Reviews
The Manson Family (1997)
Van Bebber's disturbing masterpiece!!
After waiting 10 years (saw the trailer in the early 90's, read the script in '99 from Creation Books) I finally saw it. And it's his best, in my opinion. I loved "Roadkill", "My Sweet Satan", "Deadbeat At Dawn" but this one is his Citizen Kane!!
Van Bebber seems somewhat inspired by the plot of "Cannibal Holocaust", two elderly TVproducers receive a tape (in 1996) with no address, and extremely eeire sick drama-docu/re-inactments of (almost) every Manson clip we have seen on TV unfolds. The 'scratchy-on-purpose' clips of the Family's sexorgies/rapes, drugtakin', and ultra-gory killings of Tate/Bianca and others are probably the most disturbing footage I've ever seen! The actors, who looks like real psycho dopefiends, are perfect (Van Bebber plays Bobby Beausoleil, and Marcelo Games is excellent as Charlie). Meanwhile the producers (us?) are being watched by a gang of Richard Kern-like punks (we see "You Killed Me First" in a s&m/drug orgy scene) who break in and kills the producer, and later a teenager wearing a Manson T-shirt (both scenes are ultra graphic and wellmade). A modern sex & violence masterpiece of American psycho culture!!
The film I saw was an 'editor workprint' from 1995/96 (of canadian VideoVortex)which is probably the version people saw at festivals in 1997/98. A 'final' version was shown according to Chas Balun at a Splatterpalooza filmfest this summer.
"Charlie's Family" is a must for any true cultfilm fan with balls of steel!
For once the (underground) hype was true....and then some.
The Wild Wild World of Jayne Mansfield (1968)
MONDO EXPLOITATION CINEMA DELUXE!!
Forget Michael Palin, the world according to Jayne '40-18½-36' Mansfield is my kinda world!
First she treks to Rome, followed by a herd of horny men pinchin' her ass while she's babblin' on about the Colloseum, her nude Playboy pics, gladiators, orgies mixed with Hercules footage!?! Then Cannes gets the bombshell treatment as our bikini Jayne (VA VA VOOOOM!) walks the beaches ("smallest bikinis in the world") and starts twistin' to "Bird's The Word" performed by a cool black R&B combo. She goes on a boattrip and strip nude and confesses:
"I'm basically very shy!"
And on and on this relentless busty 'love crusade' goes. Hookers, midgets, Paris, dragqueens, gays'n'dykes ("I'm just too darn confused!" poor little thing), Mickey Hagitay, strippers, footage from PROMISES, PROMISES and PRIMITIVE LOVE.....and bloody pics of her fatal car crash in 1967!?!
Now, where's my time machine?
Play Motel (1979)
Stylish Giallo Porn!!
Down in the bottom of the barrel of Italian exploitation cinema is the subgenre of shocks and pornography. "Play Motel" aint filled with clumsy inserts of the Joe D'amato school, the actors 'perform' their deeds quite nicely both verbally and otherwise. And the cinematography is top notch. It's really a simple murder/revenge story but pretty well made, I might add. The hardcore scenes are thrown at you within 4 min. but the pace goes down in the last hour...still, a must for jaded fans of Italo smut!! Get the uncut version.
P.S. If anybody read DELIRIUM: Guide to Italian Exploitation Cinema 1974-79, the backphoto of the book (the red devil with horns & a whip + the naked nun) is from "Play Motel".
Justine de Sade (1972)
Wall-to-wall depravity!!
This kinky tale is sickier than Jess Franco's but follows the book more faithfully. Every perversity known to man is shown (unlike "Quills") in this evil freakshow. And it's pretty faced-paced for a French flick.
STARE IF YA DARE!!
Purana mandir (1984)
Knock-Out Bollywood Horror!! EVIL DEAD meets SOUND OF MUSIC?
If you want one Bollywood shocker, PURANA MANDIR is good place to start. Over two hours of over-the-top gory action with wild camera angles, stunning action scenes, creepy shocks and, eh, all the cheerful singing and dancing!
ONE THE BEST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN!
Argento-fans who're tired of Euro/US horrorflicks, should try this tasty hindi dish - you'll be coming back for more!!!
Eine Armee Gretchen (1973)
Cheerful "Carry On Nazi Chicks"!?!
