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Darker Than Amber! Film Noir’s Legendary Fight Scene! A Brutal Hidden Gem!

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darker than amber

Looking for some classic kicks? Then it’s time to discover a “hidden” gem of a film!

darker than amber

Behold “Darker Than Amber!”

If you like great film noir, moody crime thrillers and brutal, tightly directed action scenes, then this is the movie for you!

“Darker Than Amber” might just be the most undiscovered film of the early 70′s…

The late Author John D. MacDonald wrote many bestsellers, but he was also known for his iconic detective, Travis McGee and his “color-title” series – every book had a color in the title.

darker than amber novel

“DARKER THAN AMBER” isn’t the first McGee adventure (that’s The “Deep Blue Good-Bye”, and that’s where serious new readers should begin), but it is one of the best. Perhaps a bit “darker” than many of the 20 other McGee novels, AMBER isn’t for faint hearts; but it also isn’t merely excessive violence-for-violence-sake, either.


Travis McGee – The New James Bond!

The huge success of the books meant it was time to turn the McGee novels into a movie – and the plan was to create a big action movie franchise – like what happened with James Bond.

rod_taylor

Rod Taylor was cast as McGee – he was, at the time, a well-known Actor, having been in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”, and was a rising star…the film was directed by Robert Clouse, who went on to helm the classic Bruce Lee action movie “Enter The Dragon”…all signs pointed to a big big hit…

Darker_than_Amber-poster

Perhaps “Too” Dark?

“Darker Than Amber” received strong reviews, but to no avail: this movie bombed at the box office – killing any chance for a series. What was called at the time a “brutal gem” might have been the cause of its undoing…

“Darker Than Amber” is a moody, well-acted thriller. It is brutal…and is known for its legendary fight sequence. But while that sequence is lauded as one of the most brutal and “real” fights on screen, that “rawness” may have contributed to the film’s demise…

“Darker than Amber” was sold, as you can see by the various posters, as a brutal fight movie – but it’s much more than that…still, the advertising sold one thing only, and that “brutality” just didn’t resonate with audiences at the time…when in fact, it had a strong love story as well, which was ignored in the advertising…

Rod Taylor was a very popular actor who appeared in over 50 films, best known for his roles in the sci-fi film “The Time Machine”, as well as “The Birds.” He was very popular with women, but the film was sold exclusively to men.

British sex kitten Suzy Kendall co-starred. She was certainly cast to appeal to that male demographic, but she was also a popular actress at the time as well…but again, look at the advertising:

Darker_than_Amber-poster


A Forgotten Gem…

This is a great crime drama/film noir, full of smart writing, good acting, and intense action…but it was overlooked by audiences, who were perhaps turned off by its graphic violence – very brutal for the time….

“Darker than Amber” was the last film made by actress Jane Russell, who plays a neighboring boat owner who likes to party…a funny little role for this screen legend, and another example of the layers within the film that made it more than just an action thriller…

“Darker Than Amber” is almost impossible to find: I got a copy from a website that specializes in obscure films…

Darker Than Amber

One last fact: movie “tough guy” William Smith co-starred in the film, and Smith’s physical brawn plays into the movie’s climactic finale…Smith had a long career in film as a character Actor, taking advantage of his size and charisma…which is on full display here…

Here’s a great fun fact thanks to IMDB: Arrow created a “special” shirt design called “The McGee” for Taylor to wear. When the movie flopped, so did the shirt.


Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!

Back to the legendary fight scene. William Smith attacks Travis McGee on a cruise ship. With the cameras rolling, one actor accidentally struck the other (no one has ever revealed who struck the first real blow), the second threw a retaliatory punch, and a staged fight scene became a real fight, with real wounds, real lost teeth, and real blood all over their clothing. That’s right, this is real, as you are about to see…

As you can see from the poster above, it wasn’t exactly a “heart throb” look for Taylor…but they did push the bloody fight in the advertising…

Thanks to youtube, here is the climactic fight scene! It begins with the fight in the bedroom on the cruse ship, as McGee enters Suzy’s stateroom to check up on her – only to be ambushed by Smith…that fight is followed by Smith’s rampage when he sees the girl he thought he had already killed earlier in the film waiting for him…and he doesn’t take it well…

darker than amber

Whether this is the entire fight un-cut is unclear, but there are several versions on the internet that purport to be that…either way, “Darker Than Amber” has been optioned to be re-made…let’s hope they keep the action raw and brutal!



“Old Lady Horror”! Crazy Ladies Chew Up The Screen!

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whatever happened to aunt alice?


Hey, Old Ladies! Calm Down!

Hey, it’s two crazy old ladies fighting! What’s up? And how does it lead to THIS???

debbie reynolds dead

Wait, Debbie Reynolds? In a horror film? What’s going on here? Oh, and can someone PLEASE calm Shelley Winters down?

Shelley Winters Auntie Roo


Introducing Classic Old Lady Horror!

If you have not seen any of these movies – and these performances, you are missing out on some of the most entertaining “B” movies ever made – and great opportunities for America’s finest Actresses to bare their teeth! It was a fascinating trend in film in the late 60′s and early 70′s. Let’s look at some classic “old lady horror”!

First, the question:


“What Makes Her Garden Grow? Wouldn’t You Like To Know?”

what-ever-happened-to-aunt-alice-movie-poster-

Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?

Oh, it’s EXACTLY what you think! I mean, in a world where “Soylent Green” is people, what do YOU think makes her garden grow? Oscar winners Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon team up for a gem of a horror film – check out the trailer:

Ruth Gordon Aunt Alice

As “Aunt Alice”, Ruth Gordon applies for the job of housekeeper in the Arizona home of widow Claire Marrable in order to find out what happened to a missing widowed friend.

What_Ever_Alice-Geraldine Page

As you can see, a very whacked out Geraldine Page plays widow Claire. The crazed Page, left only a stamp album by her husband, takes money from her housekeepers, kills them, and buries the bodies in her garden. A perfect setup for a classic horror film!

whatever happened to aunt alice

Remember that Page later won an Academy Award as Best Actress in 1987…and here she gets the chance to showcase her scenery chewing ability…

Geraldine Page Aunt Alice


Claire Marrable: You are the only mistake I made.
Alice Dimmock: Didn’t you ever think you’d be found out?
Claire Marrable: No and I won’t be.
Alice Dimmock: Giving yourself away like that…
Claire Marrable: To you? You are a dead woman.
Alice Dimmock: Oh no, I’m alive. See, I’m very much alive. And I’m not gonna be your next victim!

Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?

This is a terrific poster as well – memorable imagery for classic horror! And remember, Ruth Gordon ALSO WON AN OSCAR – doing a horror film – for “Rosemary’s Baby” – check out my story on that film here!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/26/rosemarys-baby-jessicas-scared-to-death-great-halloween-horror/

Shelley Winters Bites Down HARD!

Now, time to move on to a classic “scenery chewer!”

Shelley Winters Auntie Roo

“Aunt Roo is a witch!”

She sure is! Shelley Winters stars in this little-seen horror film, and she doesn’t leave a single scene unchewed!

who-slew-auntie-roo-movie-poster-1971-1020232584

Who Slew Auntie Roo?

Shelley Winters is evil Aunt Roo in this take on “Hanzel and Gretel” – note that the poster says “Who Slew Auntie Roo?” but the trailer says “Whoever Slew Auntie Roo”…whoever, whatever, check it out!

whoever-slew-auntie-roo

This is a retelling of the old tale of Hansel and Gretel, but set in England in the 1920s. To the children and staff at the orphanage, Auntie Roo is a kindly American widow who gives them a lavish Christmas party each year in her mansion.

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo

In reality, she is a severely disturbed woman, who keeps the mummified remains of her little daughter in a nursery in the attic. Of course she does! I mean, look at crazy Shelley Winters!

whoever-slew-auntie-roo

To paraphrase The Doors, “The men don’t know but the little boy understands…”

Katy Coombs: You said she was going to eat us.
Christopher: She was, later.

Shelley Winters Auntie Roo

Again, classic poster art sells this as another “crazy old lady” horror film!

Whoever_Slew_Auntie_Roo_Pressbook

Finally, let’s check out a film that offers a chance for Debbie Reynolds to get into the horror game!

“I offered you my blessing. You refused it. Now move along!”

Goody Banner


What’s The Matter With Helen?

whats-the-matter-with-helen-movie-poster-1971-1020231617

Yep, it’s crazy Shelley Winters again, but this time she tangles with “America’s Aging Sweetheart” Debbie Reynolds!

whats-the-matter-with-helen

Set in the 30s, Helen and Adelle are two women whose sons commit a gruesome murder. After their conviction, they move to Hollywood change their names and open a dance school for girls. Adelle is looking for a good life and when one of the parents of her students who is wealthy takes a liking to her she thinks she’s got it made.

What's The Matter With Helen?


Calm Down, Shelley!

Helen is the crazy one, and she thinks that someone who blames them for what their sons did is stalking them. But Debbie Reynolds, as Adelle – thinks it’s all in her mind. Time for some blood to flow!

whats the matter with helen

According to Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters’ psychiatrist advised her not to portray a woman having a nervous breakdown because, at the time, she was having a real-life nervous breakdown. “She’s the kind of actress who becomes the part she’s playing…” said Reynolds, “so all through the film she drove all of us insane!”

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Shelley Winters decided that after they came in from the rain, her Helen character should have a moment when she kissed Debbie Reynolds Adelle character on the lips. This unscripted moment was filmed but removed from the final print of the movie to avoid attaining an R-rating.

what's the matter with helen?

Another classic movie poster – and a fun movie once again starring two of Hollywood’s classic movie stars, in roles you don’t think of them for!

debbie reynolds dead

And thanks to MGM, you can get two of these gems on one double bill DVD!

horror double bill


The Hunger! Sex, Blood, Bowie! New Music + Lusting For Vampires!

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david-bowie-aladdin-sane

Looking for a bloody good time? Then it’s time for some erotic vampires! And since David Bowie has released new music for the first time in a decade, let’s celebrate by looking back at his foray into vampire erotica!

susan sarandon the hunger

It all started for Bowie when Susan Sarandon was thirsty for some action…and since we are on the subject of erotic vampires, I’ve got this for you too…

Lust For A Vampire


Vampires Rule!

From the beginning of film, we have loved to hang out with blood suckers…here are two examples of the genre getting sexy – one a low budget classic, the other a high gloss 80′s tale with big stars and erotic pretensions!

the hunger

“You’ll be back. When the hunger knows no reason! And then you’ll need to feed, and you’ll need me to show you how.”

the hunger


The Hunger

In the 80′s, horror went glossy and pretentious, thanks in great part to “The Hunger”, which attempted to elevate horror into a more artistic realm. What a great tagline: “Nothing Human Loves Forever.”

And what a cast! Check out the trailer:

Director Tony Scott

“The Hunger” was the directorial debut of the late Tony Scott, brother of “Alien” Director Ridley Scott. Tony went on to make such classics as the iconic “Top Gun” and Tarantino’s “True Romance.”

the-hunger_tony_scott_1983

His first film was an arty attempt to take on the horror film…Catherine Deneuve stars as the Egyptian vampire lady Miriam, who subsists on the blood of her lovers.

Deneuve The Hunger

Deneuve in a horror film was unique at the time. In return for her blood lust, the guys or girls don’t age… until Miriam has enough of them…then, things turn quickly.

david-bowie-the-hunger

Unfortunately that’s currently the case with David Bowie, who plays John – after being tossed out, his life expectancy is below 24 hours. Desperately he seeks help from the famous Dr. Sarah Roberts, played by Susan Sarandon.

the hunger

David Bowie is terrific – he hasn’t acted much, but obviously classic movies like “The Man Who Fell To Earth” showed him as a dynamic actor…here he was in the midst of his 80′s run of hits like “Modern Love”, which this film could be:

david bowie

Bowie Acts!

David Bowie said that, in order to make his voice suitably hoarse for when he aged so drastically in the movie, he stood on the George Washington Bridge every night and screamed all the punk rock songs he knew. So how did it affect his voice?

