Bloody Knuckles (Canada, dir. Matt O’Mahoney): Travis (Adam Boys) is an underground comics artist who specializes in being as offensive as possible. One of the targets of his latest issue of Tardgasm is crime lord Leonard Fong (Kasey Ryne Mazak), who has been in the local news due to some highly unethical business practices at one of the “legit” restaurants he owns. When the comic comes to Fong’s attention, he retaliates by having Travis’s hand chopped off. Despondent and no longer able to draw, Travis holes up in his apartment and tries to drink the days away. Meanwhile his rotting severed hand makes its way home, and it only wants one thing: revenge. Fortunately, Travis and his hand have an unexpected ally: a mysterious stranger who has taken up the mantle of the S&M superhero from Travis’s comics, Homo Dynamous (Dwayne Bryshun), and joins the fight against Fong. Bloody Knuckles is an absurd, juvenile take on some very familiar material, but that should not be read as a knock. That’s just what it is: its unapologetic enthusiasm for trash cinema and sly (if unsubtle) commentary on free speech is endearing, and its gleeful willingness to offend and is reminiscent of Troma in its prime. Artsploitation’s Blu-ray and DVD releases of the film include a commentary track by writer/director Matt O’Mahoney, deleted scenes, two shorts by O’Mahoney (“Adjust Tracking” and “Electric Fence”), the film’s trailer, and a series of interviews with O’Mahoney and Matt Garrett of the Cinedelphia Film Festival, DiabolikDVD‘s Joseph Gervasi (including a trip to the Diabolik “warehouse”), Robin Bougie of Cinema Sewer, and Josh Schafer of Lunchmeat VHS magazine.
Avon Triple Feature: Savage Sadists (1980), Den of Dominance (1980), and Daughters of Discipline (1983)
Originally published on Daily Grindhouse 26 August 2015
Since their launch a little over two years ago, Vinegar Syndrome has released a wide variety of cult and exploitation films, saving many obscure gems from all corners of American independent film history for future audiences. A large percentage of these have been adult films made from the 1960s through the 1980s, hardcore features that have previously only been available on home video (when they have been available at all) in old VHS or poorly-transferred DVDs. The fact that Vinegar Syndrome is doing serious, important work in preserving exploitation film history is indisputable. And for the most part, the adult films that they have released have been worthwhile for historical reasons and as entertainment. One of their most recent releases represents the company’s dedication to preserving all aspects of adult film history, but unfortunately is too ugly and mean-spirited to be much in the way of entertainment: The Avon Triple Feature.
Avon Productions was notorious even in the prime of the 42nd street grindhouse circuit for releasing some of the nastiest adult movies around. Their output, often referred to as “roughies” (for obvious reasons), included films with titles like Rape Victims (1975), Intimidation (1977), and The Taming of Rebecca (1982). Avon also produced one of the most infamous porno features all time, Shaun Costello’s “Enema Bandit” epic Water Power (1977). Phil Prince was Avon’s in-house director, and he made some of the company’s most outrageous films. Vinegar Syndrome presents three films by Prince running around 40 minutes each on one disc: Savage Sadists (1980), Den of Dominance (1980), and Daughters of Discipline (1983). True to their titles, these are three nasty slices of pure early ’80s New York sleaze.
Savage Sadists opens with two men breaking into the home of a porno producer to threaten him into paying his debts to a crime boss. They instead find his wife home and rape her at gunpoint; meanwhile, back at the office the husband is having sex with his secretary. The two thugs make their way to the office, where the husband hides under the desk while they rape his wife, secretary, and another employee. He manages to steal one of the thugs’ guns and the film ends “happily” with a long fart noise on the soundtrack.
Den of Dominance finds a young man wandering into a bar looking for a drink and a bite to eat. He is pleasantly surprised to find there is no food service, but there *are* prostitutes. He orders the “carte blanche” special, and his hired lady for the evening takes him to the back room for an S&M show. Afterward, they and another couple move to another room for their own session of bondage fun. There’s another long fart noise, and it’s over.
