Gator Bait (1973)

"Untamed and deadly, she ruled the swamp with a BLAZING GUN and a LUSCIOUS SMILE."

Louisiana's steaming bayous hide countless secrets in their murky, snake-infested swamps. One is the beautiful Desiree, whose animal magnetism drives men wild! Former "Playmate of the Year" Claudia Jennings is Desiree, and untamed Cajun poacher as savage as the alligators she traps. The corrupt sheriff wants her in jail, but his depraved kin have more lustful plans. Will they get her first? Will the sheriff? Or will Desiree get them all? The backwoods explode in shotgun blasts and the roar of dueling speedboats until even the 'gators hide in this action packed tale that's as wild as the swamp it was filmed in.

"Half Animal.. All Woman"

That crock of shit is written on the back of the original VHS sleeve. This movie is straight gutter trash. It was awful, but it has its ups and downs. Its decent enough to watch for multiple viewings. Its like I Spit on Your Grave with alligators and a former Playmate of the Year. This chick is sexy, she is the highlight of the movie.

Desiree lives deep in the swamp and supports herself and her siblings by poaching. Ben and deputy Billy hope to get a little sexual comfort from the "Cajun swamp rat" when they catch Desiree trapping 'gators, and give chase. Desiree outsmarts them but Billy accidentally shoots Ben and tells his sheriff dad that Desiree did it. Ben's dad and sons join them in the search party and quickly get out of control. Soon the hunters become the hunted as Desiree exacts her revenge for their violence against her family. It's no secret that ‘Gator Bait is cheese.

Everything about the film is ugly – especially those damn actors. Some of these guys are so ugly that sometimes it's hard to believe that they're real people. But despite this, they make for an effective team of angry (and excessively horny) rednecks, and the way that they get picked off one by one by this country girl not only provides an ironic bit of an interesting story, but also illustrates the extent of their collective stupidity. In the final shot of the film, with Pa standing in the swamp, the camera tilts slowly down to his reflection on the water, providing an unexpected hint toward meaningful direction. But for the most part, this is garbage. You just can't take something like this seriously at all.

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