Bowie Sings Again!

new David Bowie music

Well, according to this new music, he sounds great! Bowie is back with new music, beginning with this hypnotic video for “Where Are We Now?” Here it is in case you haven’t seen it…

the hunger

Bowie is a creative visionary, and that video is no exception. Just like that new song, “The Hunger is a moody, erotic thriller that added a much-needed erotic twist to the horror genre – even if it’s got a few pretentious ideas about how to tell a horror story…

deneuve_hunger

the-hunger-1983

It Ain’t Bowie, But It Sure Is Bloody!

Just in case you need some more vintage vampire erotica, I have a good one for you – and no such pretentions here!

Lust For A Vampire


Lust For A Vampire! Ghoulish! Gory! Ghastly!

With a title like this, you don’t need to imagine much!

lust_for_a_vampire

In 1830, forty years to the day since the last manifestation of their dreaded vampirism, the Karnstein heirs use the blood of an innocent to bring forth the evil that is the beautiful Mircalla – or as she was in 1710, Carmilla.

lust-for-a-vampire

lust_for_a_vampire

The nearby Finishing School offers rich pickings not only in in the blood of nubile young ladies but also with the headmaster who is desperate to become Mircalla’s disciple!

Lust For A Vampire

“The Blood Of Nubile Young Ladies!”

And with that, the vampire movie storms right into the more relaxed cinema of the early 70′s…it was an era when erotic undertones were added to every genre to keep audiences engaged…

Lust-for-a-Vampire-Yutte-Stensgard

There were a number of erotic horror films in the early 70′s, a classic time for campy horror and lots of blood and flesh!

lust for a vampire


Grind On, Hammer!

This was a time of grindhouse theaters in the US, that needed films all day and night – this was perfect…lots of blood and nudity to keep the cheap seats filled…

Lust-For-A-Vampire-poster

Check out these two examples of bloody vampire fun!

susan sarandon the hunger


Linda Lovelace, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Reems and The “Deep Throat” Phenomenon!

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lovelace poster

Amanda Seyfried takes on her most challenging role ever! And another of the oririginal “Deep Throat”stars is dead!

Harry Reems

Yes, Harry Reems has died. A sad end to a fascinating story as well. More on that later – first, here is a look at one of the biggest pop culture sensations of all time!

“HOW FAR DOES A GIRL HAVE TO GO TO UNTANGLE HER TINGLE?”

Deep_Throat_poster

The most notorious adult film of all time is now getting a Hollywood bio-pic! Yes, one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars has taken on the life stroy of “Deep Throat” star Linda Lovelace….Amanda Seyfried may be known more for “Mamma Mia!” and “Les Miserables”, but she has bravely taken on a controversial, tragic subject in the new movie soon to be released.

amanda seyfried as linda lovelace

This is a fascinating, tragic story – and her co-star is Peter Sarsgaard, who is also willing to take on the very difficult role of Chuck Traynor, Lovelace’s abusive husband…along with James Franco, who plays Hugh Hefner in the film…

amanda-seyfried-james-franco-lovelace-berlin-premiere-16

This is a story that is so sad on so many levels, yet it is also the story of an amazing time of social upheaval in our country, so let’s take a look!

linda lovelace

Meet Linda Boreman AKA Linda Lovelace!

Here is the wikipedia bio: Linda Susan Boreman (January 10, 1949 – April 22, 2002), better known by her stage name Linda Lovelace, was an American pornographic actress who was famous for her performance in the enormously successful 1972 hardcore porn film “Deep Throat.” She later denounced her pornography career and became a spokeswoman for the anti-pornography movement.

Linda-Lovelace

An Actress At The Forefront Of The Sexual Revolution…

The story of Linda Boreman really begins when she meets Chuck Traynor. These pictures show a happy couple, but much later, other stories surfaced. According to Boreman, Traynor was violent and controlling.

Linda Lovelace Chuck Traynor

Boreman said that Traynor forced her to move to New York, where he became her manager and husband, and got her into the then-underground porn business.

linda lovelace

Allegedly coerced by Traynor, Boreman was soon performing as “Linda Lovelace” in hardcore “loops”, which are short 8mm silent films made for peep shows. At the time, XXX movies were an underground industry, shown in the grimiest movie theaters on 42nd street in New York.

XXX theaters

In 1972, Boreman starred in “Deep Throat”, in which she famously performed the film’s eponymous act. “Linda Lovelace” became a household name, as the film achieved unprecedented popularity among mainstream audiences. In fact, the movie became front page news, and even got a review in The New York Times.

Bring On The Pickets!

Deep Throat Pickets

“Deep Throat” was prosecuted for obscenity all across the country, and picketed by religious groups as well – but the film opened the doors to XXX-movies being screened everywhere…and the sexual revolution was underway…

Deep<br />
Throat” width=”551″ height=”370″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-11742″ /></a></p>
<p>At one point, the movie industry trade bible Variety actually included the box office gross for adult films on their box office chart…and pornography made it into the mainstream…</p>
<p><strong>Deep Throat – The Poster!  </strong></p>
<p>While this is certainly the most notorious adult film of all time, I don’t think the poster gets much attention.  Or respect.  </p>
<p><a href=Deep_Throat_poster

“How far does a girl have to go to untangle her tingle?” Look at the imagery here – a woman raising her arms up in the air – happy and smiling! The poster’s yellow color and happy smile suggested a sunny, fun movie – certainly NOT pornography. This ushered in a new freedom in film – an era when triple X went mainstream and never looked back.

Linda-Lovelace

In 1974, Boreman starred in the R-rated sequel “Deep Throat II”, which a critic writing in Variety described as “the shoddiest of exploitation film traditions, a depressing fast buck attempt to milk a naive public”.

Deep Throat 2

Linda also became a published Author at this time – twice!

linda lovelace

In 1974, she published two “pro-porn” autobiographies, “Inside Linda Lovelace” and “The Intimate Diary of Linda Lovelace.”

Linda Lovelace diary

And Now, Things Turn Grim…

Even with these books out, the real story apparently wasn’t being told…but that was about to change…Linda Boreman changed her tune soon after, and her stories became much more serious and tragic.

Linda Lovelace Chuck Traynor

In her suit to divorce her husband Chuck Traynor, she claimed that he forced her into pornography at gunpoint, and that in Deep Throat itself, bruises from his beatings can be seen on her legs. She made the assertion that her husband “would force her to do these things by pointing an M-16 rifle at her head.”

Linda Lovelace Chuck Traynor

Boreman also claimed in her later autobiography that her marriage had been plagued by violence, rape, forced prostitution, and private pornography.

Linda-Lovelace

Ordeal!

Linda Lovelace Ordeal

Later, Linda Boreman published a book that described her ordeal…and she became an outspoken advocate against pornography.

On April 3, 2002, Boreman was involved in a serious automobile accident, suffering massive trauma and internal injuries. On April 22, 2002, she was taken off life support and died in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 53.

linda lovelace


Amanda Seyfried IS Linda Lovelace!

And now, Amanda Seyfried is taking on the story of Linda Lovelace in this new bio-pic, with a ton of celebrity co-stars…

Look at this cast: Amanda Seyfried, with Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Traynor…the film also stars James Franco, Sharon Stone, Chris Noth and more…and the first reviews out of the Sundance film festival have been strong…

amanda seyfried as linda lovelace

Here’s what one review said: “Amanda Seyfried captures much of the artless appeal of Linda Lovelace in this handsomely mounted biopic of the 70s porn star.”

deep throat biography

The film is scheduled to be released in 2013. Until the film is out, you can see more of this story by checking out the 2005 documentary, “Inside Deep Throat”, which took a look at the “Deep Throat” phenomenon…

inside-deep-throat

A sad, tragic story – the biography of Linda Boreman should make for a fascinating movie…

Harry Reems Has Died!

Lovelace’s co-star in “Deep Throat” – star Harry Reems died as well…he also went through many difficult times as a result of his involvement in the film:

Harry Reems

This is his mugshot from when he was arrested for having been in the film, and his story is also very tragic…here is the story…

http://dailygrindhouse.com/thewire/actor-harry-reems-dies-at-65/

Harry Reems

This from the New York Times Obit: “For the film, which was widely reported to have grossed more than $600 million, Mr. Reems was paid about $250.

However, as he told it, there were other compensations: parties at the Playboy Mansion, hobnobbing with celebrities and fending off (or not) throngs of adoring women.

Then, one day in 1974 Mr. Reems was arrested in New York by federal agents. The next year he and 11 others, many of them organized-crime figures, were tried in federal court in Memphis on charges of conspiracy to transport obscene material across state lines. (“Deep Throat” was widely reported to have been financed by associates of the Colombo crime family.)

Harry Reems RIP

It was during the trial, Mr. Reems said, that he began drinking heavily.

After he and his co-defendants were found guilty in 1976 Mr. Reems became a First Amendment cause célèbre, with a string of Hollywood celebrities speaking out on his behalf.

“Today, Harry Reems; tomorrow, Helen Hayes,” Warren Beatty was reported to have declared.

Represented on appeal by Alan M. Dershowitz, Mr. Reems had his conviction set aside by a federal judge in 1977.”

Here is the entire NY Times obit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/arts/harry-reems-pornographic-film-star-of-deep-throat-dies-at-65.html?_r=0

Again, a tragic end to a social phenomenon, and I look forward to seeing this bio-pic!


Spring Breakers! Pop Culture Phenom! Sexploitation Or A Faster Pussycat!

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Spring-Breakers Selena Gomez Vanessa Hudgens

Spring Breakers!

There has been so much press about the shocking new movie starring former Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens….and you know why? Because it’s shaping up as a pop culture phenomenon!

Spring-Breakers Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens

Nikki Finke Weighs In!

If you know Hollywood, you know the town listens to what Nikki Finke has to say. As the founder of the website “Deadline Hollywood Daily”, Finke’s opinion has weight.

-Spring-Breakers-selena-gomez

So when “Spring Breakers” opened in theaters to a surprisingly good box office, it caught the eye of many industry observers. Clearly, there is something bigger going on here.

Here’s what Nikki Finke said about the box office success of “Spring Breakers”:

“this cheaply made ($2M cost) seamy sexploitation encouraging drinking and drugs and violence…and made sure the celebrity sheet cravenly hyped every angle of the lurid film and its cast”


“Seamy Sexploitation” Indeed!

spring-breakers-Vanessa-Hudgens-Selena-Gomez-Ashley-Benson-Rachel-Korine

I received a note after I posted this telling me that Finke hasn’t seen the film. Don’t know for sure, but it has caught fire on TV – with commentators weighing in on the young stars involved in the film. My point about Finke is that she chose to denigrate the film by calling it “seamy sexploitation” – when in fact that is a film genre that should be celebrated!

-Spring-Breakers-selena-gomez

“Spring Breakers” is directed by Harmony Korine, who exploded onto the movie scene with his screenplay for the provocative film “Kids”, directed by Larry Clark. This was another “wake up” call for parents concerned about the activities of their kids.

1995-kids-poster harmony korine

“Spring Breakers!” A Social Phenomenon!

Korine has directed several cult films before, but none were major hits. Now comes “Spring Breakers” – and it is his film about this wild world of young “spring breakers” that is proving to be a cultural phenomenon –

spring breakers selena gomez and vanessa hudgens

Much is being made of the fact that the film is a look at how “wild” spring break is – something that isn’t news, but the controversy comes mostly from the provocative shots of the young, former Disney Channel stars!

selena-gomez-wild-side

spring-breakers selena gomez bikini

“Spring Breakers” has really touched a nerve, with its portrayal of young girls out of control on spring break. Of course, it’s much more than a comedy or a social satire – it’s also a thriller, especially when Jame Franco enters the picture:

James-Franco-in-Spring-Breakers-2012-Movie-Image

To say more would do the movie a disservice, but it is a cautionary tale, a celebration of youth, and a call to parent everywhere to lock up their daughters!

Movie City News!

David Poland has a great review of the film here, with some interesting context:

http://moviecitynews.com/2013/03/review-spring-breakers/

“Spring Breakers” is sure to polarize people for some time to come! It also brings a long-forgotten movie category back to life in a BIG WAY!

Sexploitation Lives!

I have written about this category of film before…here’s a quick refresher:

sexploitation movies


Sexploitation Rules!

