tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56522347297441683642024-03-18T18:40:49.209+11:00Cult Movie ReviewsHorror, sci-fi, exploitation, erotica, B-movies, art-house films. Vampires, sex, monsters, all the fun stuff.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comBlogger1855125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-48222430833963005402024-03-17T17:26:00.000+11:002024-03-17T17:26:33.022+11:00Cool It, Carol! (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccQo1JTeNBhtjWuUxJsvwOw-ZpLmjWgigjd0Z6_0RJbIe-rRdwhO6die-3GFr78BR5UEHcU7qlhZJtUG4YZGzVOT1sSWtIIl22bK0skDKnERbrGZ1OwArrzUDhwDgM1xcxJwzWjtlTcd00dnkIej08T46HSoQZqLc9BT8ERQ50mXwLSvxKrl2MFTuCjc/s576/Cool%20It%20Carol1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccQo1JTeNBhtjWuUxJsvwOw-ZpLmjWgigjd0Z6_0RJbIe-rRdwhO6die-3GFr78BR5UEHcU7qlhZJtUG4YZGzVOT1sSWtIIl22bK0skDKnERbrGZ1OwArrzUDhwDgM1xcxJwzWjtlTcd00dnkIej08T46HSoQZqLc9BT8ERQ50mXwLSvxKrl2MFTuCjc/s320/Cool%20It%20Carol1.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>Pete Walker made a brief splash as a director of British horror films in the 70s but prior to that he had made a number of sexploitation movies. The last of them was <i>Cool It, Carol!</i> (released in the US as <i>Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met</i>) in 1970.<br /><br />The basic plot is a very old story indeed. An innocent young girl from the country goes to the big city (in this case London) in search of fame and fortune and doesn’t find exactly what she hoped to find. In this movie she’s accompanied by a young man who also has dreams of making his fortune in London. These were old old clichés even in1970 but this movie adds some really intriguing spins. This is a movie that consistently avoids going in the direction you expect.<br /><br />We start off in a typical small English village. The young man is butcher’s apprentice Joe (Robin Askwith). His fantasy is to work in a fancy car dealership in London, selling sports cars. The young woman is Carol (Janet Lynn). She pumps petrol in the local garage. She dreams of fame and glamour.<br /><br />Joe is not exactly her boyfriend. They’re friends and maybe there’s some romantic attraction but it hasn’t gone very far. That all changes on the train to London when Carol seduces Joe.<br /><br />Joe finds that you don’t just walk into a job in an exclusive luxury car dealership. You need to have the right qualifications. Mostly you need to have gone to the right school and you need the right upper-class accent.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ECF6rYQCa2l66Dc8UMhruvhonPgudKSa0g1DvA3CWrf1rUhM2Y7bVnkkN4IDLipAKxKOOuRIxzCrwoSrZugqCtSl9Z7BE1vV-ba4L3h55Pf_zT_CSOXI9XuL5LQXOkVKyJ40qy4_ospKEE1pV0_3waULTtY2NpYiZB7u92LR9OuYyRsRb0Ell9Tehhc/s749/CoolItCarol0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="749" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ECF6rYQCa2l66Dc8UMhruvhonPgudKSa0g1DvA3CWrf1rUhM2Y7bVnkkN4IDLipAKxKOOuRIxzCrwoSrZugqCtSl9Z7BE1vV-ba4L3h55Pf_zT_CSOXI9XuL5LQXOkVKyJ40qy4_ospKEE1pV0_3waULTtY2NpYiZB7u92LR9OuYyRsRb0Ell9Tehhc/w400-h240/CoolItCarol0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Carol has more luck. She has real prospects of landing a modelling job. In the meantime they’re flat broke. Carol and Joe are rather pragmatic. The easiest way to get some quick cash would be for Carol to turn a few tricks. Which she does. She doesn’t particularly like doing it but she doesn’t really mind it and at least they now have money for food.<br /><br />Various opportunities open up for Carol. She gets modelling work, including nude modelling. She appears in a hardcore sex film (with Joe as her co-star). She becomes a highly paid call girl. The money is now rolling in.<br /><br />Of course you know what’s going to happen. It’s all going to turn into a nightmare for Carol and she’ll end up in the pit of degradation and despair. But that’s not what happens. I won’t tell you exactly what does happen but it’s an example of Walker’s determination in this film to avoid the obvious.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCNLTzKIQ_rtqKx0cJcA-bbShazVSmGOSEIV-QLbLLZAkUgJ92e2fJ15MBCcGGKyb8cNdwgj5ZkuwlQegcs5k-Z_eBeMoKam2Oe5bjN7ZXd44H4H8ldEz2IKVj-hsyXXRes4FkF_9SCZ_CAXUw1VOh7sibC1EYhM_j1HKQw8Ue9Buvq8yeCgND3NoCPo/s749/CoolItCarol1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="749" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCNLTzKIQ_rtqKx0cJcA-bbShazVSmGOSEIV-QLbLLZAkUgJ92e2fJ15MBCcGGKyb8cNdwgj5ZkuwlQegcs5k-Z_eBeMoKam2Oe5bjN7ZXd44H4H8ldEz2IKVj-hsyXXRes4FkF_9SCZ_CAXUw1VOh7sibC1EYhM_j1HKQw8Ue9Buvq8yeCgND3NoCPo/w400-h240/CoolItCarol1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Around 1970 film censorship in Britain was finally starting to loosen up just a little but it was still necessary to tread very carefully. As a result this movie is fairly tame. There’s a small amount of nudity (including a brief flash of frontal nudity). There are some fairly non-graphic simulated sex scenes. Compared to British movies made just a year or two later it qualifies as very tame.<br /><br />In the late 60s there were a number of British films that form a sub-genre we could call sexploitation misery. They’re like the incredibly depressing British kitchen sink dramas of the early to mid 60s with the addition of a very small amount of nudity but with the same message of utter despair. Their message is that having sex only leads to unhappiness so you might as well just throw yourself in front of a bus now and get it over with. <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/her-private-hell-1968.html" target="_blank">Her Private Hell</a> (1968) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/03/permissive-1970.html" target="_blank">Permissive</a> (1970) are excellent examples. <i>Cool It, Carol!</i> definitely does not belong in that sub-genre. It’s not in the least judgmental and it’s not interested in guilt or misery.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLNHBXPhz-1sHk9XUq865pHOY8kD2Co8XhDouWt_65oUGIaLNw7-bTppHxjrVwdqW6xRYu-YlV9mZoCgTbyPhOZsPvzFEXnPsTXdGvLM9keFrvS_B5rdXzfT7gbKdnLcZNh312_U_LOwk3u2DZixRqPM3jk7J32HMLiaT_YeUmKnv-FFXa7P7Hr_gZJ4/s749/CoolItCarol2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="749" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLNHBXPhz-1sHk9XUq865pHOY8kD2Co8XhDouWt_65oUGIaLNw7-bTppHxjrVwdqW6xRYu-YlV9mZoCgTbyPhOZsPvzFEXnPsTXdGvLM9keFrvS_B5rdXzfT7gbKdnLcZNh312_U_LOwk3u2DZixRqPM3jk7J32HMLiaT_YeUmKnv-FFXa7P7Hr_gZJ4/w400-h240/CoolItCarol2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It also does not fit into the classic early to mid 70s British sex comedy genre. It does have some very funny moments but it’s not the broad humour we associate with British sex comedies. There is no slapstick. <i>Cool It, Carol!</i> is a million miles away in feel from <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/confessions-of-window-cleaner-1974.html" target="_blank">Confessions of a Window Cleaner</a>. This is subtler more sophisticated humour.<br /><br />If you only know Robin Askwith from the Confessions movies you’re in for a shock. He is very funny at times here but it’s a semi-comic performance with some moments that require serious acting, which he handles with surprising skill.<br /><br />Janet Lynn is terrific. She avoids all the acting clichés you expect given the basic plot outline. She plays Carol as a girl totally lacking in self-pity. She is not a tragic character. Sometimes bad things happen to her but she shrugs her shoulders and moves on.<br /><br />This movie is a succession of surprises. I’m not talking about clever plot twists but rather surprises in terms of the characters. There’s not a single character in the movie who is merely a stock character type or a mere stereotype. Characters are introduced and we think they’re going to be stereotypical but they turn out not to be. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfebE-QyJYCRI3UBr-aKh-oywfLS7-tGnDzk9T9ofywaYdNCODkJEpDWux7uH0giwxe6EsdC0dlQ0B4UGNsDZRyhuPPRzHexGCIAP2E143c6YeIjcrR_px4NARqnOFwVWpE5l42-RcUaP0ETBTe9qrQxwcpMotnawANYeOkxl2y201GgXFfZ0U4sC8HA/s749/CoolItCarol4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="749" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfebE-QyJYCRI3UBr-aKh-oywfLS7-tGnDzk9T9ofywaYdNCODkJEpDWux7uH0giwxe6EsdC0dlQ0B4UGNsDZRyhuPPRzHexGCIAP2E143c6YeIjcrR_px4NARqnOFwVWpE5l42-RcUaP0ETBTe9qrQxwcpMotnawANYeOkxl2y201GgXFfZ0U4sC8HA/w400-h240/CoolItCarol4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There is for example the guy who makes the hardcore movies in which Carol appears, and the pimp whom they encounter. We assume they’re going to be the sleazy villains of the piece, corrupting Carol, but they aren’t really. They don’t use blackmail or threats to induce her to do anything (at no time in the entire movie is Carol forced to do anything). They offer her certain amounts of money and they pay her. They might seem a bit sleazy but they deal fairly with her. That’s not what you expect in this genre.<br /><br />The two main characters are exceptionally interesting. They’re innocent by big city standards, but they’re not babes in the wood. Carol isn’t an innocent virgin. Right from the start she has a totally relaxed attitude towards sex. It just isn’t that big a deal for her. She doesn’t feel degraded or exploited being a prostitute or doing a hardcore film. It’s just sex. Joe acts as her pimp but he doesn’t exploit her. They’re not madly in love with each other but they are fond of each other. They are not corrupted by anything that happens to them. They started out as nice young kids and they remain nice young kids.<br /><br />This was an incredibly radical approach for a British sex film to take in 1970. It’s almost as if sex is just a normal part of life rather than being wrong and dirty.<br /><br />The first thing you notice about the 88 Films Blu-Ray transfer is that it’s slightly grainy. Whoever was responsible for the restoration had enough sense to realise that the grain is supposed to be there. It adds to the atmosphere. The Blu-Ray is packed with extras. <i>Cool It, Carol!</i> is very highly recommended.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-52198027861829435312024-03-15T00:24:00.001+11:002024-03-15T00:33:33.826+11:00Legend of the Witches (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLcwSeIp65L0OeCwXu_YSrLHan9eALaK_HNZKo9kPCRVLEKdW0FSJZBn3jCORyiiH0l8puPaXcReOixuWZyx2fBKt9LlKLrEHrYtyX9OaUT-RXpkUnwIpSWuwyUf4iZtl113nOFlRH8TMH03DHOLY_nT0TImoeMFhMKltMbf3dYnKDCx6ljjoY9LjD30/s737/Legend%20of%20the%20Witches4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLcwSeIp65L0OeCwXu_YSrLHan9eALaK_HNZKo9kPCRVLEKdW0FSJZBn3jCORyiiH0l8puPaXcReOixuWZyx2fBKt9LlKLrEHrYtyX9OaUT-RXpkUnwIpSWuwyUf4iZtl113nOFlRH8TMH03DHOLY_nT0TImoeMFhMKltMbf3dYnKDCx6ljjoY9LjD30/s320/Legend%20of%20the%20Witches4.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><i>Legend of the Witches</i> is an odd faux-documentary mixed with sexploitation written and directed by Malcolm Leigh and released in 1970.<br /><br />It was shot 1.33:1 and in black-and-white and clearly on a very very small budget.<br /><br />It’s an interesting mixture, with a mostly very serious tone and very portentous narration. On the whole it’s sympathetic to witchcraft. <br /><br />Witchcraft was at the time a popular subject in fiction and in movies so this film would have a certain built-in commercial appeal. <br /><br />We start with what is supposedly the witches’ creation myth. Then we go to an initiation ritual for a new witch priest. <br /><br />Then we get a kind of potted European history from the witches’ point of view, with William the Conqueror, Robin Hood and Joan of Arc all featuring as witches or involved in witchcraft.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bVs1CkJMPnfchvP2ptkg23reMkMKm6OrYwRMnPCfQs6djZ3vRnOH8EdreXIhxpV5jBDluIEtDBRh0rv0KcZfLjPKKMBfhmgH5oc3JWUGMRASpA1g5RB7syAoGEPg_HQusXZbHaMfZqL5UCIP1oMKO7N7_L6Lgp8phKNWTNQjLZjJL7aNKaO4qMzRdbk/s626/LegendOfTheWitches1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="626" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bVs1CkJMPnfchvP2ptkg23reMkMKm6OrYwRMnPCfQs6djZ3vRnOH8EdreXIhxpV5jBDluIEtDBRh0rv0KcZfLjPKKMBfhmgH5oc3JWUGMRASpA1g5RB7syAoGEPg_HQusXZbHaMfZqL5UCIP1oMKO7N7_L6Lgp8phKNWTNQjLZjJL7aNKaO4qMzRdbk/w400-h300/LegendOfTheWitches1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Next up is an account of the many survivals of pagan ritual in Christian ritual. These two historical interludes are the most interesting part of the film although one might be justified in being sceptical about their historical accuracy.<br /><br />We get a visit to a witchcraft museum in Cornwall. Plus several more re-enactments of witchcraft rituals. Finally we get some very strange not very relevant stuff about scientific ghost-hunting and scientific investigations of psychic powers. This stuff might not be relevant but it is an excuse for some appealing trippiness.<br /><br />This was 1970, with the hippie thing in full swing, and one can see signs of the mutual influence that was becoming apparent between occult groups and some branches of hippiedom.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOpPwkvFFxLqO-yashz5ZTWYg5XH2EScuvyI1JYXHNnk8PElpE-NckipKmyr5ZgQ9H-k588brc3zWqq-1SkU_s3QVCJNJk4OHMlLn9o_VbpzCtsWGsXNSGHh03n7ZdczChL8S5bbdTttZfQ5v8AU5CnJVUgr1FKPS5q9j1ZSN4sli1_Pv2iFCkyJBdDg/s626/LegendOfTheWitches2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="626" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOpPwkvFFxLqO-yashz5ZTWYg5XH2EScuvyI1JYXHNnk8PElpE-NckipKmyr5ZgQ9H-k588brc3zWqq-1SkU_s3QVCJNJk4OHMlLn9o_VbpzCtsWGsXNSGHh03n7ZdczChL8S5bbdTttZfQ5v8AU5CnJVUgr1FKPS5q9j1ZSN4sli1_Pv2iFCkyJBdDg/w400-h300/LegendOfTheWitches2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />And along the way we get prodigious amounts of male and female frontal nudity.<br /><br />The impression it all leaves is that there was an attempt being made to make a fairly serious documentary but with lots of exploitation elements to make it saleable. One assumes that the serious documentary elements were there mainly to provide a justification for lots of nudity, and presumably in the hope that this would somehow get the movie past the rigid British film censors.<br /><br />There’s a total absence of humour. That might have been a deliberate ploy to make the film seem like a serious respectable documentary.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScPUUoqSE_CiwM2tlKmbPk1S3nebMJLcfgIFtp4CbRXtf_Qfi6jeoa4-sfoqkZ-LB7D-KK5f-OQ8qXvD9oGbBMcEn4Cy3Vjb4xLY7Mtqcy5U7uqylr-SQN7v2kd3bDREpnJtO5j7QeSOCHXLGQESoaJIGGFf0MLh3TAHyyFhEoAS9bUSQ9RSvidCECM/s626/LegendOfTheWitches3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="626" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScPUUoqSE_CiwM2tlKmbPk1S3nebMJLcfgIFtp4CbRXtf_Qfi6jeoa4-sfoqkZ-LB7D-KK5f-OQ8qXvD9oGbBMcEn4Cy3Vjb4xLY7Mtqcy5U7uqylr-SQN7v2kd3bDREpnJtO5j7QeSOCHXLGQESoaJIGGFf0MLh3TAHyyFhEoAS9bUSQ9RSvidCECM/w400-h300/LegendOfTheWitches3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Alex Sanders, the most high-profile practising witch in England at the time and something of a celebrity, was involved in the making of the film. Much of the ritual shown in the film is therefore likely to be a fairly accurate representation of the practises of Sanders’ brand of Wicca.<br /><br />Being shot on a micro-budget in black-and-white turns out to be something of an asset in disguise, adding to the cinéma vérité documentary feel. Overall the film probably needed to be tightened up a bit in the editing room. A bit more liveliness wouldn’t have hurt.<br /><br />Malcolm Leigh had a brief career as a director mostly of short subjects, being best-known for his 1971 sex comedy <i>Games That Lovers Play</i> (which starred Joanna Lumley). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAIBvM12_VURfceJSwQHhA4cUyp0Y8kc97Tqrl9ZKda_bb9YPjxs8g7fSOsFzxQa5OdeYfh3lOna7qXuyH_0Lmg8jX-S1RRfoYPBt_XYd0oowR_6EGMIBpfsj0mVGc63BXJ7BwjPkZrJl7VOIP8rsz_HuyaEwQlgVfMnq0aTB3sUFnO4ZzX8i5miS5_U/s626/LegendOfTheWitches4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="626" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAIBvM12_VURfceJSwQHhA4cUyp0Y8kc97Tqrl9ZKda_bb9YPjxs8g7fSOsFzxQa5OdeYfh3lOna7qXuyH_0Lmg8jX-S1RRfoYPBt_XYd0oowR_6EGMIBpfsj0mVGc63BXJ7BwjPkZrJl7VOIP8rsz_HuyaEwQlgVfMnq0aTB3sUFnO4ZzX8i5miS5_U/w400-h300/LegendOfTheWitches4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The BFI have paired this film with a similar witchcraft faux-documentary, <i>Secret Rites</i>, in their excellent DVD/Blu-Ray combo Flipside series. The transfer is as good as can be expected considering that the movie probably didn’t look great even at the time of its initial release. There are plenty of extras although they’re a mixed bag.<br /><br /><i>Legend of the Witches</i> was typical of its time with some obvious affinities to British mondo-style films such as <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2012/10/london-in-raw-1965.html" target="_blank">London in the Raw</a> (1965) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/primitive-london-1965.html" target="_blank">Primitive London</a> (1965) but it takes itself much more seriously.<br /><br /><i>Legend of the Witches</i> is intriguing enough to be recommended.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-1913652717453015392024-03-12T17:23:00.000+11:002024-03-12T17:23:22.301+11:00Psychomania (1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXoqAaw5_OQtfS16iyNR83yr0EYa0i4ormDgBjMBWCRQczyH1hbng_-3CYmOYSS9RxaxjwKjOt97zcIUHsIqW7Avx4jlm3Zod9Ma4YfLU4roMdaSnCH8IrUdo0LEuPljVGpvILKuB__yKzbAxaBGcJe7dU4CjLEhfT2It9g7SNWD8tPE3aZDkaUrQapI/s2250/Psychomania2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXoqAaw5_OQtfS16iyNR83yr0EYa0i4ormDgBjMBWCRQczyH1hbng_-3CYmOYSS9RxaxjwKjOt97zcIUHsIqW7Avx4jlm3Zod9Ma4YfLU4roMdaSnCH8IrUdo0LEuPljVGpvILKuB__yKzbAxaBGcJe7dU4CjLEhfT2It9g7SNWD8tPE3aZDkaUrQapI/s320/Psychomania2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>Psychomania</i> is a 1973 British zombie biker movie. It’s terrible, but kind of great as well.<div><br /></div><div>It could be regarded as falling into the folk-horror genre.<br /><br />In some peaceful English town there’s a biker gang who call themselves The Living Dead. They’re really just juvenile delinquents. They’d like to be evil, but they’d get in trouble with their parents if they actually did anything evil.<br /><br />The leader of the eight-member gang is Tom Latham (Nicky Henson). His girlfriend Abby (Mary Larkin) is one of the two female members of the gang. The other is Jane (Ann Michelle) and she’d like to be leader of the gang.<br /><br />Tom really is a bit of a nutter. He’s obsessed with the idea of dying and then returning from the dead. He thinks his mother (played by Beryl Reid) and her butler Shadwell (George Sanders) know how this can be done. He thinks his father tried to do it but failed. Mrs Latham is a medium but it appears that she really can contact the dead. All Tom has to do is to convince Mrs Latham and Shadwell to reveal the secret.<br /><br />Which they decide to do. It’s probably not a great idea because Tom is already unstable but he’s going to keep annoying them until they give in to him.<br /><br />The secret is to commit suicide, but to really believe with all your heart that you’ll come back.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qTKe_YCJniir2B6sF2woGiRLqyC8G7KnHpg_Qlg9nxObpLO8pfCaE1rDZ3L45hXEiXR9rBBkXXL1j8-RaJp90Qw7ExxQlyZyaRN9yAyLZU2l-tx5-Znsddn4A12czevJb7zXmJviPKijiaPIZbPrUrphr41vlTsLPyfapesRfjhUsYfazGGnMJ7PWc/s599/PsychomaniaCap1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48qTKe_YCJniir2B6sF2woGiRLqyC8G7KnHpg_Qlg9nxObpLO8pfCaE1rDZ3L45hXEiXR9rBBkXXL1j8-RaJp90Qw7ExxQlyZyaRN9yAyLZU2l-tx5-Znsddn4A12czevJb7zXmJviPKijiaPIZbPrUrphr41vlTsLPyfapesRfjhUsYfazGGnMJ7PWc/w400-h240/PsychomaniaCap1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tom tries it and it works. He suggests that all the gang members should try it.<br /><br />Of course you can only die once. Once you’re dead you’re pretty much invulnerable. Which means that you don’t have to face any consequences for your actions. If you’re already inclined to violence you can now indulge that taste as much as you like.<br /><br />But you do have to be prepared to kill yourself first, and you do have to believe.<br /><br />Pretty soon the gang is leaving a trail of corpses in its wake.<br /><br />Chief Inspector Hesseltine (Robert Hardy) has no idea what’s going on. He eventually starts to have an inkling of the truth but the police really are powerless. Maybe the gang can be stopped, but not by the police.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7kPIUvCrdVnHWumBJdoihakeFFZufo7tCIHMlicC151gii303meFSwNFX_t_Hx52P-fteyP2qrY2LR6eI9qUFqcjt3C4GUj6TQ020xVcy4iYe_v1ez4DD0LDm1OnCPpeNoVfWkAlV4ye4lWqSTqUaZzEf12Ma79Nu4z_yRSqcLo2sIz6FutGvyHlec0/s599/PsychomaniaCap3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7kPIUvCrdVnHWumBJdoihakeFFZufo7tCIHMlicC151gii303meFSwNFX_t_Hx52P-fteyP2qrY2LR6eI9qUFqcjt3C4GUj6TQ020xVcy4iYe_v1ez4DD0LDm1OnCPpeNoVfWkAlV4ye4lWqSTqUaZzEf12Ma79Nu4z_yRSqcLo2sIz6FutGvyHlec0/w400-h240/PsychomaniaCap3a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tom likes being dead but he wants Abby to be dead with him. She thinks she’s ready to do it, but maybe it isn’t really so easy.<br /><br />If you’re expecting a zombie biker movie with typical movies zombies and lots of gore you might be disappointed. There’s no gore at all. And these zombies look like normal human beings (which personally I think is a lot more interesting). To describe this as a zombie movie is in fact misleading. These bikers are brought back from the dead by means of an occult bargain with dark demonic forces. This is more of a witchcraft or even a satansploitation movie than a zombie movie.<br /><br />This is really supernatural horror, but done as an action motorcycle movie in a contemporary setting.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAp6EcqanuZcElKun4lqx4PhseCPZKHxbLXDwt9VNGTJ1BfoqWpKjFqzsVeWtNYnxkK2FSsn_3yx6-KuoY2U2sR9-183xcYwoZda3k77HLR4U6y2ZUiV-2Ckc4av7Egqog0Yzx8b9d4vlO5Z7Cm9ihhMNAYAQyi4b1Bw7RENtVD6DS4o2MDmh1EjeHHI/s606/PsychomaniaCap2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="606" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAp6EcqanuZcElKun4lqx4PhseCPZKHxbLXDwt9VNGTJ1BfoqWpKjFqzsVeWtNYnxkK2FSsn_3yx6-KuoY2U2sR9-183xcYwoZda3k77HLR4U6y2ZUiV-2Ckc4av7Egqog0Yzx8b9d4vlO5Z7Cm9ihhMNAYAQyi4b1Bw7RENtVD6DS4o2MDmh1EjeHHI/w400-h238/PsychomaniaCap2a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The acting is OK. Nicky Henson gives Tom the right mix of arrogance and stupidity. George Sanders is a bit restrained as Shadwell. Beryl Reid overacts, which is what her role requires. Robert Hardy could be relied on to play a cop. The other players all give entertaining performances.<br /><br />Abby is the closest thing in this movie to a three-dimensional character and Mary Larkin does a pretty reasonable job. Abby is the only member of the gang who actually gives some thought to consequences.<br /><br />For the most part the low budget is no problem. The stunt work is very good. There is only one real special effects shot and unfortunately that’s the one time where the tiny budget becomes a problem. It just doesn’t work, but it’s only one scene at the end.<br /><br />Don Sharp was a fine action director and he understood pacing so this project was ideal for him. He knew what was needed and he knew how to achieve it on a small budget.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiVbUHAb9QbEfwLlpEt6mV_EWLHjpLhkBH-B-pSRr4FMLQ0jijD6FzhuagTtSQXpG8X1txds8Bq0zU9cQ72nWHQYbC7sXjEXQBTNKUYEhlgt5FWkyGXJfTjAkWAR86UDr3dywu7TaXjJvUpcPW4cPwUIAfQVM8F4iZAVVQ-eQQGscBHPgYT4m5kA19ew/s599/PsychomaniaCap5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiVbUHAb9QbEfwLlpEt6mV_EWLHjpLhkBH-B-pSRr4FMLQ0jijD6FzhuagTtSQXpG8X1txds8Bq0zU9cQ72nWHQYbC7sXjEXQBTNKUYEhlgt5FWkyGXJfTjAkWAR86UDr3dywu7TaXjJvUpcPW4cPwUIAfQVM8F4iZAVVQ-eQQGscBHPgYT4m5kA19ew/w400-h240/PsychomaniaCap5a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />One of the things I like about this movie is that it bears no resemblance whatsoever to other zombie movies. This movie is its own thing. There’s something refreshing about that. The weirdest thing is that these are violent outlaw bikers but they like folk songs.<br /><br />The fact that the script is a bit of a mess, that major plot elements are not resolved in a clear-cut way, that characters’ motivations are sometimes obscure and the whole movie is somewhat incoherent and stylistically confused is what makes it work. It gives it an oddball flavour and a definite trippy ambience. The movie’s worst flaws are its greatest strengths.<br /><br /><i>Psychomania</i> has its own unique flavour and for all its oddness it’s a great deal of fun. Highly recommended.<br /><br />The BFI Blu-Ray/DVD combo offers an excellent restored transfer (very impressive given that the negative of this film has been lost) with lots of extras.