Rare Zombie/Alien/Porno From France –– Oui!!!

Recently came across this pretty amazing '78 French horror/porno/sci-fi flick known as PORNO ZOMBIE, but whose actual title is LA FILLE A LA FOURRURE (Girl in the Fur Coat?)

In the same genre as EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, it adds a fascinating sci-fi angle to a Jess Franco-like plot involving a just-married couple whose pending consummation is interrupted by the appearance of the husband's late wife (yes, the dead wife reappears). This creates some complexity, needless to say.

A story in one review of the film explains that director Claude Pierson's screenwriter wife (Huguette Boisvert) was happy for Claude to make porn as long as proper emphasis was placed on the importance of marital relations in the film. Well, I'm happy to report that Ms. Boisvert's condition does work in this film's favor because much of the sex is quite loving and very erotic, and that makes for a steamy, unusual tone.

This French treat is the best horror/zombie/porno hybrid I can think of, and the female screenwriter's addition of aliens to the couplings (and one beautifully shot moonlit orgy) works a treat. A synth score underlines the horror elements, and a memorable score for piano and some strings enriches the sex scenes and the film's forest setting.

Though promoted as such in some markets, this is not really a zombie film, it is more of a porno/sci-fi film with a zombie film vibe (ZOMBIE LAKE, OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES). Had I been told Jess Franco directed this, I wouldn't have been shocked, but the sex scenes don't possess the Franco point of view.

Ultimately, the plot doesn't make any real world sense, but spending ninety minutes in the cinematic world of this film was a rare pleasure.

(I researched the work of Huguette Boisvert (who often wrote as Elisabeth Leclair) and, wow!, she's been incredibly prolific, and did write a number of obscure French films I'm very fond of including TENDRE ADOLESCENTE, JEUNES FILLES POUR PARTOUZES, LA GRANDEV RECRE, and ALL ABOUT WOMAN. Admittedly, some of these titles I've only watched un-subbed).

CRY RAPE

The German label SUBKULTUR, which recently put out an excellent BluRay of DON'T GO ON THE HOUSE,  scores again with MADCHEN: MIT GEWALT aka THE BRUTES aka CRY RAPE.

To answer the obvious question for exploitation fans, no, there is not a lot of rape in CRY RAPE. A woman does do some crying, and she does get chased through a quarry by the featured middle-aged rapists, but the level of rape in this movie amounts to about five minutes.

The sexual marauders of the title are serial rapists, but we don't get any flashbacks of their past crimes. We just get their background activities via a number of clever dialog exchanges.

To the credit of director/star Roger Fritz, the film floats very nicely without a plethora of forced intercourse. In fact, it's what happens AFTER the rape that the film is really about, so I won't go into the kind of details that will spoil the experience for the first-time viewer.

Released in the US as CRY RAPE, it did appear for a spell on a crappy VHS that was panned and scanned and transferred from a bloody awful print.  Fortunately, the Subkultur BluRay––there is also a DVD––features a jaw-dropping transfer that just couldn't possibly look any better.

For the first time, you can marvel at how beautifully shot this film is, and, under better viewing conditions, witness the blossoming of every other element from performances (Fritz, Arthur Brauss, Helga Anders) to editing to the staging of the action scenes.

It's certainly a curious choice for Subkultur to put serious time, effort, and money into the BluRay release of this unsung hero of a film, but it's a choice that is much appreciated.

As CRY RAPE was made in 1969, it reminded me  of the look and tone of short Scandi porn flicks from companies like Color Climax Corporation, Videorama, H.O.M. (House of Milan), and Viking Productions from that period. Although those notorious slices of cinematic nastiness were hardcore, and often ineptly staged, they had an undeniable feel for the era and subversive edge that is found here also. I sure miss that dangerous vibe in my cinema.

The film was co-financed by Oscar-winning producer Arthur Cohn.

The Erotic Scent of The Duke

Peter Strickland, the man behind BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, a film I liked somewhat, returns to the screen with THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY,  a softcore, semi-sleazy yarn set in a world of women. The masculine title, according to Strickland, is meant to be ironic.

The film's initial spurt of inspiration was Jess Franco's LORNA THE EXORCIST: Strickland contemplated remaking that film for a couple of weeks before losing interest and leaving well enough alone. He did, however, stay on-topic, and delivers here a lesbian love story within a half-assed S/M structure; I say half-assed because one of the pretty asses in this movie doesn't seem quite as keen on the game as her "partner". Still, plenty of carnal fireworks emerge from the pairing, and there's a reasonable amount of nudity, some sex acts including a nice cunnilingus sequence, and bouts of imprisonment and servitude.