Daughters of Discipline concerns a pair of incestuous lesbian sisters who find their parents’ stash of bondage porn and call a male friend over so they can try out some of the stuff in the magazines. Their parents return early and catch them in the act, leading to the titular discipline, which includes Mom tying up the young man and Dad bending one of the daughters over the couch for a rough fucking. The film ends with Dad staring into the camera and laughing hysterically.
Den of Dominance is the only one of the three films that doesn’t feature rape or incest, and as such is not all that disturbing. The other two films, however, are blatantly cruel and aimed at titillation through presentation of frankly reprehensible content. They’re seriously unsettling in their crude mix of sexual violence and toilet humor, and the finale of Daughters of Discipline is particularly stomach-churning. Additionally, these films are barely competent from a technical standpoint, and their length and “stories” put them one tiny notch above all-sex 8mm loops. In short, these films are ugly (both morally and technically) and boring. They are the exact opposite of entertaining, interesting only as artifacts of a very particular style of filmmaking at a very particular time in adult film history. This is definitely *not* the disc anyone looking to start digging into 70s and 80s adult cinema wants to start with–it’s not hard to imagine these films scaring any curious cinephile off those films for good. Consider this an advanced course in adult film history, one that should only be watched with plenty of context regarding the era in which they were made and the other films of which they are contemporaries.
Unsurprisingly, Vinegar Syndrome has given these films what may be an even better visual presentation than they had when they first played the big screen. Each of the three films has been restored in 2K from 16mm vault elements, and they look very nice (especially Daughters of Discipline). There are no extras on the disc, but anyone who wants to have these films and knows what they’re getting into probably already has a good idea of the history of Avon films and Phil Prince, so just having good-looking transfers of the films is more than enough to justify a purchase. Again, anyone else will want to approach this disc with extreme caution. This is not “fun” stuff at all. Even so, Vinegar Syndrome’s mission of preserving the dark corners of independent exploitation and adult film history is commendable, and this is one of the best examples of their dedication to the cause.
Bat Pussy (197?) and Robot Love Slaves (1971)
Originally published on Film Monthly 27 November 2017
Something Weird Video has been a hugely important force in the preservation and distribution of cult and exploitation film history ever since founder Mike Vraney launched the label in 1990. Since its inception, Something Weird has championed paracinema legends such as Andy Milligan, Doris Wishman, Joe Sarno, Michael and Roberta Findlay, Zoltan G. Spencer, and countless others whose work would have otherwise disappeared into obscurity. In addition to classic exploitation films and a dizzying array of trailers and short subjects (including industrial, driver’s education, and “Christian scare” films), Something Weird has also released hundreds of adult feature films that would never have seen the light of day after their theatrical run. Many of these films were saved only by the preservation of a single remaining print, and of their entire catalog Bat Pussy is unquestionably one of the strangest, most mysterious, and most outrageously entertaining.
Buddy and Sam are a married couple hanging out naked in the bedroom of their apartment. It’s clearly a set, and from the echoing sound it appears the set was built in a gymnasium. Buddy is reading the latest issue of Screw magazine and he gets some ideas, so he and Sam (who spends literally the entire movie on the bed, mostly just sort of laying around) start to get frisky. But their relationship is complicated, so instead of j
ust having sex, they start bickering and sniping at each other. In fact, they never stop berating each other except for when their mouths are otherwise occupied. Meanwhile, Dora Dildo–also known as the sexual superhero Bat Pussy–senses that someone in Gothum City is making a porno movie without her. She awkwardly strips out of her nightgown and slowly puts on her Bat Pussy costume, then takes to her hippity hop and bounces over to Buddy and Sam’s place to join in their distinctly unsexy antics.
Bat Pussy is a spectacularly un-erotic bit of sex film history. Presumably filmed sometime in the very early 1970s, the film was discovered by Mike McCarthy on a reel of 16mm film among hundreds of similar reels in an old porno theater. McCarthy contacted Vraney, who bought the whole lot of films from the theater owner and used that haul to launch Something Weird’s “Dragon Art Theatre” line of hardcore VHS/DVD releases. Like many of those films, Bat Pussy has no opening title card or end credits. Very little is known about the film’s production, including where it was shot and who any of the people are who appear in it. It’s not even entirely certain that the title of the film is correct–again, like many of these films, Vraney gave it a title in order to sell it in the Something Weird catalog. This was also done with Robot Love Slaves, the other film that is included on AGFA/SWV’s new Bat Pussy Blu-ray.