<br /></div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-36282591852413623732024-03-10T00:03:00.000+11:002024-03-10T00:03:26.099+11:00School for Sex (1969)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTchTlPuHuriQ2DIVkNPknk_mcalAHSD-PD8_Nu_kNB6nqKHw69XDo_1NTVAcb5-7GNQ3R2pBB11Ek7qY-jAWhLYOcK_rV9pXnxjn2si_li9a9TrxrjCjBZuc3JKbcF4PgZaYfiTCqupEll51t_7ovae76nCxjMYVV4TKVzpig0ySgYwYqYgGvqV2y32E/s582/School%20for%20Sex1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTchTlPuHuriQ2DIVkNPknk_mcalAHSD-PD8_Nu_kNB6nqKHw69XDo_1NTVAcb5-7GNQ3R2pBB11Ek7qY-jAWhLYOcK_rV9pXnxjn2si_li9a9TrxrjCjBZuc3JKbcF4PgZaYfiTCqupEll51t_7ovae76nCxjMYVV4TKVzpig0ySgYwYqYgGvqV2y32E/s320/School%20for%20Sex1.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><i>School for Sex</i> is a 1969 movie written, produced and directed by Pete Walker. It is included in the four-movie 88 Films Pete Walker Sexploitation Collection Blu-Ray set. This is an intriguing collection. One of the movies is a very late Pete Walker movie. The other three represent the very beginnings of his career as a director of feature films. These three include one truly excellent and rather quirky movie, <i>Cool It, Carol</i>!<br /><br /><i>School for Sex</i> was Walker’s first proper feature film. It’s a sex comedy, but that has to be qualified since the movie was made in two very different versions. It has been said that the problem with British sex comedies is that they’re not funny and they’re not sexy. That’s a bit unfair. It’s a legacy of the extraordinary critical hostility to these movies at the time, a legacy they have never fully been able to escape. Some British sex comedies are actually very amusing. Some are sexy, in a typically embarrassed British way.<br /><br />Which leads us back to the two different cuts of this movie. Given the insanely restrictive censorship environment in Britain in the 60s the cut prepared for British release is so tame that it could be described as a sexless comedy. The other cut, the continental cut, was intended for release in European markets. It represents the movie as it should have been and was clearly intended to be. Instead of the occasional embarrassed glimpses of bare breasts in the UK cut it features a lot of nudity, including a lot of frontal nudity. It’s an actual sex comedy.<br /><br />Happily 88 Films have included both cuts on their Blu-Ray release. My advice is, don’t bother with the pointless British version. If you want to appreciate what Pete Walker was capable of doing within this genre you need to watch the continental version.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMxwU-MEKaGpnep5Kk39lYg2C8U-gidhWYbcf02LjN42TTPKqI90ZbiapUEhOojebqY4FMnsXFB_bz5Ii9b9bTIfoZzsvTi9pUoicZFcB3ugu49xEGw17XokPEajllH3_ZSfRAfMmAPWLBz6v1VWSnPJNtjeG3iXcllEA8SaL-VRlKPIoajkC_hMKVJU/s817/SchoolForSex1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="817" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMxwU-MEKaGpnep5Kk39lYg2C8U-gidhWYbcf02LjN42TTPKqI90ZbiapUEhOojebqY4FMnsXFB_bz5Ii9b9bTIfoZzsvTi9pUoicZFcB3ugu49xEGw17XokPEajllH3_ZSfRAfMmAPWLBz6v1VWSnPJNtjeG3iXcllEA8SaL-VRlKPIoajkC_hMKVJU/w400-h215/SchoolForSex1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The movie begins with a distinguished English gentleman facing sentencing on charges of fraud. His defence counsel offers a lengthy speech in mitigation, which introduces a flashback sequence. We find out how Giles Wingate (Derek Aylward) ended up in such a mess. He had returned from the war a hero, to take possession of a large estate and an even larger fortune. Wingate had one weakness - women. And unscrupulous gold-diggers gradually stripped him of his fortune.<br /><br />The plea of mitigation succeeds in keeping him out of prison but now he has to find a way to rebuild his fortune. He has a plan to do just that. He will turn Wingate Manor into a school for girls. But a school with a difference. The girls will be instructed in the art of seduction, the aim being to teach them how to separate rich men from their money. This will be profitable for the girls, and for Giles Wingate (he will get one-third of whatever money they are able to extract from those rich men).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMk_OVfdz8ORyFnftKnCzNWEH3yZ8bDvzTeVN44MaqYE5O-UTp0QQCnzgQJRJ9L1W3RnMlJa27YPlmwbX-oEH1F7nMaoipAUvIGgozfUb3qhfdwyB1873Erxgq0ta6c3SmS1cLpBC2RNhAOYn3XXwPcCcplt3xlFtZHZry6kp6stdwIoUqEsNFx7Q08A/s817/SchoolForSex2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="817" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMk_OVfdz8ORyFnftKnCzNWEH3yZ8bDvzTeVN44MaqYE5O-UTp0QQCnzgQJRJ9L1W3RnMlJa27YPlmwbX-oEH1F7nMaoipAUvIGgozfUb3qhfdwyB1873Erxgq0ta6c3SmS1cLpBC2RNhAOYn3XXwPcCcplt3xlFtZHZry6kp6stdwIoUqEsNFx7Q08A/w400-h215/SchoolForSex2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Wingate will be the headmaster but he’ll need a deputy headmistress. He finds the Duchess of Burwash (Rose Alba) who needs work after having spent all her late husband’s money. The duchess is rarely sober but she’s in tune with Wingate’s ideas on how to make a less-than-honest buck. Wingate also finds a PT instructor for the girls, Hector (Nosher Powell), a broken-down lecherous ex-prize fighter. Wingate himself will teach the girls how to seduce men into handing over their fortunes. Having been the victim of unscrupulous women himself he knows all their techniques.<br /><br />Unfortunately the amazingly thick-headed village policeman and a jealous neighbour are taking an interest in the goings-on at Wingate Manor.<br /><br />That’s pretty much it for the plot but there is a nice twist at the end.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBFZquwxCKxfkDgH3vDONySxfqt7sJgpOLApyVG0Ia_qcAW205cPTGTkbCG1yn2o8fV_xMUzMDnc1xw_pjxSkUJeu1sz9MZoC-kb9XI8p-I9kbsivzAh8aPtyXTGpeVZPoH8vTLWQawL0BnZetT2Il3HQsWsRUbMfMUexM-Jpxrt6WSe04h_pv3z0PzM/s813/SchoolForSex3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="813" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBFZquwxCKxfkDgH3vDONySxfqt7sJgpOLApyVG0Ia_qcAW205cPTGTkbCG1yn2o8fV_xMUzMDnc1xw_pjxSkUJeu1sz9MZoC-kb9XI8p-I9kbsivzAh8aPtyXTGpeVZPoH8vTLWQawL0BnZetT2Il3HQsWsRUbMfMUexM-Jpxrt6WSe04h_pv3z0PzM/w400-h217/SchoolForSex3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This movie has a very 1969 anti-authoritarian vibe. The police are bumbling idiots constantly sticking their noses into other people’s private affairs. Lawyers, judges and politicians are dishonest and are much worse rogues than Wingate.<br /><br />Wingate is a rogue, but he’s a likeable rogue. His girls are not exactly honest. They all have criminal records (he recruits them via a crooked parole officer) but they’re likeable rogues (or rogue-ettes) as well. <br /><br />Derek Aylward is perfectly cast. He does the dishonest gentleman thing superbly. One thing that’s interesting is that Wingate is genuinely fond of his young lady pupils and treats them with respect. He may not be honest but he is a gentleman.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBHZWKIfVwYfVI8WuADaYpa_U5iZQ0LyPqNWBL8p79tPxzpI6ta9F_sM6qI0UX-Lu_c870gBTPg8ocJemf__z96BUF53geX6Uz_RXeP8_Zn5HD6OIB_h5xFM1e4MF-4qSnJ7QuLZathI-U_6HO-G416FAM52EyOM5V5LeUug7L9cV5eo4kovwa72UZ-0/s817/SchoolForSex5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="817" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBHZWKIfVwYfVI8WuADaYpa_U5iZQ0LyPqNWBL8p79tPxzpI6ta9F_sM6qI0UX-Lu_c870gBTPg8ocJemf__z96BUF53geX6Uz_RXeP8_Zn5HD6OIB_h5xFM1e4MF-4qSnJ7QuLZathI-U_6HO-G416FAM52EyOM5V5LeUug7L9cV5eo4kovwa72UZ-0/w400-h215/SchoolForSex5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The girls are all extremely pretty and all look good with or without their clothes. The most notable is Françoise Pascal who went on to star in Jean Rollin’s superb <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-iron-rose-1973-blu-ray-review.html" target="_blank">The Iron Rose</a> (1973).<br /><br />So going back to that accusation that British sex comedies are neither funny nor sexy, how does School for Sex stack up? It really isn’t terribly funny but it is good-natured and lighthearted and occasionally amusing. The British cut isn’t sexy, but the continental cut with its copious nudity definitely is sexy. It’s a basically good idea but at this stage of his career Walker lacked the experience to exploit it fully. It’s harmless and it is interesting as a very early British sex comedy. Worth a look, but don’t set your expectations too high.<br /><br />The 88 Films Blu-Ray offers a nice transfer. There are quite a few extras. Sadly the audio commentary is disappointing.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-39124597805462466672024-03-07T17:15:00.000+11:002024-03-07T17:15:42.981+11:00OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo (1966)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmmUAha_hHqdXlXVVKOL0AI_6UJ4x3Enc-zCBlYV8jc-JTon3IBuwNf6t6tQONrt65t0m4gKKrHvL0xS-cJx81daKdxIi4vmWo68MwscpwUJCtjqoXfjuhPFT0gudVIa1m0rAJOgcywRVTe0G7bKb4CZ4sZzPVzzmD1rNRGPRaM4Z4L2MkHqbvw5w6mA/s656/OSS%20117%20Mission%20to%20Tokyo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmmUAha_hHqdXlXVVKOL0AI_6UJ4x3Enc-zCBlYV8jc-JTon3IBuwNf6t6tQONrt65t0m4gKKrHvL0xS-cJx81daKdxIi4vmWo68MwscpwUJCtjqoXfjuhPFT0gudVIa1m0rAJOgcywRVTe0G7bKb4CZ4sZzPVzzmD1rNRGPRaM4Z4L2MkHqbvw5w6mA/s320/OSS%20117%20Mission%20to%20Tokyo1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><i>OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo</i> (AKA <i>Terror in Tokyo</i>, original title <i>Atout coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117</i>), is a 1966 French eurospy movie directed by Michel Boisrond and starring Frederick Stafford. This was the fourth of the 1960s OSS 117 movies, based on Jean Bruce’s novels featuring secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, codenamed OSS 117.<br /><br />A mystery organisation claim to have invented a super-weapon which they will use unless governments pay them a hundred million dollars. Military bases will be their targets.<br /><br />CIA agent OSS 117 is assigned to the case. The best lead is a woman in Tokyo who is being blackmailed by the mystery organisation into providing them with the information they need to target those bases.<br /><br />The woman is Eva Wilson (Marina Vlady). The plan is for Eva to make contact with the bad guys. Hubert will pretend to be her husband (her actual husband is in Washington).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z8xbsX072KyXONQ5ex6ubeR4pDIuSv3fpicymUPckDEReL82_1Jc7pXRSd5GVotsFeTUFIVkNViaPcgugNxd-VWA3KCr43X7M-6BilHUyqUtyJsYk11b0ytzD2HDrbmd2VJHlDEoixyvPpLuNRx9T6M7wBnN7fQdaHnAylbyC2PSghBkttUHpXK_4ZU/s800/OSS117MissionToTokyo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="800" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z8xbsX072KyXONQ5ex6ubeR4pDIuSv3fpicymUPckDEReL82_1Jc7pXRSd5GVotsFeTUFIVkNViaPcgugNxd-VWA3KCr43X7M-6BilHUyqUtyJsYk11b0ytzD2HDrbmd2VJHlDEoixyvPpLuNRx9T6M7wBnN7fQdaHnAylbyC2PSghBkttUHpXK_4ZU/w400-h170/OSS117MissionToTokyo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Hubert and Eva decide that it’s important to make Hubert’s masquerade as her husband convincing so they sleep together.<br /><br />There’s a meet in a girlie bar where Hubert encounters a pretty Japanese girl, Tetsuko (Jitsuko Yoshimura). Tetsuko might be able to provide a further lead but even if she can’t Hubert doesn’t mind. He doesn’t really need a reason to pursue pretty girls.<br /><br />Hubert’s problem is that he is now involved with two women and he can’t be sure if he can trust either of them. Maybe he’ll have a better idea of that after he’s slept with both of them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCq-s5C_yDH9yc5xWVUnASiDWe7U9qrVjx7dPFPqWtypd5I5M1OdoHbYLfrHjGZI30XVs1VoThkcTnPJYn0_hvaNvk-rnfK7xDCIfTJw_OX23P0DtrPBqshdvxhcVOzjMnXFzdEQII90RDxXOv4Augae3Y3CraLg31dU6O35SjtPz0_ugipFT-yOkBexI/s799/OSS117MissionToTokyo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="799" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCq-s5C_yDH9yc5xWVUnASiDWe7U9qrVjx7dPFPqWtypd5I5M1OdoHbYLfrHjGZI30XVs1VoThkcTnPJYn0_hvaNvk-rnfK7xDCIfTJw_OX23P0DtrPBqshdvxhcVOzjMnXFzdEQII90RDxXOv4Augae3Y3CraLg31dU6O35SjtPz0_ugipFT-yOkBexI/w400-h171/OSS117MissionToTokyo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Hubert’s bigger problem is to find the villains’ secret headquarters, and their super-weapon. He has to deal with lots of heavies who want to do him harm.<br /><br />This was Frederick Stafford’s second and final appearance as OSS 117. He looks like the kind of guy who might be a secret agent, he’s good in the action scenes and he’s likeable and charming. Hubert is a skirt-chaser, but he only chases girls who like to be chased.<br /><br />Marina Vlady and Jitsuko Yoshimura are fine as the two women mixed up in the case. Jitsuko Yoshimura in particular is bubbly and cute.<br /><br />Perhaps the villains could have been more colourful.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiHzxkEeTOEHk0J60PIx7rg3Nl_vODVj0AkaW5Blbr5GHaZxBfw_HNJmj0SypTjSRhQ-54AmYDAWpIQLYVFXNh8-T316mf_NUk1S112kfbyO3t00wC4aok_6QS14kLF4It_6XEWfFdEl_hkmACEfyA6R7cC9QykZSc31XQS5c4DqnjDHXkO5PVIgKEOg/s800/OSS117MissionToTokyo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="800" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiHzxkEeTOEHk0J60PIx7rg3Nl_vODVj0AkaW5Blbr5GHaZxBfw_HNJmj0SypTjSRhQ-54AmYDAWpIQLYVFXNh8-T316mf_NUk1S112kfbyO3t00wC4aok_6QS14kLF4It_6XEWfFdEl_hkmACEfyA6R7cC9QykZSc31XQS5c4DqnjDHXkO5PVIgKEOg/w400-h170/OSS117MissionToTokyo5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The plot is a pretty standard eurospy plot but it’s serviceable enough. The movie moves along fairly briskly. The fight scenes are reasonably good.<br /><br />The bad guys’ secret lair doesn’t compare to anything from a Bond movie but it’s OK.<br /><br />Director Michel Boisrond doesn’t try anything fancy but he’s quite competent.<br /><br />There’s a decent mix of action and romance. Perhaps surprisingly it’s all played very very straight with no comic interludes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fBao5Si4sjcBs8eEYy_j2P6oET7d3LI4zNcpDCOIOE9MVojiMahOB2AqNEZBHvOqPFxKFPdibNwKkyw1IAmdFtX817PwFat7VKiyiP-ONl5ZwtS0G5pALAiI943gYKugL6YDUgMtmnX0M9m2PQiIPjWddvOtu4_PvWGfWfFV56silI3sqrD56BvK0vQ/s800/OSS117MissionToTokyo6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="800" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fBao5Si4sjcBs8eEYy_j2P6oET7d3LI4zNcpDCOIOE9MVojiMahOB2AqNEZBHvOqPFxKFPdibNwKkyw1IAmdFtX817PwFat7VKiyiP-ONl5ZwtS0G5pALAiI943gYKugL6YDUgMtmnX0M9m2PQiIPjWddvOtu4_PvWGfWfFV56silI3sqrD56BvK0vQ/w400-h170/OSS117MissionToTokyo6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The action finale is fairly exciting. Obviously a lot less spectacular than a Bond movie but for a modestly budgeted movie perfectly satisfactory.<br /><br /><i>OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo</i> doesn’t quite have as much eurospy craziness as I would have liked.<br /><br />On the whole this is a thoroughly enjoyable rather lighthearted spy thriller and it’s highly recommended.<br /><br />I’ve reviewed the two previous OSS 117 movies, <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/oss-117-is-unleashed-1963.html" target="_blank">OSS 117 Is Unleashed</a> (1963) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/12/oss-117-panic-in-bangkok-1964.html" target="_blank">Panic in Bangkok</a>. They’re worth seeing.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-55129946024520735232024-03-05T19:12:00.000+11:002024-03-05T19:12:50.096+11:00For Men Only (1967)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7C3uLQ3kDBJlRoHXdWf5zF70aVsxAAmVEtroPtHsLVWY76MroWkEykZS2PuOTJ3Ygq6rgvZf92Jvx6ZTTE6esTsyGQwLy-m-IJs9Hw4tLprEUQbZjgvu4t6LJ_eArbmQchY2C1QcYHLtcGL5OmFlrIlHgUmhBDN7RMnX8Wc2_PjF3kwRYSwd1uTptr0/s583/For%20Men%20Only2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7C3uLQ3kDBJlRoHXdWf5zF70aVsxAAmVEtroPtHsLVWY76MroWkEykZS2PuOTJ3Ygq6rgvZf92Jvx6ZTTE6esTsyGQwLy-m-IJs9Hw4tLprEUQbZjgvu4t6LJ_eArbmQchY2C1QcYHLtcGL5OmFlrIlHgUmhBDN7RMnX8Wc2_PjF3kwRYSwd1uTptr0/s320/For%20Men%20Only2.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><i>For Men Only</i> (originally titled <i>I Like Birds</i>) was written, produced and directed by Pete Walker and released in 1967. It was almost Walker’s first feature film. I say almost because with a running time of just 43 minutes it’s halfway between a short and a feature film. It’s included in the four-movie 88 Films Pete Walker Sexploitation Collection Blu-Ray set.<br /><i><br /></i><div><i>For Men Only</i> is very similar in style and tone to Walker’s first proper feature film, <i>School for Sex</i>. Both are sex comedies, or at least they would have been but the narrow-minded puritanical British Chief Film Censor had no intention of allowing the Great British Public to be corrupted by such filth. As a result both movies are so ridiculously tame that they just fall rather flat. But both movies existed in two different cuts - the limp British cuts and much spicier cuts intended for European markets.<br /><br />Happily 88 Films have included the sexier scenes from the continental version as extras so it’s possible to see what Pete Walker actually intended these movies to be - good-natured, amusing, lively and sexy.<br /><br />Freddie Horne (David Kernan) is a journalist for Woman’s Vogue, or at least he was until his fiancée Rosalie (Andrea Allan) forced him to give up the job. She didn’t want him spending so much time with glamorous fashion models.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kbOpedyJgAoBF5Sy-6opZtGbADqsaE8qfBCO5fBMOKwvrKuP3814fOap-c_TFqPZxwehEgLw25zURoqjWBwiC-Po15wxt4cWNCx97FaAWodxSnWxB2Twa7McE1Z7KOrfnVR9pn6K1ifMchYUHGTju3AFv6iqC2yrqBv9uOLKi8gnddHICPFMW0B2o0s/s630/ForMenOnly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="630" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kbOpedyJgAoBF5Sy-6opZtGbADqsaE8qfBCO5fBMOKwvrKuP3814fOap-c_TFqPZxwehEgLw25zURoqjWBwiC-Po15wxt4cWNCx97FaAWodxSnWxB2Twa7McE1Z7KOrfnVR9pn6K1ifMchYUHGTju3AFv6iqC2yrqBv9uOLKi8gnddHICPFMW0B2o0s/w400-h291/ForMenOnly1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Her father has found him a more respectable job, working for a magazine publishing house that specialises in serious highly moral religious magazines.<br /><br />Freddie gets a shock when he goes to the country house of the chairman of this publishing house, Miles Fanthorpe (Derek Aylward). He discovers that Fanthorpe’s real business is not religious magazines but girlie magazines. The religious magazines are just a front.<br /><br />Fanthorpe’s house is full of very pretty very scantily-clad girls. The girlie photography is done here. Freddie knows that Rosalie won’t approve but Fanthorpe assures him she’ll never find out. And Freddie does have an eye for lovely young ladies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUvMOf_p8r16m0WcmVve1oY-8hJ_tOsF8b-j5BfIzQHsgh8aXtmdLd8DwwIP-I-FXyaGZzdf2nCtMMpVWBRr2caWVrzuluv3BL9-_gWwq2QHr45X6pNYs3WynkGZK7OtWL8VUzSqrEq2iEFPLMyZ5HPOu6-Mh_2PxOG2rqGKIHZdSizVD-wB-vG9CgXc/s631/ForMenOnly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="631" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUvMOf_p8r16m0WcmVve1oY-8hJ_tOsF8b-j5BfIzQHsgh8aXtmdLd8DwwIP-I-FXyaGZzdf2nCtMMpVWBRr2caWVrzuluv3BL9-_gWwq2QHr45X6pNYs3WynkGZK7OtWL8VUzSqrEq2iEFPLMyZ5HPOu6-Mh_2PxOG2rqGKIHZdSizVD-wB-vG9CgXc/w400-h291/ForMenOnly2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Of course it’s all going to get rather fraught when Freddie forgets about his prospective father-in-law’s silver wedding anniversary party and Rosalie sets off to Fanthorpe’s country house to fetch him. Even worse, her father turns up soon afterwards. To put the icing on the cake the vicar and two very respectable church ladies also show up, to demonstrate their appreciation for Fanthorpe’s campaign for the moral cleansing of Britain.<br /><br />Rosalie gets in a few embarrassing situations, falling into a bathtub and having to take off her sodden dress only to be mistaken for one of the models.<br /><br />Freddie ends up sharing another bathtub with a couple of naked young ladies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EiiLF1FPXuLMJ4R8YAsOWVYdWoS-XcZo4RUC-msA1M31Sj6Y0TpEwRweJhL4EoCXdqQyD1dEjBJiYkdNHO5mwYNoHv-CUHs8U5FsUsO--zgXrUakF77awWTJMNjNyaQ1u9TnLDRhNdrNZdkOGS5kXjZSus4dC3wKg5W9YWOKKHaR_ERDIkY98He8WXA/s628/ForMenOnly3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="628" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EiiLF1FPXuLMJ4R8YAsOWVYdWoS-XcZo4RUC-msA1M31Sj6Y0TpEwRweJhL4EoCXdqQyD1dEjBJiYkdNHO5mwYNoHv-CUHs8U5FsUsO--zgXrUakF77awWTJMNjNyaQ1u9TnLDRhNdrNZdkOGS5kXjZSus4dC3wKg5W9YWOKKHaR_ERDIkY98He8WXA/w400-h290/ForMenOnly3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This film is very similar to <i>School for Sex</i>. Both have ideal plots for sex comedies but neither film manages to extract quite as many laughs from the situations as one might have wished.<br /><br /><i>For Men Only</i> is however good-natured and light-hearted and energetic.<br /><br />Derek Aylward to a large extent carries the film. He was remarkably good at playing characters who were gentlemen on the surface but likeable rogues underneath.<br /><br />David Kernan is quite OK as the somewhat flustered hero.<br /><br />It’s a movie that would like to be shocking but doesn’t quite dare to do so.<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oyKRiPOS2KNf1p4xbzNH89FNiXqG3USvYg9MpUVEm-yXtbRQsBL8S6MzCKg3VU8jlTpaEtDbGDZKiqcbgcEfXZLNFaA-XV-xwaD2L6kqc2UtPwODZTOcEXhLU0GbIDoUBFksRseeKeXDM-8owAERJmjNs413-zThVTs64qPPkWF-rz2aXIIilxUir4Q/s629/ForMenOnly4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="629" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oyKRiPOS2KNf1p4xbzNH89FNiXqG3USvYg9MpUVEm-yXtbRQsBL8S6MzCKg3VU8jlTpaEtDbGDZKiqcbgcEfXZLNFaA-XV-xwaD2L6kqc2UtPwODZTOcEXhLU0GbIDoUBFksRseeKeXDM-8owAERJmjNs413-zThVTs64qPPkWF-rz2aXIIilxUir4Q/w400-h293/ForMenOnly4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />For Men Only</i> was released as the second half of various double bills and apparently did reasonably well.<br /><br />The short running time turns out to be an asset. It means that the action keeps moving along and the movie is less likely to wear out its welcome.<br /><br />It’s interesting as marking the beginning of Pete Walker’s career (if you don’t count the 8mm nudie shorts he’d been making for several years). Walker developed quite quickly. <i>School for Sex</i> in 1969 would be an improvement on this film and it was followed by the rather excellent <i>Cool It, Carol!</i> a year later. <i>For Men Only</i> isn’t great but it’s worth a look.<br /><br />The Blu-Ray provides a nice transfer but apart from the racier scenes from the continental version it’s bereft of extras.</div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-77664171186209348582024-03-03T20:05:00.001+11:002024-03-03T20:05:06.123+11:00Deadly Sweet (1967)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDITEHvH1XN_n-zDXYLqVs81Luh5wVdTekjzeCdnbHqBTQkyPdYMGnx6cpAvpXSpviHx9cMyNawrGuToowC1SvfYla37We3RTDk11l2dUQ1__-WLDm-JGThUuhr4k855W7PpvEVdfFTZAqRLoM1qs0BIKPIvUUUcIGOWTHH0XIbaldONgWgI_l4MF7_U/s571/Deadly%20Sweet2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDITEHvH1XN_n-zDXYLqVs81Luh5wVdTekjzeCdnbHqBTQkyPdYMGnx6cpAvpXSpviHx9cMyNawrGuToowC1SvfYla37We3RTDk11l2dUQ1__-WLDm-JGThUuhr4k855W7PpvEVdfFTZAqRLoM1qs0BIKPIvUUUcIGOWTHH0XIbaldONgWgI_l4MF7_U/s320/Deadly%20Sweet2.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><i>Deadly Sweet</i> (<i>Col cuore in gola</i>) is a 1967 giallo directed by Tinto Brass.<br /><br />Tinto Brass’s career has been interesting to say the least. In the 60s and early 70s he was establishing himself as an art-house director, even being hailed as the next Antonioni. Then in 1976 came his first examination of the link between extreme sex and absolute power, <i>Salon Kitty</i>. It ignited a firestorm of controversy. He intended his next film, <i>Caligula</i>, to be a further exploration of the same topic. <i>Caligula</i> of course had a famously chaotic production history and was savaged by critics who had decided they hated the movie even before they had seen it.<br /><br />Brass responded by totally reinventing himself, as a maker of erotic movies. He wanted to make high-quality intelligent erotic movies at a time when this was commercially impossible. Brass didn’t care and went ahead anyway and carved out a successful career. What’s interesting, considering the extreme nature of <i>Salon Kitty</i> and <i>Caligula</i>, is that his later erotic movies are cheerful and good-natured.<br /><br />So a giallo from Tinto Brass is a bit of a surprise.<br /><br />Bernard (Jean-Louis Trintignant) spots a pretty girl at a night-club. She is Jane Burroughs (Ewa Aulin). She’s there with her brother Jerome (Charles Kohler). Their father was killed in a car accident a few days earlier. Bernard goes to see the manager of the club because he has been refused credit. He finds the manager dead. Murdered. And Jane Burroughs is there but she swears she didn’t kill him.