Ginger (1971)

"You like white ass, don't you Jimmy." - Ginger

A young lady goes undercover to bring down drug dealers in her town.
Starring: Cheri Caffaro, Duane Tucker, Jason Varone, Casey Donovan

Link to IMDB

A private detective agency in New Jersey have been failing at their attempts to stop the drugs and prostitution that is ruining their community, and the police aren't faring much better. Enter Ginger. She's a smart and fearless young woman that asks to work for the detectives as an undercover agent. Ginger may be inexperienced but she's eager to clean the streets and kick some ass. Desperate for new ideas the agency hires her, and equips her with a briefcase full of spy equipment.

Next, we meet Rex. He's the main thug in town, and with the local politicians paid off he can easily profit from the drugs and hookers under his control. Rex seems like a real sleazy goofball, but apparently he's a criminal mastermind that the cops can't catch.
Ginger is busy with her undercover spy work, trying to get the names of these drug dealers, and it's not long before she's tracked them to a local bar. She sets her sights on Rex's right hand man, Rodney, and begins to gain his trust by using her seduction skills.

Liz: "You stuck-up bitch."

Ginger: "Right at home among stuck-up bitches."

Rex

Ginger has to defend herself from hitmen trying to kill her and wild ladies looking for a fight, but she does make friends with Cathy and promises to rescue her from prostitution in exchange for info on Rex's operations... And then she sleeps with Cathy. That's right, this is a real gritty exploitation movie that delivers awkward sex and haphazard violence at random.
The story drags along quite slow as Ginger searches for more evidence, but despite the plot dying it's still oddly captivating on some demented level. There's enough happening to keep a sense of danger as Ginger gets deeper into the world of crime and deals with her own personal demons. Even though she's proven to be a badass, Ginger is not prepared for what Rex has planned for her! It gets rather weird near the end, and that's saying something because it's already been a pretty far out experience.

The tone is quite dark and serious, but there are laughs to find at the reckless absurdity and lack of talent. Cheri Caffaro isn't much of an actor, but she does have a great onscreen presence with an aura of coolness and sexual power that makes her a lot of fun.
The exploitation aesthetics can get a bit rough, as the movie brutally shows the ugliness of prostitution. Even Ginger's use of violence and sex to get what she wants is surprising, but since she's the heroine it's cathartic for her. If you're familiar with the genre, all the classic dirt you'd expect is here, but the trashy elements often overshadow the very thin plot.

Rodney's interrogation also gets weird !

Be sure not to miss:
- The ending. I've never seen anything quite like it.
- Tracey Walter's first movie, with a small cameo.
- This is just the first movie in the Ginger Trilogy. Hooray!

Internet review:
"Absolutely no redeeming social value. And I enjoyed every minute of it!" - BaronBl00d

Should I watch it?
Fans of exploitation will enjoy it, but few others will.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Ginger gets...