Dietrich has worked with blokes like Jess Franco, so I was expecting a nasty braindead Women-In-Prison shocker, but instead I've got a braindead sex 'comedy'. This bizarre flick is more offensive than most Naziploitationers cuz the happy supersexy young chicks-in-the-third-reich don't really get punished and the Germans ain't portraited as bad guys!?! They just love sex and their Führer!
ONE OF THE MOST MINDBOGGLING TRASHFLICKS I EVER SEEN!!
Der heiße Tod (1969)
Respectable early Chicks-Behind-Bars flick from Franco
This flick was made a year after the notorious "Love Camp 7", and it ain't as nasty as that and compared to Jess Franco later WIP sickies like "Sadomania" - "99 Women" is kinda tame but there's plenty of cheap thrills, groovy broads and Herbert (Mark Of The Devil) Lom in top form! It's also a wellmade film with a fun (yet dated) soundtrack. The infamous UK censors cut over 30 min. of the running time, so get the uncut version!
A must for Francophiles!
Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes (1999)
Fascinating piece of Americana. Recommended!
For a documentary "Wadd" ain't so innovating, and maybe it's too long but still my eyes were glued to screen. I knew John was a cokefiend and involved in a mob hit but I didn't really knew he was vicious wife beater and a chronic liar/schizo that fed the cops info on pornproducers in the early 70's. "Wadd" isn't that pornographic (no penetration scenes) it's more of a tragic story of a not too bright kid with the world's biggest "tool". Lots of people from the adult industry are interviewed (Goldstein, Flynt, Sharon Mitchell, Ciccolina etc.) as you would expect but also cops, lawyers, journalists and guys like Paul "Boggie Nights" Anderson are included. I know it's almost impossible to make Holmes-docu that isn't interesting but "Wadd" is a fascinating and important portrait of a legend that some called The Elvis Of Pornography!
Los violadores (1981)
Properly the stupidest movie ever made! A laugh riot!
In Denmark this gory and sick mutant was called "The Bikers And The Disco Kid"!?! It should give you a clue of what kind of trash we're dealing with here. After showing off his flashy fast car the "hero" gets beaten up and his girl is brutally raped by a moronic biker gang. He then contacts his kung fu buddies for help and they beat up the bikers and cut off the leader's penis (!) for revenge. The bikers then come back and gun down the kung fu guys...and so on. The dubbing is properly the worst ever and the film is drenched in blood, swastikas, disco, heavy metal, small bikes, sex and bad acting. The spirit of Herschell Gordon Lewis lives on, so get a copy of this obscure anti-masterpiece! Swiss producer Erwin C. Dietrich also worked with Jess Franco, so you know you're in for a treat!
Warning: Don't watch this freakshow unless you're intoxicated, it can seriously damaged your health!!
The Acid Eaters (1967)
LSD biker sleaze
This David F. Friedman-produced flick starts out with some surreal images and editing that sorta caught me off guard, but then "conventional" story gets rollin'. Some "bikers" and babes take a trip in the country. Nudeswimmin', fights, Indians, and acid trippin' then follows. They even go to hell?!? There's also a lot of slapsticks goin' on provided by Burt ("Please Don't Eat My Mother") Kartalian. Lots of nudity and infantile insanity - high quality trash entertainment!
Johnny Ramone must've seen this since The Ramones named a cover album after this flick.
Operazione paura (1966)
Another scorchin' gothic chiller from the master!
Just saw "Kill Baby Kill" last night and, yes, it's another creepy winner from the most reliable Eurohorror director, Mario Bava.
While it's not in the league of "Black Sunday", it packs a lot legitimate chills and thrills. The atmosphere and camerawork are excellent, the actors are good - all in all; an extremely creepy and wellmade gothic horrorflick from the glorious 60's. Ranks with the best of Hammer and AIP's Poe.
White Slaves of Chinatown (1964)
First entry in the bizarre and twisted Olga saga
Fascinating Audry Campbell leads the way in first Olga-flick. We're in the opium infested Chinatown where Olga's crime syndicate turns innocent girls into hookers and/or junkies. Hey, she's just trying to make a buck! Unique early S&M sleaze epic with racist voice-over instead of dialogue and annoyin' "chinese" music that get played over and over. Take the pain with the pleasure. High culture that will change your life (the Ilsa character of the 70's seems to be inspired by Olga). RECOMMENDED! Check out the other mad Olga flicks, daddy-o!