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguE_GW_5RETR65yRZDF2Vl_DfFZtE8eTo9rDz8r9coy3of-bsFG-W1NksR8yOpAY9cXJfru2i9BUD8h0BgXQ8IcVlu0Zr2cDPnImjoEHJsoukBkPxWlSwHB3wglPbIfNdEJGHrGYlOxLj9z3EYB8eQ1AlyjyG-vk3wq7QGTLa5xAd-BHGueG9kNiWjb74/s799/DeadlySweet1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="799" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguE_GW_5RETR65yRZDF2Vl_DfFZtE8eTo9rDz8r9coy3of-bsFG-W1NksR8yOpAY9cXJfru2i9BUD8h0BgXQ8IcVlu0Zr2cDPnImjoEHJsoukBkPxWlSwHB3wglPbIfNdEJGHrGYlOxLj9z3EYB8eQ1AlyjyG-vk3wq7QGTLa5xAd-BHGueG9kNiWjb74/w400-h216/DeadlySweet1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Bernard is now mixed up in whatever it is that Jane is mixed up in, which seems to include both blackmail and murder. There is a photograph that must be retrieved.<br /><br />We have no idea who Bernard is. He knows how to handle a gun. He could be a private eye, an undercover cop, a spy, a gangster or maybe just a guy who likes to help cute girls in trouble. We eventually find out that he is an actor, and it’s appropriate that Trintignant is an actor playing an actor since this is a movie in which the line between reality and fiction is constantly blurred. This is certainly not a realist film.<br /><br />There’s plenty of trouble in store. Jane gets kidnapped. There’s another murder. Bernard finds opportunities to use his gun. He gets knocked unconscious by a midget. He and Jane are pursued by heavies.<br /><br />They do find the time to fall in love and sleep together.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdrLrW-GEG23xH4N_bVcK31kHhjE3-FIFmGGOzmm-vSO6FRJpiLH7Ah5kvPQDna0M3CJl_-V-5wqDwcSAteM8Qi4uEEreTkgoRi2BWW7rZUmX5mD3httJv33tpBQqWgvmpgCd2zZWicjZlVk6W1SuAGYaRAaKRTDEkWJhvyzxhUx_AFYvS3YWFNfE0J4/s800/DeadlySweet2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="800" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdrLrW-GEG23xH4N_bVcK31kHhjE3-FIFmGGOzmm-vSO6FRJpiLH7Ah5kvPQDna0M3CJl_-V-5wqDwcSAteM8Qi4uEEreTkgoRi2BWW7rZUmX5mD3httJv33tpBQqWgvmpgCd2zZWicjZlVk6W1SuAGYaRAaKRTDEkWJhvyzxhUx_AFYvS3YWFNfE0J4/w400-h217/DeadlySweet2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Bernard is determined to unravel the puzzle. And it’s a nicely convoluted puzzle.<br /><br />This is a movie set in England, directed by an Italian with a French leading man and a Swedish leading lady. In the case of some Italian movies shot in England you find yourself thinking that they could just as easily have been shot in Milan or Rome. In this case however the setting makes sense. This film is going very strongly for a Swinging London vibe.<br /><br />There are nods to Antonioni’s <i>Blow-Up</i> and some direct references (Jane and Bernard pass a poster for the movie). <i>Deadly Sweet</i> does have some very slight hints of the flavour of <i>Blow-Up</i>. <i>Deadly Sweet</i> is a very 60s very Pop movie with a Pop Art verging on psychedelia visual style. Brass was aiming very much for a comic-book feel (<a href="https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2022/11/guido-crepax-evil-spells.html" target="_blank">Guido Crepax</a> was a major influence on the film and drew some storyboards for it).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsLtHSLlDZLIrQiUApTJwvHmBN0bxX7DsHzpT_EpMKiPR_pdLHxXdTUti4wMaL-IJgSsZEqSlQsru9Hvb9jLQOt3iAGyZzDT3HwnIBzbDaW_uLG2WcWfKehV1QmnTFQEZJMi-t8ZrLygZEHBhfp_Xd2fmuD6w3wxg-Mhw_SqBIEsR5IWWGWK7Zle-iwk/s789/DeadlySweet3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="789" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsLtHSLlDZLIrQiUApTJwvHmBN0bxX7DsHzpT_EpMKiPR_pdLHxXdTUti4wMaL-IJgSsZEqSlQsru9Hvb9jLQOt3iAGyZzDT3HwnIBzbDaW_uLG2WcWfKehV1QmnTFQEZJMi-t8ZrLygZEHBhfp_Xd2fmuD6w3wxg-Mhw_SqBIEsR5IWWGWK7Zle-iwk/w400-h219/DeadlySweet3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />At times this movie is in danger of being too clever for its own good but for the most part Brass gets away with it because he really is clever and visually inventive and he imbues the film with lots of energy and style. We’re never quite sure how seriously he wants us to take this movie. My feeling is that we’re not supposed to take it seriously at all, we’re just supposed to enjoy the ride. And it is an enjoyable ride. There are some truly inspired visual moments.<br /><br />When I describe <i>Deadly Sweet</i> as a giallo I have to qualify that a bit. The giallo genre can be divided into two phases. The second and better known began in 1970 with Dario Argento’s <i>The Bird with the Crystal Plumage</i> - blood-drenched serial killer films with black-gloved killers and lots of spectacular murders. Prior to that, in the late 60s, was the proto-giallo phase - stylish erotic thrillers with often only one or two murders and often with very little blood. Personally I prefer these proto-giallos, such as Lucio Fulci's <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2020/12/lucio-fulcis-one-on-top-of-other.html" target="_blank">One on Top of the Other</a>, Umberto Lenzi's <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2023/08/so-sweetso-perverse-1969.html" target="_blank">So Sweet...So Perverse</a> and Romolo Guerrieri's <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-sweet-body-of-deborah-1968.html" target="_blank">The Sweet Body of Deborah</a> but that is of course purely a matter of personal taste.<div><br /><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTiNX1TDGnKD-OvT5MjHUDJ8n7Umx8kfBn1y1Je2ZHclrFagrsQobqmQn02MxOqWne3baw8oKjj5fzDfoGlpe8U3g0l55d9ooK12QiTUq4GGN6diNZPEr3p9U5VaWw7cDOPNISK9-tfPRM_TaYhXaiSyoa_7_U2YuXwCY3jh_GCM50LWw8Y7ExEtupAk/s791/DeadlySweet4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="791" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTiNX1TDGnKD-OvT5MjHUDJ8n7Umx8kfBn1y1Je2ZHclrFagrsQobqmQn02MxOqWne3baw8oKjj5fzDfoGlpe8U3g0l55d9ooK12QiTUq4GGN6diNZPEr3p9U5VaWw7cDOPNISK9-tfPRM_TaYhXaiSyoa_7_U2YuXwCY3jh_GCM50LWw8Y7ExEtupAk/w400-h217/DeadlySweet4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Deadly Sweet</i> fits into the proto-giallo phase, although perhaps it doesn’t fit as neatly as some other movies. It has some of the elements you find in these early giallos - you have a couple who aren’t really sure if they can trust each other, there are other important characters who may be treacherous, there are hints of sexual perversity, there’s an atmosphere of decadence although it’s not quite the decadence one associates with proto-giallos. This is the decadence of the cultural revolution of the 60s. This is pop youth culture decadence, not old money decadence.<br /><br />The tone is all over the place, veering from being quite serious to being definitely tongue-in-cheek and then veering off into pure spoof territory. That should be a flaw but it adds to the movie’s offbeat quirkiness. Imagine a giallo made as an homage to <i>Blow-Up</i> but in the style of a Guido Crepax comic and you have <i>Deadly Sweet</i>. Surprisingly it turns out to be a lot of fun. Very highly recommended.<br /><br />The Cult Epics DVD looks good and there’s an excellent audio commentary with Tinto Brass in which he reveals something rather amusing. There are quite a few shots in black-and-white and naturally you assume this has some deep significance. In fact he had to do those shots in conditions where there was no way to get enough light to shoot in colour so he just shot in black-and-white.<br /></div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-57465874540108098542024-03-01T00:03:00.000+11:002024-03-01T00:03:32.782+11:00The Mephisto Waltz (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeard5QiMBzaaicA6gPAIrX4kAy-MtkQBOXbffIJugUo0wfQP81k5w6GIm2a4RX4dAI1ZUggBshTP-fF9h6PEsExmhmjG-bPNqEqm-8uREbkVrDINB9J3zQZWC7ilQIyRrLmj7K7DdE_Pubx7wGKdCou8UEcH--68JJiUIaONFBej_N874kps5CLcViFY/s819/Mephisto%20Waltz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeard5QiMBzaaicA6gPAIrX4kAy-MtkQBOXbffIJugUo0wfQP81k5w6GIm2a4RX4dAI1ZUggBshTP-fF9h6PEsExmhmjG-bPNqEqm-8uREbkVrDINB9J3zQZWC7ilQIyRrLmj7K7DdE_Pubx7wGKdCou8UEcH--68JJiUIaONFBej_N874kps5CLcViFY/s320/Mephisto%20Waltz1.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><i>The Mephisto Waltz</i> is a 1971 gothic horror movie with a contemporary setting. I avoided this movie for years because of my allergic reaction to Alan Alda but I have to admit he does OK in this film.<br /><br />Alda plays Myles Clarkson. Myles is a music journalist with a beautiful wife (Paula, played by Jacqueline Bisset) and a daughter. My most people’s standards he’s a success but he really wanted to be a concert pianist. He studied for years but never made the grade and as a result he’s always felt himself to be a bit of a failure.<br /><br />He interviews Duncan Ely (Curd Jürgens), the world’s greatest living pianist. Duncan is struck by Myles’ hands. They are hands that any concert pianist would kill to possess.<br /><br />Duncan and his daughter Roxanne Delancey (Barbara Parkins) become very friendly with the Clarksons. Myles is flattered. Myles is really an overgrown adolescent blinded by his hero-worship of Duncan. Paula, who is a whole lot smarter than her husband, is puzzled and suspicious.<br /><br />Paula is very suspicious indeed of Roxanne. Her suspicions intensify when she sees Duncan kissing Roxanne at a party. It is not exactly a fatherly peck on the cheek. It’s a long passionate kiss. Paula has also noticed that Roxanne’s interest in Myles seems to have definite carnal overtones.<br /><br />Paula also comes to suspect Roxanne of having odd interests in the occult.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GvIrQ-HREUbRJ_-Me1JsXIRJGw8VAMP7kr3lLo0mbjDOAuQ-q0mWvMQnpenK5ejhizDQOVOnGqV-t2FMmYMVR3X3h4s_TsyipDI23zZcRlF5fJ7wZTmrHSZh32bZeCQx9oIyW_iCgvKFiBN3HF-wJwGoN8tEaYRPtbreQngqElf4ONm9PU9BvJ2Ifpg/s799/MephistoWaltz1%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="799" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GvIrQ-HREUbRJ_-Me1JsXIRJGw8VAMP7kr3lLo0mbjDOAuQ-q0mWvMQnpenK5ejhizDQOVOnGqV-t2FMmYMVR3X3h4s_TsyipDI23zZcRlF5fJ7wZTmrHSZh32bZeCQx9oIyW_iCgvKFiBN3HF-wJwGoN8tEaYRPtbreQngqElf4ONm9PU9BvJ2Ifpg/w400-h219/MephistoWaltz1%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Duncan Ely is an old man in poor health. His career as a concert pianist is all but over and he may not have long to live.<br /><br />It won’t come as a great surprise that Duncan and Roxanne have hatched a plot. Their plan will necessitate making a demonic bargain but they’re OK with that. As Roxanne’s ex-husband puts it, they’re spoilt rich people who use the occult as an excuse for doing whatever they want to do without any regard for morality. What Duncan wants is to keep living, with a young body, preferably a young body with the kinds of hands a concert pianist needs. What Roxanne wants is to keep Daddy alive, bask in his reflected glory. She also has reasons to want Daddy to have a healthy young body, and not just so he can play the piano.<br /><br />It’s a movie that is very much a part of the late 60s/70s wave of Hollywood movies dealing with Satanism and there’s an obvious <i>Rosemary’s Baby</i> influence.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZmofrhO9zrvxj-8A2Mgl6p9VzYaXN0luXLEdO1UKNDJhDlIMafIN19Yficsh5GwWWUtLmWsZIBTOMps0ykfwLUWUqlawDH4DRRo5gxgLMtoYWy5w_8GdwEFP3SLtCdHv2aZn_LUpG0rFlE04FjCeFtVksSvBxhxTplMnsLkS_P2f6Qu23_oX12crvKc/s800/MephistoWaltz2%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="800" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZmofrhO9zrvxj-8A2Mgl6p9VzYaXN0luXLEdO1UKNDJhDlIMafIN19Yficsh5GwWWUtLmWsZIBTOMps0ykfwLUWUqlawDH4DRRo5gxgLMtoYWy5w_8GdwEFP3SLtCdHv2aZn_LUpG0rFlE04FjCeFtVksSvBxhxTplMnsLkS_P2f6Qu23_oX12crvKc/w400-h220/MephistoWaltz2%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s nothing remotely original here but in a horror movie the execution matters more than the originality of the concept. The execution here is certainly spirited. Director Paul Wendkos goes to town with spooky trippy visual effects and over-the-top dream sequences. The spooky creepy stuff is done in shamelessly excessive style. It’s all rather schlocky and totally lacking in subtlety but it’s fun.<br /><br />You could say the same thing about Alan Alda’s performance. There’s zero nuance to it and he overacts outrageously but his performance works in the context of the movie’s overall style.<br /><br />Jacqueline Bisset makes a bit more of an effort to do some real acting, with some success, and she looks stunning. Barbara Parkins as Roxanne oozes wicked depraved evilness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69zaSOQTzqnS73NPGT8QzZwTk0xmD0ZRH1o6-d7sxel8cnmTMILLMsk3C5-B1CYT9JSVrWbN26XoTRUIcYADHLcvdS9_kS4THz4Y8DLFdn0xrA-MofIf9GxWSXrzUDVIrm69WykeKDm346KZXJ3fYauAILIO8MeH66tHMI7KfAUK-qvOyFmGFQFzBO-o/s799/MephistoWaltz3%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="799" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69zaSOQTzqnS73NPGT8QzZwTk0xmD0ZRH1o6-d7sxel8cnmTMILLMsk3C5-B1CYT9JSVrWbN26XoTRUIcYADHLcvdS9_kS4THz4Y8DLFdn0xrA-MofIf9GxWSXrzUDVIrm69WykeKDm346KZXJ3fYauAILIO8MeH66tHMI7KfAUK-qvOyFmGFQFzBO-o/w400-h217/MephistoWaltz3%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This is a movie about Satanism but it’s not about world domination or the triumph of evil or the lust for power. It’s all about sexual desire, and not always healthy sexual desire. Paula is entirely obsessed sexually with Myles. Roxanne is sexually obsessed with Duncan. Duncan is obsessed with Paula. It’s a movie dripping with the decadence and depravity of the rich and fashionable.<br /><br />Visually it’s very gimmicky in a very 70s way but that’s a large part of its charm. It also has a very TV movie feel, or rather the feel of a TV movie trying to look cinematic but not quite making it.<br /><br />Whether you like the movie or not depends on your expectations. If you’re hoping for full-on horror you’ll be disappointed. If you’re hoping for something ground-breaking like Rosemary’s Baby you’ll be disappointed. It’s a movie with lesser ambitions which it doesn’t always achieve.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgko02ljZszP4lIZfhmpBCAwromRmVSoIDAtMWXGMC7N5IFV_P50zVJ1VgleIUBDSqvKCDJtvX-bQQcrfdZGuDMMlYnNRFtVFvmKnXDPLqv91qUWSScRzYL6gd5Zyg6OZRuSFVGYMas2m6-JyPnZGtEpJ91i5wT1RAjBiEG1kXTxnTzdZ8vYp54XOtZgGk/s798/MephistoWaltz4%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="798" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgko02ljZszP4lIZfhmpBCAwromRmVSoIDAtMWXGMC7N5IFV_P50zVJ1VgleIUBDSqvKCDJtvX-bQQcrfdZGuDMMlYnNRFtVFvmKnXDPLqv91qUWSScRzYL6gd5Zyg6OZRuSFVGYMas2m6-JyPnZGtEpJ91i5wT1RAjBiEG1kXTxnTzdZ8vYp54XOtZgGk/w400-h217/MephistoWaltz4%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />That’s not to say it’s a so-bad-it’s-good movie. That would be an unnecessarily harsh judgment. It’s competently made. The acting isn’t great but it’s right for the movie. It does have some spooky moments, and a few mild scares. The ending works pretty well. It does create an effectively decadent atmosphere - these are people using dark forces purely to enhance their own sensual pleasures. It has its flaws but it’s consistently entertaining and watchable.<br /><br />Paul Wendkos made a few feature films (including the charming <i>Gidget</i> in 1959) but worked mostly in television, directing an astonishing number of TV movies including the rather good <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/08/fear-no-evil-1969.html" target="_blank">Fear No Evil</a> (1969).<br /><br />With all its flaws this movie is thoroughly enjoyable. Recommended.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-58120410433526414192024-02-27T11:44:00.000+11:002024-02-27T11:44:26.147+11:00In Hot Blood (1968)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrlcP-chH1fzXltbL6VZ0u1woTpX_oHaao_CXRf4mWjNPGuUva-dvB733PtDknUARZMj5cqOV-SZupf-kbCReVOIFo3u6TMVhy74bSvty7JBGrRpZEr4_iE_BefpkhE6Ocs0kwBjSoOkrk3Vqw6KNvW07JQW6-Brgvcdq97HO0gtcLVKeBrOSqJED-U0/s600/In%20Hot%20Blood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrlcP-chH1fzXltbL6VZ0u1woTpX_oHaao_CXRf4mWjNPGuUva-dvB733PtDknUARZMj5cqOV-SZupf-kbCReVOIFo3u6TMVhy74bSvty7JBGrRpZEr4_iE_BefpkhE6Ocs0kwBjSoOkrk3Vqw6KNvW07JQW6-Brgvcdq97HO0gtcLVKeBrOSqJED-U0/s320/In%20Hot%20Blood2.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><i>In Hot Blood</i> is a wild and crazy 1968 New York-shot sexploitation roughie. <div><br /></div><div>Nobody seems to be entirely sure of the identity of the director.<br /><br />It takes a stock-standard exploitation plot line as its basis. It’s a warning of the dangers lying in wait for innocent girls trying to pursue a career in modelling. Such a career inevitably leads to sex, sin and degradation. Innocent young girls should stay on the farm rather than head to the big city in search of fame and fortune.<br /><br />In this case the innocent girl is named Rita. She quickly finds out that she’ll not only have to take her clothes off, she’ll have to sleep with the photographer. And she’ll have to attend orgies.<br /><br />Orgy scenes very rarely work since even in the softcore era of the 70s there was a definite limit to what you could show. The orgy scene in this film is quite bizarre. Our heroine spends most of her time eating a banana in what is supposed to be a very suggestive way but the actress just doesn’t seem quite sure how to achieve the intended effect.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wOxSfD2NhfJJYhIFFgRRiCuQNFmrdS6i-S0FLiFU738Jht14iglZyu_bppCQYNppM7hlv1DVXSk6hX2AzDsnuO_cAmjrlEVUJEQAQ4EP6M8t7bMmGXaQAMbjkkw_L8iCxZGPsaloXeMCzh1lHmf1uXkz8iIIbNv5Jc1bOYu35l5fZSBsdf9FIxauQIk/s708/InHotBlood1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="708" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wOxSfD2NhfJJYhIFFgRRiCuQNFmrdS6i-S0FLiFU738Jht14iglZyu_bppCQYNppM7hlv1DVXSk6hX2AzDsnuO_cAmjrlEVUJEQAQ4EP6M8t7bMmGXaQAMbjkkw_L8iCxZGPsaloXeMCzh1lHmf1uXkz8iIIbNv5Jc1bOYu35l5fZSBsdf9FIxauQIk/w400-h305/InHotBlood1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The girls try their hands at body painting, a very 60s thing to do. Apparently you get better results if you suck the paintbrush first. Judging by what Rita does to her paintbrush she’s almost certain to create a masterpiece.<br /><br />It has to be said that Rita doesn’t put up much resistance to temptation. It’s almost as if she enjoys sex and partying and orgies. She makes a couple of friends, Roberta and a black girl named Sandy. These three seem to be a welcome addition to any orgy.<br /><br />Rita hasn’t realised that Roberta likes girls. She will find out. She doesn’t exactly seem concerned by this revelation. Rita doesn’t seem to be shocked by anything.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpPZiUnKh5pL6AfpFakyg0AWemcZtmkFLR4QuJ8rDLPqenYFmxw3Jn1QA5663R0R6UJyzSu4RRXzj_Xz6WVq_wLW4YwEgc8M13yRO3LcLikY0TO7dAgWaN1BLEJe4is0nIRC_143nr6_jkzWP6NxDw7xw5cxwYNeOiZBs2G7waw27mdiVTBNLxJBhqZo/s707/InHotBlood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="707" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpPZiUnKh5pL6AfpFakyg0AWemcZtmkFLR4QuJ8rDLPqenYFmxw3Jn1QA5663R0R6UJyzSu4RRXzj_Xz6WVq_wLW4YwEgc8M13yRO3LcLikY0TO7dAgWaN1BLEJe4is0nIRC_143nr6_jkzWP6NxDw7xw5cxwYNeOiZBs2G7waw27mdiVTBNLxJBhqZo/w400-h305/InHotBlood2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s also drug-taking at these orgies and that’s what leads to trouble. It leads to some bad craziness.<br /><br />When danger threatens you’d think Rita and Roberta would take steps to avoid it but instead they take time out for some sapphic love-play. If you’ve ever wondered what lesbians actually do in bed this movie provides the answer. They rub each other’s nipples with ice cubes. It’s one of this movie’s more memorable WTF moments but it’s not the only one.<br /><br />And then there’s the ending. I definitely didn’t see that coming. I won’t spoil things by even hinting at what happens except to say that it’s pretty wild.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPIArGxBSDND4ru8D0VtQpg73qFuJ8czuhkiK7D9vCsFvJAxCR5YIx-8duWjCAY86Fdm6gwbHMhBFj9Pd6RpDfqfe8qY4YNAVholoUWRDPN5ghwYW06l04hv9a_vVZm28esexrcroZkS77lcVMczZhpJnQG4bHmD_vjK7AfYVCFn15odJ0tnmOSycjUY/s703/InHotBlood3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="703" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPIArGxBSDND4ru8D0VtQpg73qFuJ8czuhkiK7D9vCsFvJAxCR5YIx-8duWjCAY86Fdm6gwbHMhBFj9Pd6RpDfqfe8qY4YNAVholoUWRDPN5ghwYW06l04hv9a_vVZm28esexrcroZkS77lcVMczZhpJnQG4bHmD_vjK7AfYVCFn15odJ0tnmOSycjUY/w400-h308/InHotBlood3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This was 1968, when frontal nudity was still a bit of a rarity in sexploitation movies. That would start to change radically within a year or so. There’s no frontal nudity here but there is a great deal of kinkiness, much of it with an S&M flavour. The kinkiness comes across as bizarre rather than erotic.<br /><br />The unknown director might not know how to make a coherent movie (or even a technically proficient movie) but he does have a reasonable awareness of how to achieve an atmosphere of decadence. And the movie does have a certain offbeat eroticism. The girls take their clothes off, then they get dressed, then ten seconds later they’re getting undressed again. Because seeing girls undressing is in fact pretty erotic.<br /><br />There might not be frontal nudity but there’s an abundance of boobs and bare bottoms. The nice thing about this and other 60s sexploitation movies is that what the girls are displaying is what Mother Nature gave them, with (thankfully) no assistance from silicone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeUuBv2aMcsFItDal-k42zPyw05XYeZoHlrf9UV2UUPKxjaCwItSm4srDjSGV2OoV3RwcGuF6xC5U8K7aQ_8ZvsNq-i8VbWFYe2ZQWIq85Ap3Ey0MymPs-zPsVi7pvZ7imJrEmFgrr7zL5isjG9T-dkjwIyp_2WCrGgh1z8wgAXLrITfh-FQAage9rkw/s704/InHotBlood7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="704" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeUuBv2aMcsFItDal-k42zPyw05XYeZoHlrf9UV2UUPKxjaCwItSm4srDjSGV2OoV3RwcGuF6xC5U8K7aQ_8ZvsNq-i8VbWFYe2ZQWIq85Ap3Ey0MymPs-zPsVi7pvZ7imJrEmFgrr7zL5isjG9T-dkjwIyp_2WCrGgh1z8wgAXLrITfh-FQAage9rkw/w400-h306/InHotBlood7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s no discernible plot but things keep happening. Those things make no sense but they give the movie a certain crazed energy. Whatever its flaws this movie is not boring.<br /><br />This movie, like almost all roughies, was shot in black-and-white.<br /><br /><i>In Hot Blood</i> offers wall-to-wall T&A and some inspired lunacy, and of course it has that wonderful 60s sleaze vibe. It’s pretty entertaining. Highly recommended.<br /><br />Something Weird released this on a triple-header DVD with <i>The Lusting Hours</i> and Michael Findlay’s <i>The Ultimate Degenerate</i>. The transfer is very good. Happily this DVD is still obtainable (some of those Something Weird discs are now very difficult to find).<br /></div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-58981253555634175802024-02-24T22:33:00.000+11:002024-02-24T22:33:00.196+11:00Savage Streets (1984)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpfVC9WAfjoarN_nHHtGYJCNPfvB1j9mPU2-04NhmV0bVAs4_zT93gJ-xOO373fZ-j222uB_BUBf9cvp91kRea0uvrcb7hwWqZfWfpvGO1P1Vx5zlCNPT6IhrVcwTatAv8BXGl2keBBGLNzKl06myLMQ0ATxv4vQEJmEPcGNhqXCJ-fW_bdM0VCX32nU/s1600/Savage%20Streets1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpfVC9WAfjoarN_nHHtGYJCNPfvB1j9mPU2-04NhmV0bVAs4_zT93gJ-xOO373fZ-j222uB_BUBf9cvp91kRea0uvrcb7hwWqZfWfpvGO1P1Vx5zlCNPT6IhrVcwTatAv8BXGl2keBBGLNzKl06myLMQ0ATxv4vQEJmEPcGNhqXCJ-fW_bdM0VCX32nU/s320/Savage%20Streets1.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>There’s nothing like a sleazy 80s Linda Blair exploitation movie and <i>Savage Streets</i> is a very good one.<br /><br />It belongs to the female revenge genre which had taken off in a big way in the 70s (not just in Hollywood but in other countries as well).<br /><br />You have to remember that this movie was made in 1984 when hysteria about violent crime, youth crime and gang crime was still at its height. And that’s the background to this movie.<br /><br />Brenda (Linda Blair) leads a girl gang. They’re pretty wild but they’re not evil. Brenda has a kid sister, Heather (Linnea Quigley), who’s a deaf-mute. Brenda is devoted to her sister.<br /><br />Brenda’s gang has a run-in with a very nasty male gang led by Jake (Robert Dryer). Brenda and her pals steal Jake’s car and take it for a joy ride. Jake vows to get revenge for this insult.<br /><br />Jake and his gang rape Heather and leave her for dead. This ignites a chain of escalating violence. It also causes tensions within Jake’s gang. Vince (Johnny Venocur) is more of a hanger-on than a fully-fledged member of the gang but he was the first to rape Heather. Now he’s feeling guilty and that worries Jake.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAI6sLWOYt2GI-sOahGZZ7BdNv5iX7pBE85riG7gpbxMSWz603ODH15cBq41WWsw6KOIAQMS9MeO_Cem9Xkg-3nfS5Yxg4IL4IHkOtC2eJePbfZj-jBPk0JOPFg_ciAd6f4swEaISII9dmm8iSzt083qG-5popNACMKExk-rLsmaoJ0hy2RuUxSetcaw/s797/SavageStreets1%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="797" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAI6sLWOYt2GI-sOahGZZ7BdNv5iX7pBE85riG7gpbxMSWz603ODH15cBq41WWsw6KOIAQMS9MeO_Cem9Xkg-3nfS5Yxg4IL4IHkOtC2eJePbfZj-jBPk0JOPFg_ciAd6f4swEaISII9dmm8iSzt083qG-5popNACMKExk-rLsmaoJ0hy2RuUxSetcaw/w400-h225/SavageStreets1%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />As an indirect result of this one of Brenda’s gang is murdered.