“Spring Breakers” is just the latest example of a movie that celebrate freedom and empowerment among youth…a trend that really broke big in the late 60′s! It was an era when rules were being broken, taboos shattered, and skin was in! Movies like this were everywhere!

Caged-Heat-1974-movie-cover

Here is the Wikipedia definition of Sexploitation:

“a class of independently produced, low-budget feature films generally associated with the 1960 and serving largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity.”

smell_of_honey_swallow_of_brine_poster_01

These films shared a common theme – either the “good girl” got mixed up in the harsh world of inner city life – and paid the price, or the young woman became empowered, free – sexually and otherwise, and celebrated that freedom…

supervixens

Sexploitation films were the movies that led the charge in challenging the puritanical rules set by the movie code. These films pushed the envelope, and ultimately opened the floodgates to an era when anything and everything was put on film.

sinner

Sexy Spring Breakers

HERE’S What Sexploitation Really Is!

If you want to see where “Spring Breakers” came from, look no further than this masterpiece from Sexploitation Director Russ Meyers, who created one of the most iconic sexploitation films EVER – and also the screen’s first sexually empowered woman!

tura saldana

Remember, when you look at the images from “Spring Breakers”, you see young women ready to unleash their inner “tiger”!

Spring-Breakers-Movie-Review

Now, check out these ladies from “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” This is a movie that celebrates wild women who are independent, stronger than any man, and ready to kick some ass!

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill!

faster pussycat! kill! kill!

This was a movie that introduced the classic sexploitation promise: action, women and sex sex sex! The plot line was simple: Three strippers seeking thrills encounter a young couple in the desert. After dispatching the boyfriend, they take the girl hostage and begin scheming on a crippled old man living with his two sons in the desert, reputedly hiding a tidy sum of cash.

Sounds Like The “Spring Breakers” Prequel To Me!

faster-pussycat-kill-kill-movie-poster1

fast-pussycat-kill-kill


MEET TURA SATANA!

It wasn’t just the title that was iconic – Meyer also introduced the world to one of the coolest, most iconic sexploitation stars of all time – wilder than any man!

tura-santana-faster-pussycat-kill-kill-movie-still


“Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
introduced the world to Tura Satana, who become one of the biggest cult stars ever.

Faster_Pussycat Tura Saldana

Satana’s most noted screen role was in “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” as Varla –a very aggressive and sexual female character – and a role in which she did all of her own stunts and fight scenes.

Renowned film critic Richard Corliss called her performance “…the most honest, maybe the one honest portrayal in the Meyer canon and certainly the scariest.”

And look at this image: so timelessly COOL…

tura saldana

The Story Behind The Film’s Title!

You can actually buy “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! T-shirts – even lunch boxes! Russ Meyer named the movie like this because he claims that a movie has everything when it contains speed (faster), sex (pussycat) and violence (kill,kill). Who can argue with THAT?

fast-pussycat-kill-kill

To read more about Russ Meyer and his empowered women, go here!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

beyond-the-valley-of-the-dolls

“Spring Breakers” Meet “Mantis In Lace!”

Here is another film that evokes the energy, freedom and female empowerment of “Spring Breakers”…more classic sexploitation!

Mantis In Lace

By the early 70′s the sexual revolution was well underway – it was a time of “free love” and “Dropping ACID – a psychodelic world of sex and sin – and of course, mayhem!

Mantis In Lace

She loved them…and loved them…and loved them…TO DEATH!

Look at this! President Obama and VP Biden stop by a sandwich shop that happens to be celebrating this film!!!!

Lila (played by Susan Stewart) is a good-natured go-go dancer who strips at a seedy topless bar on the Sunset Strip. After ingesting LSD, Lila becomes a psychopathic serial killer.

She continues to pick up men at the bar where she is employed, but after her sanity is lost she routinely is interrupted mid-coitus by psychedelic bad trips in which she visualizes a balding, half-naked old man clutching wads of cash in one hand and a bunch of bananas in the other.

Yes, you read that right!

These psychotic episodes cause her to murder her partners by stabbing them with a screwdriver and dismembering them with a rusty meat cleaver (or in one case, a garden hoe) while imagining that she is cutting up cantaloupes and watermelons.

mantis-in-lace

This is a great look at the evils of “free” women…and a classic slice of early sexploitation!

Oh, and so is stuff like THIS!

forbiddenflesh

Forbidden Flesh!

If you want to see where sexploitation all began, check out this post, which looks at the earliest days of sexploitation excess!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/29/forbidden-flesh-child-brides-see-how-they-love-in-flaming-hillbilly-color-early-sexploitation-madness/

Sexy Spring Breakers


Westworld – Meet Zardoz! Crucify The Omega Man! Hollywood’s 70′s Sci-Fi Head Trips!

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Yul Brynner Is Steamed!

Yul Brynner Westworld

Thanks to blu-ray, you can now catch up on films that have been out of the mainstream for decades! For example, a classic Yul Brynner film! Or, you can see James Bond 007 looking like THIS!

zardoz

Shake it off, I know it’s disturbing!

Maybe you want to see Charlton Heston when he had a Jesus complex!

Charlton Heston The Omega Man


The 70′s Are Back With A Sci-Fi Vengeance!

In the 70′s, there were a string of sci-fi movies that twisted your mind and blew your face off, and now you can discover them all again!

westworld


Make Your Own Sci-Fi Double Bill!

In the 70′s, theaters showed double and triple bills – a great chance to see a lot of great stuff cheap!

grindhouse theaters

Check out these pics of 42nd Street in Times Square – in the 70′s, there were side-by-side grindhouse theaters playing everything from mainstream Hollywood hits to low-rent exploitation movies…all day and night…”grinding them out”…

Times Square  42nd street Marquee

It was a great way to see a lot of different movies…and a number of different genres…and there was a period when sci-fi really started getting “trippy”, perhaps a way to take “2001″ to a whole new level…

42nd Street

For sci-fi films in the early 70′s, there was a mix of action and esoteric – and a slew of crazy, 70′s sci-fi movies with some big name Actors!

omega man charlton heston

Charlton Heston kicked some ass, and Yul Brynner took his face off!

westworld

And you will NEVER see a movie “trippier” than the one starring James Bond 007 – Sean Connery – as a warrior of the future – wearing THIS!

zardoz sean-connery

I just can’t get over this…the 70′s were all about some crazy head trips, and I’ve got three to share with you….so sit back and enjoy, because – to use a phrase from Westworld:

Have We Got A Vacation For You!

westworld


Westworld. Where nothing can possibly go worng…

This 70′s classic has a simple premise. As the opening voiceover proclaims: “Delos is the vacation of the future, today. At Delos, you get your choice of the vacation you want. There’s Medieval World, Roman World and, of course, Westworld.”

Here is the movie’s trailer:

westworld

Richard Benjamin and James Brolin star as two friends out for a fun weekend – a weekend where they can dress up and play cowboy….

westworld  brolin and benjamin

Yul Brynner is the Robot designed and operated by the resort – challenging them to gun battles – which of course, the guys always win…

yul brynner westworld

It’s all male fantasty – taking part in shootouts and killing bad guys, but things go very, very wrong…as the movie’s movie poster brilliantly said:

Where Nothing Can Possibly Go W-O-R-N-G…

westworld


John Blane: [after Being Bitten By A Robotic Snake] “The hell, god dammit, that’s not supposed to happen!”

And with that, the two friends find themselves being hunted down by the robot – let the games begin!

yu lBrynner Westworld
Best-selling Author Michael Crichton became inspired to write this film after a trip to Disneyland, where he saw the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and was impressed by the animatronic characters.

westworld

Crichton also directed the film, which was a huge box office success, and spawned a sequel called “Futureworld.”

yul brynner

And how about this trivia, courtesy of IMDB: “Westworld” used the first computer digitized images as part of a feature film!

Time now to turn to a more “allegorical” sci-fi film: Charlton Heston as Jesus!

omega man charlton heston

[talking to his own image on a TV screen]
Robert Neville: Hi, Big Brother, how’s your ass?

The Omega Man!

Remember the tagline: “The last man on earth is not alone!”

The_Omega_Man

Forget the Will Smith remake “I Am Legend”, this is the original version, with Charlton Heston as the last man on earth – it’s based on the classic sci-fi novel by Richard Matheson:

The Omega Man

Here’s the trailer for the classic movie version – take a look:

omega man 1971

Charlton Heston is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The plague caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves “The Family”.

the omega man

The plague has caused them to become sensitive to light, as well as homicidally psychotic. They believe science and technology to be the cause of the war and their punishment, and of course, they want to kill Chuck. But he won’t go easily…

the omega man

The film turns Heston into a Messiah, and they give him a love story with a young black woman, also very edgy for the early 70′s…

The-Omega-Man

A great film for sci-fi fans…and now, time once again for the wackiest sci-fi film of all time! First, check out 007!

zardoz sean-connery

The Gun is good! The Penis is evil!

Um, WHAT?!?!?!?!

I mean – LOOK AT SEAN CONNERY HERE! How can you NOT want to know what in the world is going on here? Well, wonder no more! Here are three examples of mind-blowing cinema…


Zardoz.
1974. Directed by John Boorman.

Ready to have your mind blown? I mean, BLOWN BLOWN BLOWN?

Check out this trailer, and be ready for madness to descend…

This film was directed by John Boorman, who had made the brilliant “Deliverance”…As you can see from the trailer, is is one CRAZY FILM – starring James Bond!

In the distant future Earth is divided into two camps, the barely civilized group and the overly civilized one with mental powers. A plague is attacking the second group, after which its members cease to have any interest in life and become nearly catatonic. When Zed, one of the barbarians, crosses over, the tenuous balance in their world is threatened.

And here are the opening lines of the movie….a a huge huge huge stone head floats over the English countryside…

zardoz-1973

“I am Arthur Frayn, and I am Zardoz. I have lived three hundred years, and I long to die. But death is no longer possible. I am immortal. I present now my story, full of mystery and intrigue – rich in irony, and most satirical. It is set deep in a possible future, so none of these events have yet occurred, but they *may.* Be warned, lest you end as I. In this tale, I am a fake god by occupation – and a magician, by inclination. Merlin is *my* hero! I am the puppet master. I manipulate many of the characters and events you will see. But *I* am invented, too, for your entertainment – and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured *you* out of the clay? Is God in show business too?”

zardoz


AND THEN IT GETS EVEN WEIRDER!!!!!

If you think that opening monologue was crazy, there’s more! Soon after, the Stone Head delivers these gems:


[the gigantic Stone Head hovers before the worshipful horde of Exterminators]
Zardoz: Zardoz speaks to you, His chosen ones.
Exterminators: We are the chosen ones!
Zardoz: You have been raised up from Brutality, to kill the Brutals who multiply, and are legion. To this end, Zardoz your God gave you the gift of the Gun. The Gun is good!

The Gun Is Good! And 007 Dons THIS!

zardoz sean-connery

Exterminators: The Gun is good!
Zardoz: The Penis is evil! The Penis shoots Seeds, and makes new Life to poison the Earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the Gun shoots Death and purifies the Earth of the filth of Brutals. Go forth, and kill! Zardoz has spoken.

And look at this! Yes, Sean Connery fights back against the “evil penis!”

To completely understand how warped this movie is, stop for a moment: take a deep breath, then get your head around this fact:

zardoz-1973

“Zardoz” is a film that has a giant rock head flying over the countryside saying “the penis is evil!”

Look, this is one warped classic, wildly and weirdly entertaining – if Sean Connery as James Bond 007 wasn’t enough for you, then you have to check out some of his wilder movie efforts like this one – so check it out!

zardoz


“Django” PLEASE!! Mandingo! Klansmen! OJ’s Movie Debut! Most Offensive 70′s Movies EVER?

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Django_Unchained

“Django” PLEASE!

Time to celebrate the home video release of my favorite film of 2012 – “Django Unchained”! I have been a huge fan of Tarantino from the day I interviewed him at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992, when he was a first-time Director promoting “Reservoir Dogs!”

Django Unchained Paris Theater

Twenty years later, he releases what just might be his best movie ever!


Paris Goes “Django!”

