Russ Meyer-The Life and Films: A Biography and a Comprehensive, Illustrated and Annotated Filmography and Bibliography [Paperback]

David K. Frasier (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786404728 | ISBN-13: 978-0786404728 | Publication Date: November 1997

Credited with having "opened the floodgates of screen permissiveness" in 1959 with the landmark "nudie" The Immoral Mr. Teas, legendary independent softcore filmmaker Russ Meyer has continued throughout his 30-year career and 23+ films to expand the limits of screen freedom with such genre classics as Lorna (1964), Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966), and Vixen (1969). Long recognized as an American auteur and honored by numerous international retrospectives of his work, Meyer's story provides valuable insights into independent filmmaking, the history of the modern sexploitation genre, and cinema censorship. Researched from underground, popular and film literature, this book also incorporates much of the material contained in Meyer's own vast archive, to give an in-depth study of the director dubbed "King Leer."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"a model for this type of reference" -- ARBA

"a must" -- Movie Collector's World

"a valuable overview...will be welcomed by fans and film scholars" -- Filmfax

"detailed and fascinating.... I'm in awe of [Frasier's] research" -- Psychotronic

"extensively researched...an abundance of information" -- Sightlines

"highly recommended" -- Film Review Annual

"truly an exhaustive bibliographic study" -- Choice

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786404728
• ISBN-13: 978-0786404728
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,991,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Let The Meyer Buyer Beware!, September 2, 2001

By 

John Adams Ervin (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Russ Meyer-The Life and Films: A Biography and a Comprehensive, Illustrated and Annotated Filmography and Bibliography (Paperback)

Anyone expecting a definitive biography of the life and work of the Sultan of Sexploitation be warned -- this is anything but a biography! Instead, it is a BIBliography of newspaper and magazine articles having anything remotely to do with the auteur, his campy cinema classics and the ridiculously endowed women who graced them with their wildly varying acting abilities but always welcome presence. There are also numerous references to documents used during the obscenity trials that periodically hounded his career, particularly in connection with one of his best films, "Vixen."

However, these entries -- which are broken down by his personal life, his wives, the aforementioned actresses and, primarily, his films -- do contain one-paragraph descriptions that -- either by design or by accident -- reveal interesting tid bits on Meyer's sometimes fun, sometimes testy, but always interesting relations with his casts, his distributors and a public
that was never at a loss for strong feelings about the Man and his Mammarial MacGuffins. Also, there is a concise and well written essay at the beginning which covers Russ' career from his WWII newsreel shoots (including the invasion of Normandy) to the inception of his still unfinished video reminiscence of his work and the writing of his massive (and hideously expensive) three-volume autobiography, "A Clean Breast."
In the end, until a real biography comes along (the jury's still out on whether the new "The Very Breast of Russ Meyer" is a bio or just another reference guide) this 1990 squib will suffice as a provider of facts, figures and leads for hungry Meyer fanatics who've exhuasted all the web sites. And the crazy poster reproductions and pictures of the ladies don't hurt either.

5.0 out of 5 stars Your intro to the outrageously abundant world of Russ Meyer..., August 18, 2011

By 

J.D. Guinness (Kelowna, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Russ Meyer-The Life and Films: A Biography and a Comprehensive, Illustrated and Annotated Filmography and Bibliography (Paperback)

This slight but attractive book is best described as a "beginner's guide" on Russ Meyer, recommended to those of you who may have recently discovered Meyer, as I did, on either cable TV or video rentals.

Author David K. Frasier's introductory essay (in which he examines whether or not the multi-talented but breast-obsessed Meyer can really be considered a filmmaking auteur) is excellent in its clarity and accuracy. It helps that Frasier was a personal friend of Meyer's and had his complete cooperation in the writing of this book, circa 1990.

For the most part, though, the book is a rundown on where you can find other articles on Russ Meyer, which is bound to put off those fans looking for a more straightforward biography. It shouldn't, though. The last section of the book, the filmography, is wonderful in that you get all the facts and figures (pun intended) on all the RM films and actresses. Nice, sharp B & W reproductions of film posters are included, as are many rare photos of RM's beautiful actresses and RM himself at work.

As I say, for a really in-depth look into Russ Meyer's private life you'd need to look elsewhere. While this is not the most detailed book about him, I do find it's the one I personally pick up the most, therefore I'd call it the only ESSENTIAL book on Russ Meyer.