<br /><br />Brenda is now out for revenge and she’s not fooling around. The stage is set for a series of showdowns with Jake and his cronies Fargo (Sal Landi), and Red (Scott Mayer).<br /><br />It’s a pretty violent movie and the climactic showdown is both violent and gripping.<br /><br />The rape scene is fairly harrowing but had it not been harrowing the entire plot would have made no sense. We have to believe that it was so brutal that Brenda has been pushed right over the edge. We also have to believe that Brenda is now so highly motivated that she will have no hesitation in single-handedly taking on three big mean guys.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiYQuTQJFwYQdEikDNo8YQCaBp-RzpCbZLIWhosvKGRzlyjDyu2M5GQTQn5FLfICfrWXo4emw8Sm0OB1OnsVbRYkttyNmvAHgQFtahn_3Ro6Wsj7R-NlxkSRi7EzfxwOHEMECjhjT1kXC4g2wI_f30wND_uEgMNZWaQ4MSzUTq7vkcs5bMLzw5hC20dA/s797/SavageStreets2%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="797" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiYQuTQJFwYQdEikDNo8YQCaBp-RzpCbZLIWhosvKGRzlyjDyu2M5GQTQn5FLfICfrWXo4emw8Sm0OB1OnsVbRYkttyNmvAHgQFtahn_3Ro6Wsj7R-NlxkSRi7EzfxwOHEMECjhjT1kXC4g2wI_f30wND_uEgMNZWaQ4MSzUTq7vkcs5bMLzw5hC20dA/w400-h225/SavageStreets2%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />One thing I like is that Brenda’s campaign of revenge is reasonably plausible. She knows she would have no chance at all against three guys. Her plan, if it works, will allow her to deal with them one at a time. She has the advantage of surprise, and she has acquired some useful accessories which will even up the odds considerably. There’s none of the unrealistic nonsense of one small female beating up a whole bunch of big guys with ease. Brenda is no super-woman. She relies on out-thinking the bad guys.<br /><br />There are plenty of exploitation elements. Linda Blair has a memorable bathtub nude scene. There’s a shower scene with about thirty naked women, featuring a lot of frontal nudity. There’s an epic catfight between Brenda and a blonde cheerleader who thinks Brenda is trying to steal her boyfriend. What makes this scene awesome is all the naked chicks in the background, two of whom are having their own private catfight for no reason whatsoever except that naked girl catfights add a bit more exploitation value.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuC8MUdkYJ8JbXfRDeDwhFEDU6ZX30vp1Tq63wLoGyURQqBAtG06zLhpmcSwtTHkl0BQn54RmTrqVmeIoyYV4ScYWYeDM06Ua7mBL1Pyw5AcO9K1aibeb8Iy3f3sZyx4gFdeKkvhqHv2p5rE7hDwDghBgdn0uoBvnYSwOBBc2DI0EZOeIsqg0O8yeIyw/s797/SavageStreets4%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="797" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuC8MUdkYJ8JbXfRDeDwhFEDU6ZX30vp1Tq63wLoGyURQqBAtG06zLhpmcSwtTHkl0BQn54RmTrqVmeIoyYV4ScYWYeDM06Ua7mBL1Pyw5AcO9K1aibeb8Iy3f3sZyx4gFdeKkvhqHv2p5rE7hDwDghBgdn0uoBvnYSwOBBc2DI0EZOeIsqg0O8yeIyw/w400-h225/SavageStreets4%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s some memorable dialogue.<br /><br />This movie had a very troubled production history but surprisingly it ended up being perfectly coherent, well-structured and well-paced.<br /><br />The acting is fine. John Vernon is good in a small part as the hardbitten school principal. Linda Blair is the star and she displays her star quality. She’s nicely intense and manages to persuade us that for all her swagger Brenda has a good heart. But if someone close to her gets hurt she’ll make the perpetrator pay.<br /><br />There’s a very very 80s feel to this movie which gives it plenty of nostalgia appeal today.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyWTL5F8GzUcBuLLhPhf6Yr6QMoNo2NtK_WtUjcJlUfD_atvrle0fkx3_1cWnv06cHchFuUfrKFaC3sJFz0kQYSH3oEfDeW7fwdeo-KLEZvyY_PsUGUFePSqMNrubTKnEw6LQncEteTxDF163mRnId--4x3yf9ALIuziPnWGeuLWNfsu3s9R9gtCJTuM/s797/SavageStreets5%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="797" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyWTL5F8GzUcBuLLhPhf6Yr6QMoNo2NtK_WtUjcJlUfD_atvrle0fkx3_1cWnv06cHchFuUfrKFaC3sJFz0kQYSH3oEfDeW7fwdeo-KLEZvyY_PsUGUFePSqMNrubTKnEw6LQncEteTxDF163mRnId--4x3yf9ALIuziPnWGeuLWNfsu3s9R9gtCJTuM/w400-h225/SavageStreets5%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There is some question as to who actually directed this movie. Danny Steinmann gets the directing credit. Apparently some early scenes were directed by Tom DeSimone but depending on which source you rely on it seems that quite a bit of the movie was in fact directed by producer John Strong.<br /><br />If you like your 80s exploitation fast-moving violent and sleazy <i>Savage Streets</i> is the movie for you. A must-see for Linda Blair fans. Highly recommended.<br /><br />The Code Red Blu-Ray (which looks great) comes with a swag of extras - lots of interviews and no less than three audio commentaries.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-49702444439438633352024-02-22T01:42:00.000+11:002024-02-22T01:42:51.192+11:00Miranda (1985)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTuyoujKmGBwMMFcPAtPuiugpOmtkNBHLHrku8-wYqGLNk9RJfK3MCEqhKXbQkjo3OFgfzrVDx737uTHLUEmyw5ZhkuqaY0frc84bteJKhwmh9CP2hZiSmVH0a_IT3Rc-bplwf2BEhdAIWfd95Xmc0e3lPYkIoKXZyJzsarJ4eJv6Gq4V50UmXbH5aRE/s1500/Miranda2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTuyoujKmGBwMMFcPAtPuiugpOmtkNBHLHrku8-wYqGLNk9RJfK3MCEqhKXbQkjo3OFgfzrVDx737uTHLUEmyw5ZhkuqaY0frc84bteJKhwmh9CP2hZiSmVH0a_IT3Rc-bplwf2BEhdAIWfd95Xmc0e3lPYkIoKXZyJzsarJ4eJv6Gq4V50UmXbH5aRE/s320/Miranda2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>Miranda</i> is a 1985 movie by Tinto Brass which you could describe as an erotic comedy/romance.<br /><br />Tinto Brass has certainly had an interesting career. In the 60s and early 70s he had very respectable art-house credentials, even being compared to Antonioni. Then in 1976 came <i>Salon Kitty</i> which ignited something of a firestorm of controversy. Which was nothing compared to the hysteria which greeted his next film, <i>Caligula</i>. At that point he seems to have decided to make the movies he wanted to make and to make them the way he wanted to make them.<br /><br />He also decided to concentrate almost exclusively on erotic films. That meant being shunned by critics (especially in the Anglophone world) and losing his respectable art-house credentials. He doesn’t seem to care one little bit.<br /><br />Miranda takes place in the 1950s. Miranda (Serena Grandi) runs an inn. She is, or was, married but her husband was missing in action during the war and is presumed dead.<br /><br />Miranda likes men and would like to meet that one special guy with whom to share her life but a girl has to be sure of her choice. The best way is to have affairs with lots and lots of men. Having affairs with three or four men at the same time is no great strain for her.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55TM6dFxogYZP9xcdS6t64gBEFSgxclETaQ_M_ZMTF3Vge5QDOu_euo9maljqnXvlOcktnFfxn4gZ5ag0h3D9ADEPWDH6ElLzXuiSdGlKQv0hHApNr9NiPVRIg3S9a9yYWuPIymW2EnY4w9OTc1zML83hZldU2zHR4LTW9RP-x0CDvW88Ed1qVEaw8e0/s777/MirandaCap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="777" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55TM6dFxogYZP9xcdS6t64gBEFSgxclETaQ_M_ZMTF3Vge5QDOu_euo9maljqnXvlOcktnFfxn4gZ5ag0h3D9ADEPWDH6ElLzXuiSdGlKQv0hHApNr9NiPVRIg3S9a9yYWuPIymW2EnY4w9OTc1zML83hZldU2zHR4LTW9RP-x0CDvW88Ed1qVEaw8e0/w400-h231/MirandaCap1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Carlo, who is more or less the assistant manger of the inn, is very keen on her. She isn’t sure if she’s interested in marrying him. Perhaps when she finds the time to try him out in the bedroom she’ll be in a position to choose.<br /><br />There’s a wealthy politician who would very much like to marry her. He’s much older but he is rich and he’s rather nice and he’s devoted to her.<br /><br />The arrival of Norman, a young American in the area temporarily while working on a construction project, offers her another potential choice.<br /><br />That’s pretty much it for the plot.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94OU3UQ6LpT2YdzUN2IJExDpV-AzhHTFO-s0VIi0BJ4FbIDjFt78XF1uYOyxW8QDj4k5vuS4bmr6IHmnkeEND1lb-yE_OWPPlZdR5J560GhgmVnuKPdOY4pxY5KMCJYBSXXpLCyMrv8gkUxVcI_O0K-C7yHE4-dCUyNpfIDa2PD9uDpLQGLd-RfQtsG0/s777/MirandaCap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="777" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94OU3UQ6LpT2YdzUN2IJExDpV-AzhHTFO-s0VIi0BJ4FbIDjFt78XF1uYOyxW8QDj4k5vuS4bmr6IHmnkeEND1lb-yE_OWPPlZdR5J560GhgmVnuKPdOY4pxY5KMCJYBSXXpLCyMrv8gkUxVcI_O0K-C7yHE4-dCUyNpfIDa2PD9uDpLQGLd-RfQtsG0/w400-h231/MirandaCap2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It’s played as farce and in a very good-natured way. It’s a fun movie. It has no axes to grind. This is not going to be an exercise in misery or self-pity or guilt.<br /><br />Brass’s erotic movies from the early 80s on tend to be joyous celebrations of sex. And of the charms of the female body. Brass is notorious for his fondness for actresses with amply-proportioned posteriors but the rest of the female body is certainly not neglected. <br /><br />The movie opens with a close-up of Serena Grandi’s crotch and she’s not wearing any panties. Brass is laying his cards on the table right from the get-go. He’s saying that if this shot bothers you then you should switch the movie off and go watch something else.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnuH7AWgHu10vbZ6g4OhfCNOp9-xzU1kdeR0jZdX2q3jGxHnq2LaoP5xNH1kl87c5JKOT3Mnjic_GEsy1RDhGtYoYMaeEK5ihoEHp_oFfgH5c2BJGwJKH5As6xDXO6IsB7C2MukjYEhsN-A_b8g7Ccg60TC3d2QBLx71jxeubMENsSMLwBF6LInnf0LA/s777/MirandaCap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="777" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnuH7AWgHu10vbZ6g4OhfCNOp9-xzU1kdeR0jZdX2q3jGxHnq2LaoP5xNH1kl87c5JKOT3Mnjic_GEsy1RDhGtYoYMaeEK5ihoEHp_oFfgH5c2BJGwJKH5As6xDXO6IsB7C2MukjYEhsN-A_b8g7Ccg60TC3d2QBLx71jxeubMENsSMLwBF6LInnf0LA/w400-h231/MirandaCap3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It’s a celebration of the female body but it’s also a celebration of female erotic pleasure. Miranda is very much in touch with, and comfortable with, her sexual desires. She feels no shame about sex and the movie never suggests that a woman should feel shame about satisfying her sexual urges. At no time is she punished for her carnal indulgences. There’s a total absence of moralising about sex. To the extent that there’s any message in this film it’s that sex is normal and healthy. That might seem an obvious point but it’s a point that has never been obvious to censors or to film critics.<br /><br /><i>Miranda</i> is a movie that revels in its celebration of sex and of sensual pleasures in general.<br /><br />Brass was always a visually uninhibited director and <i>Miranda</i> looks lush and rich. There’s a lot of very explicit nudity and some fairly explicit sex scenes. It’s softcore, but it’s at the raunchy end of softcore. On the other hand the nude scenes and sex scenes have a lyrical playful quality to them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AMxr4GtCtE7-oageumjOC6dIBl0sbzytxCPUrxkPRzAChZYKDfTQPfB_xX3ooZ70jQtPejQPdjWe3beHDrRyyOTkY6BOSj3t09cgYKQWcPsqR-cb18tJu5p5wMgZL4LH3pEzRNE7noi_hQ_G-1y8EPCQevc-m3ou6NMkVDmjlWA-tADHC8dGrfh7u6A/s777/MirandaCap5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="777" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AMxr4GtCtE7-oageumjOC6dIBl0sbzytxCPUrxkPRzAChZYKDfTQPfB_xX3ooZ70jQtPejQPdjWe3beHDrRyyOTkY6BOSj3t09cgYKQWcPsqR-cb18tJu5p5wMgZL4LH3pEzRNE7noi_hQ_G-1y8EPCQevc-m3ou6NMkVDmjlWA-tADHC8dGrfh7u6A/w400-h231/MirandaCap5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Serena Grandi is voluptuous in a way that was already becoming unfashionable but that gives the movie an authentically Tinto Brass feel. That’s Brass’s idea of feminine beauty and if you don’t like it that’s too bad. She gives a wonderful performance. Miranda is a character who might have been played as manipulative in other movies but there’s nothing manipulative about her in this film. She doesn’t want to use men. She wants to share fun times with them. She’s a very likeable character.<br /><br />This is also an uncompromisingly Italian movie, a love letter to the Italy of the past.<br /><br /><i>Miranda</i> is lighthearted and sexy and stylish and Tinto Brass’s erotic movies have a unique flavour of their own. Highly recommended.<br /><br /><i>Miranda</i> has had numerous home video releases. The version in the excellent Fifty Shades of Brass DVD boxed set offers a lovely 16:9 enhanced transfer. Both the English dub and the Italian language version with English subtitles are provided. Given that the set also includes <i>Salon Kitty</i> and <i>The Voyeur</i> it’s worth buying.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-57934502427824590042024-02-19T21:05:00.000+11:002024-02-19T21:05:31.918+11:00Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger (1979)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNDR0TgPzp91_lcBPSohXcWqlakWmTADGPtg4-0YJpK3iJ149YAclv5-BgI6zRrbaEHz15OhKZtG9gtml98BomaMFkN3UKG7ry_60mu2B0OueTxXkQzSGkuwIqDJqbUJd7R950h661zrQOrUfa4iq5bkn7367DZpwOXTENC6SxN5fIedO6UVYFK4U3fo/s729/Nurse%20Diary%20Wicked%20Finger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNDR0TgPzp91_lcBPSohXcWqlakWmTADGPtg4-0YJpK3iJ149YAclv5-BgI6zRrbaEHz15OhKZtG9gtml98BomaMFkN3UKG7ry_60mu2B0OueTxXkQzSGkuwIqDJqbUJd7R950h661zrQOrUfa4iq5bkn7367DZpwOXTENC6SxN5fIedO6UVYFK4U3fo/s320/Nurse%20Diary%20Wicked%20Finger2.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><i>Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger</i> is a 1979 entry in Nikkatsu’s roman porno cycle, the studio’s successful strategy to save itself from bankruptcy after television had threatened to destroy the Japanese film industry. <i>Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger</i> is a sex comedy, and a deliriously crazy one.<br /><br />It’s one of quite a few nurse-themed movies in the roman porno cycle.<br /><br />Ryoko (Etsuko Hara) is a pretty young nurse. She has decided to move out of the nurse’s dorm. She’s having an affair with a married doctor, Dr Edogawa, and she feels it may be indiscreet to have sex with him in the dorm.<br /><br />Young student nurse Emi, who looks up to Ryoko as a surrogate big sister, has been resisting the lesbian advances of her new roommate. Emi does however seem to have discovered an interest in the delights of sapphic love and she’s now desperately trying to get into Ryoko’s pants.<br /><br />Dr Edogawa has other things to distract him, in the form of a very pretty female patient named Yoko. Yoko is always developing strange symptoms which always require Dr Edogawa to give her a close physical examination. Naturally she has to take her clothes off for these examinations. If Yoko had a headache or a sore toe she would insist on taking her clothes off so that Dr Edogawa could examine her properly. Dr Edogawa is a dedicated physician so he always conducts these examinations very thoroughly, to the accompaniment of much giggling on Yoko’s part.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh981XduBngPkDavk_NcxBH2Be4XiIEBXeLSH0vJS8-82DBIxXD4fxGiz0oF0IWRZwMnoXkByDPxVn97AUlMcHttpm5Il5R-iBQqtUGMbwyquvL5iusV5cBIzPW5EsNNkvG_-29tlGnfEEI0Df-3JS7G0ip54cPMXjWNO1P5-Kk7m0oAlrS-7jYsQxtJBU/s844/NurseDiaryWickedFinger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="844" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh981XduBngPkDavk_NcxBH2Be4XiIEBXeLSH0vJS8-82DBIxXD4fxGiz0oF0IWRZwMnoXkByDPxVn97AUlMcHttpm5Il5R-iBQqtUGMbwyquvL5iusV5cBIzPW5EsNNkvG_-29tlGnfEEI0Df-3JS7G0ip54cPMXjWNO1P5-Kk7m0oAlrS-7jYsQxtJBU/w400-h175/NurseDiaryWickedFinger1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Dr Edogawa will have a bit of explaining to do when Yoko’s husband shows up.<br /><br />Dr Edogawa also has some explaining to do when his wife finds out about his affair with Ryoko.<br /><br />Ryoko has other distractions of her own to deal with, in the form of a young somewhat socially inept male neighbour named Tsugawa. Tsugawa is a Peeping Tom.<br /><br />All of these sexual dramas become more and more crazy.<br /><br />If you’re not familiar with Japanese comedy you might be surprised at just how broad much of the humour is. In this movie it’s very broad indeed, but combined with total insanity.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsVkod2dVNoS931ICq6gu-0Yy9VWn7nPuiQKYI372Ktf0Pfv3P3fgc9Aer3SSg6N0bkMb_DZH2MkUh542-tJS7Ci57McWDFAApNhttsFTS-SCbdTT231GPcDhSfdmfzmrWcOQhIqUU-yY1_AA1LVIIgJ5Xcv9bKTIK9MEu8s5ZxUcPNhrsKHiTgvkb78/s847/NurseDiaryWickedFinger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="847" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsVkod2dVNoS931ICq6gu-0Yy9VWn7nPuiQKYI372Ktf0Pfv3P3fgc9Aer3SSg6N0bkMb_DZH2MkUh542-tJS7Ci57McWDFAApNhttsFTS-SCbdTT231GPcDhSfdmfzmrWcOQhIqUU-yY1_AA1LVIIgJ5Xcv9bKTIK9MEu8s5ZxUcPNhrsKHiTgvkb78/w400-h175/NurseDiaryWickedFinger2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It is however genuinely very funny. Tsugawa’s misadventures with the vacuum cleaner are very funny indeed. As you might have guessed, he has turned to the vacuum cleaner to relieve his sexual frustrations brought about by gazing at Ryoko’s nakedness. It’s an episode that could easily have been merely crude but the craziness level makes it funny rather than crass.<br /><br />In fact that’s typical of the whole movie. Situations with the potential to be crass end up being lightheartedly amusing instead.<br /><br />The scenes with the crazy exhibitionistic Yoko manage to be both funny and sexy. The scenes with her husband are insanely over-the-top and including a fire-breathing Dr Edogawa. Literally fire-breathing. He’s been drinking pure alcohol and makes the mistake of trying to light a cigarette.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO3aE-DnDrSTgxRhZM6545YBL4vrGu_y-MlM7A1J5QMee0SXNvVClAntRD3mdM_BiDzVErVu5AU29C0D_GcsgjD0VzILUY1hlOoOGlHncrjYyHKDWPazVLnRp6GdCqXO6BInok7B9CTMBmEGJQiSt_On8gK-cOD-dRI-tKo8NVO-yPuqUv3yiy1RquWU/s845/NurseDiaryWickedFinger3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="845" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIO3aE-DnDrSTgxRhZM6545YBL4vrGu_y-MlM7A1J5QMee0SXNvVClAntRD3mdM_BiDzVErVu5AU29C0D_GcsgjD0VzILUY1hlOoOGlHncrjYyHKDWPazVLnRp6GdCqXO6BInok7B9CTMBmEGJQiSt_On8gK-cOD-dRI-tKo8NVO-yPuqUv3yiy1RquWU/w400-h176/NurseDiaryWickedFinger3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The movie does spring one or two surprises. We assume that Tsugawa is being set up as a perennial loser comic relief character with no chance of getting the girl (or any girl) but Ryoko decides he’s really sweet and she’s happy to sleep with him, even though she knows about the vacuum cleaner incident. The scene in which she sleeps with him would have been played for laughs in a British or American movie but in this case it’s oddly touching.<br /><br />It’s these occasional unexpected poignant moments that make this movie interesting.<br /><br />There’s a lot of nudity but overall this movie is a bit tamer than you expect from a Nikkatsu roman porno film. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvWwhXskw5OOtOdBQG51ntMZ7YINm2KsZQ3uHbKoAFffaj3EK2_aJy5XHM5mdOLVLtJ2A6hFNgNC6iZ9MX4AcFGCghgNLz9h_VrFy24Ux_Xyx3ad_einr4PWBbpWZAtsZlxlQOQt7OWKysK1kmVNdadxH6n4lKks3efKAYdej6ic8yXzn_7izXEz-Yc0/s846/NurseDiaryWickedFinger4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="846" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvWwhXskw5OOtOdBQG51ntMZ7YINm2KsZQ3uHbKoAFffaj3EK2_aJy5XHM5mdOLVLtJ2A6hFNgNC6iZ9MX4AcFGCghgNLz9h_VrFy24Ux_Xyx3ad_einr4PWBbpWZAtsZlxlQOQt7OWKysK1kmVNdadxH6n4lKks3efKAYdej6ic8yXzn_7izXEz-Yc0/w400-h176/NurseDiaryWickedFinger4a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Even scenes that might have been disturbing end up not being genuinely disturbing because the movie really is remarkably good-natured and is clearly aiming to amuse rather than to shock. This is an intentionally silly goofy movie and if you take any of it seriously you’ve missed the point.<br /><br /><i>Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger</i> is totally nuts but it’s strangely likeable and even charming in its insanity. Recommended.<br /><br />The Impulse DVD lacks extras (apart from some very sparse liner notes by Jasper Sharp) but the transfer is perfectly acceptable.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-28448651039776331142024-02-16T10:18:00.000+11:002024-02-16T10:18:17.287+11:00Flesh Gordon (1974)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhiTwdQiT89DpfnhIqa6d5n2MSTUiJ44McXIciEUzGtNSXXgKq6vrJ-dPskdtZZ87CLBuP_vIIzO9mL7khyC6DkJV5sJIP7PihTMoHXGoaHvyCEDGVvrqhzDaNCQe8AVPcBg-50y-mzATrRf-y8r4pn7Hv6MvGAxSNDbjqEWUSEDIMdWXPsnRdPa1v5o/s860/Flesh%20Gordon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhiTwdQiT89DpfnhIqa6d5n2MSTUiJ44McXIciEUzGtNSXXgKq6vrJ-dPskdtZZ87CLBuP_vIIzO9mL7khyC6DkJV5sJIP7PihTMoHXGoaHvyCEDGVvrqhzDaNCQe8AVPcBg-50y-mzATrRf-y8r4pn7Hv6MvGAxSNDbjqEWUSEDIMdWXPsnRdPa1v5o/s320/Flesh%20Gordon2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><i>Flesh Gordon</i> is, very obviously, a softcore <i>Flash Gordon</i> spoof. And it’s not done in quite the way you might expect. It was directed by Michael Benveniste and Howard Ziehm. Michael Benveniste and William Dennis Hunt wrote the screenplay.<br /><br />Earth is under attack. A hitherto unknown planet is aiming a sinister ray at our planet. It’s not a death ray, it’s a sex ray. It causes people to go mad with lust and start having sex with anyone who happens to be in close proximity.<br /><br />Professor Gordon’s son Flesh Gordon (Jason Williams) is going to be the hero of the hour. Luckily he encounters one of his father’s colleague, the brilliant scientist Dr Jerkoff. Dr Jerkoff has invented a new high-tech spacecraft. Dr Jerkoff, Flesh and the lovely Dale Ardor (Suzanne Fields) voyage to the source of the sex ray, the planet Porno. On the way they are hit by the sex ray so they have a mini-orgy before continuing their voyage.<br /><br />The planet Porno is ruled by the evil Emperor Wang (William Dennis Hunt). There is a power struggle going on there between Wang and his queen, Amora.<br /><br />Flesh, Dale and Dr Jerkoff have to find a way to destroy that sex ray but they are inevitably captured. They have the usual series of narrow escapes from danger.<br /><br />Eventually they make contact with a resistance movement, after a frightening encounter with lesbian amazons. Dr Jerkoff thinks he has invented a device that can end the power of the sex ray.<br /><br />One advantage our heroes have I that Dr Jerkoff is now in possession of Queen Amora’s pasties. Apart from their accustomed purpose the power pasties are formidable weapons.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliJElqF8EGsPR7RJs1yol-PUwdkY8mgMNcPgZf-fWv2ZbP1IFpO_pptOAOL-sozx3aMsfFbuDA9SR6SSeLQpXqSk3TuSn8wVwhBsRFE_AFYvOKZjzfNGc2fQEFhUNTlwI7NmIpCLiRB-UrOy7Qw9k5D6vdUTQGg1C2NpfhQD9q9UNYxSnz5VfTRAOOi0/s795/FleshGordon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="795" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliJElqF8EGsPR7RJs1yol-PUwdkY8mgMNcPgZf-fWv2ZbP1IFpO_pptOAOL-sozx3aMsfFbuDA9SR6SSeLQpXqSk3TuSn8wVwhBsRFE_AFYvOKZjzfNGc2fQEFhUNTlwI7NmIpCLiRB-UrOy7Qw9k5D6vdUTQGg1C2NpfhQD9q9UNYxSnz5VfTRAOOi0/w400-h209/FleshGordon1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The first surprise this movie springs on us is that it has a period setting. It is set in the 1930s, just like the original Flash Gordon serials. This is rather unusual and daring for a very low-budget movie. The decision proves to be a masterstroke. Consciously aping the setting and feel of the 30s serials means that the cheesy special effects become a major plus instead of a minus. Everything looks the way these things looked in those 1930s serials.<br /><br />Even Dr Jerkoff’s spaceship, which looks like a giant penis, actually looks rather like the spaceships in the serials with a slight alteration in shape. The spaceship interiors look exactly like similar scenes in the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials.<br /><br />The sets are cheap but they have that 1930s serial look. The matte paintings are very obviously matte paintings but that is totally in keeping with the movie’s chosen aesthetic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-vwpVYlBLhS7GHKs-CCKq4eBJkmUW8AjkKCfzTK4RCrbY2eYEz2sAXjDc4695d-zCVo6Brl8UfVUF4Gw0ZZrSQVUqxHJ35YI-1nUTK2zYm4O6uR8ZaI8EUZS2nd4wjY0SMzUouXfshlctWGyPGZ4NSn_WIC0sKHXzZoqYFfPuTwL0s58XdRarWko_Rw/s784/FleshGordon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="784" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-vwpVYlBLhS7GHKs-CCKq4eBJkmUW8AjkKCfzTK4RCrbY2eYEz2sAXjDc4695d-zCVo6Brl8UfVUF4Gw0ZZrSQVUqxHJ35YI-1nUTK2zYm4O6uR8ZaI8EUZS2nd4wjY0SMzUouXfshlctWGyPGZ4NSn_WIC0sKHXzZoqYFfPuTwL0s58XdRarWko_Rw/w400-h213/FleshGordon2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Had the money been available to do more sophisticated and convincing special effects it would have ruined the movie completely. It would have taken most of the fun out of it. And the stop-motion effects are actually pretty good.<br /><br />It’s also obvious that this movie is not going to make a single concession to realism. The sets are intended to look like movie sets.<br /><br />And it’s obvious that this is going to be a fun sexy spoof rather than a sex movie. This is not a silly goofy fun movie with added nudity and sex. The nude scenes and the sex scenes are just as silly, goofy and fun as everything else in the film.<br /><br />This movie is actually quite amusing and even has a few laugh-out-loud moments. It also manages to be off-the-wall and very good-natured at the same time. It’s all much too goofy to get upset about. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWH-Shyp2u605x9JG-jVLfNYlJrWdnGzYBnxp4N8md806IeqUhviglNHv9BPtneFA2pLnJWzynnI9VpSHO43FVh2ScKRNeJUnF90XkSLR1Z907lzpfnzrgn0QIXFU0pO5T2LmcYIxTZc0LcCwFbnoxPpL9e8tWiaoNpajzoA88rDxQZ_Ra-cmRpUFHd8/s795/FleshGordon3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="795" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWH-Shyp2u605x9JG-jVLfNYlJrWdnGzYBnxp4N8md806IeqUhviglNHv9BPtneFA2pLnJWzynnI9VpSHO43FVh2ScKRNeJUnF90XkSLR1Z907lzpfnzrgn0QIXFU0pO5T2LmcYIxTZc0LcCwFbnoxPpL9e8tWiaoNpajzoA88rDxQZ_Ra-cmRpUFHd8/w400-h210/FleshGordon3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s a moment, just after their spaceship has passed through the sex ray, when Dr Jerkoff is explaining some scientific principle to Flesh in a very serious manner. While he’s doing so he’s idly fondling Dale’s breasts. She’s not the least bit worried. She knows it’s just the after-effects of the sex ray and he’s not even aware of what he’s doing. She just carries on as if nothing is happening.<br /><br />Later on the three of them are having a serious discussion about strategy. Dale is totally naked. She seems completely unaware of this and the other two seem totally oblivious to her nudity.<br /><br />There’s an immense amount of frontal nudity and lots of sex scenes both of which come across as zany and fun rather than arousing. This movie simply doesn’t take itself seriously enough to be erotic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25tNLzrL3EDL6-XZ4UpCSKmCPwmuC4vAStKsFXV2BrqxKtL6KUexGAPvRBqNNLieE14PDyc-sad9fyxFJ-QiEx-RBPfSbtXTGl_Hvi1oIW51sD-eyEpnw1GZmyflydMNE8g0X6UawHg897_tzDrdntNOU7h3pOzIi6b8e9poKUpfxOfQWk5g8BkL9OZE/s795/FleshGordon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="795" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25tNLzrL3EDL6-XZ4UpCSKmCPwmuC4vAStKsFXV2BrqxKtL6KUexGAPvRBqNNLieE14PDyc-sad9fyxFJ-QiEx-RBPfSbtXTGl_Hvi1oIW51sD-eyEpnw1GZmyflydMNE8g0X6UawHg897_tzDrdntNOU7h3pOzIi6b8e9poKUpfxOfQWk5g8BkL9OZE/w400-h210/FleshGordon4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The basic plot, apart from the sex angle, is pure 1930s movie serial stuff with plenty of conscious echoes of the plots of the original serials.<br /><br />The acting is mostly bad but bad in a fun way. The cast members all clearly understood that they were meant to make their performances as outrageous and silly as possible.<br /><br />It’s a rare example of a movie that is deliberately trying to be camp and that gets away with it.<br /><br />Strangely enough and despite all the sex and nudity this movie is far more successful in capturing the authentic feel of the 1930s movie serials than the 1980 <i>Flash Gordon</i> movie.<br /><br /><i>Flesh Gordon</i> has a rather poor reputation which I think says a lot about the humourlessness of the modern world. A crazy movie but I enjoyed it a lot. Highly recommended.<br /><br />The audio commentary by Howard Ziehm is extraordinarily interesting. To say that the movie’s production history was troubled would be an understatement. Ziehm was ripped off by his business partner, he had to fire the director, he had to deal with temperamental crew members and constant persecution by the cops (such as being threatened with a fifteen-year prison sentence). Amazingly he was able to stay out of jail and complete the movie and it went on to be a major success.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-4138732604247768532024-02-13T01:12:00.000+11:002024-02-13T01:12:25.978+11:00The Labyrinth of Sex (1969)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsGdO4DKtHOzbssX7yIgrXGISpNNLtVojiPctfqIx8NZD2djBCVW6djkjKZpfPyEP6igajujsz5byWmuyj-Ij5JMX25ynfpHNhv3CZoGlPrGvJBEHPrAthj6oK4gNDGpzEZ99xT5yNLajUF47068GKL6aoN8QcufgLRmDtONaYp2zPZR5DgNV512YGyo/s1000/Labyrinth%20of%20Sex1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsGdO4DKtHOzbssX7yIgrXGISpNNLtVojiPctfqIx8NZD2djBCVW6djkjKZpfPyEP6igajujsz5byWmuyj-Ij5JMX25ynfpHNhv3CZoGlPrGvJBEHPrAthj6oK4gNDGpzEZ99xT5yNLajUF47068GKL6aoN8QcufgLRmDtONaYp2zPZR5DgNV512YGyo/s320/Labyrinth%20of%20Sex1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><i>The Labyrinth of Sex</i> AKA <i>Nel labirinto del sesso</i> (<i>Psichidion</i>), is I guess a kind of mondo movie, albeit less manic than the classic mondo movies. I have always been mystified by the enormous popularity that mondo movies enjoyed in the 60s.<br /><br /><i>The Labyrinth of Sex</i> was directed by Alfonso Brescia so you expect some WTF moments. You have to wait a while but eventually Brescia does deliver some.<br /><br />We get a voiceover from an eminent psychiatrist specialising in sexual problems, or rather from an actor pretending very unconvincingly to be a psychiatrist. The subject is sexual deviations. It’s all intended to be terribly shocking. It would certainly have been shocking in the early 60s but by 1969? Well, maybe.<br /><br />Naturally we get some half-baked Freudianism and lots of crazy pseudoscience and psychobabble, all explained in a suitably portentous manner. Sex is not something to be regarded as fun. It’s something to be agonised over. In that respect the film has a disturbingly 21st century feel. If it feels good it’s bad for you.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInTK2i0TxcZ10uOuT4_M4_d2VwDeW-4cm1w4V93bIV7724bSOolRqiI7c3QI0x_yE0-2A0ruLvOo2UCHHlrLhgbNHOVXVySlqikI3UU_0pbH58XFBUsBuixQaxeIAsFPSb_VG3LYpxlPwsYUITade9Dw8QlaHK1KskfduFSeKaNy0DoRa64TsA-0AixM/s717/LabyrinthOfSex1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="717" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInTK2i0TxcZ10uOuT4_M4_d2VwDeW-4cm1w4V93bIV7724bSOolRqiI7c3QI0x_yE0-2A0ruLvOo2UCHHlrLhgbNHOVXVySlqikI3UU_0pbH58XFBUsBuixQaxeIAsFPSb_VG3LYpxlPwsYUITade9Dw8QlaHK1KskfduFSeKaNy0DoRa64TsA-0AixM/w400-h176/LabyrinthOfSex1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Inevitably we get a segment on a nymphomaniac. Whatever happened to nymphomaniacs? They were everywhere in those days. Even cold showers don’t help this girl. Eventually she resorts to groping a man in a movie theatre.<br /><br />There’s also voyeurism, and exhibitionism as well.<br /><br />Then things start to get seriously weird. We’re introduced to a lonely man who has solved his problem by making his own woman in kit form. Not from body parts, but from parts of store mannequins and all sorts of bits and pieces. He does it as a kind of mystical ritual with candles. This segment is totally nuts but effectively disturbing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJajSo3dgyxfoDGBa4zgsIS_1hcLqsiCI8_soiLClY2SMSpu9ffxkKxR6M-0yzBvFaBdHLJ0CqMoimV6kQ77UXHXLEe_y1F3odHNNuPjziFWI30NjqE0p0xzunV0Qj8cko58drtmQgSLgt_BxJrWVH4Vxmob6RO9z8B9oSne-pr6vv7-prWFnFEig8p9g/s714/LabyrinthOfSex2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="714" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJajSo3dgyxfoDGBa4zgsIS_1hcLqsiCI8_soiLClY2SMSpu9ffxkKxR6M-0yzBvFaBdHLJ0CqMoimV6kQ77UXHXLEe_y1F3odHNNuPjziFWI30NjqE0p0xzunV0Qj8cko58drtmQgSLgt_BxJrWVH4Vxmob6RO9z8B9oSne-pr6vv7-prWFnFEig8p9g/w400-h178/LabyrinthOfSex2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />We get most of the sexual deviations you’d expect in such a movie.<br /><br />We get lesbians of course. The movie’s views on lesbians are not “dated” (as people like to say nowadays). Nobody in all of history ever thought about lesbians the way this movie does. It’s not even a male fantasy of what lesbians are like. It’s just totally wild and wacky and I have no idea where such ideas could have come from. By this time the movie is getting more and more weird.<br /><br />And naturally we get a segment on sadomasochism. You won’t be surprised to learn that it’s all Mummy and Daddy’s fault.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobTY-YdrBQaGJ0wthsJKKeij1a3QUYdhyYHwr678Tt9C1SkC_pq2aYxp6i15X86Y-nMuNF_z_kO2G0OcHnepHTp5CELr21Cd7HNl1DLZB6RzFG1uaWSRvLLMZ_oaHcJs8-b0JCew4gaVxVWiSywkEgngSb8RxuZPGEScZwwn7sphCTCo5r9-rEsqktsU/s715/LabyrinthOfSex3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="715" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobTY-YdrBQaGJ0wthsJKKeij1a3QUYdhyYHwr678Tt9C1SkC_pq2aYxp6i15X86Y-nMuNF_z_kO2G0OcHnepHTp5CELr21Cd7HNl1DLZB6RzFG1uaWSRvLLMZ_oaHcJs8-b0JCew4gaVxVWiSywkEgngSb8RxuZPGEScZwwn7sphCTCo5r9-rEsqktsU/w400-h176/LabyrinthOfSex3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are moments in this movie that would be more at home in a horror movie.<br /><br />The highlight is the segment with a man and a woman hooked up with hundreds of electrodes having sex in laboratory conditions. This is science! This segment has an unsettling cyberpunk kind of vibe which I actually liked a lot.<br /><br />If the whole movie had been as oddball and off-kilter as this segment and the some-assembly-required girl segment this could have been a fun movie. Sadly the rest of the movie ends up being rather dull.<br /><br />I don’t think I can really recommend this one but the great thing about those Something Weird double and triple-headers is that they could throw in odd movies which would never be worth releasing on their own.<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wO09sV1BJBId8eHaXM8tLucMYZtWCWFzIFaeDQjNICUVaEPYvNXGrUbSJuZtqpvOmmHeCgcIh65cud9mPoV8WdIwuIO9wBQ5dNcAMiCziRBA6rgVV_3gzKBPAyXqGUli1TaUD7WN-MlfI3A3UKmNM_59whV412IwdFhSA4opNda5_1IKw1abg_SEsc4/s712/LabyrinthOfSex4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="712" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wO09sV1BJBId8eHaXM8tLucMYZtWCWFzIFaeDQjNICUVaEPYvNXGrUbSJuZtqpvOmmHeCgcIh65cud9mPoV8WdIwuIO9wBQ5dNcAMiCziRBA6rgVV_3gzKBPAyXqGUli1TaUD7WN-MlfI3A3UKmNM_59whV412IwdFhSA4opNda5_1IKw1abg_SEsc4/w400-h178/LabyrinthOfSex4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Labyrinth of Sex</i> was released on a Something Weird double-header DVD paired with <i>The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield</i> (which I haven’t yet watched). <i>The Labyrinth of Sex</i> gets an acceptable transfer.<br /><br />Extras include trailers and two short films. The first is <i>Parisian Rendezvous</i> which seems like a kind of 60s love story with some psychedelic freak-out discotheque scenes. Then comes the ending with I guarantee you won’t see coming. The second shot is a nudie loop supposedly featuring Marilyn Monroe but of course it isn’t her. I believe it’s Playboy Playmate Arline Hunter. Miss Hunter is certainly remarkable well-developed in the bust department and she sheds all her clothes and then drinks a Coke. Kind of amusing if you enjoy those old b&w loops.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-52897505244118326172024-02-10T21:25:00.000+11:002024-02-10T21:25:26.894+11:00Prey (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZlZ5Ji9Q0raqCbT7nmZplr4ObGiMHVaiX58lg3ONpJpeDUi3UuKk-g4JaR8LdSSwmrTtzTViwx4w0EcPz7bFojVFdbG4lA_TOKMqyfIQUUxfO0HYMZak27WPB6BWIgSvjXjn3xZ_2tvcN67RXmkJwhSQjB7XhfSx9-zw-3nwQuHZWT7vfYG7tZHrORI/s660/Prey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZlZ5Ji9Q0raqCbT7nmZplr4ObGiMHVaiX58lg3ONpJpeDUi3UuKk-g4JaR8LdSSwmrTtzTViwx4w0EcPz7bFojVFdbG4lA_TOKMqyfIQUUxfO0HYMZak27WPB6BWIgSvjXjn3xZ_2tvcN67RXmkJwhSQjB7XhfSx9-zw-3nwQuHZWT7vfYG7tZHrORI/s320/Prey1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>Prey</i> is a 1977 British science fiction-horror movie directed by Norman J. Warren and it doesn’t quite conform to conventional genre expectations.<br /><br />An alien spacecraft with a single crew member lands somewhere in the English countryside. The alien is confused and disoriented and lashes out violently when he feels himself threatened. As a result of his misinterpretations of human behaviour he kills two people.<br /><br />He finds refuge in an isolated farmhouse. Jo (Sally Faulkner) and Jessica (Glory Annen) are the only inhabitants of the farmhouse. They are lesbians. They’re not sure what to make of the alien (who calls himself Anders and is played by Barry Stokes). He looks entirely human and they have no reason to suspect that he is anything but human but his behaviour is rather odd.<br /><br />The atmosphere in the farmhouse was tense even before Anders arrived. It becomes more tense. Anders has wandered into the middle of an emotional minefield.<br /><br />Anders becomes the catalyst for further emotional dramas although he actually doesn’t participate. But his presence in the house is quite enough.<br /><br />Anders is more the manipulated than the manipulator. Jo goes out of her way to humiliate him in order to try to make him seem ridiculous and unattractive in Jessica’s eyes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXw0uYm20tU8H0hkgiqRFVf9Uue3wbYm0seYmdagQGKafSENx39Zg0U5TFoinLyibuvg4Btn9T8VlPCw1aVxv5AycZg_VedfWO7jWwDAexpad6BSKyOYy6z9VuwuTUBFq4Pbg333Jg-eFAoyP-TC8ztiPMtIBTbUcSykCYFbi_lsEiArZNzAjZE65iQU/s743/PreyCap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="743" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXw0uYm20tU8H0hkgiqRFVf9Uue3wbYm0seYmdagQGKafSENx39Zg0U5TFoinLyibuvg4Btn9T8VlPCw1aVxv5AycZg_VedfWO7jWwDAexpad6BSKyOYy6z9VuwuTUBFq4Pbg333Jg-eFAoyP-TC8ztiPMtIBTbUcSykCYFbi_lsEiArZNzAjZE65iQU/w400-h241/PreyCap1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />And we’re still not entirely sure what his intentions are.<br /><br />Of course the dramas will come to a head, but not quite in the way we might expect.<br /><br />There are certainly science fictional and horror elements in this movie but much of the focus is on the emotional dramas at the farmhouse. <br /><br />The relationship between Jo and Jessica is clearly very troubled. Before Anders’ arrival Jessica announces that she wants to leave for a while, to spend some time on her own. Jo’s reaction is extremely hostile. Jo is clearly jealous and possessive. Jo hates men. It’s obvious that she thinks that Jessica is a bit too fond of men. The two women sleep not just in separate beds but in separate bedrooms. There seems to be a lack of physical intimacy between them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa2dvgoQMHOHwY5n-xQ5HXHQychyZyxeJxErW7Av3F1lGab0BELhS7Rf9Dz8zaaF0AR0Sm-ppXPjaRIX5unYkfloBScSBKTM_M-vgS8a6q6RQhypSXuwvSMwIHo5J_tzEF57OmXG7Pg0b311zUiQ6KGrze92wHCvAKo-7VbcocWpWbSVI-zOdfDQhxus/s743/PreyCap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="743" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa2dvgoQMHOHwY5n-xQ5HXHQychyZyxeJxErW7Av3F1lGab0BELhS7Rf9Dz8zaaF0AR0Sm-ppXPjaRIX5unYkfloBScSBKTM_M-vgS8a6q6RQhypSXuwvSMwIHo5J_tzEF57OmXG7Pg0b311zUiQ6KGrze92wHCvAKo-7VbcocWpWbSVI-zOdfDQhxus/w400-h241/PreyCap2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Jo seems a little unstable and definitely inclined to anger. She is clearly a time bomb ticking away, a bomb that could explode at any moment.<br /><br />In a 1970s exploitation movie you expect a lesbian sex scene and you get one and it’s moderately graphic but it’s rather different from the usual run of such scenes. There’s an extreme emotional intensity. It’s as if their frantic love-making is a desperate attempt to convince themselves that their relationship is still viable. This is not just a sex scene thrown in out of commercial necessity. This is two real very troubled people having sex.<br /><br />There are only two sex scenes but both are crucial and both pack a punch, in very different ways.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTJG-8aracDzRZRmfJEkiHm8p3ZnUgvEko0rd_AzSxux5JRdN--OVDwf1f92ZlnXynnuvnaL27U9hzMBbSnTGZKIOxauDjcfqnLwqVu_IUKpIpn6izdZ9v95Md4M4y4YnBLyERUEHhJhNCPpDin5h0J64Q6NG_ukBM8Fm_fzyY6Pog3hWXJveIIjEhjs/s743/PreyCap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="743" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTJG-8aracDzRZRmfJEkiHm8p3ZnUgvEko0rd_AzSxux5JRdN--OVDwf1f92ZlnXynnuvnaL27U9hzMBbSnTGZKIOxauDjcfqnLwqVu_IUKpIpn6izdZ9v95Md4M4y4YnBLyERUEHhJhNCPpDin5h0J64Q6NG_ukBM8Fm_fzyY6Pog3hWXJveIIjEhjs/w400-h241/PreyCap3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I think it is legitimate to wonder if this movie would have worked just as well, or possibly better, as a straightforward erotic thriller without the science fiction elements. I think it’s possible, but on the other hand the fact that Anders is an alien explains why he makes no overt sexual advances to either woman. And that works quite well. It emphasises that Jo’s jealousy is irrational. It emphasises the paranoid nature of her anxiety that Jessica will betray her sexually or leave her.<br /><br />The acting is pretty good. Barry Stokes is weirdly detached, as you]d expect from an alien who understands nothing of people. Sally Faulkner is nicely intense with subtle hints of derangement that slowly become more marked. Glory Annen (in her film debut) is excellent. There are really only three characters in the movie which puts a lot of pressure on the three leads but they come through with flying colours.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR-IKS9DcujdmgRI0zKs1kaAWA4SXMsLFvqjedt6OjUZnWib6vg-8-FqXi9WKT762Ea0bzTe3lxWxd0CffxEc_AeSrjzgWFZVYWSvpD8hGL2CJ3Y1385YUgOTPLcXu30qPCXfe3vJHyKE884ePF5rt_KojOiInaxcKIpxcdBdBAKH5c9M3729uYTS58A/s743/PreyCap4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="743" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR-IKS9DcujdmgRI0zKs1kaAWA4SXMsLFvqjedt6OjUZnWib6vg-8-FqXi9WKT762Ea0bzTe3lxWxd0CffxEc_AeSrjzgWFZVYWSvpD8hGL2CJ3Y1385YUgOTPLcXu30qPCXfe3vJHyKE884ePF5rt_KojOiInaxcKIpxcdBdBAKH5c9M3729uYTS58A/w400-h241/PreyCap4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This was a very low-budget movie made insanely quickly but it’s another movie that demonstrates that talent and commitment matter more than money when it comes to making movies.<br /><br />Norman J. Warren did not direct very many movies. More than anything else this probably reflected the catastrophic state the British film industry was in by the mid-70s. Especially the British popular film industry. By the late 70s obtaining funding for genre movies was extremely difficult; by the mid-80s it was impossible. But he did make <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2008/12/satans-slave-1976.html" target="_blank">Satan’s Slave</a> (1976) which is an awesome movie. And he did make the totally insane <i>Inseminoid</i>.<br /><br /><i>Prey</i> is weird and disturbing but it’s a pleasingly interesting and oddball movie which is highly recommended.<br /><br />The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-Ray looks fabulous and includes some worthwhile extras including an audio commentary by Norman J. Warren and Sally Faulkner.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-71576063728509474492024-02-07T23:39:00.000+11:002024-02-07T23:39:11.287+11:00A Quiet Place To Kill (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUY3JhRQHoRQ3YoL5N-HzC5jSfcvVa__SuaW8h8ZbuWb5Jq40bUBNw4UHwsauEy8vQf-a_IIeU0j1JhfUjgGOTfOz-yV2YqY8iQpI_Eefky_b1ImiHTTxTIhJxCrgzf9-lZkO50bY890V9eurt7BK5V-aRDRnDmEwffM3oGcWHXmqPOfmmgTuhB4MFAHc/s750/A%20Quiet%20Place%20To%20Kill1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUY3JhRQHoRQ3YoL5N-HzC5jSfcvVa__SuaW8h8ZbuWb5Jq40bUBNw4UHwsauEy8vQf-a_IIeU0j1JhfUjgGOTfOz-yV2YqY8iQpI_Eefky_b1ImiHTTxTIhJxCrgzf9-lZkO50bY890V9eurt7BK5V-aRDRnDmEwffM3oGcWHXmqPOfmmgTuhB4MFAHc/s320/A%20Quiet%20Place%20To%20Kill1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>A Quiet Place To Kill</i> was the third of the four gialli directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Carroll Baker. It should be noted that the first of these four movies, <i>Orgasmo</i>, was released in the U.S. as <i>Paranoia</i>. Confusingly the third movie was entitled <i>Paranoia</i> in Italy but released internationally<i> as A Quiet Place To Kill</i>. To keep things as clear as possible we will refer to it here as <i>A Quiet Place To Kill</i> (which is in any case a much better title).<br /><br />This movie is what I call a Phase 1 or early period giallo. You could also refer to this period as the pre-Argento giallo period. Argento’s 1970 <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-bird-with-crystal-plumage-1970.html" target="_blank">The Bird with the Crystal Plumage</a> redefined the giallo. Henceforward Phase 2 or late period gialli would mostly be serial killer movies, they would invariably feature a black-gloved killer and they would be characterised by an over-the-top baroque visual style with lots of blood.<br /><br />Phase 1 or early period gialli are quite different. There’s not a great deal of blood. They are usually not serial killer movies. They don’t necessarily involve black-gloved killers. They are erotic thrillers and they are just as stylish as the later gialli but in a different, more subtle way. They also usually have an atmosphere of Swinging 60s decadence. I personally enjoy these early gialli a great deal and Umberto Lenzi did them very well indeed.<br /><br />These early gialli have been overshadowed by the more flamboyant and blood-drenched later gialli but I actually have a slight preference for these earlier movies. Movies like Lucio Fulci’s <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2020/12/lucio-fulcis-one-on-top-of-other.html" target="_blank">One on Top of the Other</a> (AKA <i>Perversion Story</i>, 1969), Romolo Guerrieri’s <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-sweet-body-of-deborah-1968.html" target="_blank">The Sweet Body of Deborah</a> (1968) and Lenzi’s <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2023/08/so-sweetso-perverse-1969.html" target="_blank">So Sweet, So Perverse</a><i> </i>(1969).<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtUSMfmSR-LHeCU5HgIt07uWB_6t-FHUaZGmumqf9V16_2INHtkU02KNpdc6hAI6RDZevnFsyGFtJWLm8GMk2uIZWn6mCcVoxeskMo8riJnJOGn_LnuCPQa688Ngl2EaoA3-gMiCK93r922xj1xkgHZkKGVk9WrKJrAci9difPVulZC9Ts1PJyW6swxc/s795/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="795" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtUSMfmSR-LHeCU5HgIt07uWB_6t-FHUaZGmumqf9V16_2INHtkU02KNpdc6hAI6RDZevnFsyGFtJWLm8GMk2uIZWn6mCcVoxeskMo8riJnJOGn_LnuCPQa688Ngl2EaoA3-gMiCK93r922xj1xkgHZkKGVk9WrKJrAci9difPVulZC9Ts1PJyW6swxc/w400-h170/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />A Quiet Place To Kill</i> begins with a lady racing car driver having a near-fatal racetrack smash-up. She is Helen and she is payed by Carroll Baker. She will need to take things easy for a while. She is rather surprised to receive an invitation from Maurice (Jean Sorel) to spend some time recuperating at his villa. Maurice is her ex-husband. They did not part on friendly terms.<br /><br />Helen gets another surprise when she arrives at the villa. Maurice has remarried. His new wife is Constance (Anna Proclemer). Maurice usually goes for younger more glamorous women. On the other hand Constance is rich, and Maurice definitely goes for rich women.<br /><br />The atmosphere is rather tense. Constance is having dramas with her daughter. She doesn’t seem to have too much confidence in Maurice’s faithfulness. And Maurice’s desire to get Helen into bed is all too obvious. Helen has reasons to hate Maurice but she still feels a powerful sexual attraction for him. Then Constance tells Helen something rather surprising.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVwKAUO2tCNIbmLOQIIa0vDk2krjv7QEH-M_Hg2Ltu5ExidCpKiB6Hlr1Xv-aoan0AnOqjXZ_imBc_CjZ3ieaNJym5RC_6AXRrL2m1Le6bnDOgXRLWZFYBj9S6jWnmDBRrPJc1NVfWVUi3g9po4P-3ZiP90Vh_LVheCi4GVQEp5t-D8tjpP6LTptj2h8/s795/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="795" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVwKAUO2tCNIbmLOQIIa0vDk2krjv7QEH-M_Hg2Ltu5ExidCpKiB6Hlr1Xv-aoan0AnOqjXZ_imBc_CjZ3ieaNJym5RC_6AXRrL2m1Le6bnDOgXRLWZFYBj9S6jWnmDBRrPJc1NVfWVUi3g9po4P-3ZiP90Vh_LVheCi4GVQEp5t-D8tjpP6LTptj2h8/w400-h170/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Initially it seems like this is going to be a conventional romantic triangle leading to the consequences that one might expect. But then the plot twists start to kick in and things get rather unpredictable.<br /><br />I’m not going to say any more about the plot for fear of revealing spoilers.<br /><br />Jean Sorel was definitely the ideal actor for this type of movie. Maurice is charming, amusing, handsome, sexy and (as both Helen and Constance agree) remarkably good in bed. He is also cynical and totally amoral, untrustworthy, irresponsible, decadent and quite possibly dangerous. A sensible woman would have nothing to do with him, but he’s so charming and sexy that women find it difficult to be sensible about him. Jean Sorel nails the character to perfection. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMSkcgmbmSYQhyvImT3F-yv9oS8qlyk4No1NginGeKFUbmzEVyXTMiB9JT8K0CEkWWdPrdKsil7CyUUDFc5M2CvGiTy-YZ6hin1jBU9O0qgYtcG9RrYfex7KCTII4qDV5AA7Ar_GlxhtS2V3yfmpofccWEvvPr3y8uyuMhzBVi63yKF9juW7fy2K3NNc/s795/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="795" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMSkcgmbmSYQhyvImT3F-yv9oS8qlyk4No1NginGeKFUbmzEVyXTMiB9JT8K0CEkWWdPrdKsil7CyUUDFc5M2CvGiTy-YZ6hin1jBU9O0qgYtcG9RrYfex7KCTII4qDV5AA7Ar_GlxhtS2V3yfmpofccWEvvPr3y8uyuMhzBVi63yKF9juW7fy2K3NNc/w400-h170/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Carroll Baker was close to being the perfect giallo actress - very sexy but very likeable and possibly dangerous. And a very fine and versatile (and somewhat underrated) actress.<br /><br />And <i>The Sweet Body of Deborah</i> in 1968 had already established that Sorel and Baker had real chemistry.<br /><br />Umberto Lenzi should be more admired as a director than he is, and he made some great gialli including the wildly offbeat but brilliant <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/02/spasmo-1974.html" target="_blank">Spasmo</a> (1974). His late 60s and early 70s movies in particular are deserving of more attention. His early gialli are stylish without being showy, and he certainly could capture the atmosphere of the decadent jet set.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSoTRL_n02TWbe3d8JOLEpM2xVoVySht4pwe9r5b7hgWwTbwTdLhMJ12pIA2UWRJxQAduRiwFDtasHJ2IPGEO1jklMIZryf_SWjjE2-pJ6Qqj5Lzoen2PmPeViPgshy99H0vBJGSGYH9jDxU1g_BqwfV6ls7NhQpDAy_Qe3v5MEtqLjgsUCz1h-S4TOc/s795/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="795" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSoTRL_n02TWbe3d8JOLEpM2xVoVySht4pwe9r5b7hgWwTbwTdLhMJ12pIA2UWRJxQAduRiwFDtasHJ2IPGEO1jklMIZryf_SWjjE2-pJ6Qqj5Lzoen2PmPeViPgshy99H0vBJGSGYH9jDxU1g_BqwfV6ls7NhQpDAy_Qe3v5MEtqLjgsUCz1h-S4TOc/w400-h170/AQuietPlaceToKill_blu6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I don’t recall any blood at all in this movie, which will certainly puzzle giallo fans. There’s some nudity, but not much. There are no actual sex scenes.<br /><br />If you go into <i>A Quiet Place To Kill</i> expecting a conventional giallo of the type that became ubiquitous in the 70s you may be disappointed. This represents a distinctive sub-genre of the giallo and it may be counter-productive to consider these late 60s movies as gialli at all. This is an erotic thriller and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s an interesting genre and one of which I’m very fond. The focus here is on twisted emotional and erotic relationships and the screenplay and the acting are of sufficiently high calibre to make it an intelligent provocative look at such relationships.<br /><br /><i>A Quiet Place To Kill</i> is a brilliant little movie and it’s very highly recommended.<br /><br />The Severin Blu-Ray offers a fully restored transfer which looks luscious.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-26529688941127453892024-02-05T20:12:00.000+11:002024-02-05T20:12:35.545+11:00The Ballad of Tam Lin (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihwa-l4rz4gQF_mLgMIbZaWXwZ4EWtUYbYvGMw811AwXDZObftlcR3RJcKyw-yM2H_roIgyXemxKQCI9hZSlpV3Dpbwp2WH0EwRM0x1dfYQiSiVky53DXzh5Vj2bKEitS-_c9P-dSldt0szZiRW-u1p68cDwAgu9LpwdN6-Hcdq3sEHauO9MppdIFJTo/s900/Ballad%20of%20Tam%20Lin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihwa-l4rz4gQF_mLgMIbZaWXwZ4EWtUYbYvGMw811AwXDZObftlcR3RJcKyw-yM2H_roIgyXemxKQCI9hZSlpV3Dpbwp2WH0EwRM0x1dfYQiSiVky53DXzh5Vj2bKEitS-_c9P-dSldt0szZiRW-u1p68cDwAgu9LpwdN6-Hcdq3sEHauO9MppdIFJTo/s320/Ballad%20of%20Tam%20Lin1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>The Ballad of Tam Lin</i> (also released as <i>Tam Lin</i> and as <i>The Devil's Widow</i>) was Roddy McDowall’s first and only film as a director. It’s a strange movie that probably never had any chance of commercial success.<br /><br />It’s based on, or perhaps it would be better to say inspired by, a well-known Scottish folk tale about a love triangle involving the queen of the fairies. The approach taken by Director McDowall and screenwriter William Spier is not at all what you would expect and probably doomed the movie commercially. It is however an undeniably interesting approach.<br /><br />Michaela ‘Miki’ Cazaret (Ava Gardner) is a very very rich woman who owns a very old but palatial home in Scotland. For her amusement she has collected a bunch of young hippies. We get an immediate interesting conjunction of the decadence of the very rich and the world of the counter-culture which by 1971 was arguably reaching a point of decadence of its own.<br /><br />For her further amusement she collects handsome young men. Her latest toy boy is Tom Lynn (based on the Tam Lin of the folk tale and played by Ian McShane).<br /><br />Things get awkward when Tom meets pretty vicar’s daughter Janet Ainsley (Stephanie Beacham) and they fall in love. As you might imagine Miki is less than delighted by this. She is however confident that she is still in full control of the situation and can persuade Tom to continue dancing to her tune.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2w90R4UkbW-Q8hV7kf6r1tbDlnk2XTPGUVaf_3VqLXMbuRIF6RY5z8VqcGJyC5X16oRhqAMbvPVf3OgtB9PVjt2KxnHL0tYwoUCaTaqG9YZ5__IklSCXtGTT58vFtJ86WzBXv7LhQRhKiujUnkV2ENcjfDPrGp2b9W1gL1pobqLb1Yr9klwRgeO5CB4/s799/BalladOfTamLin1%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="799" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2w90R4UkbW-Q8hV7kf6r1tbDlnk2XTPGUVaf_3VqLXMbuRIF6RY5z8VqcGJyC5X16oRhqAMbvPVf3OgtB9PVjt2KxnHL0tYwoUCaTaqG9YZ5__IklSCXtGTT58vFtJ86WzBXv7LhQRhKiujUnkV2ENcjfDPrGp2b9W1gL1pobqLb1Yr9klwRgeO5CB4/w400-h170/BalladOfTamLin1%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tom however is not prepared to give Janet up and there are further complications which draw Tom and Janet closer together. It’s obvious that sooner or later Miki will take steps to bring her toy boy back into line and to punish him. There are hints that in the past young men in Tom’s position have suffered drastic punishments. <br /><br />A further complication is that one of Miki’s collection of Flower Children is angling to take Tom’s place in Miki’s affections, and her bed (and presumably angling for the rich financial rewards Miki bestows on her young men).<br /><br />Towards the end the movie changes gear just a bit but the ending, like the whole movie, is riddled with ambiguities.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPOjrohfhFF3Aw3v_g6nEcWsnFj5DA-qYpgs2onY2TkfFVQKK-wuPpbM-AJ1BuxAcJR1UACrLJCwtg6-umhzbbJVDB9N2qxp0JfJCKyadlD0CX4rD5SBqQoUlR32za9JCO1dmP5O6ySZh90EW7Kin7XPmBLGrzrD3_Ro5Qp6u0osEMA399pXyObuVLKg/s799/BalladOfTamLin2%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="799" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPOjrohfhFF3Aw3v_g6nEcWsnFj5DA-qYpgs2onY2TkfFVQKK-wuPpbM-AJ1BuxAcJR1UACrLJCwtg6-umhzbbJVDB9N2qxp0JfJCKyadlD0CX4rD5SBqQoUlR32za9JCO1dmP5O6ySZh90EW7Kin7XPmBLGrzrD3_Ro5Qp6u0osEMA399pXyObuVLKg/w400-h170/BalladOfTamLin2%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />For the female lead what was needed was an actress in her forties who could be imperious, grand, glamorous and flamboyant and there could have been no better choice than Ava Gardner. She completely dominates the movie and her bravura performance is by far this film’s biggest asset. <br /><br />Veteran British character actor Richard Wattis is unexpectedly sinister as Miki’s scheming private secretary. Stephanie Beacham is fine although like me you might find Janet a bit too sweet and innocent. That however is probably a carry-over from the folk tale. Joanna Lumley and Madeline Smith have supporting roles as members of Miki’s little circle of counter-culture types.<br /><br />For me the weak link is Ian McShane. OK, he’s not playing a very admirable character but it’s difficult to feel any sympathy for him at all.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuB96Dql9NcGl-lf7OdeBTNy0a9X26Q0VI7KLm1kXM54R85WuWeOpz8aXV5Bgs54I2eiD4TERw6aCBAR9oEOr1D4JYfK_wFZJ_l2u4UaQhRr6lVi7lb3lNmtIBFsQ0vIT5gdHOyuKblDOzgfY_Uhz1aZ4PZgGHXQjknhv_4cVENM58s_QtYKSNCNf4G0/s799/BalladOfTamLin3%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="799" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuB96Dql9NcGl-lf7OdeBTNy0a9X26Q0VI7KLm1kXM54R85WuWeOpz8aXV5Bgs54I2eiD4TERw6aCBAR9oEOr1D4JYfK_wFZJ_l2u4UaQhRr6lVi7lb3lNmtIBFsQ0vIT5gdHOyuKblDOzgfY_Uhz1aZ4PZgGHXQjknhv_4cVENM58s_QtYKSNCNf4G0/w400-h170/BalladOfTamLin3%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tom and Janet are supposedly the hero and heroine and Miki is the villainess but I found Miki to be the only character I really cared about. This could be seen as unbalancing the film but on the other hand it does make it a lot more interesting. Tom is the hero but he’s not a very nice person. Miki is the villainess but she’s not a mere monster. We might not approve of her methods but we can understand her motivations and we acknowledge her emotional hurt.<br /><br />I’m not sure that this movie entirely works but it’s undeniably interesting. It takes a particular approach to the material and sticks to it (I can’t say any more without revealing spoilers).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6crAIaGT-KoTjiof9FLRowgCb-Rr7i4ockFPpxr8IDzu0LcVZ7JL57746RQXQ1gWwdXbJmrJZn1Bq8ttjtql8LpYWorP1cW4NtEIythTvoI7zS9RHJDb7CIFgvkqHVSLZbLJ7cPJ58GJZ_cI5LLwIUww2pdTs0WTX6RcCxq6lTnpigSQepNlZZvZZe0k/s799/BalladOfTamLin4%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="799" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6crAIaGT-KoTjiof9FLRowgCb-Rr7i4ockFPpxr8IDzu0LcVZ7JL57746RQXQ1gWwdXbJmrJZn1Bq8ttjtql8LpYWorP1cW4NtEIythTvoI7zS9RHJDb7CIFgvkqHVSLZbLJ7cPJ58GJZ_cI5LLwIUww2pdTs0WTX6RcCxq6lTnpigSQepNlZZvZZe0k/w400-h170/BalladOfTamLin4%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />What’s really interesting is that the movie’s weaknesses (the unsympathetic hero and the surprisingly sympathetic villainess) can also be seen as strengths.<br /><br />There will be a temptation to see this film as belonging to the folk horror genre that blossomed briefly in the late 60s and early 70s. It certainly has affinities with that genre although it also differs from most such movies in certain ways.<br /><br /><i>The Ballad of Tam Lin</i> is a bit of an oddity but it’s an interesting oddity. It’s worth seeing anyway but Ava Gardner’s performance makes it a must-see. This may be her career-best performance. It is therefore highly recommended.<br /><br />The imprint Blu-Ray looks great and is packed with extras.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-81943741105362941942024-02-03T01:42:00.000+11:002024-02-03T01:42:50.749+11:00Terrifying Girls High School: Animal Classmates (1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzUChRvtyg1PxusfoKEL1AVpSeN-GyCx8yOfP5Rdzco5V2STY6WKYCT7M4Hl2cODhCphqUQx-aR4d87cQPKcGDXDwqQHqQIuNDDk_L4FL1mOFzvS8w9vPXc8GQ58kCvF2-lMqcZSmym8ox58myTOu6vOE__ZFH5M0cHT4WlIy0Z96kYhZyxcjqlzeMlM/s578/Terrifying%20Animal%20Classmates2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzUChRvtyg1PxusfoKEL1AVpSeN-GyCx8yOfP5Rdzco5V2STY6WKYCT7M4Hl2cODhCphqUQx-aR4d87cQPKcGDXDwqQHqQIuNDDk_L4FL1mOFzvS8w9vPXc8GQ58kCvF2-lMqcZSmym8ox58myTOu6vOE__ZFH5M0cHT4WlIy0Z96kYhZyxcjqlzeMlM/s320/Terrifying%20Animal%20Classmates2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><i>Terrifying Girls’ High School: Animal Classmates</i> (AKA <i>Terrifying Girls’ High School: Animal Courage</i>) was the fourth and last of Toei’s Terrifying Girls’ High School pinky violence films. It’s now been released, with English subtitles, on Blu-Ray.<br /><br />Only two of these movies are currently available in English-friendly versions, the other being the wonderful <i>Terrifying Girls’ High School: Lynch Law Classroom</i>.<br /><br /><i>Animal Classmates</i>, like <i>Lynch Law Classroom</i>, deals with girl juvenile delinquents in a high school setting, with the high school being the setting for all manner of criminal shenanigans. Animal Classmates also has some affinities with the curious Japanese Catholicsploitation sub-genre.<br /><br />Reiko Ike (who starred in all four movies in the series) is Aki Kazahana, one of five new pupils at the very exclusive Seiwa Academy for Girls.<br /><br />The school is the stage for a power struggle between two factions, the Athletic Association and the Black Rose Society. They’re both pretty ruthless. Aki, despite her reputation as a very tough cookie, is reluctant to get involved with either faction. But remaining uninvolved may not be an option.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w5cv69jLgEeMXqxpXEbBCovuHJX2h2CwkM2tDrPm3Jg1rdrOCyYaM5mtIOwFQRYCxcpgxtlajJe4aGzVTK0SRh-JG0F6KepR7CLKMDzq_p5z1pi2O9dfuhFf84PB2Rd9ddwg-Mh-0V15OzgaaYvF4CNUZTgIJAWXlG9_e7xi9Rak3oFMcX_agGZsw-I/s795/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="795" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w5cv69jLgEeMXqxpXEbBCovuHJX2h2CwkM2tDrPm3Jg1rdrOCyYaM5mtIOwFQRYCxcpgxtlajJe4aGzVTK0SRh-JG0F6KepR7CLKMDzq_p5z1pi2O9dfuhFf84PB2Rd9ddwg-Mh-0V15OzgaaYvF4CNUZTgIJAWXlG9_e7xi9Rak3oFMcX_agGZsw-I/w400-h169/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />One student from the school will be chosen, by competitive examination, to be an overseas student at the Seiwa Academy’s American sister school, Saint Gregory’s College.<br /><br />The power struggle between the factions heats up. The Black Rose Society is quite wealthy - they run their own prostitution racket and various other criminal enterprises.<br /><br />The male teachers seem to enjoy watching the girls in the showers. Like most pinky violence movies this one has a very strong anti-establishment anti-authoritarian stance. The establishment is greedy ruthless sleazy men with no honour. The girl juvenile delinquents at least have some vague code of honour.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjEBhrGQtVc8ssu34tzRenBeoxcOEf74iPkLU2JwGulDRulXkf8f8je5I1EAN5kSPyBhdC6BD53SN8aCg5skJFKhPzhpWQ8XXD0Cjx6qTIX8p0F1vEXINlqfguzfs8Qzu8Vwm-IJhsSOThYqHeGmwSkLfMA8WPAwuFcdiVi3r2lhgxKUYN6SPluP5ZF8/s795/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="795" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjEBhrGQtVc8ssu34tzRenBeoxcOEf74iPkLU2JwGulDRulXkf8f8je5I1EAN5kSPyBhdC6BD53SN8aCg5skJFKhPzhpWQ8XXD0Cjx6qTIX8p0F1vEXINlqfguzfs8Qzu8Vwm-IJhsSOThYqHeGmwSkLfMA8WPAwuFcdiVi3r2lhgxKUYN6SPluP5ZF8/w400-h169/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This movie, like <i>Lynch Law Classroom</i>, shows definite samurai movie influences with rival girl leaders challenging each other to formal duels.<br /><br />There’s something very sinister going on at this school. It does seem a bit odd when one of the girls competing for the overseas student scholarship is told that if she wants to be in the running she’ll have to consent to being photographed nude. She is told that no Catholic school would consider a girl as a student without first seeing nude photographs of her! This is the kind of WTF moment that makes Japanese exploitation movies so endearing.<br /><br />The Athletic Association seems to be mostly interested in fencing and archery. Which means that this is a girl juvenile delinquent movie that is going to feature some swordplay.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09IVZA8lJxGeYb9v2nCArBPJx947DcQaVz5J60C793GNUb1_cPJfGqB73vsA0eQjpEdf6CvHovYkgRF9f1Zli9hul1meQiC_HtECEYfczeNmk5cM4b4KMFvC6ibdvSJxcEkOMcHybskE4wsb43GZRmbX0hrXFVUBOPmfJIPQmR1l__1PgiA5qQxz6ckM/s795/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="795" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09IVZA8lJxGeYb9v2nCArBPJx947DcQaVz5J60C793GNUb1_cPJfGqB73vsA0eQjpEdf6CvHovYkgRF9f1Zli9hul1meQiC_HtECEYfczeNmk5cM4b4KMFvC6ibdvSJxcEkOMcHybskE4wsb43GZRmbX0hrXFVUBOPmfJIPQmR1l__1PgiA5qQxz6ckM/w400-h169/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There’s no shortage of violence. If you enjoy seeing pretty girls in sailor suits beating the daylights out of each other you’ll love this movie. And if you enjoy seeing pretty girls in sailor suits trying to kill each other with swords you’ll love it even more. The climactic swordfight is pretty good. You also get a full-scale battle scene (and I do mean full-scale) between the girls of the rival factions.<br /><br />There’s a fair amount of nudity (although being a 70s Japanese movie there’s no frontal nudity) and a fair amount of sleazy sex.<br /><br />One of the things that differentiates Japanese exploitation movies of the 70s (such as the pinky violence films) from similar movies from other countries is that these Japanese movies were major-studio productions. They were made by people who were seasoned professionals. They tend to be technically flawless. They also feature acting of a generally fairly high standard.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEFYmDdx02wsyyv4X_rno9nOu0LHuPcyoG_rqZ6SOn4B6Baj4MM8D6nF1IbFVl-0ZRahrHKRFlmcL_y6-2joe8FnzpOcMgyMvTeqa7thMhcAjJwHp2P1QA-HRImJmn3wGsDgb8EvnzV87CDBoGpMGXngYcIITLoA-_bKwUPGpyDOKXfXHHv8qdqrMFso/s795/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="795" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEFYmDdx02wsyyv4X_rno9nOu0LHuPcyoG_rqZ6SOn4B6Baj4MM8D6nF1IbFVl-0ZRahrHKRFlmcL_y6-2joe8FnzpOcMgyMvTeqa7thMhcAjJwHp2P1QA-HRImJmn3wGsDgb8EvnzV87CDBoGpMGXngYcIITLoA-_bKwUPGpyDOKXfXHHv8qdqrMFso/w400-h169/TerrifyingGirlsHighSchoolAnimalClassmates3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />While I still consider Miki Sugimoto and Meiko Kaji to be the queens of pinky violence I must admit that Reiko Ike does a very fine job here.<br /><br />This is a movie that ticks most of the pinky violence boxes and it’s great sleazy entertainment. A must-have for pinky violence aficionados. If you’re new to the world of pinky violence this film is not a bad starting place. It’s a typical representative of the genre. Highly recommended.<br /><br />The Discotek Media Blu-Ray has no extras but offers a very nice transfer.<br /><br />I’ve also reviewed <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2008/07/terrifying-girls-high-school-lynch-law.html" target="_blank">Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom</a> (1973) which is absolutely essential viewing.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-65697848888245763392024-01-31T20:44:00.000+11:002024-01-31T20:44:47.174+11:00Cinderella (AKA The Other Cinderella, 1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KstGoiTuEj5U2sTqrO8KZbC0b5qQYb_1nYwZOxLdu2kFlgxHfepMhz1BPYdU476a-BlEN07rUx5_jj0tPmP-UyRVIZlyz7PfOhASlYJapdf2dDyxhDzXJd6qF3hYUF7MqGnHKLV4tzJYDaqRfMgIWyx1ZJkJz3ieDF8sPIT9ytMGl-m1ywRbAsVL-7w/s690/Cinderella%20The%20Other%20Cinderella%201977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KstGoiTuEj5U2sTqrO8KZbC0b5qQYb_1nYwZOxLdu2kFlgxHfepMhz1BPYdU476a-BlEN07rUx5_jj0tPmP-UyRVIZlyz7PfOhASlYJapdf2dDyxhDzXJd6qF3hYUF7MqGnHKLV4tzJYDaqRfMgIWyx1ZJkJz3ieDF8sPIT9ytMGl-m1ywRbAsVL-7w/s320/Cinderella%20The%20Other%20Cinderella%201977.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><i>Cinderella</i> (released in 1977 and later retitled <i>The Other Cinderella</i>) is a Charles Band-produced erotic retelling of <i>Cinderella</i>. It’s <i>Cinderella</i> as a sex comedy. But it’s more than that. It’s an erotic musical comedy retelling of <i>Cinderella</i>. Which is just such a fabulously 1970s concept.<br /><br />It stays relatively close to the familiar fairy tale. At this point one should perhaps point out that the much-loved 1697 Charles Perrault fairy tale is just one of countless versions of a folk tale that originated around 2,000 years ago. So making a few changes to the story isn’t really particularly outrageous. It’s a story that has already been tampered with many many times.<br /><br /><div>Cinderella (Cheryl ‘Rainbeaux’ Smith) lives with her stepmother and her two stepsisters and the stepsisters make her life a misery. This will come to a head with the royal ball.<br /><br />The king has arranged the ball in order to find a bride for his son. The king and queen are concerned that the young man, now twenty-one, is an innocent virgin who knows nothing about sex. In fact the prince already has an immense amount of sexual experience. He may look like an innocent young man but he is fact a debauched and jaded libertine.<br /><br />Every maiden in the kingdom is to be invited to the ball.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhGSfFAKP4whB9O81__jl_QyWEUfcnGxrOwb84MMnReI4vfx6qGudP1sDM9nU4p_YKXYxGMrXg2InbIj2gUNucDN-haZQu853IcsZQN5X9nMt53jgNqaxsUoKyTAfhYNTVDoyzFI24owdrEHcuutP7M0wLaJ07MLPbLjf43WDMM1io-G_Z8RjSfjk5Ms/s795/CinderellaOtherCinderella1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="795" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhGSfFAKP4whB9O81__jl_QyWEUfcnGxrOwb84MMnReI4vfx6qGudP1sDM9nU4p_YKXYxGMrXg2InbIj2gUNucDN-haZQu853IcsZQN5X9nMt53jgNqaxsUoKyTAfhYNTVDoyzFI24owdrEHcuutP7M0wLaJ07MLPbLjf43WDMM1io-G_Z8RjSfjk5Ms/w400-h168/CinderellaOtherCinderella1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Any feature film adaptation of the story will have to add a few subplots to pad out the running time. In this case we get the various sexual adventures of the Lord Chamberlain (Kirk Scott) as he travels the realm delivering the invitations.<br /><br />Naturally Cinderella’s stepsisters try to prevent Cinderella from attending. Luckily Cinderella’s fairy godmother shows up just in time.<br /><br />The fairy godmother isn’t really a fairy godmother. He’s a thief. He’s also black and gay. He’s entered Cinderella’s house with burglary in mind. He feels really sorry for the poor girl. He’d love to help her but he has no means to do so. Cinderella suggests that he needs a magic wand. He doesn’t think he possesses such a thing but he looks through his bag of stolen goods and finds a very weird contraption. Cinderella is sure it must be a magic wand. It turns out that it really is a magic wand. Cinderella will go to the ball after all.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMX6HO8nnd0l4U-lJazQzL_X2a3g-83kfuwtAJPY2hRzb8Futw4tfjfI8sCgB84YULFuQyXDActv6ixvWKo5-sGLNjHtYPZvq0LNVI027WNaiC1o0E7yjgp7iULwsXd7e8IPDMBXnlkoqYc-x31j6Q1XSiaUrUKMg_DtDXssoZ6M7VuCyMbXejoBfPJZU/s795/CinderellaOtherCinderella0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="795" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMX6HO8nnd0l4U-lJazQzL_X2a3g-83kfuwtAJPY2hRzb8Futw4tfjfI8sCgB84YULFuQyXDActv6ixvWKo5-sGLNjHtYPZvq0LNVI027WNaiC1o0E7yjgp7iULwsXd7e8IPDMBXnlkoqYc-x31j6Q1XSiaUrUKMg_DtDXssoZ6M7VuCyMbXejoBfPJZU/w400-h168/CinderellaOtherCinderella0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Then comes one of the movie’s many “I can’t believe they did that” moments. The fairy godmother is confident that Cinderella will wow the prince. She has a gorgeous ball gown and a glamorous hairstyle. He’s seen her in the bath and in his view she is very well equipped in the T&A department. Just one final touch is needed. With the magic wand he makes a small adjustment to a certain intimate portion of her anatomy, which will have the effect of giving said portion of her anatomy the ability to provide the most extreme pleasure. Now she really will be irresistible to the prince.<br /><br />The ball is more an orgy than a ball. The prince is blindfolded while the various maidens pleasure him. Mostly he’s disappointed. He’s had so many women that he finds it difficult to get really excited any more. Until he samples Cinderella’s charms. She offers him pleasures he’d never thought possible. That’s because of that tiny adjustment the fairy godmother made to that vital part of her anatomy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCT85otOQu_J3F30X6LwPW-n0ypN8CXe8TQtXd5aXwHmPjbac7Li8o5mYVtwHDvtFlh1jUHbvKU8QvUnLCg2KadtcWS9bxZKCXtCwa6WbgYBcxTkMzpUz5SiJEVvjbOKtx7KWCpO4fCMJk_yU7d9YPZW1oFA7Ytn7ZK5fuJaNa7p7xFIDGL49nOiRlq0/s795/CinderellaOtherCinderella2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="795" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCT85otOQu_J3F30X6LwPW-n0ypN8CXe8TQtXd5aXwHmPjbac7Li8o5mYVtwHDvtFlh1jUHbvKU8QvUnLCg2KadtcWS9bxZKCXtCwa6WbgYBcxTkMzpUz5SiJEVvjbOKtx7KWCpO4fCMJk_yU7d9YPZW1oFA7Ytn7ZK5fuJaNa7p7xFIDGL49nOiRlq0/w400-h168/CinderellaOtherCinderella2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Of course Cinderella is whisked away at midnight. The prince has no idea of the identity of that special girl but he is determined to find her. He travels the length and breadth of the kingdom, testing out every maiden to find the one with the super-special lady parts. <br /><br />The first thing to say about this movie is that it’s bonkers. The second thing to say is that it’s actually beyond bonkers. It takes the concept of bonkers to whole new levels.<br /><br />Visually it’s bizarre and over-the-top. Some of the girls at the ball are wearing the sorts of ball gowns you expect in a fairy tale. Some look like patrons at a 1970s disco. Some would look more at home in a movie about the decadence of the Roman Empire. Some look like refugees from a fetish video. That’s typical of the movie’s crazy visual style. The odd thing is that somehow all this visual coherence does manage to cohere into a strange but fascinating and unique visual style.<br /><br />This film is packed to the brim with things that some modern viewers will find dated and problematic. That’s its charm. If you’ve always wanted a <i>Cinderella</i> movie that includes a song about Cinderella’s vagina this is the movie for you.