The premise of Mood Pictures' release The Experiment is an interesting study in group dynamics; specifically, is a person less humanitarian when part of a larger group? Mood Pictures thinks so. They witnessed first-hand how blood thirsty a person can be when that individual thinks she will be absolved of guilt for whipping another human being as a form of authoritarian punishment. So, it stands to reason that a person would be even more bloodthirsty if they were hidden within a group – "Everybody else is letting her be whipped, so I will, too." To test this theory of "group brutality", Mood selected twelve individuals to act as a jury that would control the number of strokes given to a convict for various crimes. Each juror would be permitted to press a button when he or she thought the convict had been beaten enough as punishment for the particular crime. Once seven out of the twelve jurors had pushed the button, the beating would stop and the criminal would be released.
After the twelve jurors are informed that they are taking part in a government-sponsored experiment in a new form of corporal punishment, they are led through the holding cell where four female prisoners are jailed. The jury is permitted to observe the convicts but not to interact with them. Nonetheless, several make comments - one girl in particular - as they pass by. Next, they are shown the apparatus to which the prisoners will be bound, then they are allowed to handle the whip, and then they are led to the jury box where they are instructed in the use of the voting buttons.
Now the fun begins.
First up is Nicole, a Mood Pictures veteran seen in The Prison Punishment Show and its sequel Revenge of the Laughing Girl. She's blessed with great skin, ample cleavage, and the longest nipples I've ever seen (and I've seen my share). The jury is told that she's been convicted of petty theft, a minor offense, and has been selected to receive corporal punishment in exchange for early release. She's stripped and bound to the frame, arms wide apart, ready to receive her lashes.
During her whipping, the camera pans across the jury so that we can see their reactions to the action on the stage. A number of the female jurors are shaken by the exhibition and are notably concerned about what's happening, while one seems to be enjoying the show. I'll call her "Necklace Girl", because she's rocking some stylish jewelry, seen here during her examination of the whipping post.
She seems really excited about this experiment and is very enthusiastic about the equipment and the process. During the interview, she even admits that she enjoyed watching the convicts get whipped. This is one gal I'd love to see on one end of the whip or the other. Maybe Mood Pictures should consider a sequel with her as the star. After all, she has a nice body and the right attitude. How'd you like to be the poor soul stripped and bound to a whipping post with her holding the whip? Or maybe you'd prefer to see her stripped and subjected to a good flogging herself? It could be delectable. Might even be good material for a sequel.
Next up is Roxana, another Mood Pictures veteran from The Prison Punishment Show and its sequel Revenge of the Laughing Girl. She has an insanely high pain threshold and one of the best bodies Mood has ever whipped. She's a woman of incredible talents, and her reward, after the jury is told that she tortured animals, is to receive the worst beating out of the four convicts. In fact, Necklace Girl even chastises two of the jurors for voting to end the whipping too soon!
I have to give credit to Roxana for holding up to the abuse she receives. This is a woman who can really take a beating, and that takes an incredible amount of strength. Her body looks downright scalding after her whipping is done, and I'm surprised she didn't vomit or pass out as a result. I won't tell you how many strokes she receives because I don't want to spoil the suspense of her scene. It's pretty intense. Like, really, really intense.
Naomi is the next convict to be whipped. She's been convicted of grand theft, the jury is told before she's stripped and bound to the whipping post, and she will receive as many lashes as the jury would like to give her.
I like Naomi. She has that haughty, snobby Resting Bitch Face that you would love to see covered in tears and sperm. And she has the body to match. With that face and that body, you just know this is going to be a good scene, and it doesn't disappoint. Mood definitely found a good talent with her. She has a great backside for taking the whip and she trembles in all the right places.
Remember that Resting Bitch Face attitude she had earlier? Not so haughty now, are we?
That is a face full of terror. By the end of her ordeal, she's left completely shattered, unable to stand under her own strength.
Next comes a newcomer, Nessy, who looks extremely Eastern bloc, which is a shame because she puts on quite a good performance under the lash. Her skin marks quickly and vividly. No wonder the tattoo artists clamored for her to get inked. Unless you're into tat'd up Eastern bloc women, or just like to watch any woman scream and twist and fight the bonds holding her to a whipping post, you can pretty much skip past this part because Nicole, Roxana, and Naomi perform so well on their own that you won't even miss Nessy's part. But, she's in the film so I feel obligated to include at least one picture of her, so here you go, you bloodthirsty savages.
After the whippings are completed, we're treated to a backstage interview with the girls as they're treated for their wounds in the Mood Pictures infirmary. Nicole confesses that she vomited twice after her whipping, and feels like she could vomit again. The other girls, too, feel nauseous after their abuse. Naomi, who got off with the fewest lashes, is the only one who doesn't seem to be in shock. If there's one thing I'll say for Mood Pictures, they require a true dedication by their performers to the film.
Overall, I liked the movie. There was a good set-up and premise to what was going on. Still, I can't help but compare it to the excellent Milgram Experiment series, and in that comparison, the "Milgram" series still reigns supreme in terms of psychological horror and sexual fantasy. There needed to be more of a connection between the jurors and the convicts, and the jurors and us viewers, to build the familiarity that we saw in the "Milgram" films and the drama that goes along with that sort of emotional investment. But it just wasn't there in this film.
Tippy makes a good judicial punishment director, but Mya, as the "medical tech", is a waste of talent (a stethoscope and a properly-fitted lab coat would've made her role more believable). I'm also suspicious that maybe Necklace Girl was a plant by the producers to help coerce the other jurors to let the whippings continue. She certainly was willing to launch a tirade during Roxana's punishment. A natural sequel, if there is one, would be to have Necklace Girl get arrested for crimes against humanity and be subjected to the same corporal punishment she so deliciously permitted on the other girls. And Tippy could get thrown in the slammer as well, for her role in running the operation. Those two alone would be enough to carry a movie.
Still, these are minor quibbles. This is a good movie and definitely worth adding to your whipping film library. Naomi's sequence alone is worth the price of admission.
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