Originally titled Too Much Loving, Robot Love Slaves is the story of nerdy scientist Clark and his attempts to build a perfect female sex robot in his creepy basement. Clark is viciously henpecked by his wife Marge, who is pretending to be paralyzed from the waist down as part of a scheme with her lover Dr. Dix to defraud Clark of his $5 million inheritance. But Clark has his own plans, and he sends two of his sex robots out on test runs that are clearly unrelated sex scenes probably shot for other movies or standalone loops. When the action returns to Clark’s house, he brings his lawyer friend George over to witness Marge get up and walk so he can safely leave her. She refuses, naturally, but Clark has one more trick up his sleeve that will insure his freedom. This film includes a few familiar faces for 70s adult and exploitation fans like Sandy Carey, Sandy Dempsey, and Candy Samples, but what it lacks in accidental body horror it more than makes up for with a generally creepy vibe. It also looks like the sex in this film was real, but all of the most explicit shots have been removed in the existing print so Robot Love Slaves exists in the same sort of limbo between hardcore and softcore as Bat Pussy.
This new Blu-ray from Something Weird and the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) presents both films in 2K transfers from the only known existing prints. Both prints were clearly screened quite a bit, but Robot Love Slaves is considerably more worn with constant emulsion scratches and lots of rough splices. The actual color and image quality of both films is a massive improvement over the previous VHS and DVD releases, though, and keeping the imperfections is part of AGFA/SWV’s mission with these films. In addition to the two features, there is a commentary track on Bat Pussy with Lisa Petrucci and Tim Lewis of Something Weird, Joseph Ziemba and Annie Choi of Bleeding Skull, and Sebastian del Castillo of the American Genre Film Archive. They frequently get (understandably!) distracted by the film, but their commentary is lively, fun, and informative as they discuss the history of the film and Something Weird. Petrucci also contributes liner notes to the booklet included with the disc, which also includes a piece by Mike McCarthy telling the story of how he found Bat Pussy. This is a fantastic, loving edition of one of the most bizarre artifacts ever dug up by Something Weird, a film that has become a classic among fans of the wildest, most remote corners of exploitation film history. Any such fan will find Bat Pussy a must-have for their home video library.
The “Blood Trilogy”: Blood Feast (1963), Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964), and Color Me Blood Red (1965)
Originally published 26 September 2011
Something Weird Video jumps into the Blu-ray arena with both feet on Tuesday, September 27th with its first two releases: Basket Case and The Blood Trilogy! The Blood Trilogy Blu-ray is an amazing treasure trove for fans of H.G. Lewis and David Friedman’s seminal gore films, collecting Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs! and Color Me Blood Red all on one disc along with a plethora of bonus features. And, of course, each film has been remastered in HD, so all that blood really pops off the screen!
Blood Feast (1963) is an indisputable classic of horror and exploitation cinema. Lewis and Friedman, looking for a new market to tap, decided to try to make a film packed with explicit, vividly depicted violence and gore. The result was a groundbreaking hit that guaranteed them a spot in cinema history for better or worse. Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold), a limping villain who worships the Egyptian goddess Ishtar and plans to carry out a ceremony that will return her to Earth to rule over mankind. Naturally, the rite requires different body parts from various beautiful young women, and before Ramses can be stopped he has already murdered an impressive percentage of his town’s young, single ladies. The film’s unprecedented level of gruesome violence fulfilled the ad campaign’s promise: “Nothing so appalling in the annals of horror!”
After the huge success of Blood Feast, Friedman and Lewis teamed up once again for Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964). A twisted take on Brigadoon, the film takes place in the isolated town of Pleasant Valley, site of one of the bloodiest massacres of the Civil War. Every 100 years, the town reappears to take revenge on any unsuspecting Yankees who happen to make their way into town and serve them up at the town barbecue. Much more ambitious and intentionally humorous than Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs! has the look and tone of a perverse live-action Disney film with its friendly, polite Southerners murdering their honored guests in a series of increasingly unpleasant ways.