The Woman Hunt (1972)
Sid Haig almost saves this routine sleaze effort
"Woman Hunt" is one of the more boring flicks from Corman's New World company. As usual some sexy American gals are abducted in some third world country. First they're used as hookers then later they become hunting prey for wealthy men. The always cool bad guy, Sid Haig, does bring some life into the clichès but unfortunately it's not enough even though some sleazy and violent scenes keeps you awake. A mediocre effort at best.
The Hot Box (1972)
Sold as a Women-In-Prison movie but the title should've been "Bimbos Can Be Revolutionaires Too"!
If you expect sweaty chicks behind bars you're in for a major dissapointment.
The gals spend like one minute in the "hot box". Some third world rebels kipnap 4 American nurses to help their revolution. At first they protest but later they "wake up" and start diggin' the rebels' political aim. Jonathan Demme, who scripted this, has made some fun Women-In-Prison flicks for Roger Corman like "Caged Heat" and "Black Mama, White Mama" but this halfbaked "Exploitation With A Cause" is pretty boring despite massive doses of nudity and decent acting.
People who saw this at a drive-in in the early 70's must've been a bit confused.
Goyôkiba: Kamisori Hanzô jigoku zeme (1973)
Deranged sleaze samurai sickie that will eat your mind!
This is the 2nd movie in the Hanzo The Blade trio of wonders. It's made by the people who made the classic "Lone Wolf And Cub" gorefest series but it's much more sick. Good production values, beautifully shot and acted make this sickie even more extreme. Our "hero" is a twisted Dirty Harry samurai who make (female) criminals talk with the help of his HUGE PENIS!!! In Part 1 you see him "training" his member with ricedolls, big rocks and boiling water!?! The women always hate it at first but then starts enjoyin' it, Hanzo then stops and they ask for more, and they get it only if they give him the information he needs!?! Sexist and stupid but utterly hilarious and fascinating. All three movies are bizarre mindblowin' masterpieces. A must for brave thrillseekers who think they have seen everything. As politically incorrect as you get! Japanese Trash Cinema rules!!!
Placer sangriento (1967)
Another mind-bomb from the director of "The Curious Dr. Humpp"
Okay, "Deadly Organ" isn't as wacky as "Humpp" but there are plenty thrills for lovers of weird and obscure films. A spooky guy with a monster mask wrecks havoc on the beaches of Argentina by injecting heroin (!) into helpless young girls. He then plays an organ (hence the title, I thought it was another kind of organ..ha ha) and young zombielike girls come to him. In the film's most outrageous scene two cops interview a heroine victim of who the psycho is BY USING LSD AS A TRUTH SERUM!!?! According to the Mondo Macabro book "Deadly Organ" was made in 1965! The audiences of Argentina must've been pretty shocked by this druginduced gem. Only for the boldest trashfilm fanatics - mainstream Lynch/cultfilm wannabes should stay clear of this twisted little marvel.
Tonight for Sure (1962)
THE FILM DEBUT THE "RESPECTABLE" DIRECTOR WANT US TO IGNORE!!
Yes, it's true, Coppola made "Nudie Cutie" before "Dementia 13"! It's no worse or better than other skinflicks of the late 50's/early 60's but it's certainly ain't no "Immoral Mr. Teas" or "Kiss Me Quick". This western angle is interesting cuz Russ Meyer made "Wild Girls Of The Naked West" the same year! B-movie god, Jack Hill ("Spider Baby", "Big Doll House", "Coffy" etc.), helped Francis with this one. Ah, nothing is funnier than diggin' up major directors' "well buried" skeletons. He shouldn't be ashamed, though, cuz at least it's better than the pathetic "Jack"!!
The Losers (1970)
Halfbaked mix of Nam and Bikerflicks
I like when directors try to mix genres like "Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town", "Blade Runner", "Rock'n'Roll Wrestling Women Vs. The Aztec Mummy" etc. You don't always get the best results but at least it's interesting. In "The Losers/Nam's Angels" B-movie veteran William Smith leads a bikergang against the Viet Cong. Fun idea but the film spends too time with the bikers' love affairs, bar fights etc. In the end the gang gets their s**t together with their special built warbikes (no Harleys!). It's too late to save the movie but Tarantino must've been impressed since he used some scenes in "Pulp Fiction"! Nice try but see "Satan's Sadists" or "Apocalypse Now" instead.