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCt5kyuCYikz8S0OuQfaaiEAT6UhrmNi9V8Y-UwSuyIPA2-MvZYSqFEWcNTffgQ6UGgSMA8bR-AhuQh9rCOQmf_bGKTTbWrz3UIhqowHAm_W78TmjhxVf6yYfOcqFAWlI0GO5MxBhlGr5HQLAVl_VqkTNGQir1yvd8wc5EIyAwkLvywDGwG0MN8XaT_o/s795/CinderellaOtherCinderella3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="795" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCt5kyuCYikz8S0OuQfaaiEAT6UhrmNi9V8Y-UwSuyIPA2-MvZYSqFEWcNTffgQ6UGgSMA8bR-AhuQh9rCOQmf_bGKTTbWrz3UIhqowHAm_W78TmjhxVf6yYfOcqFAWlI0GO5MxBhlGr5HQLAVl_VqkTNGQir1yvd8wc5EIyAwkLvywDGwG0MN8XaT_o/w400-h168/CinderellaOtherCinderella3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It’s a sex comedy so is it funny? I think it is. It may not have you rolling in the aisles but it’s consistently amusing.<br /><br />Everything about this movie is crazed. But the craziness works. It all works because it’s so goodnatured. This is just a fun sexy movie. The amount of nudity is positively staggering and it’s fairly explicit. The sex scene (there are lots of them) are reasonably graphic but it always remains softcore.<br /><br />Cheryl Smith makes a fine Cinderella. She’s sweet and charming and funny, she’s sexy and she’s naked a lot.<br /><br />At the end we’re told to look forward to the sequel, <i>Cinderella 2</i>. In fact there was a follow-up, called <i>Fairy Tales</i> (1978), also an erotic musical comedy fairy tale movie.<br /><br />This is a delightfully weird movie that is completely nuts and for that reason it’s highly recommended.<br /><br />Full Moon’s Blu-Ray release is barebones but the transfer is lovely.<br /> </div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-18781127689979037422024-01-29T10:16:00.000+11:002024-01-29T10:16:13.969+11:00Tarzan Goes to India (1962)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKOZUVNyzz5Uw_Fz5eRL4Z2jDn_-pxW1arZmNPC2l87XqLmPR7uHpfwklwWR-cJo8ZDgHNh33RVFYoetk0-nlPrPHC0-FC4OXDKNvzIOp_Ws97LgL31vNAogB1Zpw5C3fkFZlLB1R3dbsfw9UobEzqlPBhpmdTCsYH_QI0r4GUZbX45pkj27LC-1yaIc/s1223/Tarzan%20Goes%20to%20India1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKOZUVNyzz5Uw_Fz5eRL4Z2jDn_-pxW1arZmNPC2l87XqLmPR7uHpfwklwWR-cJo8ZDgHNh33RVFYoetk0-nlPrPHC0-FC4OXDKNvzIOp_Ws97LgL31vNAogB1Zpw5C3fkFZlLB1R3dbsfw9UobEzqlPBhpmdTCsYH_QI0r4GUZbX45pkj27LC-1yaIc/s320/Tarzan%20Goes%20to%20India1.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><i>Tarzan Goes to India</i> is a 1962 Tarzan movie produced by Sy Weintraub and starring Jock Mahoney. <br /><br />Weintraub had taken over the Tarzan franchise in 1958 and realised that a fresh approach was going to be needed. The old approach was well and truly played out. He dropped the idea of Tarzan speaking halting English. He wanted a Tarzan closer to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ original conception. Tarzan would be an educated man, equally at home in the jungle or the civilised world. <div><br /></div><div>Jane was also dropped. Tarzan would now be more of a globetrotting adventurer, a man without ties. Weintraub also wanted to move away from African settings and put Tarzan into other exotic settings.<br /><br />Most of all Weintraub wanted to avoid a B-movie look. These would be Tarzan movies made in colour and Cinemascope, shot on location with high production values. They would look like expensive A-pictures.<br /><br />The first fruit of Weintraub’s approach was <i>Tarzan's Greatest Adventure</i> in 1959 and it’s a terrific Tarzan movie.<br /><br /><i>Tarzan Goes to India</i> was shot entirely on location in India.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPfnjZ_8bfmqtPPKziJ7wfO5sjO_3DLSFHQECKKhz8Mc0UPlpZM7xFqhqdeZ6E9BhFTxufbv6euiEhXW4eRaT_NGjBW8tkrYERTB8Bwn9XYIqxPDlCNJYbBYREi-wMph-k6zTjQm_SSqJK8Wn8E6Ru3JKGN9x1MSfJfUi5NCekfrC725f8F7ZNEJzcMs/s795/TarzanGoesToIndia1%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="795" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPfnjZ_8bfmqtPPKziJ7wfO5sjO_3DLSFHQECKKhz8Mc0UPlpZM7xFqhqdeZ6E9BhFTxufbv6euiEhXW4eRaT_NGjBW8tkrYERTB8Bwn9XYIqxPDlCNJYbBYREi-wMph-k6zTjQm_SSqJK8Wn8E6Ru3JKGN9x1MSfJfUi5NCekfrC725f8F7ZNEJzcMs/w400-h171/TarzanGoesToIndia1%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />An elderly Indian maharajah asks for Tarzan’s help. A new dam is going to flood a valley and a herd of 300 wild elephants lives in that valley. Tarzan’s task is to persuade the elephants to leave the valley before the flood waters arrive. The difficulty is that the herd is led by a bad-tempered mean rogue bull elephant and he’s not likely to be cooperative.<br /><br />And Tarzan has only a few days in which to accomplish his task.<br /><br />Tarzan has a couple of allies. There’s the maharajah’s beautiful daughter. There’s also a boy named Jai who has also refused to leave the valley. Jai and his elephant Gavendra will prove occasionally exasperating but also very useful.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2E95iZZzyPM_eARSq-8YrSt8xA9p8D_iC_P0BYEPgmFsaixsImn7juuofS4885pOwxWfj9SzzpdIovDVNYIb9wL4NE240JefA6KKi4IdQxUgwLGDtssXhlALmqp5M1FuofX73Ln_ZsaIRo22Xz2eifjmk9Jby4AIo2_KHFtjhLgGGy8SpReTK68nVuQ/s795/TarzanGoesToIndia2%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="795" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2E95iZZzyPM_eARSq-8YrSt8xA9p8D_iC_P0BYEPgmFsaixsImn7juuofS4885pOwxWfj9SzzpdIovDVNYIb9wL4NE240JefA6KKi4IdQxUgwLGDtssXhlALmqp5M1FuofX73Ln_ZsaIRo22Xz2eifjmk9Jby4AIo2_KHFtjhLgGGy8SpReTK68nVuQ/w400-h171/TarzanGoesToIndia2%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are of course villains. The head engineer manager at the dam construction site, Bryce (Leo Gordon) is a nasty piece of work and he and Tarzan already have reason to hate each other. The man in overall charge of the dam project, O’Hara (Mark Dana), turns out to be equally villainous.<br /><br />Tarzan doesn’t want to stop progress. He doesn’t want to stop the dam. He just wants to see progress done with humanity, with some concern being shown for the people and the animals who are likely to be affected. The people behind the dam project want progress no matter what the price. Fortunately the movie doesn’t get into heavy-handed messaging.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqFarlXdrNkNlXPQrJPk8mIzz9_MC0GObhQjgo7TXKwJ0hFT71ZCabMuzyur6j_m4mWe6WC9CvbKUG9vQyYfS00H1ArDrOEgg2NGmhGnXnNQ464XKHoS34667HSIObRzjqU8KRPppumFU6Hzkz0B9BMseXtqegafDhuuThWSXtL0OnUJK0z0q7JmSUbk/s795/TarzanGoesToIndia3%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="795" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqFarlXdrNkNlXPQrJPk8mIzz9_MC0GObhQjgo7TXKwJ0hFT71ZCabMuzyur6j_m4mWe6WC9CvbKUG9vQyYfS00H1ArDrOEgg2NGmhGnXnNQ464XKHoS34667HSIObRzjqU8KRPppumFU6Hzkz0B9BMseXtqegafDhuuThWSXtL0OnUJK0z0q7JmSUbk/w400-h171/TarzanGoesToIndia3%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Naturally Tarzan encounters plenty of dangers, having to deal with attacks by cobras and leopards as well as that mean rogue bull elephant.<br /><br />Jock Mahoney makes an interesting Tarzan. He was in his early forties at the time but he gets away with it. This is a Tarzan who doesn’t rely purely on speed and brute strength. He has acquired a certain amount of wisdom, and cool judgment. He’s an older wiser Tarzan.<br /><br />The location shooting is excellent. The movie looks exotic without looking too much like a travelogue.<br /><br />Director John Guillerman (who also helmed <i>Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure</i>) handles the action scenes more than competently.<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiY8z6KZIQXjh5XirsXtv5dyFI9CrcMjo3s08W3DZbxpMJk5tqXOzTm7yGaBQjvnGP6lyKR2Uevb1kktpLxmSP21cq5UWjpXhmPML3OFglKoCt8yNP65ycO0YY5-0QNXBr0jsmo-wWlHb4ex6OeUjofg_3sw5gcRC8e1uzcgYXFW2tn4h3C7-QUjGO52g/s795/TarzanGoesToIndia4%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="795" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiY8z6KZIQXjh5XirsXtv5dyFI9CrcMjo3s08W3DZbxpMJk5tqXOzTm7yGaBQjvnGP6lyKR2Uevb1kktpLxmSP21cq5UWjpXhmPML3OFglKoCt8yNP65ycO0YY5-0QNXBr0jsmo-wWlHb4ex6OeUjofg_3sw5gcRC8e1uzcgYXFW2tn4h3C7-QUjGO52g/w400-h171/TarzanGoesToIndia4%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tarzan Goes to India</i> is fine well-crafted entertainment. Highly recommended.<br /><br />The Warner Archive DVD release looks very nice indeed.<br /><br />I’ve reviewed several of the other Sy Weintraub Tarzan movies - <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2015/03/tarzans-greatest-adventure-1959.html" target="_blank">Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure </a>(1959), <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/tarzans-three-challenges-1963.html" target="_blank">Tarzan's Three Challenges</a> (1963) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/01/tarzan-and-valley-of-gold-1966.html" target="_blank">Tarzan and the Valley of Gold</a> (1966) which is Tarzan with a Bond movie flavour. I would highly recommend all of these titles.<br /><br />I’ve also reviewed a couple of the very early MGM Tarzan movies, <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2018/05/tarzan-ape-man-1932.html" target="_blank">Tarzan the Ape Man</a> (1932) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2016/12/tarzan-and-his-mate-1934.html" target="_blank">Tarzan and His Mate</a> (1934), which make a fascinating contrast with the Sy Weintraub Tarzan pictures. And if you’re a hardcore Tarzan fan I’ve reviewed the original 1914 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel <a href="https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2012/05/edgar-rice-burroughs-tarzan-of-apes.html" target="_blank">Tarzan of the Apes</a>.<br /></div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-60891247155719842342024-01-26T22:19:00.002+11:002024-01-26T22:22:21.305+11:00Mario Bava's Four Times That Night (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko-kdbn1FM1j8fFBgViPrNznpo_YvJdINPTjhm-m7b-VbAEWLmsdq3QsBpsRA6A3b9vpZSkNfnqoLxEplWn4GSpf3jWlHNOT-ncGJdfShgyQ-9s2u_AasA7mxma8BUFHkDGidW8DzhVzT4f8Tq_xqXqx48CvEe1rRtrY6rxpS27oRzCNIOJvIuil-gok/s1327/Four%20Times%20That%20Night1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1327" data-original-width="886" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiko-kdbn1FM1j8fFBgViPrNznpo_YvJdINPTjhm-m7b-VbAEWLmsdq3QsBpsRA6A3b9vpZSkNfnqoLxEplWn4GSpf3jWlHNOT-ncGJdfShgyQ-9s2u_AasA7mxma8BUFHkDGidW8DzhVzT4f8Tq_xqXqx48CvEe1rRtrY6rxpS27oRzCNIOJvIuil-gok/s320/Four%20Times%20That%20Night1.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><i>Four Times That Night</i> is a Mario Bava sex comedy. And yes, that does make it an oddity in his filmography.<br /><br />This is <i>Rashomon</i> done as a sex comedy. A man named Gianni encounters a young woman named Tina. She is walking her dog in the park. He asks her out. By the end of the evening he has scratches on his face and her dress is all torn. But what really happened? <br /><br />We get four different accounts, and they are wildly in conflict.<br /><br />According to Tina’s account Gianni tried to force himself on her and she faced a wild struggle to preserve her virtue.<br /><br />According to Gianni’s account Tina seduced him and was so insatiable that he was left a physical wreck.<br /><br />According to the doorman (a part-time Peeping Tom) the evening was an orgy of sexual deviance with a whole cast of participants.<br /><br />The psychiatrist’s account is different again.<br /><br />Not one of these accounts is convincing. Which is as it should be. It is possible, indeed likely, that we are dealing with multiple unreliable narrators all of whom have good reason to be dishonest in their recounting of the events. Which means that the whole movie has a slightly off-kilter feel, which is certainly deliberate. The viewer is supposed to remain always aware that these accounts are not documentary proof but merely stories told by various people. I think it gives the movie an interesting feel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7jImqeWAkcGUhbQmx0MKGcPH86zDuTh2P9FUFhT1rBqtvn6wygjB286IhGMNPsdo8TJJpBOl-f1fnM1jFof-ApPSmBGhD5i_AcAYfbUy43DdZLSus6BZvF9n8IEGZnS1PKiSPlyaQlz3j1TsgwHWrl5x7rpLRX9HYvT8RFZX8dV54UJBRP9z_y12Pto/s851/FourTimesThatNight0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="851" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7jImqeWAkcGUhbQmx0MKGcPH86zDuTh2P9FUFhT1rBqtvn6wygjB286IhGMNPsdo8TJJpBOl-f1fnM1jFof-ApPSmBGhD5i_AcAYfbUy43DdZLSus6BZvF9n8IEGZnS1PKiSPlyaQlz3j1TsgwHWrl5x7rpLRX9HYvT8RFZX8dV54UJBRP9z_y12Pto/w400-h217/FourTimesThatNight0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It is of course a movie about story-telling. There are some things we know because we were active participants or eyewitnesses but in most cases we have to rely on stories that we are told. That’s true of life. It’s also true of documentary accounts (and documentary films) which purport to be objective and impartial. It’s true of the TV news and it’s true of the evidence presented in courts of law.<br /><br />And in none of these cases can we be sure that we know the actual facts. This movie explores these ideas reasonably well. The trick of course is how to wrap up a story like this. It’s a puzzle, but once you have the answer to the puzzle it’s no longer interesting. <i>Four Times That Night</i> manages fairly to resolve that problem fairly well.<br /><br />Given Bava’s obsession with visuals it’s tempting to assume that this movie is about the unreliability of what we see, or what we think we see. Some critics have been tempted to interpret the movie this way. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l_xu-PFsHroZw04E7a532jF6fbPD2H0dW5bba-rJsFVK5CShbobdUg3w03StZQpZynkhItyaZOskYuv6Xf1IYj9WT7TWxF8TxK2GZlEf2d-hRNtSaZpRx8hOIMdLkuvfo7LscapsZtTCkAuqgAsG8sDGjt_lt7z1I80I0P7uPdFkQmWgPcexygVEqUM/s853/FourTimesThatNight1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="853" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l_xu-PFsHroZw04E7a532jF6fbPD2H0dW5bba-rJsFVK5CShbobdUg3w03StZQpZynkhItyaZOskYuv6Xf1IYj9WT7TWxF8TxK2GZlEf2d-hRNtSaZpRx8hOIMdLkuvfo7LscapsZtTCkAuqgAsG8sDGjt_lt7z1I80I0P7uPdFkQmWgPcexygVEqUM/w400-h217/FourTimesThatNight1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I think that’s a total misunderstanding of this movie. The four narrators are not misinterpreting what they see. They are deliberately lying to us, or rather they are starting with a core of truth and then surrounding it with a tissue of lies to serve their own ends. This is not a movie about the unreliability of visual evidence. This is a movie about the unreliability and deceptiveness of narratives. We cannot trust what people tell us. The movie it most reminds me of is Edgar G. Ulmer’s <a href="https://dfordoom-movieramblings.blogspot.com/2023/05/detour-1945.html" target="_blank">Detour</a>.<br /><br />Mario Bava was incapable of making a dull-looking movie and Four Times That Night generally looks very stylish with some nice visual set-pieces. There’s also a very cool Swinging 60s vibe, and a fair helping of late 60s decadence among the rich and fashionable.<br /><br />This is a sex comedy so the obvious first question is - it it funny? The answer is yes. It’s amusing and witty and the humour has a slightly oddball flavour to it. This is sophisticated European comedy so don’t expect slapstick (although there is some visual humour).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrGkyUuAZxUzVe98M1B1ZMNSEOlSW2AKpcYopTFIYdJ63yPBk4kaAnLXEyKJuhH05Kz2n2kyzQnljWMkjC0QdyjTU8N9js8bjIAUPHLxFXWvf4BFN7W1Fj5XsyiHgqCz4gYQjYchQVqaYJwc-CRb776JIvO5dc3GE6rHINDJZYJga-6lDGxjPyr-MFTQ/s852/FourTimesThatNight2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="852" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrGkyUuAZxUzVe98M1B1ZMNSEOlSW2AKpcYopTFIYdJ63yPBk4kaAnLXEyKJuhH05Kz2n2kyzQnljWMkjC0QdyjTU8N9js8bjIAUPHLxFXWvf4BFN7W1Fj5XsyiHgqCz4gYQjYchQVqaYJwc-CRb776JIvO5dc3GE6rHINDJZYJga-6lDGxjPyr-MFTQ/w400-h216/FourTimesThatNight2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The obvious second question is - is it sexy? I think it is, but in a low-key fairly tame sort of way. There’s not much nudity, just a few topless scenes. Not being able to rely on nudity Bava concentrates on sexy shots of girls in very short dresses. I must confess that I find this quite appealing. It’s old-fashioned sexiness which relies on teasing rather than revealing.<br /><br />This movie doesn’t have a high reputation even among Bava fans. That’s a bit unfair. It encountered some unfortunate production and distribution problems. It’s biggest problem was timing. It was made in 1968. In 1968 it would have been fairly hot stuff and fairly daring and might well have done extremely well. Sadly it was not released until late 1971. Things were moving quickly at that time. Movies were becoming more sexually daring almost by the month. By 1971 <i>Four Times That Night</i> seemed a bit too tame. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFYQSTtlQ5aqEGteFU0ShZAwqr6i3enSr0eIRuzd4RAnY-xZwBOEjXULZhQD7dxuoGlJFYOz_7FpiFW_YiDzJC23-1xVGAtHF79l_EiTrc_qlcoQLPBzM4uzeTblkDFugQgEEHNa6p9Ybkn9PYUV9Lodqr7ytmNSl9yy0NiJcInq_CBh-lOG19eB-7Mk/s850/FourTimesThatNight3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="850" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFYQSTtlQ5aqEGteFU0ShZAwqr6i3enSr0eIRuzd4RAnY-xZwBOEjXULZhQD7dxuoGlJFYOz_7FpiFW_YiDzJC23-1xVGAtHF79l_EiTrc_qlcoQLPBzM4uzeTblkDFugQgEEHNa6p9Ybkn9PYUV9Lodqr7ytmNSl9yy0NiJcInq_CBh-lOG19eB-7Mk/w400-h216/FourTimesThatNight3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The visuals are pure Bava and they’re stunning. Bava captures the late 60s feel exceptionally well. This is thematically a fairly ambitious movie and I think it succeeds to a much greater degree than its reputation would suggest. This is Bava attempting a genre he’d never attempted before but Bava wasn’t afraid to do that. I think it’s a worthy entry in Bava’s filmography and I’m going to highly recommend it.<br /><br />The Kino Classics DVD (they’ve released it as a Blu-Ray as well) offers a really lovely transfer. There’s an audio commentary by Tim Lucas. I usually love Lucas’s commentaries but I have to say that I think he badly misunderstands this movie. He also reveals major spoilers for just about every movie Bava ever made.dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-23739997996496471102024-01-24T22:30:00.000+11:002024-01-24T22:30:02.662+11:00Sin Magazine (1965)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwHLZTBNxrKr-dr5sqL3dMovMqptEInMG2NvpyO6hV60P0u9E1nhvicqwNq4-pAWS30NTMoDjU5pcMzuU7ConV1PGpSVqpGZ-NdA4U6x5t5sIdIFJXGulPXfuRtCNHiaE4EH7OONXWi32mT3YefiMdD_Kgj6UKNCQYF_nDtrhcQ7uJnwKVbWrhVfekBs/s802/Sin%20Magazine.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwHLZTBNxrKr-dr5sqL3dMovMqptEInMG2NvpyO6hV60P0u9E1nhvicqwNq4-pAWS30NTMoDjU5pcMzuU7ConV1PGpSVqpGZ-NdA4U6x5t5sIdIFJXGulPXfuRtCNHiaE4EH7OONXWi32mT3YefiMdD_Kgj6UKNCQYF_nDtrhcQ7uJnwKVbWrhVfekBs/s320/Sin%20Magazine.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><i>Sin Magazine</i> is a rather strange 1965 American sexploitation feature.<br /><br />It opens with a nightmare sequence. The guy having the nightmare is Ross. He wakes up in bed with his mistress. She’s not very happy. He’s not performing in the bedroom.<br /><br />We discover that Ross has a double life. He has a wife and a farm in New England and a reasonably respectable existence there, but he also has a mistress and a less respectable existence in Manhattan.<br /><br />Ross is a writer. Naturally he thought he was going to be a critically acclaimed author, winning literary prizes and being lionised by the literati. Instead he writes for a scandal magazine. He runs the magazine with his two brothers.<br /><br />The two brothers also live on the New England farm. One of the brothers, Otis, does the photography. The brothers have found commercial success by transforming the magazine into a bit of a girlie magazine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKML-BLdckDuYLe9em3z8cLzEyjXcs6pg_YJorh-sFuUAOGopM-dCZO-egK_ipvt95lBzAqO4mHrngyDp3a_Xlqa4kYOPPoMDM4usBtOClx_krleP1C2159hZsSqr5sH_vxvSnW_zOvyZYOujxOVyFyzP97_fKbgrJvga6yEHhVxA7uoYhXQFx2AJWPM/s714/SinMagazine1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="714" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKML-BLdckDuYLe9em3z8cLzEyjXcs6pg_YJorh-sFuUAOGopM-dCZO-egK_ipvt95lBzAqO4mHrngyDp3a_Xlqa4kYOPPoMDM4usBtOClx_krleP1C2159hZsSqr5sH_vxvSnW_zOvyZYOujxOVyFyzP97_fKbgrJvga6yEHhVxA7uoYhXQFx2AJWPM/w400-h301/SinMagazine1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The domestic arrangements involving Ross, his wife, his brother Bill, Bill’s wife and Otis are tense. Otis is a womaniser of the love ’em and leave ’em variety. Ross does not approve. Otis also has more than a passing interest in Lisa, Bill’s wife.<br /><br />Ross has a bit of an interest in Lisa as well.<br /><br />So we have the makings here of a romantic-sexual melodrama and it’s done in an overheated (hysterical might be a better word) style.<br /><br />The movie also tries to be a portrait of a man (Ross) slowly disintegrating. We get the feeling that Ross has probably never been particularly stable. Now he’s tortured by shame, guilt and resentment because he’s churning out sleaze instead of writing the Great American Novel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqOaWT5CMNI8Cdpj-S0sbuzURywscLKn6jiwYfUYcAQBk73XLzoA0u6bkNkbAgtUofU8ka7tqZOtej7AHrQjBWJkl11LAjlrauiU3_3-MtAHMyoVxG45w24DNSoDIO4Q8roXgdZcOG8CfG97-qwH-srcU_fVXxxYpyhhSLSTyAqjK1-HKJQmO1EK3clw/s710/SinMagazine2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="710" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqOaWT5CMNI8Cdpj-S0sbuzURywscLKn6jiwYfUYcAQBk73XLzoA0u6bkNkbAgtUofU8ka7tqZOtej7AHrQjBWJkl11LAjlrauiU3_3-MtAHMyoVxG45w24DNSoDIO4Q8roXgdZcOG8CfG97-qwH-srcU_fVXxxYpyhhSLSTyAqjK1-HKJQmO1EK3clw/w400-h303/SinMagazine2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Ross becomes progressively more angry and bitter. He takes out a lot of his resentment on Otis. It’s not just that Otis is a womaniser. Otis is the one who takes the nudie photos. That’s how the magazine makes its money and that’s the money on which Ross lives but he cannot accept that.<br /><br />He gets even more upset when Lisa starts posing for Otis. Lisa is a bit conflicted. She’s happy to pose for Otis because if she acts as the magazine’s main model it will save money. She does however worry abut the morality of it all. She worries that they’re corrupting their models. After all once a girl has posed topless for a magazine her future can only be a descent into utter degradation. No man is going to marry a girl who has bared her breasts for a magazine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7jq5dG7aO3kmaVSaD5aoBbQFyLC0hBUvWSYiYJd6e4trtJ04hlGa8e2LsiGuhc38tGnVOETzX9awuxg71ih7MPOSpVUd-DTTxa9udoYBJsK5hF0nl7MhbfiLzsEUF8jV9pwIVrYJvBbmkAA1TtS8mkjD1jH9dSVVxF3kMHzAMgH4NUlXQye_xRv-rFU/s710/SinMagazine3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="710" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7jq5dG7aO3kmaVSaD5aoBbQFyLC0hBUvWSYiYJd6e4trtJ04hlGa8e2LsiGuhc38tGnVOETzX9awuxg71ih7MPOSpVUd-DTTxa9udoYBJsK5hF0nl7MhbfiLzsEUF8jV9pwIVrYJvBbmkAA1TtS8mkjD1jH9dSVVxF3kMHzAMgH4NUlXQye_xRv-rFU/w400-h303/SinMagazine3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />We know that major trouble is brewing but the over-the-top ending still comes out of left field.<br /><br />Mostly the acting is what you expect in an ultra low budget movie but the performance of the actor playing Ross is something else again. It starts off totally unhinged and gets progressively more so. It’s not good acting but it sure is memorable.<br /><br />This seems to be writer-director Al Mitchel’s only credit. He certainly had a different approach to sexploitation.<br /><br />There’s very little nudity. In fact the lack of nudity makes one wonder exactly what market was being targeted.<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKijDEKNIpiy60SmwOtY5st2hrRPdGD2AQRSNHibXVogRheDRTQaab2PRu26PQ0SzdntFchBskxJIyobiJfxqnLpUFPZ-VsUJkOvSzQy6LYRGPkVRU4nNynjQPmuJjRIWpHpcXmrmLdVHbpGv7ibKIRXUvFgispphjz54JQh3k87DCW7PgyFn8395XBLE/s712/SinMagazine4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="712" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKijDEKNIpiy60SmwOtY5st2hrRPdGD2AQRSNHibXVogRheDRTQaab2PRu26PQ0SzdntFchBskxJIyobiJfxqnLpUFPZ-VsUJkOvSzQy6LYRGPkVRU4nNynjQPmuJjRIWpHpcXmrmLdVHbpGv7ibKIRXUvFgispphjz54JQh3k87DCW7PgyFn8395XBLE/w400-h303/SinMagazine4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Sin Magazine</i> is included in a Something Weird triple-header DVD release which also includes <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-sin-syndicate-1965.html" target="_blank">The Sin Syndicate</a> (1965) and the oddly depraved <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2017/10/she-came-on-bus-1969.html" target="_blank">She Came on the Bus</a> (1969). They all fit vaguely into the roughie sub-genre. <i>Sin Magazine</i> gets a fullframe transfer which is quite correct. Image quality isn’t exactly great but it’s acceptable and this is a movie that works better for looking a bit rough.<br /><br /><i>Sin Magazine</i> is an oddity. In fact all three movies in this set are slightly odd and they’re all pretty scuzzy in their own different ways. All I can say about <i>Sin Magazine</i> is that it isn’t particularly good but it is different and if you like your movies a bit deranged you might well enjoy it.