BURGANDY's women-only world is an interesting one, and forges a tone not unlike the world of Lucile Hadzihalilovic's INNOCENCE, a film exclusively featuring young girls adrift in a type of purgatory on earth. The women in Strickland's film are middle- to upper-class and enjoy meeting in stately drawing rooms to discuss insects. Although none but the central duo have sex with each other, one assumes there's plenty of lesbian sex going on behind closed doors.

Jess Franco's obsessions do seem to color BURGANDY, even though, technically, the film is more rigid and even-tempered than anything Jess ever made. The featured ladies think about sex a lot, which is good for the audience, and nobody seems to do anything terribly productive to fund the lifestyle they're enjoying (like Jess's ladies). The setting is the European countryside, and the true location (Hungary) is never referenced; probably a wise choice because this uncertainty gives the film a more fantastique vibe.

Actress Chiara D'Anna, who was also in BERBERIAN, is exquisitely carnal and subtly threatening in her role as Evelyn, the deceptively submissive actor in this little game. Her lover, Cynthia, is played with impeccable restraint by Sidse Babett Knudsen, a busy actress who appeared previously in television's BORGEN and the Mads Mikkelsen feature AFTER THE WEDDING. Both women carry the movie on strong shoulders, and make us believe in what is essentially very rich, dark nonsense.

Special mention goes to the film's opening title sequence; it captures quite perfectly title sequences from British thrillers that used freeze frames and often suffered visually (becoming dark and grainy) when dissolves were employed. Here, the technical deficits of these films are used as stylistic devices, and the result is sumptuous and atmospheric. The band, Cat's Eyes, provide a stunning score (available on CD), although nothing is quite as stunning as "The Duke Of Burgundy" title song ("Black Madonna" perhaps?), produced to replicate the sound and sweet fever of an old Carpenters song with Karen's gorgeous voice. It's just magic.

I'm dead against revealing plots and detailing story points, so I simply urge you to seek out and lap up this rare cinematic treat that was produced by Andrew Starke (currently making the superbly titled THE GREASY STRANGLER) and Exec Produced by Ben Wheatley. There is also a connection here to Pete Tombs and the Mondo-Macbro video label (that label did release LORNA THE EXORCIST).

Jess Franco would have been partial to this fine film and its proud obsessions.

I Became An Instant Fan of Der Fan

One of the funniest scenes in Eckhart Schmidt's DER FAN ('82) shows the film's heroine, Simone (Desiree Nosbusch), accosting her mailman on the street and beating him up because he wasn't in possession of a letter she was waiting for. This scene reminded me of a time in my own life when my brother pointed an air rifle at our mailman because he failed to deliver a processed Super-8 monster film we were hanging out to see.

DER FAN is about a young woman who's obsessed with a Gary Numan-/John Foxx-style pop artist named "R". This fellow has the on-screen charisma of ice (which makes him cool, I suppose), and sings in a strange monotone with unique electronic backing that sounds like a cross between Kraftwerk, Serge Blenner, and an el cheapo Pet Shop Boys. The band credited with the film's tuneful music is Rheingold.

Schmidt made the movie after witnessing the way young pop music fans interact with their idols. He captures the madness and loneliness of obsession with authenticity, and, lucky for him, managed to cast a young lady who was just right for the job of portraying a sexy teenage psycho. A striking creature, Ms. Nosbusch takes her character from immature juvenile to nihilistic viper without missing a beat. And her voice-over documents a descent into greater madness that manages to feel logical and complete.

I had never seen DER FAN (also known as TRANCE) before, so my first viewing, on Mondo Macabro's BluRay, was a most satisfying experience.  Never released in the US, according to the jacket copy, it packs a punch content-wise, and earns its Unrated tag with some surprising violence, and nudity that would surpass any R-rating today.

It was released in the UK, but I'm uncertain if it was uncut. I'm sure a British reader could answer that question.

The film is a favorite of Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa, and was released one year after he killed and dined on a female student in France.

Director Schmidt also made the fascinating LOFT. Perhaps Mondo-Macabro will give that a BluRay spin, too, if this one does some business. So don't pirate it, folks, buy it, or your options will soon diminish.

This excellent film from a by-gone era (which is a damn fucking shame) would make a fine double feature with DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL, another sweet tale of teenage temptresses gone nuts.

The distributor's Red Box BluRay is limited to 500, although it may remain available beyond the 500 as a standard issue disk.

Why We Need Charlie Casanova

One imdb reviewer of CHARLIE CASANOVA described its characters as "barely recognizable as human".

Let me think about that for a moment.