Los autómatas de la muerte (1962)
Hilarious Mexican Wrestling Horror Nonsense!
This is apparently the third Neutron-film and in this our masked marvel, Neutron, is fighting his archenemy, the evil Dr. Caronte (who survived the 2nd movie). With the help of three brains, a dwarf and some vampire zombies Caronte is planning to take over the world, of course, by creating a neutronbomb! I don't know if Neutron was a big rival to the mighty Santo in the 60's, he's shorter and not that convincing in the "fight scenes" but he sure know how flex his muscles! It's campy, juvenile fun and Caronte's dwarf-sidekick has to be seen (and heard!). Enjoy!
Big Sister 2000 (1995)
IT'S SHOT ON VIDEO - SO FORGET IT!!!!!!!
Nice cover, nice notes on the back cover (Julie Strain looks hot on photos) - I'm a huge fan of Women-In-Prison...but I saw 2 min. of this film and realized it's shot on video, so I couldn't care less. I don't give a damn about anybody's homevideo - gimme 16 mm or 35 mm!
Il boia scarlatto (1965)
Ghoulish campfest with Mr. Jayne Mansfield!
I've read about this flick for years and it's not an overrated "cult" item like many others. It's totally hilarious and entertaining with lots of insane torture devices. Jayne's muscleman, Mickey Hargitay, is completely out of control as the mask and tightwearing "Crimson Executioner" who gets a kick of torturing young models. Check out his lines..you won't believe your ears! Something Weird Video offers the worn but uncut print of "The Crimson Executioner".
Estupro (1979)
Pretty straightforward but sick Marins-flick
I'm a huge fan of Coffin Joe's demented masterpieces but "Perversion/Estupro" (not a Coffin Joe entry) doesn't have the same visually and mindblowin' impact as "At Midnight I Will Steal You Soul" and "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse". Marins plays an evil wealthy man who bites off a girl's nipple, just for the hell of it! In court he's declared innocent and throws a big party showing off the bloody nipple in glass jar!! But in the end the poor girl's sister get back at him in a pretty nasty way.
There are some issues of the übermensch/Nietzchian ideas from the Coffin Joe-films, but still it's too "normal". Fans of this Brazilian maverick should check out it, anyway.
Inferno Carnal (1977)
Routine horror effort
"Hellish Flesh" is not an Coffin Joe entry but an average horror tale of revenge. A scientist (Marins) gets his face destroyed with acid by his young cheating wife. She then spends his money on a playboy/lover, meanwhile Marins is lurking around them with a scarred face. The end has nice twist but like "Perversion" it's too straightforward compared to his unique surreal Coffin Joe epics. The print from Something Weird Video is pretty worn but it's properly the only way to get this rare film. Only for fans of this Brazilian genius.
L'ultima orgia del III Reich (1977)
One of best nazi sleaze flicks!
This sickie has very good production values, decent acting and an exciting storyline for this kind of trash. Them deranged nazis is at again in one of those generic "women's work camps". It's not as graphic as others but the vile tone is unbelievable harsh as the officers torture and humiliate young jewish girls and...(hold tight!)...EAT THEM AND THEIR UNBORN BABIES!!?! It's unsettling as hell cuz it's so well made. There's also a lot of De Sade-like master/slave games going on. Only for the most jaded thrill seekers (like me) who're tired of Hollywood's PC blockbusters.
The She Beast (1966)
Ghoulish, campy anti-commie horror classic!
The director of "Witchfinder General/Conquering Worm" first effort is a minor classic. Barbara ("Black Sunday") Steele is quite captivating as the young wife who's corpse get possessed by a 200 year-old buttugly witch. But it's Mel ("Little Shop Of Horrors") Wells who steals the show playing a supersleazy, alcoholic commie hotelowner. The lurid performance equals that of Donald Pleasure in the nasty "Mania/Fiends And The Flesh". And look for that infamous death-by-hammer-and-sickle scene...ghoulish fun to the max! Thrillseekin' horroraddicts should be able to get their jaded kicks with this low budget (the monster make up is a bit tacky) cheerful and wicked gem. Why waste your time with pathetic 90's hollywood horror when films like this exist. By the way, Vincent Price once said that Reeves was the best director he ever worked with!