Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Go! Baby, Go!!, December 2, 2007
How dare you consider yourself a cult movie fan if you've never seen this film! Well, it is forgivable considering that in order to see this movie you either have to A) have forty bucks lying around to make a purchase on a film you've never seen, or B) have a video store in your vicinity that actually rents stuff like this out. Neither of these are very likely. But if you happen to catch this movie, it is a treat. Meyer's early 60s work is quite different than the goofball sex pictures he'd do down the road. In Faster Pussycat, three go-go dancers(led by the yummy Tura Satana) out for a joyride end up killing a guy and taking his girlfriend hostage. Then they catch wind of a crippled old hermit who has a bunch of money stashed away on his land. They devise a plan to seduce the two sons of the man and make off with the money. They soon realize that the old man is just about as crazy(if not crazier) than they are. Like I said, this is different than the later Meyer films. There's actually a bit more plot. In fact, the plot is almost something you could see the Cohen Brothers doing. There's no nudity or sex(plenty of innuendo), but the three lead women just ooze sexuality regardless of what they may be doing, whether eating dinner or beating the snot out of a guy. Especially Tura Satana, who looks so sexy, yet so dangerous that you're not sure if she'll throw you in bed to do the deed or break your neck. I'm sure it was rather risque for the time though. Exploitation films from this time period have the coolest look about them. The women, the fashions, the music, the muscle cars. It's easy to see why this film is such an inspiration to bands like White Zombie and The Cramps(if you're not familiar with Meyer, but happen to be a Cramps fan, it'll give you an idea of the movie to think that this is what a film directed by The Cramps would look like). If you come across it, or have forty bucks lying around with nothing to do, check this one out. Meyer's style may not be your bag, but at least you'll be able to say you've seen the film. Plus, you don't really know 'til you see it, right?
|
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A mid-sixties masterpiece of shock and schlock..., , September 28, 2007
Most B-movies produced for the drive-in market are watchable once or twice. This is one of a handful that improve with repeated viewings. And speaking of handfuls, let's look at the Pussycats themselves. First, there's Tura Satana as Varla. She must have taken a deep breath before every take, because she belts out almost every line of dialog with amazing force and menace. The only time she speaks at all rationally is when she's lying. Then, her whole persona changes to a shrugging deadpan. Lori Williams as Billy is the weakest of the three, though she would have dominated a normal drive-in flick. And her drunk scene is pretty much of a blast. But it's Haji's performance as Rosie that's the secret gem of this movie. She has the perfect undefinable latina accent-- neither Italian nor Spanish. In fact, she's a Canadian, and had to learn the accent. Hers is a wonderfully mannered, sneering performance I can't take my eyes off of.
Of the men, Stuart Lancaster chews the scenery brilliantly as the rich, crippled, cantankerous old letch. Leering and sneering, and drinking heavilly at lunch. And his hulking yet mentally challenged son The Vegatable is great fun to watch, too. Squinting with concentration before each halting line of dialog. Secretly gentle, despite the vile things the old man wants him to do. And, like most of the characters in Pussycat, he seems like he could have been written by Tenessee Williams on LSD.
Most of the dialog is quotable, and just about every frame could be enlarged to hang on the wall. This and Meyer's equally brilliant Beyond the Valley of the Dolls have had unestimable influence on directors as diverse as John Waters and Quinton Tarrantino. But, despite having been strip-mined over the years, retain a strange and often shocking vitality. As Richard Corliss said of Dolls, they mix evrything generally associated with both "good" and "bad" movies. And, while I take a break evey once in a while (you can't have candy for dinner every night) every time I come back to these flicks, my appreciation of them grows.
The presentation on this disc really is kind of lack-luster. I hear there's a double disc out in England with interviews with the Pussycats, etc. It might be worth getting an all-region player just for that.
|
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Amazing., April 27, 2009
I was surprised and amazed at how good this movie was after the first few minutes kicked in. What started off as a loud, dancing "another boobie movie" turned out to be a fantastically shot and incredibly well paced old school action movie also with humor, horror, suspense and sensuality. And believe it or not, all of the nudity is implied (there are no female frontal nude shots). This makes it all the more interesting to have three "bad" ladies bursting out of their shirts along with the innocent cutie, and yet we're left to only imagine. Great camera work and editing, bold acting and in-your-face directing. I can't imagine anyone being bored if they really give this one a chance! Classic!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