“Django Unchained” was Quentin’s biggest hit, and nominated for a host of awards, including Best Picture of 2012. Months after its release, “Django Unchained” is STILL playing in Paris..I came across the theater on the Champs Elysee…the French LOVE Quentin!

Django Unchained Paris

“Django, Mike and Killer Joe!”

There were many brilliant films in 2012 – but in the end, “Django Unchained” overtook “Killer Joe” and “Magic Mike” as the best film of the year – but what a great year for movies!

If you haven’t seen it, here is my write up of runner up best pic “Killer Joe”:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/10/the-brilliant-killer-joe-mcconaugheys-hat-trick-plus-friedkins-wang-chung/

And you can check out the third film on my list, “Magic Mike” here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/06/25/magic-mike-reviews-are-in-soderbergh-scores-again/


Back To “Django!”

“Django Unchained” is a brilliant take on spaghetti westerns, and Tarantino has never been better! Everything in the movie – from the acting, directing and music to the inventive use of the camera – screams spaghetti western – I mean, look at this classic “spaghetti western” version of the poster!

django unchained


Bring “Django” Home!

While there hasn’t been a “special edition” or “Director’s Cut” announced yet, “Django Unchained” is out on blu-ray and DVD April 16.

Now that it’s out on home video, you can marvel at the brilliant film making, acting and dialogue – and be surprised by the intensity of the film’s approach to racism and slavery. The entire cast really stepped up to deliver a profane, funny, bloody – and important – look at the horror of slavery in our country…

Two Djangos Jamie Fox and Franco Nero

And yes, on the picture above to the right is the “original” “Django”, Italian Actor Franco Nero, who played “Django” – albeit a much different character – in a series of spaghetti westerns in the 60′s! At this point in the movie, Jamie Foxx spells his name and says:

“The ‘D’ is silent”. To which Nero says softly, “I know.” What a great homage to this iconic Actor!

django_unchained_dicaprio_foxx

Of course, Hollywood has dealt with the issue of slavery before….but they were NOT contender’s for the best films of the year….no, they were of a different quality indeed:

The Worst, Most Vile Slavery Films Of The 70′s!

We’ll stick to my favorite decade for film – the 70′s, and start with this question: what’s the most offensive movie about race relations look like? Here’s a clue:

mandingo

There is NO WAY to explain the offensive nature of this picture. Still, imagine all of that scene’s offensiveness now put onto a movie poster – with some added burning crosses – you know, to help sell it as ENTERTAINMENT!

the klansman

What an offensive poster! And back to the previous picture, which shows a plantation owner using a slave as a foot rest – it just HAS to be a film that is racist, demeaning, offensive and just WRONG in every way! Welcome to the 70′s!

mandingo_black_exploitation_film_1975


What in the DJANGO is going on here!?!?!?!

“Django Unchained” helped remind people about the real horror of slavery and racism – but in the 1970′s there were two movies that did the same thing – in the most offensive way possible!

the-klansman-movie-poster

The Klansman!

Let’s start with this doozy! Here is the movie’s tagline:

“Welcome to scenic Atoka County. Pop 10,000. Cross burnings. Rape. Murder. Arson. Its a great place to live…… if THEY let you.”

Well, with that upbeat beginning, check out this provocative movie trailer!

The Klansman

Listen to this plot- just the description is sordid and offensive! A small southern town has just been rocked by a tragedy: a young woman has been violently raped.

the klansman

The white town fathers immediately declare that the attacker had to be black, and place the blame on Garth, a young black man. Assuming that the men in white sheets aren’t intent on holding a fair and impartial trial, Garth takes to the woods as the Klansmen lynching party hunts him down.

klansman OJ Simpson

Talk about an offensive movie, and a waste of great talent – this film was directed by Terence Young, who helmed the first three CLASSIC James Bond films: “Dr. NO”, “From Russia With Love” and “Goldfinger”!

goldfinger

“The Klansman” wasn’t a low budget exploitation film – no, this was a major Hollywood studio release, starring two big name Actors – Oscar winner Lee Marvin and Richard Burton!

the klansman


Talk About Your Oscar Curse!

This film was just a few years after Lee Marvin won the Best Actor Oscar for “Cat Ballou”, and Burton had wowed critics for his powerful performance in “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolff?” They were popular stars who made the decision to take roles in THIS! Burton would NEVER get an Oscar – at one point holding the record for most times nominated without winning!

lee marvin the klansman

Introducing OJ!

Now I know what you are thinking: a movie about the KKK, with big name stars, and gratuitous sex and violence – it just can’t get any worse, can it? Well, it can: “The Klansman” was the movie debut of OJ Simpson!

OJ Simpson klansman

Needless to say, this film marked career lows for all involved! I wonder what the mood on the set was, considering that both Burton and Marvin were notorious drinkers!

Richard Burton the-klansman

Well, according to IMDB: Shortly after filming had ended, Richard Burton was hospitalized at an American clinic to be treated for his alcoholism. He later claimed doctors told him he would have died within a matter of weeks if he had continued drinking so heavily.

Lee Marvin klansman

Well, it looks like Lee had the same idea! Drink up, boys! Still, “The Klansman” might not even be the most offensive film ever made – in fact, another film from the same time gave it a run for its money!


“Expect The Savage!”

mandingo

Yes, there WAS a film called “Mandingo!” And it was released by a major studio – this movie has a title just as offensive as the plot!

mandingo


James Mason’s Career Low!

Classy British Actor James Mason stars as slave owner Warren Maxwell – who insists that his son, Hammond, who is busy bedding the slaves he buys, marry a white woman and father him a son.

Mandingo

While in New Orleans, he picks up a wife, Blanche, a “bed wench,” Ellen, and a Mandingo slave, Mede, whom he trains to be a bare-knuckle fighting champion. Angered that Hammond is spending too much time with his slaves, Blanche beds down Mede. Well, how many taboos can you break in a single film?!?!?!

mandingo cast susan george ken norton

No, Champ, No!

That’s right, World Boxing Champ Ken Norton made his movie debut in “Mandingo!” – as a slave who was “well-regarded” by the whites…

mandingo_black_exploitation_film

Susan George, who had just starred in Sam Peckinpah’s provocative “Straw Dogs”, starred as the promiscuous young wife – who broke every taboo with her love of a hot young slave…

mandingo inter-racial love scene

Folks, this was inflammatory stuff for the 70′s! So while “Django Unchained” showcased the horrors of slavery – this film used it as a cheap way to exploit everyone involved!

mandingo cast susan george ken norton

Can It Get Worse!

Well, look at some of this dialogue and decide for yourself!!

Hammond Maxwell: Cousin Charles, What the hell you doing, kissin on the mouth?
[Charles throws Katie to bed, removes his belt, and whips her with it]
Hammond Maxwell: What you doin that fer?
Charles: Makes a man feel good. She likes it too. Don’t you pretty wench?
Katie: [Crying] Yes, master.

mandingo

Edwin W. Edwards (Governor of Louisiana at the time) was cast as a gambler and several scenes were filmed but excised before release. Upon the advice of public relations staff, Edwards decided the potential damage to his public image when the salacious content of the film was revealed would be too great. Um, DUH!!!!

mandingo_black_exploitation_film_1975_19

What Did They Put In Hollywood’s Coffee In The 70′s???

In my opinion, these are two of the worst film ever made – crass, cheap attempts to capitalize on provocative topics. But you know, there was a lot of craziness in the films of the 70′s – and now there is a book that celebrates that wacky cinematic decade!

The Stewardess Is Flying The Plane!: American Films of the 1970s – published in 2005
Ron Hogan (Author), Peter Bogdanovich (Contributor)

Let’s get started with these words from actress Karen Black, courtesy of the classic film “Airport ’75!


“It’s Nancy Pryor… stewardess. Something hit us! All the flight crew is dead or badly injured! There’s no one left to fly the plane! Help us! Oh my God, help us!”

This book is a fantastic love letter to the movies of the 70′s…ALL OF THEM – yes, “Mandingo” is in here right alongside “The Godfather”. It was, as you know, the decade for classic movies such as “Star Wars”…

And it was ALSO the decade for classics such as “Caged Heat!”

Caged-Heat-1974-movie-cover


Read All About It!

Here is what Publishers Weekly had to say about this great book: With films such as “The Godfather”, “Star Wars”, “The Sting”, “Rocky”, “Apocalypse Now”, “Jaws” and “M*A*S*H”, the 1970s is now considered the second Golden Age of Hollywood. There is renewed interest in some of the decade’s most durable genres, including disaster films and blaxsploitation flicks, allowing viewers to rediscover early performances from major stars such as Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.

“The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!” is a lavishly illustrated, fun and informative look at more than 400 films of the decade – not just classics like The Godfather or Taxi Driver, but cult favorites like “Kansas City Bomber” and even spectacular flops like “Lost Horizon”.

Kansas City Bomber Raquel Welch

With an introduction by Peter Bogdanovich, hundreds of never- before-published photographs and new interviews with key participants in the ’70s film industry, “The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!” is the most comprehensive overview of this fascinating era of American film.

It was a decade of films as varied as “A Clockwork Orange” above to “Cleopatra Jones” below:

cleopatra-jones

This book puts the decade into perspective with categories like “Thrillers”, “Hard Crime” and “Horror”…and includes stories about some of the biggest debacles of the 70′s like this disaster starring Raquel Welch!

myra-breckinridge

Yes, it was a decade of Raquel Welch in “Myra Breckinridge” – you know, where she wanted to get a sex change because she was only, after all, RAQUEL WELCH!

Raquel Welch

Look Out!

It was also the decade that had Diane Keaton “Looking For Mr. Goodbar” – with Richard Gere’s help…

Looking For Mr. Goodbar

It was a decade of some of the best – and worst – movies of all time – a decade of social upheaval, women’s liberation, blaxploitation and so much more – and yes, “Mandingo!”

mandingo


Talking Dogs! Don Johnson! “A Boy And His Dog”! Classic Sci-Fi!

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As new sci-fi films pour out of Hollywood, time to check out a cult classic!

a boy and his dog

Blood: You know, Albert, sometimes you can be such a putz…

Vic: A putz? What’s a putz? It’s somethin’ bad, isn’t it? You better take that back or I’m gonna kick your fuzzy butt!

Blood: [sighs] Yep, definitely a putz.

Great dialogue made better by the fact that Blood is a talking dog!

a-boy-and-his-dog

Lucky for Blood, his partner in crime is a very young Don Johnson!

Don Johnson A Boy And His Dog

They wander a post apocalyptic earth until some VERY strange things happen – this is one crazy, offbeat and twisted mind meld of a movie!

A Boy_and_His_Dog


“An ‘R’ Rated, Rather Kinky Tale Of Survival!”

That’s the tag line for “A Boy And His Dog”. If you haven’t heard of this mind-bending sci-fi cult classic, now is the time!

a boy and his dog


A Boy And His Dog

This obscure cult classic is now available on DVD, so check out the trailer!

a boy and his dog

This is a great great sci-fi movie, written by one of science fiction’s greatest writers -
“A Boy And His Dog” was based on a novella by famed sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison.

A Boy And His Dog cult movie

A boy communicates telepathically with his dog as they scavenge for food and sex, and they stumble into an underground society where the old society is preserved. The daughter of one of the leaders of the community seduces and lures him below, where the citizens have become unable to reproduce because of being underground so long.

don johnson a boy and his dog

The screenplay was started by Harlan Ellison, who wrote the novella on which it is based. Ellison encountered writer’s block, and so producer Alvy Moore and L.Q. Jones took over and wrote the script. Ellison praised the film after its premiere, to the relief of Moore.

Jason Robards A Boy And His Dog

Legendary character Actor Jason Robards plays the deranged leader of the underground cult…to say more would give away the many’s strange pleasures of this cult sci-fi movie!

A Boy And His Dog Don Johnson

Tim McIntire, who performed the voice of “Blood”, sang the main title song, “A Boy and His Dog.” Check out “Blood” and a very young Don Johnson – in this “kinky tale of survival!”

A Boy And His Dog

And of course, congrats to Don Johnson for his role in “Django Unchained”…to see more about this film, and the worst race movies of the 70′s, check this out!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/14/django-please-mandingo-klansmen-ojs-movie-debut-most-offensive-70s-movies-ever/



Classic “Artsploitation”! The Films Of Jean Rollin! Cerebral French Horror!

