitation cinema worship.

• "Words of Inspiration from Eli Roth" (:39, SD) offers encouragement from the "Hostel" director, who urges future filmmakers to put their energy into their moviemaking passion.

• "The Radiation March" (:53, SD) is a short dance piece and ecological statement from Troma Entertainment.

• "Troma Now!" (1:00, SD) is a commercial for the company's streaming service.

• A Theatrical Trailer is not included on this release.

Lust for Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Lust for Freedom" eventually shoos away any plot to stage a wrestling match in the final act, which helps to add footage to the feature, but doesn't offer entertainment value. Gillian's rise to revolution is only reserved for the final ten minutes of the movie, and there's not much to the resistance, with Louzil arranging basic gunplay and chases, suddenly interested in the woman's move to power. "Lust for Freedom" doesn't have much money to do anything but avoid expensive mayhem, which would be fine in a picture more attentive to the toxic ways of prison life and the vile scheming of the crime bosses. Instead, the effort offers a loose appreciation of corruption, a lengthy study of suffering, and a weak presentation of revenge, with Louzil/Troma missing the primal appeal of these endeavors.