Drive [2011]

By night he’s a getaway driver – by day he’s a Hollywood stunt driver – when he gets mixed up with a girl and the mob - things get violent.

First of all, I have been anticipating this film for several months now. The talent in front of the camera (Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks & Bryan Cranston) as well as the talent behind the camera (Nicholas Winding Refn) got me pretty psyched up for what appeared to be a hard hitting fast paced action film.

I really did not expect the film that I watched though. My presumption disparity was blown out of the theater – and though I expected something with more pep – I got an intelligent, beautiful film that’s going to linger with more far longer than what I went in expecting. I should have expected this considering Winding Refn was at the helm – as this was an essentially an extension of VALHALLA RISING – slow build ups – questions everywhere – and graphic acts of terrifying violence.

The film was all about building tension – the slow thoughtful pacing of the film – the long pauses in conversation – the low key ethereal synth music soundtrack – the static camera – was all carefully crafted and used in order to really help build up the underbelly of the film. When an act of violence would happen – it was graphic and startling – just the way it should be – it was realistic and horrifying. I gasped – LuLu Danger jumped – it was satisfying.

The acting was top notch – Ryan Gosling at times has an approach of being blank and not showing anything and it bothers me (FRACTURE) but when given a different context that bored/blank look of his has underlying issues – there’s nobody better. His lack of emotion – his lack of dialogue – just made his character endear to me more. LuLu and I walked out asking each other back and forth questions about him – agreeing there’s ton more that we’ll never know about him – and we loved it.

Carey Mulligan was sweet and complex – there was a certain level of complete perfection about how she behaved – the elevator scene will go down as one of the greatest scenes of her still very early career – she showed a maturity unlike many actresses and hit every emotional queue in such a broad spectrum like a fucking pro.

Albert Brooks is one of my favorite comedic actors of all time – but in DRIVE he terrified me. As much as Gosling kept it internal – Brooks allowed it to flow through his pores a bit more – and I got the feeling he was a man willing to do anything (there’s early Oscar talk for Brooks in this role – and I agree – I was seriously terrified of him). Bryan Cranston has a knack for acting fatherly and believable in whatever role he tackles – which he mixed with a slimy fast talker into this role – and he did it with a certain expertise.

I don’t have any complaints about the film. There is no other director that could have pulled off a film like this – the tone – the artistic styling. The acting was all exactly pitch perfection for what this film became. Maybe it needed more driving considering it was called DRIVE – but that’s not the point.


The comparisons to exploitation films are fair – with a slow building sense of tension exploding into graphic and perverse violence. I can see how this film wouldn’t speak to everyone’s tastes – as I realized how the tone of the movie was being set very early on – I worried LuLu wouldn’t like it – but I think it’s the reality of the film’s story and the compelling performances - really proved me wrong and she loved it. I did too.

P.S. LuLu and I were enthralled by Gosling’s white satin jacket the entire film – there was a certain fucking badass look to that jacket – though it was a dated look. It really reminded me of how Christina Lindberg looked in THRILLER with the eye patch and trench coat and how there’s something simplistically amazing about it. If LuLu and I ever make it to a Comic Con – I think I know what I would like for us to dress up as.

P.P.S. I'll throw my hat in there and say even though I've been incredibly picky about what I've watched this year - this is my favorite of the lot thus far in 2011.

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight [1973]

Despite the fact that notorious assassin Shino rejects the ways of the Bohachi clan – instead of being handed over to the authorities – Shino works as the lead assassin to help the Bohachi clan seize power in the region by eliminating their competition.


I’ve defined pinky violence – as women in the lead aggressor role who assume power over men/authority, which are usually corrupted, by using sex and violence. From the “expert” interview on the DVD – pinky violence is defined as being women’s sexuality enticing men to violence. (The expert was sitting in his basement with fast food wrappers around him – so his credentials have taken a hit by his presentation) So, by either definition this film WAS NOT pinky violence (though it’s marketed as one) – it is a period drama/samurai film – with tons and TONS of nudity.


No complaints about the nudity. None.
I wasn’t enthusiastic about the sets – it looked very studio and fake – but as the film progressed I began to really like how they were being used to add contrast. As the film unfolded – and a psychedelic element was introduced the sets made more sense – and it worked so much better and became something I really liked instead of cringed at. I think the directing was solid – and though the film dragged a bit in parts – the filmmakers knew what they were doing in making a very good film.