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fascination

Feel like a bit of “ARTSPLOITATION”?

the living-dead-girl

If you’ve never heard of French Director Jean Rollin, you have missed out on some very atmospheric, haunting, nudity and blood-filled – yet somewhat slow-moving – European art-film horror!

Fascination

Meet Jean Rollin!

Jean Rollin was a French film director, actor, and novelist – best known for his films in the “fantastique” genre, as they say in France. He specialized in atmospheric horror of the 70′s – when relaxed censorship rules in cinema allowed Directors to push the envelope!

Jean Rollin Director

In 1968, Jean directed his first feature, his black-n-white film “The Rape of the Vampire”. It’s very European in nature – slow, atmospheric, moody – with limited locations, sets and very long takes.

French Director Jean Rollin

“Rape Of The Vampire” was the first of a string of moody horror films that should fall under the label of “Artsploitation”, as they mixed lots of blood, sex, nudity and horror with an Independent, European Arthouse sensibility.

Jean-Rollin

Oh, and did I mention that his films were filled with BLOOD!

The Living Dead Girl

Time To Discover Some Classic “Artsploitation”!

Thanks to the terrific “Redemption” series of releases – from the “Redemption Films” group – these movies are now available again – and gives each film a newly remastered look, plus tons of extras like documentaries, audio commentaries and trailers – a terrific job. Here are three of Jean Rollin’s most famous efforts!

Requiem For A Vampire

Requiem For A Vampire

On the run from a reform school, two young women commit crimes dressed as clowns.

Requiem+for+a+Vampire+(1971)

Yes, they commit crimes dressed as clowns. How can you argue with that? Here is the clown-filled trailer:

Requiem For A Vampire clowns

Of course, the two “fleeing female clowns” seek refuge in a haunted castle, and end up trapped with no escape!

requiem for a vampire

Because, as happens too often, this haunted castle is ruled by a hoard of sexy, blood-crazed vampires and their leader, an evil immortal creature who is the last of his kind.

requiem for a vampire

Seeking to reproduce his race, he preys on his innocent victims, however in order to achieve his goal of immortality, the women must remain virgins.

REQUIEM-FOR-A-VAMPIRE

There was no dialogue in the first forty minutes of the films, to simplify the story, direction and cinematography. The mood is atmospheric, and the pacing, as in all Jean Rollin movies an acquired taste, but it is full of unique and at times haunting imagery.

Requiem For A Vampire + Fascination

But, for haunting imagery, perhaps nothing can top this:

Fascination

Jean Rollin Fascination

Considered by many to be the masterpiece of renowned French filmmaker Jean Rollin, “FASCINATION” follows a swaggering thief who hides out in a lavish chateau, holding the female occupants at gunpoint.

Jean Rollin Fascination

You can sense a trend here: Rollin’s films usually involve women who are kidnapped or held against their will – and who wreck revenge against their abductors – usually men. And they always end up in a deserted castle.

fascination

Women With A Thirst For Blood!

When night falls, the “Fascination” captor realizes that these two maids are not only deadlier than he imagined, but are gatekeepers to a ring of women with a thirst for blood.

fascination jean rollin

Once again, the film is filled with hynotic imagery like this:

Fascination

And what I think is his most dynamic image ever captured in one of his films – the blonde on the bridge with the sickle…

fascination

This action sequence, while fairly slow moving – it is, as you know, Jean Rollin – this sequence is beautifully done and hypnotic…

jean-rollin-fascination-1979

Here is part of the sequence:

fascination

You must go out and buy this blu-ray to see the entire sequence, the movie as a whole, and all of the terrific extras! Then, you have to see THIS:

the living dead girl

The Living Dead Girl

Here is the simple plot: A toxic spill revives a beautiful, dead heiress who, with the help of her childhood friend, must quench her insatiable thirst for blood. Check out the trailer:

Living_Dead_Girl-neck

“The Living Dead Girl” is a melancholy, moody bloodfest – it is certainly Rollin’s bloodiest film…

Living Dead Girl

But “The Living Dead Girl” is also a love story – the story of two close friends, and how one of them just can’t let the other go – NO MATTER WHAT:

living_dead_girl

This film is very interesting: it is moody, a bit slow, and very atmospheric – and there is a lot of blood!

the living dead girl

And, like all of Jean Rollin’s film, it has lots of nudity as well, but most of it is of a non-sexual nature.

Here is our living dead girl, playing the song that reminds her of her best friend:

the living dead girl nudity

Of course, she played it nude. Their friendship in the film is very touching, adding a real sense of melancholy to the film – in and around all of the blood!

Living_Dead_Girl-neck

Director Jean Rollin died in 2010, but all of these releases have extensive material with him, as he actively participated in these great remasters. He introduces some of the films, takes part in commentaries, and discusses his work with passion and pride.

the living-dead-girl

You can find a great printed interview with the legendary Director here:

http://www.shockingimages.com/rollin/interview.htm

Check out his work and let me know what you think!

French Director Jean Rollin


Valdez Is Coming! Lawman! Gun-Blazing Burt Lancaster Western Revenge Double Bill!

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Lawman Burt Lancaster

I’ll tell you, Lucas, if I had somewhere to run, I’d run. But I don’t, so I’ll stand.

In the mood for some classic western revenge? With a big Hollywood star?

Burt Lancaster Valdez Is Coming

“Tell him: Valdez is coming.”

When Burt Lancaster tells you something, HE MEANS IT. Lancaster was one of Hollywood’s great leading men – noted for his athletic physique, blue eyes and distinctive smile (which he called “The Grin”).

Burt Lancaster grin

Lancaster was nominated four times for Academy Awards and won once — for “Elmer Gantry” in 1960. He also won a Golden Globe for that performance and BAFTA Awards for The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Atlantic City (1980).

In the early 70′s, Lancaster jumped on a horse and starred in two great westerns..the first based on a classic Elmore Leonard book!

Elmore Leonard novel Valdez Is Coming

Elmore has written dozens of great novels, including his Hollywood spoof “Get Shorty!” But in this case, Leonard wrote a book filled with cowboys, indians, and a pissed off “Valdez!”

Valdez Is Coming!

Check out this classic newspaper ad:

Valdez Is Coming Ad

And check out the trailer:

valdez-is-coming movie

Here’s the plot: Burt Lancaster plays a Mexican-American sheriff – who must resort to violence against a powerful rancher in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man.

valdez-is-coming

The town sheriff, Bob Valdez, is forced to kill someone accused by Frank Tanner of being a murderer. Valdez asks Tanner for monetary help for the man’s wife, but he is ridiculed and almost killed by Tanner’s henchmen. Veteran character Actress Susan Clark co-stars with Lancaster.

Valdez Is Coming Susan Clark

Susan Clark was a popular actress at the time, starring in a number of films like “Coogan’s Bluff” with Clint Eastwood and “Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here” with Robert Redford.

Susan Clark Valdez Is Coming

Of course, you don’t try to kill Burt Lancaster and get away with it. Valdez recovers and the revenge begins. Valdez wounds one of the henchmen and sends him back to Tanner with the message, “Valdez Is Coming!”

valdez is coming elmore leonard novel

When MGM producer Ira Steiner took Elmore Leonard’s novel to Lancaster, the actor agreed to co-produce and co-star as Tanner with Marlon Brando starring as as Valdez!

Valdez Is Coming Burt Lancaster

After the picture was postponed to allow Lancaster to do “Airport,” the actor decided he wanted to play the title role – so check out this terrific revenge western!

valdez-is-coming

And if one pissed off lawman isn’t enough for you, well I’ve got you covered with more Burt Lancaster!

Lawman!

Lawman

A lawman from Bannock arrives in Sabbath to arrest all the cattlemen whose wild celebration the year before resulted in the accidental death of an old man.

Check out this classic movie trailer:

Burt Lancaster Lawman

What a cast! Veteran character actors Robert Ryan and Lee J. Cobb, plus Robert Duvall in a role a year before “The Godfather.”

Bannock Marshal Jared Maddox: I’m a lawman. Do you know what a lawman is, Crowe? He’s a killer of men. That’s what the job calls for. There are new ways to put it, but it reads the same. That’s the difference between us, and it’s all the difference I need.

Burt Lancaster Lawman

sheree-north-in-lawman

Sheree North co-starred with Lancaster in this one…including a number of love scenes that were more adult than westerns normally showed…

Burt Lancaster Sheree North Lawman

North was in a number of big movies at the time, including “The Shootist”, which was John Wayne’s final film!

John Wayne The Shootist

In 1971, United Artists distributed this film on a double bill with “The Organization” starring Sidney Poitier – which Sheree North was also in!

Sheree North Lawman

A Cold Hole In The Ground!

Harvey Stenbaugh: Marc was a good man with a gun.

Sabbath Marshal Cotton Ryan: He was a big mouth who thought he was a good man with a gun. There’s a cold hole in the ground between the two.

Lawman Burt Lancaster

Needless to say, Burt Lancaster’s “Lawman” is a cold-blooded killer – just as focused and determined for revenge as Valdez was…

Burt Lancaster Lawman

But when he wasn’t tracking down guys and killing them, he was sleeping with his co-stars…no wonder Lancaster had such a sly grin!

Lawman Burt Lancaster Sheree North


Richard Pryor! Brilliantly Funny! Violently Dramatic! His Most Incendiary Work!

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Richard Pryor bio


Time To Remember The Funniest Man Of All Time!

Richard Pryor was a brilliant standup comic, actor and personality. He was also volatile – biographies of Pryor tell many of these stories – and he had a tragic personal life as well…but I want to focus on his amazing talent.

Richard Pryor.jpg

Pryor was as controversial and taboo-breaking as fellow comic George Carlin in the early 70′s – he spoke to a white audience about the black experience of the time. His body of work includes concert movies and albums like “Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin’” (1971), and “…Is It Something I Said?” (1975) – his comedy albums and standup concert movies are groundbreaking and hilarious – Pryor won an Emmy Award in 1973, and he also won five Grammy Awards (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, and 1982).

Richard-Pryor


More Pryor Accolades!

In 1974, he also won two American Academy of Humor awards and the Writers Guild of America Award. The first ever Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was presented to him in 1998. Pryor is listed at Number 1 on Comedy Central’s list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians.

richard pryor standup comedy

There are many different aspects to his career: I want to focus on a couple of specific moments: Pryor breaking into film via the blaxploitation classic “The Mack”; his dramatic work in the cult movie “Blue Collar”; and a short snippet of his classic standup work – plus his most notorious SNL moment.

Richard+Pryor

Let’s begin with his breakout role in what is considered one of the 70′s greatest “blaxploitation” films…

The Mack

Here is the trailer:

max-julien-richard-pryor

“Blaxploitation” is a somewhat overlooked style of film making from the early 70′s – an ethnic sub-culture of exploitation film, focused on the black community. Among the many examples are the classic films “Shaft”, “Cleopatra Jones” and “Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song”.


Meet Blaxploitation Legend Max Julien.

Max Julien was a working Actor who wrote one of blaxploitation’s great female characters, “Cleopatra Jones” – a classic bit of genre movie making from 1973.

Cleopatra Jones

Julien also came up with “The Mack”, an iconic character – also from 1973 – that introduced Richard Pryor to movies…

The MACK! – 1973.

Julien plays Goldie, who returns from five years at the state pen and winds up king of the pimping game. Trouble comes in the form of two corrupt white cops and a crime lord who wants him to return to the small time. Pryor stole the film with his performance as a street-wise hustler with a sharp tongue.

According to Max Julien on the DVD commentary, Richard Pryor and producer Harvey Bernhard had a heated argument during filming. Later that night, Pryor was going to Bernhard’s hotel room to attack him with a sock filled with ball bearings until Julien calmed Pryor down.

The stories of Pryor’s violent behavior would only become more common in the future, as you will see…

After breaking out big via his acting on TV and film, his Saturday Night Live appearances, record releases and standup comedy, Pryor became one of the most popular performers of the 70′s…

Richard Pryor was in 3 different films on 1978: he starred in “The Wiz”, alongside Michael Jackson and Diana Ross…

richard pryor the wiz

He also starred in Neil Simon’s ensemble comedy “California Suite” – and he flexed his acting muscles in a gritty drama that showcased his dramatic ability…

Zeke Brown: Reasonable, Man, flick my Bic!

