The amusing "Alley Cat" is a watchable low budget variation on the time honoured "Death Wish" premise with a female lead. It never really catches fire, but it remains a mild diversion anyway - a crude, formulaic, sleazy, cheesy diversion that does deliver some of the requirements of the exploitation genre.Karin Mani stars as Billie, a young woman living with her grandparents who works herself into a righteous fury when the old folk are targeted by criminal scum. The grandmother is fatally stabbed during a mugging and Billie becomes consumed with the idea of revenge. She meets cute with a nice guy cop named Johnny (Robert Torti) who indulges in some of his own vigilante tactics.Mani's clearly got what it takes when it comes to the ass kicking department, but in general isn't terribly appealing; Torti scores more strongly in terms of likability. (However, Mani looks so good sans clothes that it's doubtful many people are going to care that much.) Much of the acting is amateurish yet entertaining. Lovely Britt Helfer has a memorable bit as a hooker whom Johnny intimidates into giving up information. Both Jon Greene and Michael Wayne have fun roles as a jerk cop and the prime antagonist of the piece, respectively. Wayne, who sports a scar and is thus named "Scarface", is actually named Krug in the movie, which will amuse any fan of "The Last House on the Left".There's enough nudity to keep people happy as well as the required shower scene since a plot twist has Billie sent to prison (there's a message in here about the complete unfairness of an incompetent judicial system). One of the cons also makes lesbian overtures towards Billie. The fight scenes aren't the most slickly staged but are basically enjoyable. And the silly music score is just icing on this cake.It's easy to see why this might be somewhat obscure for its genre but if you're a die hard addict of trash cinema you could certainly do a lot worse.Seven out of 10.

Doing a little research on this movie, I uncovered evidence that this was a troubled production, with both multiple directors and a temporary shutdown in the middle of shooting. The behind the scenes turmoil ended up on screen. The story is kind of a mess. There are characters that disappear for long periods of time (or disappear with no explanation.) There are scenes that seem to provide no real purpose except maybe to make sure the movie gets to an acceptable running time (though it's only 82 minutes long.) But even if there hadn't been problems behind the scenes, there would still be some big problems with the movie. Karin Mani looks nice, but she simply cannot act very well, and her martial art sequences are not the least bit exciting or well choreographed. In the end, what we have here is a movie that had great trash potential but will not satisfy even the most forgiving B movie fan.

Karin Mani stars in "Alley Cat", and is absolutely the only reason to see this somewhat rare exploitation female revenge flick. She stalks and attacks several scum types who mugged her grandparents. Everyone else, including Mani's love interest cop, the generic hoods, and incompetent judge, are easily forgettable. In the beginning there is some surprising sexual humor that helps, but technically the film is too dark in many places, and the acting by all is far from even marginal. Enjoy a pair of totally gratuitous shower scenes, and that's about it for "Alley Cat". In the end, all that really counts is Karin Mani and her sexy overbite. - MERK

This entertainingly tacky'n'trashy distaff "Death Wish" copy stars the exceptionally gorgeous and well-endowed brunette hottie supreme Karin Mani as Billie Clark, a top-notch martial arts fighter and one woman wrecking crew who opens up a gigantic ten gallon drum of ferocious chopsocky whup-a** on assorted no-count scuzzy muggers, rapists, drug dealers and street gang members after some nasty low-life criminals attack her beloved grand parents. The stunningly voluptuous Ms. Mani sinks her teeth into her feisty butt-stomping tough chick part with winningly spunky aplomb, beating jerky guys up with infectious glee and baring her smoking hot bod in a few utterly gratuitous, but much-appreciated nude scenes. Unfortunately, Mani possesses an extremely irritating chewing-on-marbles harsh and grating voice that's sheer murder on the ears (my favorite moment concerning Mani's dubious delivery of her dialogue occurs when she quips "Don't mess with girls in the park; that's not nice!" after clobbering a few detestable hooligans. The delectable Karin's sole subsequent film role was in "Avenging Angel," in which she does a truly eye-popping full-frontal nude scene, but doesn't have any lines.) The film's single most sensationally sleazy sequence transpires when Mani gets briefly incarcerated on a contempt of court charge and shows her considerably substantial stuff in a group prison shower scene. Of course, Mani's lascivious lesbian cell mate tries to seduce her only to have her unwanted advances rebuffed with a severe beatdown! Strangely enough, the lesbian forgives Mani and becomes her best buddy while she's behind bars. Given an extra galvanizing shot in the vigorously rough'n'ready arm by Edward Victor's punchy direction, a funky-rockin' score, endearingly crummy acting by a game (if lame) cast, a constant snappy pace, numerous pull-out-all-the-stops exciting fight scenes, and Howard Anderson III's gritty photography, this immensely enjoyable down'n'dirty exploitation swill is essential viewing for hardcore fans of blithely low-grade low-budget grindhouse cinema junk.