I liked Shino – though his character didn’t make as much sense to me. The beginning of the film – he flat out rejected the ways of the Bohachi clan – and I assumed that this is where the main conflict would come from. He would play the clan and the authorities against each other – and it would be Yojimbo / A Fistful of Dollars kind of story. Instead he seemed to go along with the flow of the clan way too much and became less of a strong figure and more of a lapdog. I kept wondering when he’d show his hand – and honestly – I’m not sure if he did.


The main contradiction of Shino – was he tries to kill himself pontificating “If death is hell – how does it compare to the hell that is life?” He is rescued – but is obviously fearless of his own demise. So, why does he care if he’s turned over to the authorities? Isn’t it honorable to die in battle against the many Bohachi or the army of authorities? The film tries to play that he is fearless and that’s what makes him unstoppable – so why bend your morals, Shino? Fucking fight everyone!
The Code of the Forgotten Eight sounds really fucking cool – and you think that Shino will be the last of his clan of eight samurai and he was going to uphold his code all over the Bohachi clan’s asses! You learn pretty early though – that the Bohachi are the ones who have decided to “forget” the eight “virtues” – which essentially boils down that they have allowed themselves to become chauvinist pigs. They freely torture and rape women into submission – and when you think that the women will rise up against them – (especially five women in particular) – they just play submissive to the clan and let them use them to hold power by ruling through their brothels.


Wasn’t that in SCARFACE; once you have the women – then you get the power?


Unfortunately, with Shino becoming the Bohachi’s lapdog – and the mysterious ninja clan not being much of a major factor – and the women happy to be dominated – and a run time of 81 minutes – the film doesn’t hold up to what should’ve been. Meaning – without telling you the ending - there was no real conclusion – there were a few great fight sequences – and a pretty cool “ending” – but there was no sense of justice done or tragically left undone.


I wish this was the first or second film of a series and I can turn to the sequel – and continue the story – as this felt like a solid middle part of a pretty epic story. I recommend this film only hesitantly – for the style, direction, fight sequences and ridiculous amount of nudity – but not for the story.

Anita: Swedish Nymphet [1973]

Every so often I rent something thinking it will be one thing – and it turns out to be something else entirely. I rented Anita because it was a Christina Lindberg film – and I’ve enjoyed her other movies. This one sounded like it was another one of her typical films where there’s little plot and a lot of nudity. Well, nudity this film certainly has a lot of – but when it comes to a plot – wow.

Anita (played by Christina Lindberg) is a 17-year old nymphomaniac in a small town outside of Stockholm. She’s notorious throughout the town – to the point where she’s mocked by her peers, used by the men in town and a disgrace to her parents. She hops a train to Stockholm one day as the police were looking for her and to have a fresh set of new men to go after. This is where she meets Erik (played by Stellan Skaarsgard) who runs into her as he’s chasing after someone – and he takes her in to mend her scrapped up knee. Erik identifies that she has a serious problem – and tries to talk her through her issues. Erik eventually falls in love with her – which causes a problem since Anita is stuck in the power struggle of her illness – and Erik doesn’t want to be a guy she uses once and then discards.

What I loved about this movie was the level of depth it delves into with her illness. They don’t glorify it – they treat it like she’s really sick. The nudity and sex becomes unsexy pretty quickly – and soon you are pleading with Anita to stop herself. They explored Anita’s family life - which was at the cause for her worthless feelings about herself and thus caused her nymphomania – with a series of flashbacks.

As a matter of fact – the story flowed from flashback to present time for more than half the beginning of the film. This really helped balance what she was doing and the possible inner monologue that was happening at the time. No scene went too long or with out a future explanation. The story set-up and execution on that level was mind blowing – it’s the kind of stuff major motion picture companies still can’t get right these days.

Christina Lindberg did an AMAZING job in her performance. She’s always felt like she was disconnected from her characters – but in Anita her hesitation as an actress really helped in her performance. Though I hesitate to say that it was the same type of performance that I’m used to seeing. You really felt - when she was desperately searching for a guy – that addiction. You really felt – when she was lying on the couch crying – that repentance for what she did.

The story between Anita and Erik really played out quite well. Erik you felt was more concerned for Anita’s well being than anyone was in the entire film. He brought her in to his house of music students (it was unclear if he was a psych student or a music instructor) – but he tried to have everyone show understanding for Anita – and figure out how he could best help work her through her issues. He did it in such a way that it kind of worked itself into the story – you didn’t feel like he was sitting on a distant chair taking notes – he was there with her in the trenches of her mind.