Blue Collar movie poster Richard Pryor


Blue Collar

Richard Pryor burns through the screen in this dramatic film directed by “Taxi Driver” Writer Paul Schrader. Pryor’s career was so hot at this time that he was the ONLY Actor on the poster, even though “Blue Collar” also starred Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto…here is the trailer…

Richard Pryor Blue Collar

Pryor stars as Zeke Brown, a factory worker with an attitude, as you can tell by this dialogue. The movie was written and directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote the screenplay for “Taxi Driver”:

Richard Pryor Blue Collar


Clarence Hill, Union Steward: Y’know I can’t go to the Green Room with every little thing. I gotta wait for somethin’ big, or a buncha little things. Now we can’t let our power be dissipated by the, by the plant. . .

Zeke Brown: Plant my ass, man! That’s all you talk about, “the plant”! Everybody know what “the plant” is. “The plant” just short for plantation!

Blue Collar 1978 Yaphet Kotto Richard Pryor Harvey Keitel pic 1

Three workers, Zeke, Jerry and Smokey, are working at a car plant and drinking their beers together. One night when they steal away from their wives to have some fun they get the idea to rob the local union’s bureau safe. First they think it is a flop, because they get only 600 dollars out of it, but then Zeke realizes that they also have gotten some ‘hot’ material. They decide to blackmail their union.

Blue-Collar-1978-Yaphet-Kotto-Harvey-Keitel-Richard-Pryor

Schrader wrote incredible dialogue for Pryor, who showed he could deliver his lines without a hint of humor:

Zeke Brown: “And when I take over your muthafuckin’ job, know what I’m gonna do baby? Gonna get on my private jet and wing up to Palm Springs. Hang out with Eddie Knuckles, and hit a few golf balls with President Ford and Nixon and them muthafuckas.”

Richard Pryor Blue Collar movie

What A Volatile Shoot!

Here is some great trivia, courtesy of IMDB: the film “had one of the more tumultuous shoots that a director could experience, which nearly gave [writer/director Paul Schrader] a nervous breakdown and caused him to quit the film business [for a time] . . . The incident that nearly caused Schrader to have a mental breakdown was when [Richard Pryor] (likely in a drug-fueled rage) actually pulled a gun on him and told him there was no way he was ever going to do more than three takes for a scene!”.

blue collar fight richard pryor

It was a very tense shoot because the three lead actors, Richard Pryor, Yaphet Kotto and Harvey Keitel argued constantly. There were fights, verbal abuse, walk-offs and Mexican stand-offs. According to Paul Schrader, Pryor punched Keitel and hit Kotto with a chair during filming.

George Memmoli

According to IMDB, Veteran character Actor George Memmoli filed a $1-million lawsuit against Richard Pryor, claiming that Pryor hit him with a chair during filming and fractured his skull.

richard pryor

Stories of Pryor’s volatile temper continued to appear, but he was also the most popular comedian in Hollywood.


The Voice Of A Generation…

Jerry Seinfeld called Pryor “The Picasso of our profession”; Bob Newhart has called Pryor “the seminal comedian of the last 50 years.” This legacy can be attributed, in part, to the unusual degree of intimacy Pryor brought to bear on his comedy. As Bill Cosby reportedly once said, “Richard Pryor drew the line between comedy and tragedy as thin as one could possibly paint it.”

Richard Pryor biography

Pryor hosted Saturday Night Live several times, doing incendiary monologues and controversial comedy sketches like this one…

Saturday-Night-Live-Chevy-Chase-Richard-Pryor


Word Association!

One of the most amazing moments in Saturday Night Live history occurs when Richard Pryor sits down for a job interview with Chevy Chase…this is classic comedy:

richard pryor standup comedy

Richard Pryor was the first comic to release a concert movie directly to movie theaters – something that has been done many times since – these recordings capture his mastery on stage… here is a bit of that classic standup – a master at work:

Richard+Pryor

Be sure to look for his classic films, standup performances and TV appearances on blu-ray…they are worth savoring over and over!


Forbidden Flesh! “Dirty Girls”! The “Unsatisfied!” Classic “Sexploitation” Cinema!

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FORBIDDEN-FLESH-SOMETHING-WEIRD-VIDEO

Ready For Some “FORBIDDEN FLESH?”

It seems like a stupid question, but at one time, it was a major box office draw in the US!

machete_maidens

There was an era when films that showed “wanton women” were big box office hits – oh, in the kind of theater you would never be caught dead in!

First, let’s show you the definition of “wanton women”:

Wanton Women

Wanton (especially of a woman) – sexually immodest or promiscuous: her cheeks burned as she recalled how forward she had been, how wanton – a sexually immodest or promiscuous woman.

Stag magazine


To behave in a sexually immodest or promiscuous way: women who have wantoned with suitors -


WHAT!?!?!?!

That’s right: They “Wantoned With Suitors!”

OK, time to go back to the wild and crazy days of the 60′s, when the sexual revolution helped usher in a whole new era of movie. In the late 60′s and early 70′s, shrewd theater owners saw that low-rent, sleazy melodramas that focused on WANTON WOMEN did very well with single guys…what a surprise!

vintage 42nd street

It was an era of grindhouse theaters like these – on 42nd street in Times Square – “grindhouse” meant they churned out movie after movie without stopping – and these were films that showed how “wanton” women could be – it was all a male fantasy of course, but it worked, proving once again how stupid guys have always been – and an era in movies that made lots of money off of them!

The Dirty Girls! They Were Made For Love!

the dirty girls sexploitation

Any problem understanding what this film is all about? Of course not! The poster says it all – women who were ready to share their love with you – when this film was released, there were new “social freedoms” that were taking place across the country – the “sexual revolution” in all its forms made for good copy and great box office! It was a simple, exploitative, and pandering marketing pitch that paid off, as you will see…

Forbidden Flesh! Love-Stared And Eager To Learn!

classic sexploitation movies<br />
forbidden flesh” width=”435″ height=”650″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-11881″ /></a></p>
<p>These posters all shared the same theme: “Daring, revealing exposes of life in the big city!” As a young guy, that meant moves that depicted women who were “morally flexible” – for a repressed young male, it was a dream come true – but in fact, these posters promised much more than the films would ever deliver…<br />
like this one!</p>
<p><strong>The Unsatisfied! “Violence – Liquor – Sex.  NEVER ENOUGH!</strong></p>
<p><a href=the unsatisfied sexploitation movie

Stop for a moment to savor the simplicity of it:

“Violence – Liquor – Sex. NEVER ENOUGH!”

Thanks to Something Weird Video for the description of the film – it was every young man’s fantasy – oh, and it still is! The grindhouse experts at Something Weird have spent years uncovering these classic sexploitation films, making them available to exploitation fans everywhere!

SW calls it a “slick, well-made, nasty little movie, ‘The Unsatisfied’ gives off a very different vibe and boasts a very different flavor than the typical U.S. teens-in-trouble film. When LEE HESSEL’s Cambist Films released a U.S. version of it in 1964, additional shot-in-New York skin scenes were cleverly added”.

That’s right, they took foreign films, re-titled them, added some additional skin shots and sold them to an unsuspecting public -I mean, it seems that guys are not that hard to figure out!’

The Unsatisfied


“I’ll kill you for that, you witch!”

Here’s the story of how these movies came to be: the added filmed inserts would add extra nudity or sexual situations to the movie for the purpose of selling it to a grindhouse audience – including a surreal moment just five minutes into this film in which two topless gals in a dressing room exchange words (“I’ll kill you for that, you witch!”), then suddenly fight to the death with a pair of scissors as a third gal blandly looks on: “C’mon, break it up, the phone’s ringing!” As quickly as the fight started, it abruptly stops, and the third gal happily shows off the (then-new) topless bathing suit she’s wearing! Wow.

Check out all of the crazy grindhouse stuff Something Weird has for sale and download – and thanks to that team for keeping this crazy sexploitation stuff alive:

http://www.somethingweird.com/

somethingweird sexploitation

Here are a couple of other stories about the sexploitation craze:

beyond-the-valley-of-the-dolls

Cue Russ Meyer!

Of course, many consider him the master – check out the story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

Sex Kitten Christina Lindberg

The Queen Of “Artsploitation!”

And of course, click here to read about the amazing career of Christina Lindberg, the queen of “Artsploitation”…

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/21/swedish-sex-kitten-christina-lindberg-the-original-queen-of-artsploitation/

Don’t knock this era of film making until you watch a few – it is a fascinating part of our movie history!

FORBIDDEN-FLESH-SOMETHING-WEIRD-VIDEO


“Big Jim Slade”! “Fistfuls Of Yen”! It’s “The Kentucky Fried Movie”! “The Naked Gun” Prelude!

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In the mood for a film that promises to be:

Narrator: Brutal! Savage! Beyond Perversion!

catholic_high_school_girls_in_trouble

Or how about a movie that promises:

Narrator: Never before has the beauty of the sexual act been so crassly exploited!

kentucky fried movie comedy

Or one that offers “BIG JIM SLADE!”

kentucky_fried_movie

Well, this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the funniest as well – from the creative geniuses who would go on to give us the cult TV series “Police Squad!” and the “Naked Gun” movies! Yes, get ready for the offbeat, profane, hysterical comedy that is:

Kentucky Fired Movie!


Kentucky Fried Movie – Directed by John Landis – 1977

How can you go wrong with a movie that begins LIKE THIS!


[first line in the film]
A Newscaster On Set, Looking At Audience: “The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in. Film at eleven.”

Here’s the trailer!

Talk about a comic debut! “Kentucky Fried Movie” roared into theaters in 1977, directed by John Landis, who went on to make “Animal House”, “Coming To America” and many more.

the kentucky fried movie

The film’s writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, who would go on to write and direct” Airplane!”, “Top Secret!” and the Naked Gun movies!

naked girls catholic

Narrator: Never before has the beauty of the sexual act been so crassly exploited!

catholic_high_school_girls_in_trouble

The film is full of movie parodies, like the ad above for “Catholic High School Girls In Trouble!” Or this one, for the disaster movie “That’s Armageddon!”

Kentucky Fried Movie That's Armageddon!

Yes, the parody stars George Lazenby, at the time seven years past his one-time-only stint as James Bond 007!

kentucky-fried-movie perversion

“Kentucky Fired Movie” is a series of loosely connected skits that spoof news programs, commercials, porno films, kung fu films, disaster films, blaxploitation films…anything and everything that the Zuckers thought was funny – and it is hilarious!

Here is a parody of ads about home deodorizers, as a group of women come for a visit:

[a woman is worried about the smell of her home as guests arrive]
1st guest: Fish for dinner last night?
2nd guest: Phewww… Harvey still smoking those cigars?
3rd guest: CHRIST! Did a cow shit in here?

Narrator: Brutal! Savage! Beyond Perversion!

It’s a non-stop collection of short films and parodies – each one funnier than the last…

Cleopatra Scwartz!

Cleopatra Schwartz

Yep, blaxploitation films of the time got skewered, with this great film about an undercover cop who teams up with a Rabbi!

And then there is THIS:

BIG JIM SLADE!

One of the funniest parodies is the “self help” record a guy buys to help him with his lovemaking – he gets his girlfriend to listen to the record “help” them…

Sex Record Voice: “One of the most frequent problems encountered during the sexual act is that of premature ejaculation.”
[the man realizes that this just happened to him]
Sex Record Voice: “Should premature ejaculation occur, the Joy of Sex album comes equipped with BIG JIM SLADE.”
[Big Jim Slade bursts through the door]

Sex Record Voice: “Big Jim, former tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, is outfitted with various whips, chains, and a sexual appetite that will knock your socks off!”
[Big Jim carries the woman away]
Sex Record Voice: “Big Jim has satisfied women throughout the world, and the capital of Nebraska is Lincoln!”

A FISTFUL OF YEN!

The centerpiece for the film is “A Fistful Of Yen”, the scene-for-scene parody of Bruce Lee’s classic movie “Enter The Dragon.”