Yes... yes... perhaps... maybe...could be somewhat accurate... IF YOU'D NEVER STEPPED OUTSIDE YOUR FUCKING DOOR!!!  Which is clearly the case with anybody who doesn't find immediate commonalities with this accomplished low budget psycho-drama and its stellar cast of flawed earthlings.

Jesus Christ, this is one intelligent, raw, emotionally gory autopsy of human behavior, its central focus being on  the man/woman thing, hypocrisy and lies (same thing), and the role fate plays in our lives.

Not a wise thing to give too much away because some of the revelations are like a surprise right hook to the head, but here goes a taste:

Charlie Barnum (Emmett Scanlan), a caustic, entitled, upper middle class bully who rides roughshod over his intimidated mates and their partners, is responsible for the death of a working class girl. In the tradition of Luke Rhinehart's THE DICEMAN, where fate is sealed by the roll of a dice, Charlie, in the immediate wake of her demise, consults cards to determine his course of action. The result of his choice gives him a newfound freedom with its inevitable consequences, and subjects everybody around him to the living hell of their true selves, and the pain of their own inertia.

Irishman Terry McMahon, the film's writer/director, has produced a work birthed by his outrage at what we settle for, what we take for granted, and what we pretend is happiness. It's a loud and beautifully articulated wake-up call to lives lived in a state of apathy.  Festering apathy.

Seems the film's copped predictable criticism from women, the Irish film "establishment", and anybody else who's not too happy to see their own soiled toilet paper draped over the local town hall. The film's portrayal of hopelessly broken male/female dynamics is spot on, and McMahon has as much venom in reserve for men as he does for women. Charlie's best friend is a prime example of a male who's had his balls torn off by a woman. Weak, pathetic, and convinced that submission will keep the peace, he is, like many men, unable to re-assert his masculinity in a world where male submission to convention is seen as acceptable and preferable. Of course, conventions such as marriage favor one sex and tend to enslave the other. Ultimately, both are enslaved because the fantasy writes checks that reality can't cash.

CHARLIE CASANOVA asks us to think, to question, to rage against the bullshit we're fed. Until we all do that, we'll be needing fellas like Charlie.

Available now on DVD from Amazon US and the UK. Also on VOD.

US distributor is BRINK.

 My radio mate Tom Leykis has been transmitting messages similar to Charlie's for more than a decade now.

He can be found at: www.blowmeuptom.com

Pulpy Porn and Gutter Romance

Time for another look at the luridly wonderful world of pulpy porn and gutter romance.

Love the Forbidden Women art, and the catchy premise.

Myron Jubilee's Always Young Enough is a title that surely reflects the viewpoint of the terribly handsome fellow pictured on the cover. And perhaps the intended reader? Priceless cover.

Subtle image of a woman who likes her meat rare. The gentleman, a cast member of Mad Men, isn't quite sure where to take it from here, so he bangs his head against an empty glass.

Carnal Close-Out is a perfectly evocative title.

Good old Liverpool Press puts out again. Simple, effective illustration that says everything that needs to be said about this book "for mature readers". I reckon some immature readers got a hold of it, too.

"Her body was sin-bait in this lust game!" Sin-bait? 'A' for effort, Sundown.

Trying something much finer here to sell Mary's "misfortunes". 

A cover Tinto Brass would give his stamp of approval to. The gent appears to be sketching a woman not seen in the image here and she's naked also.

Brutal, dark art for Terrorist Tormentors, a series known for its more extreme illustrations.

A hint of Robert Bishop in its shading, too.

"Shame" was a frequently used word back in the day. "Shame-stunts" wasn't so common.

Pond Scum (The New Trailer)

POND SCUM (pre-release trailer) from CineNature on Vimeo.


POND SCUM is approaching the finish line.

A dedicated cast and crew (Renae Boult, Ward Boult, Dawna Lee Heising, Vida Gaffari, Paul Fanning, Marc Edward Heuck, Jacqui Fanning)  have made this bastard of a project possible.

I appreciate the unreasonable level of commitment from all.

POND SCUM is what I'd loosely call ero-horror, its emphasis being on sociopaths and the consequences of their pursuits. Some of those pursuits are darkly erotic, others are completely insane ventures into places no man or woman should go -- not if they expect to return unscathed.

The film is dedicated to my dear Japanese friend and fellow filmmaker Tomoaki Hosoyama, whose influence and friendship have been priceless and unique.

Righting Wrongs Via Mutilation (Pond Scum)

The Pond Scum (CineNature; 2013) shoot is coming to end.

This past weekend, force of nature Renae Boult finally addressed a very murky chapter in her character's checkered life. 