Probably the only thing that bothered me about this movie – was once Anita was “cured” – Erik and Anita finally got to be ‘together’ – but Erik moved way too quick to touch her breasts (though I can’t blame him) – but that seemed inappropriate for the mood that was set for that scene. Erik even commented that he wanted to dive in – but felt like he should have all the restraint in the world. I felt that the scene could’ve even just been the two of them lying in bed fully clothed – and it would’ve felt more complete.

The Image DVD release of Anita – is on a flat horrible print. There’s probably nothing they can do about the film stock – they certainly aren’t going to bring it in for a full scrubbing considering it’s a Swedish cult film and they won’t make their money back – but it would’ve been nice.

Ultimately, this is a very well made love story. And even though the cover makes it look like you are about to watch something very dirty – it’s got more heart and depth to it than most films.

T is for...

This is the film that Quentin Tarantino (Director, KILL BILL VOL. 1 & 2, PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS) called "the roughest revenge movie ever made!"… THRILLER – A CRUEL PICTURE is finally making its U.S. DVD debut in this Uncensored Limited Edition. With only 25,000 units in the total DVD production run, this cult gem will soon be gone forever! Order now so you don’t miss out on THE exploitation DVD release of the year!

Growing up mute after a childhood sexual assault, a young girl (played by beautiful cult starlet Christina Lindberg) spends years working on a remote farm. After missing the bus one day, she is picked up by a suave young man who takes her out to dinner, drugs her and forces her into a life of drug addiction and prostitution.

Torn away from home, she rebels against her captor only to have one of her eyes gouged out as punishment (in a scene rumored to have been filmed with an actual corpse). After learning of the death of her parents and fed up with the cards life has dealt, she trains herself in the fine arts of fighting, killing and revenge. Transformed into a one-woman killing machine (and armed with a sawed-off shotgun), she uses her new skills to enact bloody revenge on those who have done her wrong.

Synapse Films has painstakingly restored THRILLER – A CRUEL PICTURE from original vault materials to bring you the totally uncensored version of the ultimate revenge-exploitation movie! Originally released in the U.S. in a heavily truncated form as THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, THRILLER is presented here with all the graphic sex, violence and action intact. Over 20 minutes of additional footage has been restored! (synopsis provided by Amazon.com)

released 1974

directed by Bo Arne Vibenius

F is for...

Gonzo doesn't begin to describe this wild women-in-prison film. A mad mix of outrageous exploitation, flamboyant art movie, and energetic comic book, this manga-inspired cult classic is actually the second film in a series, but you hardly need the history. Matsu (Meiko Kaji, of Lady Snowblood fame) is an innocent woman in jail who defies the sadistic warden and brutal guards with silent stares and sudden strikes. Nicknamed "Scorpion" for her lethal, lightning attacks, she is systematically abused, tortured, and humiliated by the vengeful warden (guess why he wears that eye patch), but escapes with a chain gang and leads the cops on a violent chase through the countryside. The doomed "Seven Sinful Women" are systematically cut down by the trigger-happy posse, but not before they take a few with them. Kaji gives a near silent performance as the smoldering Matsu, who stares out from under artfully tousled hair with piercing eyes and spars with her bullying, psychotic cellblock rival. Director Shunya Ito paints his striking set pieces in brilliant colors: an autumnal death scene that turns from restful, leaf-blown orange to a desolate gray in a flash, a blue waterfall that suddenly runs red with blood, an escape down a literal mountain of garbage. Never has exploitation looked so beautiful.

Mastered from a gorgeous widescreen print, the image is sharp and the colors vivid. The subtitles are printed on the film, but in this case they are easy to read and grammatically sound. The DVD also features the theatrical trailer and informative liner notes that chart the series' background history by film programmer and historian Chris D. (synopsis provided by Amazon.com)

directed by Shunya Ito

released 1972

E is for... [part 2]

Esteemed author Albert Radeck is the toast of the Berlin literati and the object of his stepdaughter Eugenie's affections. However, when his doe-eyed little darling unmasks her sophisticated father figure as a sex-crazed psychopath obsessed with perpetrating the perfect crime, she transforms from innocent ward to a willing accomplice. The deadly duo seduce and destroy everyone in their path - until Eugenie's charms spark a jealous rage in Albert that threatens to consume them both.