“This is Butkus, Klahn’s bodyguard. He is tough and ruthless. This is Kwong, Klahn’s chauffeur. He is rough and toothless.”

This movie captures everything that made “Enter The Dragon” so entertaining, all while putting on the movie and spoofing kung fu movies!

“Kentucky Fried Movie” announced the arrival of a great new comedy team, and it is fast-paced and funny…The Zuckers ended up giving us the hilarious “Naked Gun” films!

Naked-Gun

Along with the three “Naked Gun” films, the Zuckers also gave us the twisted cult TV show “Police Squad!” – so you need to see where they got their start – “The Kentucky Fried Movie” is hilarious and worth worth finding!

kentucky-fried-movie-blu-art


Modern Horror Twin Directors! The Soska Sisters! “American Mary”! “Dead Hooker In A Trunk!”

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In the mood for a great horror film? I mean, a BLOODY GOOD horror film?

american-mary

And do you want to see that film directed by two women who pose like THIS?

the-soska-sisters

Well, time to introduce you to a couple of twins with a twisted sense of humor – and who are making a mark on horror!

American Mary Director twins


Meet The Bloody Directing Twins!

As the New York Times said: “Lots of siblings make movies. The brothers Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) are Oscar winners. Andy and Lana Wachowski (“Cloud Atlas”) are a prominent brother-sister team. But sister directors? And not just sisters, but identical twins?”

The Soska Sisters

You Mean There Are Horror Directing TWINS?

The answer is: YES! Meet Jen and Sylvia Soska, the identical twins who wrote and directed the horror film “American Mary!”

Here is a great interview done with the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/movies/jen-and-sylvia-soskas-american-mary.html?_r=0

This great article is the next step forward for this horror-making-twin-directing-set-of-sisters!

The article, and a lot of press in the last week is for their new medical horror film, “American Mary!”

american mary poster

First, check out this terrific trailer:

american_mary horror film


American Mary!

The story follows medical student, Mary Mason, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired. The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so called ‘freakish’ clientele.

OK everyone, do we smell a twisted, scapel-wielding horror film in the making here?

American Mary horror film

“American Mary” will be released on DVD and blu-ray in mid-June, so you can see the sisters in action!


Twisted Twins Productions!

And of course, the Soska sisters have a perfect name for their company – Twisted Twins Productions! The Soska twins are breaking barriers and diving headfirst into the bloody world of modern horror – here is some background on them, from their website, Twisted Twins Productions!

“The Soska sisters have always loved film. Since childhood, they were heavily involved in acting. Above all, they had a special place in their twisted little hearts for horror.”

Soska Sisters directing twins

“Dead Hooker In A Trunk” was their debut film. The twins wrote, directed, produced, starred in, and preformed the stunts for the film. They took lessons learned from Rodriguez’s book, “Rebel Without A Crew”, – the bible on making ultra low-budget movies.

Soska twins Directors

If you want to read more about Robert Rodriquez’s book, click here to see my post that looks at his ability to make “$7,000 Cinema”:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/10/movie-taboos-shocking-seductions-mr-tibbs-raging-bulls-and-7000-cinema/

Now, let’s look at the Soska Sisters’ movie debut:

dead hooker in a trunk

the-soska-sisters

“Dead Hooker In A Trunk” has been available on home video for a few years, and “American Mary” is coming to dvd/blu-ray on June 18th – it’s a great chance to support a new vision of horror – from two sisters who are doing it their way – and not letting anything or anyone hold them back!

american+mary+-+mary


SHOCKING “Frenzy”! Drowning Alfred Hitchcock! The Master Of Suspense!

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alfred hitchcock frenzy


“Do I look like a sex murderer to you? Can you imagine me creeping around London, strangling all those women with ties? That’s ridiculous… For a start, I only own two.”

Alfred Hitchcock was a master of horror and suspense – he was, of course the Director of such horror masterpieces as “The Birds” and “Psycho!”

psycho

“Psycho” is, of course, best known for the most shocking and graphic murder ever captured on film up to that time – the infamous shower scene…notorious for depicting violence which had never been seen to that point in movies…although almost nothing is shown!

Psycho movie

After a decade of diminishing box office success, Hitchcock came back with a vengeance when he made his most graphic film ever in the early 70′s – a vicious thriller that is worthy of a look!

Director Alfred Hitchcock

After the iconic “Psycho” and the terrifying film “The Birds”, Hitchcock made a couple of films that didn’t connect with audiences, so in 1971 he decided to come back – with a vicious vengeance!

Alfred Hitchcock Frenzy-poster


Frenzy

The plot is simple: London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as the “neck tie murderer”.

frenzy bloody sex murder

Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.

Frenzy murder scene

“Frenzy” was the first Hitchcock film to feature nudity – remember, there was no real nudity in “Psycho”‘s shower scene – and several of the attack scenes in “Frenzy” were evocative of his “Psycho” period – he was a Director taking full advantage of the more relaxed film ratings of the time…

Alfred Hitchcock Frenzy

The film and its source book (“Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square”) were inspired by the real-life unsolved crimes of the serial killer known as “Jack the Stripper”.

alfred-hitchcock-london-frenzy

Unlike the movie, the real killings (which terrified London in the early 1960s) mirrored elements of “Jack the Ripper”, in that the killer attacked prostitutes and that the killings mysteriously stopped at some point, with the killer never caught…


Legendary Alfred Hitchcock Cameo!

Alfred Hitchcock became well known for his cameo appearances in every movie he directed…for example, here he is in the crowd after the first body is discovered in ” Frenzy.”

Alfred Hitchcock Frenzy cameo

Alfred Hitchcock originally planned to do his cameo as the body floating in the river. A dummy was even constructed to do the shot!

Frenzy Alfred Hitchcock cameo

The plans were changed and a female body, a victim of the Necktie Murderer, was used instead. Hitchcock instead became one of the members of the crowd who are listening to the speaker on the river bank. The dummy of Hitchcock was used in the typically humorous trailer hosted by Hitchcock himself.

Here it is!

Nice job, Hitch! Of course, there are so many classic Hitchcock thrillers like “Strangers On A Train” and “Rear Window”…time to rediscover the master of suspense!

alfred hitchcock



“Lifeforce”! The Amazingly Naked 80′s Sci-Fi Horror Cult Classic Is Back!

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Remember this classic movie line?

“The web of destiny carries your blood and soul back to the genesis of my lifeform.”

Lifeforce movie

Or about this one?

“Don’t worry. A naked girl is not going to get out of this complex.”

Lifeforce movie

Well, don’t be so sure – there seem to be PLENTY of naked ladies running around in this classic 80′s cult sci-fi horror gem!

lifeforce movie nudity

Time to celebrate one of the 80′s great cult films – the classic, zombie horror and monumentally NUDE sci-fi movie “Lifeforce!”

Lifeforce movie blu-ray release

Director Tobe Hooper!

Director Tobe Hooper had burst onto the horror film scene a few years earlier with what many consider to be the most unsettling horror film ever made: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

the-texas-chainsaw-massacre-movie-poster-1974-1020198670

A few years later, Hooper really scored with the smash box office hit, produced by Steven Spielberg, “Poltergeist”.

poltergeist-poster

So, once he decided that the horror novel “The Space Vampires” would be his next movie, it seemed like a smash hit in the making…here is the film’s original trailer…

Check out the original trailer:

lifeforce-movie-poster

Here’s the plot of “Lifeforce”:

A space shuttle mission investigating Haley’s Comet brings back a malevolent race of space vampires who transform most of London’s population into zombies.

Lifeforce zombies

The only survivor of the expedition – along British authorities – attempt to capture a mysterious but beautiful alien woman who appears responsible for the mayhem. She is, as you will see, extremely naked for most of the film…

lifeforce nudity

Here is a quote from the movie, something that is rarely said in the film:

Colonel Colin Caine: “Now she has clothes.”

Because, in fact, she NEVER HAS CLOTHES ON. This movie is amazingly naked!

Lifeforce movie nudity

“Lifeforce” was promoted and filmed under the title “The Space Vampires”, which was the title of Colin Wilson’s novel. Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus’ Cannon Films reportedly spend nearly $25 million in hopes of creating a full blown blockbuster. They felt that this title made it sound like a typical Cannon low budget exploitation film – which was a reputation they were trying to put behind them…

lifeforce movie monster

The title was changed from “Space Vampires” to “Lifeforce” – and a decision was made to pull back on Hooper’s amazing amount of nudity – so “Lifeforce” was released in the United States in an edited version…and you know what happened, of course – BOMBS AWAY!

“Lifeforce” didn’t even bring in half of its original budget. How could a movie with SO MUCH NUDITY flop so badly?

lifeforce movie nudity

The film seemed to have it all: sci-fi action and effects, zombies AND naked women! And of course, dialogue like this:

Colonel Colin Caine: Tell me again how the girl overpowered you.

Dr. Bukovsky: She… was the most overwhelmingly feminine presence I have ever encountered. I was drawn to her on a level…

Colonel Colin Caine: Was it sexual?

Dr. Bukovsky: Yes. Overwhelmingly so, and horrible. Loss of control.”

lifeforce nudity

Loss Of Control, Indeed…

The film wasn’t particularly well-reviewed, but with the filmmaker attached, the sci-fi elements and the nudity, it seemed to have big box office written all over it…now is your chance to re-discover this classic cult movie, as “Lifeforce” is being released on blu-ray with a ton of extras…

lifeforce blu-ray movie nudity

Theatrical and International Versions (the Blu-ray features both cuts, the DVD only includes the international)
New Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper
New Cast & Crew Retrospective with Railsback, Hooper and others
Original “Making-Of Lifeforce” Vintage Featurette
Original Theatrical Trailer
Original TV Spot
Stills Gallery
Reversible Cover with Original Theatrical Key Art

lifeforce+montage

I can’t wait to check this one out! It’s a cult classic from the 80′s that is begging for reconsideration. Let me know what you think!


RIP Jim Kelly! Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu Partner! Blaxploitation Master!

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Jim Kelly RIP


RIP Jim Kelly!

Sad news to share: legendary Kung Fu Artist, Athlete and Blaxploitation movie star Jim Kelly has died…

Jim Kelly co-starred with Bruce Lee in “Enter The Dragon”, and parlayed that into a series of action films such as “Black Belt Jones”…

RIP Jim Kelly

As an actor, Kelly was best known for co-starring alongside Bruce Lee in “Enter the Dragon”. Kelly’s role as Williams, an inner-city karate instructor who is harassed by white police officers, made a good impression upon directors and African-American males with his cool-cat demeanor and formidable physical skills.

More movie roles followed in the 70′s as the blaxploitation film craze made waves around the world.

Jim Kelly Black Samurai

blackbeltjones

Here is his entrance in the classic blaxploitation film “Black Belt Jones” – Over these opening credits, he takes care of a dozen bad guys, and does it with style….

He earned a three-film contract with Warner Brothers and made “Three the Hard Way” with Jim Brown and Fred Williamson, a film that broke out of the blaxploitaiton mold of “bad ass” lead characters, and instead focused on three black lead characters who were action heroes….

threethehardway

After his contract ended with Warner Brothers, he starred in low-budget films “Black Samurai”, “Death Dimension”, and “Tattoo Connection.”

Jim Kelly RIP

Jim Kelly, Tennis Star!

After his acting career ended, he became a professional tennis player on the USTA Senior Men’s Circuit.

In 2004, he appeared with NBA star LeBron James in the Nike commercial “Chamber of Fear”, a spoof of the Bruce Lee film “Game of Death.”

Kelly resided in Southern California and worked as a professional tennis coach. He was still a popular draw at conventions such as the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International.

jim-kelly-enter-the-dragon

Until his passing, he considered Bruce Lee as “the greatest martial artist, that ever lived”. Here is the trailer for the classic film “Enter The Dragon”, starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly!

Jim Kelly RIP

Jim Kelly died on June 29, 2013…RIP Jim! He will be remembered for a number of great action performances, but none greater than his work with Bruce Lee….

Enter_The_Dragon___Bruce_Lee_

Check out the classic action movie “Enter The Dragon” to see Jim Kelly and Bruce Lee in action.