The final film of the Friedman and Lewispartnership is 1965′s Color Me Blood Red. A sort of Technicolor take on Roger Corman’s A Bucket of Blood, Color Me Blood Red is the story of commercially successful but critically unpopular artist Adam Sorg (Don Joseph). Sorg is frustrated at his lack of critical acclaim, but happens upon a way to make his paintings really stand out: painting with human blood! While obviously satirical, Color Me Blood Red is a bit more serious in tone than the previous two films.
Remastered for this new Blu-ray release, all three films look stunning. Two Thousand Maniacs! in particular benefits from the HD remaster, with its bright palette and bigger scale compared to the other films. In addition to all three films, the disc features full-length commentary tracks (with Mike Vraney, Herschell Gordon Lewis, and David Friedman on Blood Feast, all three joined by Jimmy Maslon on the other two commentaries), over 75 minutes of outtakes from all three films, original theatrical trailers for the films, a vintage short called “Carving Magic” starring Harvey Korman and Bill Kerwin, a gallery of advertising art for the Blood Trilogy films, and a bizarre 1964 gore short called “Follow That Skirt!”
Even if you have the DVD versions of these films, this new single-disc release is well worth the upgrade. If this is what we have to look forward to from Something Weird on Blu-ray, fans of weirdo exploitation cinema are in for a treat!
Carnal Haven (1975), Her Last Fling (1976), Fantastic Orgy (1978), and Champagne Orgy (1978)
Originally published on Daily Grindhouse 30 November 2014
Among the many adult films released by Vinegar Syndrome, the films of Carlos Tobalina have stood out for their obvious preoccupation with very particular types of sex scenes: namely, orgies. The prolific and hugely successful adult filmmaker directed nearly 50 films over the course of his career, and Vinegar Syndrome has released several of his films in both standalone discs (Marilyn and the Senator, Jungle Blue) and Peekarama double features (The Ultimate Pleasure and I Am Always Ready, Oriental Hawaii and Mai Lin vs. Serena). In October and November, they released two more double features of Tobalina’s mid-70s films, and they have confirmed that more Tobalina titles are on the way in 2015. Whether Vinegar Syndrome are particular fans of Tobalina’s or they sell really well, there’s no disputing that his films are heavy on the group sex and light on everything else. T
he latest two Peekarama double features don’t do anything to challenge that assumption.
The first double feature starts with Carnal Haven (1975). The film opens with an orgy (apparently Tobalina’s favorite sexual activity, judging from his films I’ve seen so far) and then explains that all the people in the orgy are couples who are having difficulties in their relationship. Short vignettes show the couples in their unhappy home lives, and then the action cuts abruptly back to the orgy where we watch the couple as they expand their sexual horizons with a bunch of other people. The film features Lesllie Bovee, Annette Haven, John Leslie, Candida Royalle, and other names familiar to fans of 70s adult film, but it gives them very little to do other than act as participants and background extras in the orgy scenes. While purporting to be an “educational” film about how group sex can improve your relationship and mental health—or something along those lines—there’s just not much happening in Carnal Haven. It looks like Tobalina hired all the actors, shot a long orgy, and then figured out how to make it work as a narrative movie with little skits later.
This goes for the second film on this disc, Her Last Fling (1976), as well. Sandy (Sandy Feldman) is told by her doctor that she has only weeks to live, so she heads to Las Vegas to spend the last of her days in carnal ecstasy. This basically means we watch Sandy in the midst of an orgy scene, again featuring big name performers like Annette Haven, Candida Royalle, Paul Thomas and John Holmes as anonymous participants. Every once in a while there’s a little break where we watch Sandy wander the Las Vegas strip and think to herself, and then it’s back to the action. No points for guessing how this one turns out, but if you suspect a film from the guy who apparently believes group sex can fix all your physical and mental health problems does not end with its main character dying from some horrible illness, you will probably not be surprised.
The Unrepentant Cinephile Page 78