House of Women

In the tradition of its femmes-behind-bars forerunners, this remake of the Warner Bros. genre landmark Caged is reform-minded in its story and spiked with provocatively pitched elements (including a doozy of a catfight riot). "Secrets of the Cells! Innocents Thrown in with Female Bully-Boys!" shouted movie ads. Erica (Shirley Knight) is one of the innocents, pregnant and unjustly locked up for a five-year stint. She gives birth, her child is ultimately taken from her and she uses her wiles to win favor with the warden (Andrew Duggan). Eager to continue the tryst, he denies her parole -- a decision that destroys Erica's reunion with her child and escalates into events that drive the so-called weaker sex to lash out. Payback is in the House!

• drama