Bruce Lee Magic!

For more on the incredible physical ability of Bruce Lee, check out this CRAZY nunchuck ping pong match by clicking HERE!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/03/bruce-lee-amazing-nunchuck-ping-pong-legendary-martial-arts-battles/

And to discover the explosive mixture of incredible fashions, hairstyles, comedy, sex, action and music that defined “blaxploitation” films – click HERE!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/04/25/the-mack-sweet-sweetback-blacula-blaxploitation-lives/

jim-kelly-enter-the-dragon


70′s “Sin-ema!” Massage Parlor Murders! Ursula Gets Naked! Gritty Grindhouse Classics!

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“You just like being shagged, you bitch!”

Well, that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? Well, not when you are part of the golden age of exploitation…

Massage Parlor Murders exploitation film

Time for some sleazy, seedy and – YES – utterly MESMERIZING grindhouse classics – stay with me as I take you on a journey into film history – as the classic sexploitation craze continues – thanks in part to a unique brand of italian “PULP FICTION”!

Giallo – Read All About This “Yellow Pulp Fiction!”

italian giallo-yellow book

What you see above you is an original “italian giallo” book – a unique blend of pulp fiction that was turned into a hugely successful collection of european films in the 70′s. The “SIN-ema” of the early 70′s was a unique type of film making. Lots of sex, nudity, blood and violence – all done with a certain “european” flair…

The-Sister-of-Ursula

These films flooded the sleazy “grindhouse” theaters in the US in the early 70′s – movie theaters that stayed open all night, and where there was just as much action IN the seats as on the screen…movie going was a “survival” type of experience….

Massage Parlor Murders exploitation

You can criticize, but you are missing the point…this was a very specific time in movie history – cheap european “giallo” films were helping pave the way for a more “adult” type of movie experience…these bloody “nudefests” were a unique style of exploitation:

sexploitation the sister of ursula

Yes, it’s “women in peril” again, but that was the way they made them in the 70′s…

There has been a huge market opening up for these classic “giallo” films. Here are the latest classic exploitation films of the 70′s – now released for your enjoyment! And of course, the first one is based in New York!

Massage Parlor Murders

Massage Parlor Murders!

This is one of the legendary grindhouse classics, now available in a pristine new blu-ray…first, check out the trailer:

Massage Parlor Murders exploitation film

Here’s what the promotional teaser has to say: “A vicious serial killer is stalking the streets of New York City, murdering Times Square massage girls in a variety of brutal ways. It’s up to a rogue detective team to solve the case as the body count continues to rise!”

Massage Parlor Murders sexploitation

“Chock full of over the top sex and violence and complete with high speed car chase through Manhattan, “MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS” is an exploitation film lover’s dream movie.”

classic sexploitation Massage Parlor Hookers

And yes, it was also released later as “Massage Parlor Hookers”. Movies like these were usually re-named and re-released to maximize their grindhouse potential…and to sucker idiots into seeing the same movie twice!

Massage Parlor Murders exploitation

Did you notice in the trailer that the lead actress looks A LOT like a young Roseanna Arquette? Well, it’s not her, but the similarity is striking….

Massage Parlor Hookers sex

As you can see, the film is full of gratuitous sex and violence, but the movie captures the grit and seedy nature of New York in the early 70′s – and it’s an effective little thriller that evokes the best of the grindhouse of the time….at least the ones that were made in the US.

Massage Parlor Murders blu ray


Time To Head To Europe!

And in case “Massage Parlor Murders” isn’t SLEAZY ENOUGH, try this classic EURO-SLEAZE on for size!

“You just like being shagged, you bitch!”

The Sister Of Ursula Poster

THE SISTER OF URSULA

Thanks once again to Severin Films for uncovering this infamous slice of Euro-Sleaze that repeatedly “thrusts at the abyss of bad taste!”

the sister of ursula

Here is the plot: In the wake of their father’s death, two beautiful sisters – sensitive Ursula and promiscuous Dagmar – come to a seaside resort for a relaxing vacation.

the-sister-of-ursula

But their idyllic getaway will soon become a depraved nightmare of kinky exhibitionists, dope-sick lotharios, lust-crazed lesbians and a psychotic killer who tears women to pieces with – no kidding – a phallus of massive proportion.

the sister of ursula

Now THIS is euro-sleaze! “Ursula” is an eye-popping combination of sexploitation and vicious giallo, fully restored from original vault elements and presented uncut and uncensored for the first time ever in America.

the sister of ursula 1978

These european shockers were cheaply made, full of sex and violence, and then full of more sex – particularly lesbian scenes, which seems to be “so european” for the time…

lesbian movie scenes

The “european” nature of these films was a selling point – offering nudity and sexual situations much more mature than the US…and the foreign posters made it clear there was going to be A LOT of flesh on display!

The-Sister-of-Ursula

European exploitation, sexploitation and artsploitation films are fascinating to me, and I’ve posted about them before…

the sister of ursula

And if you need a primer on Italian giallo, check this out!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/09/time-to-strip-nude-four-flies-and-baba-yaga-to-you-yes-its-classic-italian-giallo/

italian giallo-yellow book


“Samurai Princess”! Slice And Dice Exploitation! “Ero Guro” To You!

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A New Samurai Princess Is Born!

In honor of Comic-Con – and the myriad of crazy cosplay costumes, here is the real deal!

Samurai Princess movie

Time to head to Japan to kick some serious samurai butt – with a real female Ninja Warrior – who has terrific sword skills, right? look Ma, no hands!!

samurai-princess ninja warrior

Talk About Your “Ninja Warrior”!

If you have ready ANY of my “j-sploitation” articles, you know that I love this new genre of film – and I will provide links at the end of the story – because this is really a “you must see it to believe it” kind of movie making!

First, check out the trailer!

Samurai Princess

“Samurai Princess” (サムライプリンセス 外道姫) is a Japanese film directed by Kengo Kaji, and is described as a “ero guro” action film. More on that in a second….

samurai-princess japanese exploitation

The film has a well-known list of “J-Sploitation” favorites involved: Special effects were produced by Yoshihiro Nishimura, who previously directed and created effects and makeup for “Tokyo Gore Police”, which “Samurai Princess” Director Kengo Kaji wrote.

samurai-princess japanese exploitation

Here’s the plot: A group of young schoolgirls walking through the woods is attacked by a gang of thugs. Only one of the girls survives, but is badly injured. As is usually the case in japanese exploitation, this leads to rehabilitation – then REVENGE!

samurai-princess-nude


Mad Science To The Rescue!

Of course, our lone survivor is found by a scientist who takes her back to his lab, and gives her a new robotic body – this is also a trend in “j-sploitation – the combination of revenge and technology! To top it off, a female monk also gives her magical powers!

samurai princess japanese exploitation

The Scientist and Monk send her out to take revenge on her attackers, but as it turns out The Scientist has an ulterior motive for his actions…cue the monster!

SAMURAI-PRINCESS monster

“Ero Guro” To You!

Now, time to explain what the Director meant by calling the film a “Ero Guro”.

“Ero guro nansensu” was a literary and artistic movement originating circa 1930 in Japan.

“Ero guro” puts its focus on eroticism, sexual corruption and decadence.

While ero guro is a specific movement, many of its components can be found throughout Japanese history and culture. So apparently, the Director wants those elements to come across in his film!

tokyo-gore-police


“J-Sploitation” Rules!

“Samurai Princess” is just the latest example of a crazy new film trend in Japan!

tokyo-gore-police japanese sexploitation

If you are unfamiliar with the category, “J-Sploitation” is Japan’s version of the exploitation film – low budget, full of outrageous action and vivid special effects, and filled with lots and lots of blood.

helldriver-movie-2010-tokyogore-6

I’ve written a number of stories about films in this genre – if you’ve missed them, jump into the pool by clicking HERE:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/02/14/japanese-super-females-kick-ass-exploitation/

Female Yakusa Tale Japanese exploitation

These films have been around for decades – and they are full of sex and violence – but remember, movies have been since the beginning of time! And this modern japanese take on violence and revenge is a unique style that really should be seen to be believed!

Japanese Sexploitation Movies

There are many great examples of this type of film: among the most notable are “Tokyo Gore Police” and “The Machine Girl”…action and exploitation in equal measure…with the added take of modern technology driving the revenge – and yes, there is lots and lots of revenge!

tokyo-gore-police exploitation

Check out more of these classics by clicking HERE:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/15/tokyo-gore-for-halloween-behold-j-sploitation-nishimura-rules-extreme-japanese-cinema/

Enjoy!

Samurai Princess movie


“Ray Donovan” Fans! Check Out “Alice Creed”! Great British Thrillers!

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“Wake up Ms. Creed, it’s breakfast time!”

british thriller alice creed

I love uncovering films that might not get a lot of attention here in the US – but are worth checking out – especially now that one of the stars is breaking out on US TV!

Bound And Buried!

These two british thrillers were both released within the last couple of years, and neither one found a home in the US. Thanks to Eddie Marsan’s breakout performance on “Ray Donovan” however, one of these films may be discovered!

eddiemarsan_2227216b

Time to share these two modern day British thrillers – that share a common theme:

british thriller A Lonely Place To Die

In each movie, someone has been kidnapped – and in both movies, from that basic beginning, the plot twists and turns make both movies a great thrill ride!

Let’s start with a twisted thriller starring Gemma Arterton in a brave performance:

The-Disappearance-of-Alice-Creed gemma-arterton


The Disappearance Of Alice Creed

Director / Writer J Blakeson does a terrific job with this three-person piece – here’s the plot:

A rich man’s daughter is held captive in an abandoned apartment by two former convicts who abducted her and hold her ransom in exchange for her father’s money.

Here is the trailer:

Disappearance of Alice Creed stars

Martin Compston, “Ray Donovan” co-star Eddie Marsan and Gemma Arterton star in this tight, twisted thriller – and all of them are onscreen for virtually the entire running time.

alice creed

Fans of the new show “Ray Donovan” will recognize Eddie Marsan, as he plays Donovan’s brother on the hit TV series. In “Alice Creed”, he plays the more seasoned kidnapper – with plenty of secrets…

eddie marsan ray donovan

A “Silent” Thriller!

“The Disappearance Of Ray Donovan” is a great little thriller – and all three Actors do stellar work! Interesting fact: the first word is spoken 5 minutes and 25 seconds into the film. Roughly another 4 minutes pass before the next one is spoken. Imagine how much pressure that puts on the Actors to convey character without speaking – but they do!

nude scenes Alice-Creed movie

As you can see, the film really tuckered the two male leads out. But it is precisely this “silent” approach that gives the film so much energy – and keeps you on the edge of your seat…as for Gemma Arterton, this is a powerful and intense performance.

Nude Gemma Arterton Alice Creed

Gemma Arterton was given a safe word for her to say if she felt uncomfortable in her nude scenes and wanted filming to stop. There are many uncomfortable scenes for the Actress, but they are vital for the twists and turns that the plot takes…to say more would ruin a film full of surprises.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed movie image Gemma Arterton

And speaking of a film full of surprises, here is another British thriller little seen in the US:


A Lonely Place To Die

A group of five mountaineers are hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands when they discover a young Serbian girl buried in a small chamber in the wilderness. They become caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers as they try to get the girl to safety…

A+Lonely+Place+to+Die

Director Julian Gilbey and brother Will who co-wrote the script – and they became avid and experienced climbers – which makes sense when you see all of the incredible climbing footage in the movie!

A-Lonely-Place-To-Die

The movie begins as a straightforward thriller: a group of hikers stumble into a VERY BAD situation, and they must try to get out of it….

A Lonely Place To Die

After discovering a young girl – who has been buried alive in a hole in the forest – the group must figure out how to protect her from THIS GUY:

great british thrillers

As with most great thrillers, the honesty of the situation keeps you rooted in the story, especially when it takes a few twists as well…

a lonely place to die

While scouting locations for the film, the Gilbey brothers used head cameras while climbing and exploring various locations. These videos appear in the end credits of the film to look like “home movies” of the films climbing group.

A+Lonely+Place+to+Die

Check out these great British thrillers – both on DVD or your streaming method or premium cable service of choice!


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