It was definitely 'Ladies' Day' on the Pond Scum set, and these ladies finally faced a rather shocking truth about their pasts.

More than a year in the making, the film has been blessed with stellar performances from Renae Boult, Paul Fanning, Ward Boult, Vida Gaffari, Jacqui Fanning, and the indefatigable Marc Edward Heuck 

Fifty Shades of a Deeper Gray: Fairy in A Cage

Beyond some extravagant and audacious bondage and torture sequences, Koyu Ohara's Fairy in a Cage (Nikkatsu Studios, '77) boasts stellar production values with period detail unique for its budget. Never have these elements been more obvious and lush than on Impulse/Synapse's Blu-ray of this infamous Roman Porno (Romantic Pornography) production. Never released on DVD or Blu-ray anywhere in the world, it finally gets the royal treatment.

Released simultaneously with the just-reviewed and highly praised Female Teacher: In Front of the Students, this superb piece of elegant perversion from '77, the year Star Wars arrived on our planet, is a must-have for collectors and the cinematically adventurous. The 'Fifty Shades of Gray' crowd may not be ready yet for  Mr. Ohara and writer Oniroku Dan's brand of S/M, but, if anybody is looking for a worthy entry point for this unique Japanese genre,  this may be a good place to start.

Mr. Dan is a Japanese novelist whose works have been enthusiastically adapted by erotic filmmakers. A couple of Dan standouts are Rope Cosmetology, Teruo Ishii's The Red Silk Gambler, and various films based on his 'Flower and Snake' books.   He's not big on plot or characterization, but he does imbue the genre with particularly personal touches.  You'll find a lot of rope bondage in the author's work, and Fairy  in a Cage is consistent with that fact.  The film is a catalog of squirmy "tortures" that run the gamut from suspension to spanking to various water-based outrages. Rape is pretty frequent, too.

Ohara, the director of the infamous Zoop Up: Rape Site,  True Story of a Woman Condemned To Hell, Wet and Rope, and the exploitation classic White Rose Campus: Then, Everybody Gets Raped, brings a more tempered artistic style to this tale of military and upper class corruption set doing WWII in the Land of the Rising Sun. The bare-bones story involves a wealthy pervert who uses a dubious military pretext to arrest and incarcerate (in his home torture chamber) a woman (Naomi Tani) that he wants for his own private amusement. Assisted by delightfully deviant wife, he involves Tani in his games, and brings along a devotee of hers (she's an actress!) for additional humiliation.

The film is lavish, somewhat confronting, but fairly predictable plot-wise until the two-thirds mark. It then shoots off on an interesting tangent and re-locates itself to a dense forest where horrors of a more personal kind are experienced by Tani, an actress who never met a torture she couldn't embrace.

The work of cinematographer Nobumasa Mizunoo on Fairy is exemplary. Surprisingly, he had only shot two Masaru Konuma classics before this (Erotic Diary of an Office Lady and Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession), but produces the work of a veteran artist here, delivering exquisitely lit interiors complimented by striking compositions. The tortures shot through the metal bars of a cell are breathtaking, as is his photographic treatment of the film's final denouement. 

Similar in style to Toshiharo Ikeda's very fine Sex Hunter, Koyu Ohara's Fairy in a Cage is intensely erotic stuff that will arouse the open-minded and shock those bringing traditional expectations of entertainment to it. Like all Nikkatsu 'pornos', it is not, in fact, pornography as we Westerners define it, and steers well clear of hardcore sexual depictions.

That it is now available on Blu-ray is, I must admit, kind of amazing.

I urge you to support this release with a legit purchase in order to encourage Impulse's head honcho Don May to think seriously about releasing such unreleased (in the US) Nikkatsu treats as Rape, White Rose Campus..., Zoom Up: Rape Site, Sex Hunter, and Raping! on Blu-ray.  

Don't Kow-Tow To The Noise

 

 

Two years in the making, my film Pond Scum nears completion.

Truly a collaborative effort, it has grown and morphed and mutated like a living organism into something that is, strangely enough, about the nature of creativity.

 

What I like most about filmmaking is the evolution of each project, and how the subject matter brings the like-minded together.

Frankly, I make films based on what fires me up. I make films with budgets and without budgets. There is always a way. That's what being creative is. Finding a way. Finding your own way. And ignoring the noise of negativity, envy, those projecting their own insecurities onto you, and those kow-towing to convention.

 

I have no illusions about Pond Scum's fate beyond completion.

It is dedicated to cinema's great revolutionary, Koji Wakamatsu, who may spin in his grave when he sees it. Who knows!?