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-73922765374697824702024-01-22T11:07:00.000+11:002024-01-22T11:07:13.128+11:00An Angel for Satan (1966) revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNGhqjD2E4Z7i5da0oGI3Ku5j-cS3M_auYtB_pH_Et-Z2tXxlxxa2DTg1zHhPWrqU7WW0MHdoCNk-rO0N6FKCGSruWXf2JJtBTKB0Lwy-uIB7agscbxvn1FDl3iFXQyZlGFoBfg62buyKb5buJS5nIa6hkgVN28jjVVpa4JK399Cx-C_dzJ3eSCPYlWs/s576/An%20Angel%20for%20Satan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="471" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNGhqjD2E4Z7i5da0oGI3Ku5j-cS3M_auYtB_pH_Et-Z2tXxlxxa2DTg1zHhPWrqU7WW0MHdoCNk-rO0N6FKCGSruWXf2JJtBTKB0Lwy-uIB7agscbxvn1FDl3iFXQyZlGFoBfg62buyKb5buJS5nIa6hkgVN28jjVVpa4JK399Cx-C_dzJ3eSCPYlWs/s320/An%20Angel%20for%20Satan1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><i>An Angel for Satan</i> is a 1966 Italian gothic horror movie starring Barbara Steele and directed by Camillo Mastrocinque.<br /><br />The setting is a small lakeside fishing village in Italy in the late 19th century.<br /><br />Roberto Merigi (Anthony Steffen) has just arrived. He is there to restore a statue that was found in the lake by some fisherman. The statue is a female nude. Roberto will be staying at the Montebruno castle as the guest of the Count (Claudio Gora). Roberto is looking forward to the assignment. The statue is exquisite.<br /><br />The villagers are none too pleased. There is a legend attached to that statue, a legend involving a curse. The villagers are convinced that the statue should have been left in the lake.<br /><br />There is another new arrival, the count’s niece Harriet Montebruno (Barbara Steele). Harriet is the actual owner of the castle and she is now old enough to take possession of her inheritance.<br /><br />Roberto gets a surprise when he meets Harriet. She is the spitting image of the woman who posed for that statue. The explanation is simple. It is a statue of one of Harriet’s ancestresses, who lived two centuries earlier.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0k1ecgQF9RrC9IZQ-lzwlOeXMIruvLOovOUCYqdcM49KEKRsXBeglFqLEu2qe-fuvmtyJoqmEDPP2weJmP0vOYyKdlInv4tpwJAvBSrLxQQlTW7Kise9x26xS_OHkrq1qmryke7l8P5qqFfJKiAxE5eKAzP-pn1b8dhzdAC-0Ik6jfC27VPoW5HvBAY/s778/AnAngelForSatan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="778" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0k1ecgQF9RrC9IZQ-lzwlOeXMIruvLOovOUCYqdcM49KEKRsXBeglFqLEu2qe-fuvmtyJoqmEDPP2weJmP0vOYyKdlInv4tpwJAvBSrLxQQlTW7Kise9x26xS_OHkrq1qmryke7l8P5qqFfJKiAxE5eKAzP-pn1b8dhzdAC-0Ik6jfC27VPoW5HvBAY/w400-h220/AnAngelForSatan1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The recovery of the statue certainly does unleash evils upon the village. The very next day two fishermen are drowned. Other horrors follow.<br /><br />All sorts of smouldering jealousies and resentments and sexual tensions blaze up. <br /><br />Roberto is fascinated by the statue and inevitably he becomes fascinated by Harriet. Harriet is beautiful and charming, most of the time. Her behaviour is however puzzlingly inconsistent. There are times when she behaves like a temptress.<br /><br />It might be the late 19th century but the villagers still live in a world of mediæval superstitions. They have no doubt that witches exist. They come to suspect that there is a witch among them today. They have no doubt that curses have real power. They have had evidence of the evils this particular curse has already unleashed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuDZAfPIKRrIp-pj1-TBJkfA1HOG0rFS8cFyZy6RYjwbaMJhIzW3_3ayS5bWchIbhTYFS_zcEOFvXAmWR2XuBGTYhRsLcDSG6i4cdvAD61K8WJ_pnIzZAXwNvI006WOiJ5tCwCZVxm6POXWxZPMlKZzKs_bCbt0G2Zuv06SK_3IYBSoaP-YhmSNT6H8E/s778/AnAngelForSatan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="778" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuDZAfPIKRrIp-pj1-TBJkfA1HOG0rFS8cFyZy6RYjwbaMJhIzW3_3ayS5bWchIbhTYFS_zcEOFvXAmWR2XuBGTYhRsLcDSG6i4cdvAD61K8WJ_pnIzZAXwNvI006WOiJ5tCwCZVxm6POXWxZPMlKZzKs_bCbt0G2Zuv06SK_3IYBSoaP-YhmSNT6H8E/w400-h220/AnAngelForSatan2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />We know what is going on, or we think we do. At the end of the movie we really do know what was going on. Or we think we do.<br /><br />There are very strong erotic undercurrents to this movie. This was 1966 so it’s handled in a very tame manner. There is no actual nudity, although there is plenty of implied nudity. The movie still manages to be an effective and disturbing exercise in psycho-sexual horror.<br /><br />It’s a demanding part for Barbara Steele and she handles it with assurance. I might also add that she radiates sexuality.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6TkuJKFCOJNEilf5jxskN3RfzklJA9nelQsAJOCydEaDGsoVSb4rHIigpZAi7xA5THFAAvvVEAUWLH2q0gVtIBXNAOc12p80Qc_M6t8mGo3ZR4K-GJ0Dar1wATlbsrw3HOiIF16eJojfun3SJVKx70fduUrVIBsFQhsB4MTW6yTZmsVG0sQYtLIVsxc/s778/AnAngelForSatan3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="778" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6TkuJKFCOJNEilf5jxskN3RfzklJA9nelQsAJOCydEaDGsoVSb4rHIigpZAi7xA5THFAAvvVEAUWLH2q0gVtIBXNAOc12p80Qc_M6t8mGo3ZR4K-GJ0Dar1wATlbsrw3HOiIF16eJojfun3SJVKx70fduUrVIBsFQhsB4MTW6yTZmsVG0sQYtLIVsxc/w400-h220/AnAngelForSatan3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The other cast members are quite adequate.<br /><br />This is a somewhat unconventional gothic horror movie. The plot is not especially complicated but it also manages to be not entirely straightforward.<br /><br />Don’t expect buckets of blood or any gore. This movie doesn’t need such things. It has an unsettling atmosphere and a sense that something bad is going to happen but we have absolutely no idea what that thing is going to be. Personally it’s that kind of atmosphere rather than fountains of blood that I look for in a horror movie. There is evil here, but it’s diffuse and subtle.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHGpH3QcHut__zxawVeFqqJR69_1qJ4BaLtOkT_3rzguEZANqziTgPdJ-7r_RqZ-J95aLLtX9tkY5IBAtY-YjbvhLc3or77q4987Zx4Jp0GbKpKhavUyVesnYIhDZp7yEFZ07hc1DcXFUOaUDJrxPfhNX-QZery-oIMcDXhsXUWGNKqd1gG18FCfWSQ8/s778/AnAngelForSatan4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="778" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHGpH3QcHut__zxawVeFqqJR69_1qJ4BaLtOkT_3rzguEZANqziTgPdJ-7r_RqZ-J95aLLtX9tkY5IBAtY-YjbvhLc3or77q4987Zx4Jp0GbKpKhavUyVesnYIhDZp7yEFZ07hc1DcXFUOaUDJrxPfhNX-QZery-oIMcDXhsXUWGNKqd1gG18FCfWSQ8/w400-h220/AnAngelForSatan4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Director Camillo Mastrocinque was getting towards the end of a very long career when he made this movie. The man knew how to make movies.<br /><br />The movie was shot widescreen in black-and-white. The cinematography is moody and impressive, giving the film the stifling feel that it needs.<br /><br />This movie has had several DVD releases. It’s now available on both DVD and Blu-Ray from Severin and that’s clearly the edition to buy.<br /><br /><i>An Angel for Satan</i> is a very very fine example of 60s Italian gothic horror plus it offers one of Barbara Steele’s best performances. dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-55132934808575935112024-01-19T17:21:00.001+11:002024-01-19T17:25:52.194+11:00Weekend with the Babysitter (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu6cjIekS904upgd2wBuWxd2wwo65ftHICZpMOy0h3QboSgwLPrvVhoga5fEAEduVJmSoVxEwvUgVwrVQIDSniZ_LgEYPhNRlfrGyxNnbiBQa6FUVFLBq-rSrMFGbwuDge9sGIlx5KVNLDuq88uTpori1MNMnyNf_u9lDfDhWPc-ZOKqj2s_9OqG3lOY/s800/Weekend%20with%20the%20Babysitter1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu6cjIekS904upgd2wBuWxd2wwo65ftHICZpMOy0h3QboSgwLPrvVhoga5fEAEduVJmSoVxEwvUgVwrVQIDSniZ_LgEYPhNRlfrGyxNnbiBQa6FUVFLBq-rSrMFGbwuDge9sGIlx5KVNLDuq88uTpori1MNMnyNf_u9lDfDhWPc-ZOKqj2s_9OqG3lOY/s320/Weekend%20with%20the%20Babysitter1.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><i>Weekend with the Babysitter</i> is a 1970 Crown International release and it’s not quite the movie that the title would suggest. They had had a success the previous year with <i>The Babysitter</i> (which is the better movie and is worth seeing) so in this case the choice of title may have been an attempt to make it look like a sequel. Both movies were written and directed by Don Anderson and both starred George E. Carey but the two movies are rather different.<br /><br />Jim Carlton (George E. Carey) is a successful but slightly disillusioned film director. He has a much younger wife, Mona (Luanne Roberts), but the marriage is not a notable success.<br /><br />Candy Wilson (Susan Romen) arrives to babysit their kid but the dates got mixed up. They don’t need her. Mona is going to her mother’s for the weekend and the kid is going with her.<br /><br />Logically Jim should now drive Candy home but instead they decide to have a few drinks. Candy reads his latest script, a youth culture movie, and she tells him that it gets the youth culture of today totally wrong. Candy offers to give Jim a look at the real world of these crazy far-out kids today. She takes him to a coffee shop, he meets her friends, he gets stoned with them. Jim thinks this is all groovy.<br /><br />Mona isn’t really staying with her mother. She’s gone to see her dealer. Mona is a junkie but she’s a rich middle-class junkie and she has no problems paying for her drugs. She’s pretty good at hiding her drug habit. Jim thinks she’s become a bit strange and distant but he has no idea that she’s on the needle.<br /><br />Mona’s dealer forces her to allow him to borrow her husband’s cabin cruiser to make a drug pickup.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR2J2oLtYKe-rnN-hdufuItmMJzSkIwgBTKBJA-LLiC880juPsP247pXeLHC7K5TMckq9AVFhdigINtmfT5hT6O9hhMerXGA4ad_pjBYGDQPhY5R6ydSwyeDsL7z-X_nVh_14ms9yJCmrj3ZMVYV8cJ32CLcNMOMVEUj0qQdD47c4DTcthf4b-oebWe4/s834/WeekendWithTheBabysitter0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="834" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR2J2oLtYKe-rnN-hdufuItmMJzSkIwgBTKBJA-LLiC880juPsP247pXeLHC7K5TMckq9AVFhdigINtmfT5hT6O9hhMerXGA4ad_pjBYGDQPhY5R6ydSwyeDsL7z-X_nVh_14ms9yJCmrj3ZMVYV8cJ32CLcNMOMVEUj0qQdD47c4DTcthf4b-oebWe4/w400-h230/WeekendWithTheBabysitter0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Meanwhile Jim is making the scene with Candy, in and out of the bedroom. Jim is falling for Candy in a big way. And she seems to dig him as well. They have a joyous weekend of sex and fun.<br /><br />Candy’s friends turn out to be really nice kids. They’re into motorcycles but they’re not outlaw bikers on Harleys. They’re into motocross and they ride Japanese bikes. They’re just kids having fun. And they just love hanging with conservative middle-aged guys in suits.<br /><br />There are then two plots going on, a romance plot and a crime thriller plot about drug smuggling. Both plots are rather on the thin side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvGXqVpF2stzy91cM8e7SE7dThznrSBxPM76gIYTDAYbz9LcBbXdzB6Ua9P9gfniPK2f2NFpnLDUMPmjloBqMt7c-wiH1XnPvm0l8UevmMdb40C2RL-c1riU27WmTL0aa0fdZyOdHHQ9PPkiKxV5QMl0W8l-SuZRaQVwHYGzHRZFPEPCxNJ7usetWAL4/s838/WeekendWithTheBabysitter1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="838" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvGXqVpF2stzy91cM8e7SE7dThznrSBxPM76gIYTDAYbz9LcBbXdzB6Ua9P9gfniPK2f2NFpnLDUMPmjloBqMt7c-wiH1XnPvm0l8UevmMdb40C2RL-c1riU27WmTL0aa0fdZyOdHHQ9PPkiKxV5QMl0W8l-SuZRaQVwHYGzHRZFPEPCxNJ7usetWAL4/w400-h229/WeekendWithTheBabysitter1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are a couple of brief action scenes. There’s a moderate amount of nudity, with brief frontal nudity. There are very tame sex scenes.<br /><br />The big problem is Jim. It’s hard to believe that a film director in 1970 could be quite so innocent and strait-laced. George E. Carey isn’t a terrible actor but he would have been more convincing playing a real estate agent or a banker. <br /><br />There’s a slight credibility problem with the romance. It’s not inconceivable for a girl to fall for an older man, but it is hard to believe that Candy would fall for this particular older man. He’s just too boring.<br /><br />There is however a reason that Jim is portrayed as very conservative and dull. This is not really a movie about a romance between a young woman and an older man. What the movie is really all about is the clash of cultures, the clash between the culture of Eisenhower-era America represented by Jim and the America of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll and peace and love.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO8iUBh7gWGYA4iKN9x0O2Ysd0GMwF-q0Ed2kz3QMktbQVUQuCjzaLXCeoJUnXrF1uxei6NpIA8l9l6SFdGfsF2keK2X4wvJiRCrVFkER7bnB9XKqkdrlBSWwjqTAfDo4owSQYFlFqEWlqERqrIqyd1fZhAAENo9xLK05VjJZb7hqNooOJBJlcuXMOBo/s838/WeekendWithTheBabysitter2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="838" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQO8iUBh7gWGYA4iKN9x0O2Ysd0GMwF-q0Ed2kz3QMktbQVUQuCjzaLXCeoJUnXrF1uxei6NpIA8l9l6SFdGfsF2keK2X4wvJiRCrVFkER7bnB9XKqkdrlBSWwjqTAfDo4owSQYFlFqEWlqERqrIqyd1fZhAAENo9xLK05VjJZb7hqNooOJBJlcuXMOBo/w400-h229/WeekendWithTheBabysitter2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />What makes it slightly more interesting is that neither culture is demonised. Jim is not such a bad guy. The kids are not dangerous hippie psychos. Candy isn’t scheming or manipulative. They’re all doing their best. Except for the drug dealer and he’s the only unsympathetic character.<br /><br />One thing that should be pointed out is that Candy is clearly a grown woman. She’s no schoolgirl. She’s probably around 20 so the movie is much less sleazy than you might expect.<br /><br />This is more drugsploitation than sexploitation. It could be described as an attempt at hippiesploitation. It was made a year after the Manson murders so there was plenty of paranoia about hippies at that time. This movie was clearly hoping to cash in on that hippie paranoia although in fact it takes a remarkably sympathetic view of youth culture.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFgjWxZb9hJRJZH67R0_e4FSWdm306ETJXKr1rAg6mgbXwwq42vFOscA5P3_ewgJYVr4MB0BAM-JPJrMYVEikGi_AsH8YUh1lKnT7E7T3pduOZB2shbcv99hW666o4G7FSxwDGiT9K-lamMyFBuTOp5fxXvf-Uw_Ul97HBjcRyRLN0301VxPxfsgTAh4/s837/WeekendWithTheBabysitter3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="837" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFgjWxZb9hJRJZH67R0_e4FSWdm306ETJXKr1rAg6mgbXwwq42vFOscA5P3_ewgJYVr4MB0BAM-JPJrMYVEikGi_AsH8YUh1lKnT7E7T3pduOZB2shbcv99hW666o4G7FSxwDGiT9K-lamMyFBuTOp5fxXvf-Uw_Ul97HBjcRyRLN0301VxPxfsgTAh4/w400-h229/WeekendWithTheBabysitter3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />One of the amusing things about this movie is that early on we have Candy complaining that Jim’s movies are totally out of touch with actual youth culture but <i>Weekend with the Babysitter</i> isn’t exactly an authentic look at that culture either.<br /><br />Weekend with the Babysitter probably wouldn’t be worth buying on its own but it’s mildly entertaining and if you’re going to buy the excellent 32-movie Drive-In Cult Classics DVD boxed set (and you definitely should buy it) you might as well give it a watch.<br /><br />Weekend with the Babysitter gets a good anamorphic transfer. The set includes some great drive-in movies - <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2022/12/trip-with-teacher-1975.html" target="_blank">Trip With the Teacher</a> (1975), <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-babysitter-1969.html" target="_blank">The Babysitter</a> (1969), <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2023/01/cindy-and-donna-1970.html" target="_blank">Cindy and Donna</a> (1970), <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-pom-pom-girls-1976.html" target="_blank">The Pom Pom Girls</a> (1976), the wonderful <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2017/07/malibu-high-1979.html" target="_blank">Malibu High</a> (1979), <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/05/van-nuys-blvd-1979.html" target="_blank">Van Nuys Blvd.</a> (1979) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/06/pick-up-1975.html" target="_blank">Pick-up</a> (1975). All of which are very much worth watching. Even the lesser movies in this set like <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-teacher-1974.html" target="_blank">The Teacher</a> (1974) and <a href="https://princeplanetmovies.blogspot.com/2021/03/hot-target-1985.html" target="_blank">Hot Target</a> (1985) are worth a spin.<br />dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652234729744168364.post-1856751315121648812024-01-16T15:09:00.000+11:002024-01-16T15:09:26.852+11:00The Strange Countess (1961)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsq3g6ZWcWHczaqeo3ErgIUwXhOieKJe78VMIzYek-jH5kuDW2jeI8o9yN9IYAbCXKv9iCLys7cN2ULWVAcH81Of8DxAJPhuswZmLi0cpCMtgld_hLIDq1dI8fqomAFyBlzMYtNWj45zHkhGfrBLasFMFc44gzSOCdlNfc6qsjfb4YapOyZDKp7uw/s700/Strange%20Countess2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="491" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsq3g6ZWcWHczaqeo3ErgIUwXhOieKJe78VMIzYek-jH5kuDW2jeI8o9yN9IYAbCXKv9iCLys7cN2ULWVAcH81Of8DxAJPhuswZmLi0cpCMtgld_hLIDq1dI8fqomAFyBlzMYtNWj45zHkhGfrBLasFMFc44gzSOCdlNfc6qsjfb4YapOyZDKp7uw/s320/Strange%20Countess2.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><i>The Strange Countess</i> (<i>Die seltsame Gräfin</i>), directed by Josef von Báky, is a relatively early entry in Rialto’s wonderful cycle of Edgar Wallace krimis. It was based on Wallace’s 1925 novel of the same name. This is an extremely interesting entry in that cycle.<br /><br />Margaret Reedle (Brigitte Grothum) is a very ordinary young woman who works in the office of a lawyer named Shaddle. She will soon be leaving this job to take up a position at Canterfield Castle as private secretary to the Countess Moron (Lil Dagover). Yes, Moron. Don’t blame me, that really is her name. Miss Reedle has one more job to do for Mr Shaddle. She has to deliver the release papers for a prisoner named Mary Pinder to a women’s prison. Mary Pinder has been serving a long sentence for murder. She is a poisoner.<br /><br />Miss Reedle has been getting some strange telephone calls telling her that her time is almost up. She thinks the calls must be coming from a madman. In fact the calls really are being made by a madman. He is Bresset (Klaus Kinski) and he is confined in an asylum but he keeps escaping.<br /><br />Miss Reedle isn’t worried until someone tries to kill her. There are three attempts made on her life. She has absolutely no idea why anyone would want to kill her. If it hadn’t been for Mike those attempts would have been successful. Mike is Mike Dorn (Joachim Fuchsberger) and Margaret Reedle thinks that he seems like a rather nice man although she is a bit mystified. How does he always manage to turn up at the right moment to save her life?<br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwCQ5q3O1cGVmjMMNvW9DwaNxuXD_vEDS2F_JglH8Em9mM29yJqPIMG3yaUh6ETKI75acxUt53_LWLE9VJfHNRIMoDHvg6rk2p6KaRHcg0UmlxdAosi_4Jx1HmxjpK1CfhKJN5CIrKdMZbxpMH-VrvHLVPm6sbrB_hhAK0fBoSgtPYIKfBj625RKO/s745/StrangeCountess1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="745" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwCQ5q3O1cGVmjMMNvW9DwaNxuXD_vEDS2F_JglH8Em9mM29yJqPIMG3yaUh6ETKI75acxUt53_LWLE9VJfHNRIMoDHvg6rk2p6KaRHcg0UmlxdAosi_4Jx1HmxjpK1CfhKJN5CIrKdMZbxpMH-VrvHLVPm6sbrB_hhAK0fBoSgtPYIKfBj625RKO/w400-h240/StrangeCountess1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />She hopes that these attempts to kill her will stop when she takes up her new position at Canterfield Castle. Unfortunately she’s wrong.<br /><br />There’s an uneasy atmosphere at the castle. Everyone there seems a bit strange and they seem like they’re hiding something, which of course they are. The countess is a bit odd. Her son Selwyn (Eddi Arent) is eccentric to say the least. He dreams of going on the stage and spends his free time on mysterious electrical experiments. The butler, Addams, is very sinister. The countess’s financial advisor seems a bit shifty. And then we meet the family doctor, Dr Tappatt (Rudolf Fernau), and he doesn’t seem any too trustworthy.<br /><br />Quite apart from the odd collection of misfits living at the castle there’s Mike Dorn. He seems trustworthy but Miss Reedle actually knows nothing about him. And there’s still the crazed telephone caller played by Klaus Kinski who just keeps on escaping from the asylum and he is certainly stalking our heroine. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9Uifb3jMlubylBHiTfI7PqYzLdwoJXihEGliWr0wa-ZBw4Fi4koOG_N5ISy_pE5qma2NGub7GrYGN6-TOVh5DpOY4i1m32bZ3U5yeiwZoDaDhiaFVDBEK3rs9MAnOVGhNXGzUoaRbg3aP0ETGZqjUaxDzvtNrri8DN4z7UnvCYYA-utxIpNrUWHN/s745/StrangeCountess2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="745" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9Uifb3jMlubylBHiTfI7PqYzLdwoJXihEGliWr0wa-ZBw4Fi4koOG_N5ISy_pE5qma2NGub7GrYGN6-TOVh5DpOY4i1m32bZ3U5yeiwZoDaDhiaFVDBEK3rs9MAnOVGhNXGzUoaRbg3aP0ETGZqjUaxDzvtNrri8DN4z7UnvCYYA-utxIpNrUWHN/w400-h240/StrangeCountess2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Miss Reedle is no fool but she’s very confused and frightened and we can’t blame her.<br /><br />It’s a setup that promises plenty of thrills and suspense and The Strange Countess delivers the goods on those fronts.<br /><br />On the acting side Joachim Fuchsberger was a Krimi regular and was always reliable. Eddi Arent is quite amusing. Klaus Kinski is of course perfect as a murderous madman and he’s in fine creepy form. Brigitte Grothum makes a likeable heroine and gives a very creditable performance.<br /><br />Even more interesting is the casting of Lil Dagover as the countess. Her remarkable career as a screen actress began in 1916 and lasted until 1979. It included appearances in several very early Fritz Lang movies as well as a starring rôle in one of the great classics of German Expressionism, Robert Wiene’s 1920 <i>The Cabinet of Dr Caligari</i>. And Fritz Rasp, who plays the lawyer Shaddle, had appeared in Lang’s <i>Metropolis</i> in 1927.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDLAoOL2qmDuHs8iKh8mM6TXNyegx2IMkgBpFcWk8hIM56VIrkcAx0R3D6Rqpfgv9iviIINiKBOZh2tX8zvgFgh7AvBPDlrX20HmQg6DO1Ixzw5tYAi1UrxPNCTq4RXZttR89mLcAkIM7OTWERJkSC43gnTWX8pOLJCMqGdV-TmPwGTp2l-yRlmm8/s745/StrangeCountess4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="745" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDLAoOL2qmDuHs8iKh8mM6TXNyegx2IMkgBpFcWk8hIM56VIrkcAx0R3D6Rqpfgv9iviIINiKBOZh2tX8zvgFgh7AvBPDlrX20HmQg6DO1Ixzw5tYAi1UrxPNCTq4RXZttR89mLcAkIM7OTWERJkSC43gnTWX8pOLJCMqGdV-TmPwGTp2l-yRlmm8/w400-h240/StrangeCountess4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />These are not the only links to the German Expressionism of the Weimar era. <i>The Strange Countess</i> was shot in the legendary Ufa studio in Berlin.<br /><br />The horror in this movie (and there is definitely horror in this one) comes not just from the deceptions you expect in a krimi but to an even greater extent from the idea of madness. Many scenes take place in a lunatic asylum. That’s scary enough but what makes it far more chilling is when characters who are not mad end up in the asylum. Some of the characters in this film really are mad, but some have either been deliberately sent mad or made to believe they are mad. Neither Miss Reedle nor the audience can be quite sure which of those categories the other characters fit into. She knows she is not mad but that’s no guarantee she won’t end up in a padded cell in the asylum. Even more terrifying is the thought that she might end up driven to actual madness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdHemtC8DAgax21qCthhMElf7kjeFio0xKJqqLzl3TU_V-qmKOSxwzNqG5w7ndyCbGtRm5jzoslmwlkC2FObgTEDs7lh1ksQHddU0yVmZDhGmJp14ZOL_-zbydXv8v_eKIVKVJcJazgyTuHMrrqWwAqTpWrK86rqGYkbDryJxa78CX-HkFoI5y7p4/s745/StrangeCountess5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="745" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdHemtC8DAgax21qCthhMElf7kjeFio0xKJqqLzl3TU_V-qmKOSxwzNqG5w7ndyCbGtRm5jzoslmwlkC2FObgTEDs7lh1ksQHddU0yVmZDhGmJp14ZOL_-zbydXv8v_eKIVKVJcJazgyTuHMrrqWwAqTpWrK86rqGYkbDryJxa78CX-HkFoI5y7p4/w400-h240/StrangeCountess5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />You expect in this sort of movie that at some stage either the hero or the heroine will be locked up by the villain or villains and will have to find a way to escape. In many movies the means of escape prove to be disappointingly contrived but this movie includes a truly ingenious escape. <br /><br /><i>The Strange Countess</i> is a first-rate krimi with a definite gothic horror vibe and some intriguing nods to the great days of German Expressionism. Highly recommended.<br /><br />Tobis have provided an excellent transfer on their Blu-Ray release, included in their Edgar Wallace Blu-Ray Edition 6 boxed set. Both English and German language (with English subtitles) options are available for <i>The Strange Countess</i>.</div>dfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.com6