A WOMAN’S TORMENT (1977) ** ½

A philandering psychiatrist (Jake Teague) is balling his wife's best friend (Crystal Sync).  As a favor, she asks him to examine her nutty sister (Tara Chung) who she keeps locked in the attic.  It’s not long before the loon takes off to an abandoned beach house where she murders several people who are stupid enough to enter the house. 

A Woman’s Torment starts out great.  Teague bangs his wife (Jennifer Jordan) and finishes before she even gets a chance to orgasm.  Frustrated, she yells, "We didn't make love.  You masturbated inside of me!"  Since this was directed by one of the all-time great sleaze legends, Roberta (Tenement) Findlay, I thought this was going to be something special.  As it turns out, it was extremely hit-or-miss.  However, there are plenty of gory and/or lurid moments along the way.

I liked the scene where Chung seduces and kills a workman.  (She stabs him just as he’s about to cum.)  The stop-motion shots of a couple falling over after being murdered are pretty cool too.  I could’ve done without the extended sequence where Chung is pestered by an extremely annoying nosy neighbor though.

A Woman’s Torment is in some ways reminiscent of Demented and Lady Stay Dead.  Findlay gives everything an appropriately grungy feel.  I can’t say it’s one of her best movies, but it has the twisted hallmarks of her signature works.  She also takes enormous pride in making the sex scenes as unsexy as possible (which is to be expected I guess when most of the participants wind up slashed to ribbons almost immediately afterwards).  If you’re a Findlay fan (like me), I’m certain you’ll derive some enjoyment out of it., despite its uneven nature.  

I do have to call Findlay out on the blatant faked male orgasm scene.  I mean the guy is clearly squeezing a squirt bottle filled with lotion instead of shooting actual jizz.  That unfortunate bit of business aside, A Woman’s Torment is a decent enough slasher porno.