Prolific filmmaker Jess Franco (MARQUIS DE SADE'S JUSTINE, SADOMANIA) again brings the writings of the Marquis de Sade to bloody life with the aid of the sinister Paul Muller (EUGENIE...THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION), and the beguiling beauty of Soledad Miranda (VAMPYROS LESBOS, SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY) and Alice Arno (JUSTINE DE SADE). This twisted tale of the perverse has been remastered from its recently discovered original negative and is offered completely uncut and uncensored. (synopsis provided by Amazon.com)

directed by Jesus Franco

released 1970

Weekend Viewing - Feb 26-28 (part 1)

The Stewardesses [1969, directed by Al Silliman Jr.]

We follow a bunch of sex craved stewardesses as they have sex - in this 3D cult classic.

I typically don’t go for dated sex comedies – but this one had a bit of charm to it and I found it somewhat amusing. There was the LSD trip that made one stewardess want to have sex with a lamp - which I found both bizarre and funny. The whole movie climaxed in a strange murder suicide that made very little sense – but I guess there had to be some kind of climax. I’m giving it a 3 out of 5 for the laughs.

Surrogates [2009, directed by Jonathan Mostow]

Everyone has chosen to experience the world through their robot selves – making the world a safer and sexier place – that is until someone figured out how to kill the operators of the robots.

This film made very little sense when it all boils down to the ending. It obviously tried to make a statement about how people live their lives on the internet more than in person – which I appreciated – but that was about it. At the end I kept shouting at my TV saying “how does this make any sense?” because the plot hinges on one particular thing – and it turns out that this ‘one particular thing’ is being enacted by someone and it just doesn’t add up. I’m giving it a generous 2 out of 5 because of the message and a couple of good action sequences – but the rest sucked.

The Devil’s Plaything [1973]

I was interested in checking out any Joe Sarno film ever since the LJ cult film community featured a few recently. I’m not sure if I’ve seen one of his films before but the name definetly rings a bell with me – and the bell it rings is ‘avoid’ – I’m not exactly sure why – but The Devil’s Plaything may be a good example.

Inexplicably people just show up at a castle on the hillside – and have to stay there. They mention that there’s an inheritance – but the fact that there’s 3 different women and they all can’t inherit the same castle especially considering they don’t act like they know each other – or infer that they are related in any way. Then – again with little explanation – a couple shows up claiming their car was wrecked in the mountain side and need a place to stay for the night. The only problem with this is – they stay for a week.

Each night (and they come frequently) there is bongo playing – and gyrating naked women in the basement. This keeps some of the women up at night – but no one bothers to mention it to their hostess. The hostess (played wonderfully by the often smirking Nadia Henkowa, picutred on the far right) claims the castle used to belong to a female vampire – who was burned at the stake many years ago – and is prophesized to be resurrected into a new body. The bongos are obviously part of the ritual to resurrect their master – and after strange behavior by several of the guests – and constant nights of bongos – it’s very odd no one is creeped out enough to say something – or to leave all together.

There are story problems with this movie – so much that I lost interest and paused it every 15 minutes to check my e-mail or to mop the floor. Watching cult films – I should be more prepared for rambling stories that seem not to go anywhere – but every 5 minutes it’s a new night – and every night there’s the same gyrating naked women in the basement with the same bongo beat – it got to be too much for my state of mind.

The fact that the couple shows up and the woman is actually a self-expressed occult expert – is bothersome as you know the vampire cult SHOULD do something about her immediately – but they take their time. So, you know that there’s going to be conflict – and eventually it will come down to the headmistress/the vampire master vs. the occult expert and her brother/boyfriend – who’s the only male character who seems to have more than a bit part.

The headmistress and the occult expert – had a delightful scene together very early on – where there was so much smirking at each other that I had to laugh out loud. Another laugh out loud scene involved two women characters who were standing next to each other – and one of them (pictured wearing a tie above) started tripping up over her lines – and then looked next to the camera and started reading those lines in the most obvious way. Right up there with the smirking scene – was a scene where black triangles that were supposed to be bats were attacking the occult expert. The “bats” made a noise like they were giving her little kisses. It was bizarre to be sure – and the fact that in order to get rid of the “bats” she tore off her own clothes – made the kissing noises even more bizarre.

Over all – it was a poorly executed film – and for the most part kind of boring (or as boring as gyrating naked women can be). I shy away from the whole ‘so bad it’s good’ comment – simply because it’s a movie it either provides entertainment or it doesn’t. This film wouldn’t qualify for that description anyway – it’s not ambitious enough to be entertaining – but there were some of those elements that you say to yourself ‘what the fuck?’ and you are laughing unintentionally. If you’ve seen one film about women lured to a castle by cultists – you’ve seen this film.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars.