“Gene Hackman Attacks Lee Marvin With A Wheat Harvester Over A Very Naked Sissy Spacek!”

Talk about a film that sell itself! What you just read is the plot for “Prime Cut”, one of the most obscure and fascinating grindhouse classics of the early 70′s! And while Spacek was clothed in this chase sequence, she also spent alot of time like this!

Time to share this nasty little action picture – with two of the biggest stars of their day – and Sissy Spacek’s acting debut!

Prime Cut!

Lee Marvin was one of film’s all-time tough guys, and no more so than in this gritty thriller, where he saves a naked Sissy Spacek from the mob…here’s a teaser:

Lee Marvin plays his toughest role ever, as an “Enforcer” for the Mob, who heads to Kansas City to get the money that Gene Hackman owes the Mob..

Oh yeah, Hackman’s not really interested in paying back what he owes…and from then on out, the fight is on!

Hackman plays a cattle rancher who not only grinds his enemies into sausage, but sells women as sex slaves, and yes, he keeps them penned up…like I said, this is a dirty little grindhouse film!

The movie was considered highly risqué for its time based on its level of violence, as well as its graphic depiction of female slavery, including a scene depicting the auctioning of young women in the manner of beef cattle.

Gene Hackman digs into his role as the bad guy, just one year after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for “The French Connection!”

The King Of Cool!

There’s no doubt that Lee Marvin was the “King Of Cool.” He also won Best Actor a few years earlier, for his comedic work in “Cat Ballou!”

Marvin was also the star of the seminal 60′s action thriller “Point Blank”, and it’s Marvin’s turn once again to kick ass and takes no prisoners in “Prime Cut”.

There is a scene where Marvin and Sissy Spacek are chased through a wheat field by a shredder…a great action sequence.

Marvin and Spacek have a great rapport in the film, as he takes on a “father figure” role to help her escape from the bad guys…

A couple of years before she catapulted to stardom in “Carrie”, Sissy Spacek co-stars, and does a great job in the role…

This was Sissy Spacek’s feature film debut – and involves a lot of nudity. She is not only one of the naked “penned” girls, but spends most of her time wearing a see through dress…

I’m not sure if she remembers this film fondly, but she got to work with two acting legends right out of the gate! Marvin and Gene Hackman have a number of great scenes together, a couple of tough guys chewing up the scenery in a great B-movie.

“Prime Cut” is one of the more obscure action movies of the early 70′s, but it delivers the goods!

“…More Sexually Disturbed Than ‘SYBIL’! More Faces Than ‘The 3 Faces Of Eve!’”

Now how can you argue with a film that describes itself like THAT?

A Saint, A Woman, A Devil!

OK, there are ALMOST no words to describe this ultra-obscure’70′s sexploitation classic! First, check out this vintage trailer!

There is nothing more satisfying that uncovering a slice of cinema that is SO OBSCURE AND YET SO TWISTED – that you cannot believe it took until now to unearth! It’s enough to drive you mad – or at least bring a twisted smile to your face!

Thanks to the twisted minds at Vinegar Syndrome, “A Saint, A Woman, A Devil” is now available to experience at home! Vinegar Syndrome has saved a number of obscure cult films for offbeat movie fans, and this is no exception. He is how they describe their new release:

One of the oddest mixes of drive-in craziness and steamy action, “RAGING BULL” co-writer Peter Savage’s sleazy adaptation of “THE THREE FACES OF EVE” finally comes to home video fully uncut with all the mind-boggling plot twists and sex-filled fun fully intact!

Young Sylvia is a good, pure Christian, but her friends and family are noticing strange things happening to her. Sylvia is experiencing sudden transformations from a church going innocent into a sex-obsessed vixen, violently seducing every man (and woman) in sight!

Shocked by these episodes, her beautiful sister seeks help from a psychiatrist (played by director Peter Savage) and the two of them begin to explore the dark secrets in Sylvia’s past that have lead to her unnatural sexual awakening.

Better known under its re-issue title of SYLVIA, Vinegar Syndrome brings this sexy cult film to DVD in its original cut and under its original title, A SAINT, A WOMAN, A DEVIL! And that’s enough to bring a smile to your face!

And thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, there are many more classic sexploitation films to check out!

Yes, there are classic grindhouse films like “Massage Parlor Hookers” AKA “Massage Parlor Murders” now out on blu-ray thanks to Vinegar!

Read all about this classic slice of exploitation by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/02/70s-sin-ema-massage-parlor-murders-ursula-gets-naked-gritty-grindhouse-classics/

And don’t forget, Vinegar Syndrome also rescued this obscurity from oblivion!

You need to check out this classic film – click on my link to read all about it!

http://johnrieber.com/2014/02/25/the-telephone-book-a-legendary-mind-blowing-obscure-cult-classic/

Time to celebrate one of cinema’s greatest Producers – RIP to iconic Movie Master Harry Novak – who entertained the world with a classic array of hits like THESE!

Yes, some of the greatest films ever made – from a time when the title and tagline for a film were as important as what was in it! Because as you can see, it was:

“A CITY RIPPED APART BY SIN AND LUST!”

Thanks to legendary film Producer Harry Novak, we will always have these classic slices of cinema to enjoy – because Harry helped blow the doors off cinema! RIP Harry, you will be missed – let’s remember how he heated up movie theaters forever!

Sexploitation Lives!

Harry Novak is one of the most influential Producers in movie history. Why? Easy! How can you not love a guy who was behind a film like this?

It’s just one of the deliciously wicked films from the mind of Novak. To fully appreciate his impact, a quick bit of history…back to a time when seeing a salacious film was more difficult, more daring…and very dangerous for the people making them!

Enter The Glory Years Of Exploitation!

In the 60′s and 70′s, exploitation films – also known as “sexploitation” movies – were the cheapest, sleaziest films there were: low budget, often poorly made, and often dubbed european films that were shown exclusively in inner city “grindhouses”…

In big cities, especially New York’s Times Square, these downtown movie theaters were open 24 hours a day, and didn’t care WHAT was going on in the seats – seeing a film here was a dangerous sport! And the movies that were shown were “grinding out” all day and night – usually a gratuitous mix of non-stop sex and violence…hence the term “grindhouse”:

And they were aiming for one thing, and one thing only…to satisfy a PURIENT INTEREST:

Here is the definition of PRURIENT: “Having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.”

Well then, there you go. And Harry was about to satisfy a lot more than that!

Movies like “Scream In The Streets” were designed to tease and titillate – and also WARN everyone about the dangers of promiscuity…remember, when these movies were shown, there were no “hardcore” movies in theaters – nudity and sex were a dangerous mix…

So these “sexploitation” films were a legal outlet for pent up sexual repression – and presented as “sex education”, therefore slipping back local censors…

In those early days, these films were always presented as if they were made for one reason only: to warn you of the dangers lurking in the big city!

It was a wild time for all – along with Times Square, these movies were routinely booked in drive-in theaters in the midwest and south, with lurid come-on advertising – and in many cases they high-tailed it out of town with the police close behind.

Celebrate Exploitation!

I do not apologize at all for my love of “grindhouse” films: these movies celebrate sex, violence, and – well – MORE sex and violence, but they are an important part of our cinematic history, for they helped open the doors to much more “adult” film making. I mean, who can argue with titles like these:

Harry Novak was a master in making money off sex – as you see, often with a sense of humor! Appreciate them for what they are – the opening of the door to a new world of freedom in movie making that now results in “anything goes”…

And Thanks To Harry Novak, It DID!

Here is a look at three of Harry’s sexploitation masterpieces – beginning with one that was so iconic it even go the attention of the President Of The United States!

Mantis In Lace – 1968

She loved them…and loved them…and loved them…TO DEATH!

Look at this! President Obama and VP Biden enjoying a burger in a shop that never stops celebrating this film!!!!

Time to meet the sexy cast of “Mantis In Lace!”

The plot of “Mantis In Lace” is pure Novak: Lila (played by Susan Stewart) is a good-natured go-go dancer who strips at a seedy topless bar on the Sunset Strip. After ingesting LSD, Lila becomes a psychopathic serial killer!

Read This Carefully!

Now listen to how crazy this plot gets: she continues to pick up men at the bar where she is employed, but:

after her sanity is lost she routinely is interrupted mid-coitus by psychedelic bad trips in which she visualizes a balding, half-naked old man clutching wads of cash in one hand and a bunch of bananas in the other.

Yes, you read that right!

These psychotic episodes cause her to murder her partners by stabbing them with a screwdriver and dismembering them with a rusty meat cleaver (or in one case, a garden hoe) while imagining that she is cutting up cantaloupes and watermelons. As you can see from this VHS cover, they had no problem selling the seddier elements of this movie!

Sexploitation King Harry Novak produced and distributed a prolific number of exploitation films from the early 60s to the mid-70s, including “Mantis in Lace” – which exemplified the wacky theatrics that went into selling sex in the late 60′s and 70′s.

Novak’s later films straddled the line between hardcore and softcore pornography by featuring both full frontal nudity by both women and men – something that had never been seen before in a movie theatre!

Novak was one of the first to push the envelope for adult content in movies…using the “educational tone” of his movies to fight obscenity charges….

After the floodgates were open, Novak expanded by heading out to the country for some fun:

Talk About “Driving A Hard Bargain!”

I mean, look at that poster! As a producer, Novak expanded his taste for film, and his most popular late-period genres were rural comedies like “The Pigskeeper’s Daughter”…

Thanks to Something Weird, a great double bill DVD exists!

Sassy Sue / The Pigkeeper’s Daughter

Come on down to the farm for some fun! Producer Harry Novak was a legend for his lowest-common denominator approach to film making, which resulted in movies like these playing all over the country to “excitable” teen boys:

Yes, girls down on the farm who just want to have a “roll in the hay.” Thanks to the terrific company Something Weird Video, these classic sexploitation films live on.

As you would imagine, the plots are simple: “Sassy Sue” tells the story of Pa, a moonshining chicken farmer, who is worried that his dim-witted son Junior is becoming way more attracted to their cow Sassy Sue than he should be, so he sets out to gather up all the nubile young farm girls in the area and get them to show Junior what he’s missing. And they do, trust me.

The special edition includes: Country Bumpkin Trailers for these movies, plus “Country Cuzzins,” “Country Hooker,” “Midnite Plowboy,” “Southern Comforts” and “Tobacco Roody” – plus, a bonus Southern-Style 32-Minute Theatrical Featurette: “The Old Man’s Bride”.

Buy this and you will thank me the longest day of your life!

In addition to producing films about America, Novak would also bring classic european sexploitation to America, leading to what I consider the craziest slice of “euro-sleaze” ever unleashed upon America!

“A young bride, left alone to the lewd passions of an evil dwarf!”

The film’s releasing company was called “Box Office International”, which was Harry’s film company, and the film is “presented by Harry Novak” – in other words, Harry went overseas to keep his sexploitation madness alive in America!

Here is the plot of this twisted masterpiece: Diminutive former kiddie-show host Torben Bille – who looks disturbingly like Jack Black in a trash compactor – stars as a young man who takes a special interest in the female guests at his mother’s boarding house…

Yes, that is Torben Bille – “The Sinful Dwarf” – who stars as the pint-sized pervert who imprisons drugged teenage sex slaves in the attic of his drunken mother’s decrepit rooming house…and that’s just the first ten minutes!

Poor Anne Sparrow!

Just look at this description from the cover art:

“The delicious Anne Sparrow – in her first and understandably only screen role – co-stars in this towering achievement in graphic depravity, now fully restored from a 35mm print discovered hidden in a janitor’s closet at the Danish Film Institute!”

Anne Sparrow certainly had a good reason NEVER TO ACT AGAIN – in classic euro-sleaze style, she is abducted and abused by our Sinful Dwarf – while her husband naively looks for a job…

Oh, did I mention that his Mom is CRAZY – and yes, she SINGS! Happy Mother’s Day indeed! You will never clean your ears the same way again…

And yes, that’s right – this movie was not only found in a janitor’s closet in Denmark – but they chose not to throw it out!

You will never see a more bizarre film than “The Sinful Dwarf” – and yes, it’s a euro-sleazy as they come…this is grindhouse at its best – or worst!

Novak went on to produce more films throughout the 70′s and 80′s , but these were his “exploitation masterpieces”…from his first :Kiss Me Quick”:

To one of his last, with the classic tagline:

“Let’s Play Hide And Go Kill!”

RIP Harry Novak – your twisted movie madness will be missed!

Have You Heard Of This Classic Genre Of Exploitation?

I am a big fan of all sorts of exploitation films, and this genre is a great one for me – get ready to go down under for some “Ozploitation!”

“A Time When Admission Was Cheap – And The Thrills Even Cheaper!”

Well, if The Village Voice says it, it must be true! And now, there is a compilation of movie trailers that celebrate Australia’s “anything goes” era of film from Australia!

I can’t wait to watch them all! Check out this trailer for “Dead End Drive-In!”

How can you top that for exploitation fun? It’s got, blood, sex AND Aussie accents, and it’s just one of the many pleasures to be found HERE!

Yes, this is an amazingly fun collection of “65 jaw-dropping vintage coming attractions of sex, action & horror from down under!

The exploitation era in Australia is a fascinating one – weird, offbeat films – and very colorful characters in front of and behind the camera!

“Not Quite Hollywood!”

Dozens of vintage exploitation trailers await you on the trailer collection – and if you need more, check out this documentary all about this era of Australian film making:

This is a great docu, telling the story of a wild era in film…really worth checking out…as is this classic look at 70′s sexy Australia…

You can read my story about some of the wildest 70′s sexcapades ever, including a documentary about sex in Australia….

http://johnrieber.com/2012/04/06/how-can-i-offend-you-best-documentaries-pt-2/

And you also need to check out one of the most disturbing Australian films of the early 70′s – a brutal look at the hard drinking Australian outback!

Wake In Fright!

This classic cult film from Australia is included in the “Ozploitaiton Explosion”, but if you want to read more about it, click on here!

http://jrsploitation.com/2014/01/18/alcoholic-aussies-sci-fi-head-trip-obscure-70s-films-saved/

It’s a rough, tough and sometimes shocking look at the outback!

Time to enjoy some “Ozploitation!”

Movie Lovers Rejoice! A “Lost” Classic Is Here!

You know the story: A brilliant Director follows up his greatest work by making a “difficult” film that is lost to time…until it is rediscovered as a masterpiece…

Behold “Sorcerer!” The Classic Action Suspense Is Back In Blu!

Time to celebrate one of the greatest film Directors of all time – and the release of one of his “lost” classics on blu-ray!

Celebrating William Friedkin!

Director William Friedkin has had an amazing career – including the greatest horror film ever made!

William Friedkin directed “The Exorcist” – the scariest film of all time – a classic that gets better every time you watch it!

“The Exorcist” was released in 1973, a high point in the Director’s career. The tim was nominated for Best Picture, and he was nominated for Best Director. He had also just won the Best Director Oscar along with Best Picture in 1971 for one of the greatest chase movies ever made, “The French Connection”:

Friedkin Goes “Cruising”:

He would go on to direct Al Pacino in one of his most controversial roles ever – as an undercover cop who gets “too undercover” in Friedkin’s gritty, leather-bound thriller “Cruising” – the “Basic Instinct” of its time:

And Of Course, His “Lost” masterpiece, “Sorcerer!”

More on Friedkin’s other great films in a moment, but now, let’s look at his “lost” classic – his 1977 remake of the brilliant french film “The Wages Of Fear”:

“Sorcerer” Goes Blu!

And now the blu-ray release is here! Let’s look at the film – beginning with the movie trailer:

The plot originated with the same Georges Arnaud novel that inspired Henri-Georges Clouzot’s French suspense classic The Wages of Fear (1953). In Friedkin’s version, Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, and Amidou play four men who end up in a South American town where an American oil company is seeking out courageous drivers willing to haul nitroglycerin over 200 miles of treacherous terrain.

This is an intense, beautifully made action thriller – dirty and gritty, amazingly tense – and the work of a master film maker. For whatever reason, the public ignored it when it was released – perhaps because “Star Wars” had moved them in a completely different direction months earlier…but now, the blu-ray is here!

The blu- ray includes a newly remastered print – under the supervision of Friedkin himself!

The blu-ray is presented as a BD Book featuring 40 pages filled with beautiful images and excerpts from the Director’s autobiography “The Friedkin Connection a Memoir”

The blu-ray also includes a new, personal forward written by Friedkin…

I can’t wait to go blu on this movie! Now, onto some more classic Friedkin!

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight!

Friedkin also made the seminal LA chase movie – a neglected 80′s classic with a terrific soundtrack by Wang Chung!

If you haven’t seen “To Live And Die In LA”, it’s a classic 80′s action movie with another amazing car chase sequence – the film stars William Peterson and Willem Dafoe…and it has a mesmerizing soundtrack as well…

What A Career!

There are many more films to discuss, and what better way to hear about them than from the great Director himself?

The Friedkin Connection!

The long-awaited memoir from the Academy Award–winning director of such legendary films as “The French Connection”, “The Exorcist”, and “To Live and Die in LA” is here! The autobiography is called, appropriately, “The Friedkin Connection” – and as amazon says, “it takes readers from the streets of Chicago to the suites of Hollywood and from the sixties to today, with autobiographical storytelling as fast-paced and intense as any of the auteur’s films.”

I am a huge fan of Friedkin’s work, from his breakthrough film “The Boys In The Band” to his latest, “Killer Joe”…and of course, his best picture of 1971:

Anecdotes! Anecdotes! Anecdotes!

He has an amazing career full of great anecdotes, and the book tells them all. The website FishbowlLA related this great anecdote from the book:

In 1966, when Friedkin was just getting started as a director on the TV side, he had the privilege of being asked to read the script for a planned feature film version of Director Blake Edwards’ earlier TV series “Peter Gunn.” But it’s what happened at a subsequent Monday morning breakfast meeting that really made the difference:

“So what do you think?” Edwards asked.
I chose my words carefully, but I had to say what I felt and accept the consequences. “Blake, I think the script is a piece of sh*t.”
He looked up in shock, his English muffin poised in midair. “What?” He set his muffin down and looked at me directly, not so much mad as confused. “What did you just say?” A bitter smile crossed his lips.

There were two other people at the time in the Paramount Studios bungalow, one of whom Friedkin had never been introduced to. That individual in the corner turned out to be the uncredited author of the Peter Gunn screenplay, William Peter Blatty.

Five years later, Friedkin was surprised to receive a copy of the book The Exorcist and a note from author Blatty to call once he had read it. When the two connected, Blatty explained: “I sent you the book because I remember our meeting outside Blake Edwards’ office about Peter Gunn, and how you had the balls to tell us what a piece of sh*t it was, even though it cost you a job; and I believe you’d never bullsh*t me.”

Even though Friedkin’s name was not next to those of Stanley Kubrick, Mike Nichols and Arthur Penn on the Warner Bros. wish list, Blatty had director approval and wanted Friedkin. The rest is history…

Without a doubt, “The Exorcist” was a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 1973: people were reported passing out in the theaters showing the film, or running our sick…it was a media frenzy, a pop culture sensation, and don’t forget – it was nominated for best picture as well – it is a masterpiece…

The Exorcist.

It is one of the greatest films ever made, and quite simply – the scariest, most shocking movie ever released…

Director William Friedkin made this two years after he won the Oscar for Best Picture for “The French Connection”…

“The Exorcist” was also nominated for Best Picture of 1973 – along with a slew of other nominations and accolades:

Regan MacNeil: “My bed was shaking. I can’t get to sleep.”

Talk about an understatement!

“The Exorcist” is the ultimate confrontation between a frail, elderly priest and an old demonic enemy – good versus evil in its purest form.

Demon: What an excellent day for an exorcism.
Father Damien Karras: You would like that?
Demon: Intensely.
Father Damien Karras: But wouldn’t that drive you out of Regan?
Demon: It would bring us together.
Father Damien Karras: You and Regan?
Demon: You and us.

“The Power Of Christ Compels You!”

The refrigerated bedroom set was cooled with four air conditioners and temperatures would plunge to around 30 to 40 below zero. It was so cold that perspiration would freeze on some of the cast and crew. On one occasion the air was saturated with moisture resulting in a thin layer of snow falling on the set before the crew arrived for filming.

And cure even more iconic moments from the film:

Demon: “Your mother sucks cocks in Hell, Karras, you faithless slime!”

Oh yeah, and then there is the “head turn” sequence! This film is so intense and scary that the original teaser trailer, which consisted of nothing but images of the white-faced demon quickly flashing in and out of darkness, was banned in many theaters, as it was deemed “too frightening”.

And then of course, there is the projectile vomiting scene!

The substance that the possessed Regan (Linda Blair) hurls at Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) is thick pea soup. Specifically, it’s Andersen’s brand pea soup. The crew tried Campbell’s but didn’t like the “effect.”

Tons of great stories and commentaries on the special edition blu-ray….check it out and relive a classic!

“The Friedkin Connection!”

Make sure to check out “The Friedkin Connection” to read all of the stories from the great Director himself!

Finally, you can click below to read a story I previously posted all about Friedkin’s latest film “Killer Joe”, one of 2012′s best – and I did a quick look at his other classics, such as 1971′s Best Picture “The French Connection” as well as “To Live And Die In LA”!

Click here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/10/the-brilliant-killer-joe-mcconaugheys-hat-trick-plus-friedkins-wang-chung/

And check out the mesmerizing soundtrack to the film “To Live And Die In LA”, from Wang Chung!

Everyone remembers one of the sexiest screen starlets of all time – Raquel Welch – seen here in the camp movie classic “The Magic Christian” with Ringo Starr…

But Raquel was just one of the many sex kittens of the 70′s…including one who played one of James Bond’s greatest co-workers!

In a long history of movie sex kittens, one of the more unjustly neglected is iconic beauty Barbara Bouchet…

Barbara Bouchet is a German-American actress and entrepreneur. If you aren’t familiar with her, that’s because most of her work was done in the 70′s and 80′s….but it was quite a body of work…

She has acted in more than 80 films and television episodes and founded a production company that has produced fitness videos and books.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of Bouchet’s career…

Sex And The Single Girl!

Bouchet got her Hollywood start with a small part in this light-hearted but saucy comedy in the mid-60′s, but it was one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises that gave her huge exposure:

Miss Moneypenny in “Casino Royale!”

That’s right, Bouchet starred in this unique all-star James Bond “comedy”, and very “unofficial” James Bond film at a time when rights to the books were in dispute, and this very campy Bond film was released:

This “all-star” James Bond spoof starred David Niven as Bong, and included a very young Woody Allen, and Barbara Bouchet co-starred as a very sexy Miss Moneypenny! Here she is with Allen, in a movie still I found online that was signed for a fan!

This film is not part of the “official” Bond series, but it is a snapshot of the swinging 60′s, and Bouchet had fun in the role…

The Actress gave an extensive interview to “Shock Cinema”, where she discussed her career…and what it was like shooting “Casino” in a very prim and proper London:

“And being in England, I was missing the sun. One day I went out and laid in Hyde Park in my bikini and got arrested. You can’t do that – at least not back then!”

Beam Her Up, Scotty!

Bouchon also had a role in a TV episode of “Star Trek” – as you can see here in here scene with Capt. Kirk:

Mostly, Bouchet’s career flourished in Europe, where she starred in a number of hit movies, like this euro thriller:

Cry Of A Prostitute!

Barbara starred in this italian thriller which really doesn’t have much to do with prostitution – but it’s a gritty film that gives the Actress a chance to act.

Well, hard not to imagine what they were thinking when Barbara ate this banana…this is a classic slice of euro-sleaze…which leads to one of her biggest hits:

The Italian Giallo, “Caliber 9″!

A gritty italian crime thriller made Bouchet a star…not only was Director Fernado Di Leo’s movie a huge box office hit, but it showcased the Actress in a perfect way…

Bouchet played a go go dancer, and the camera loves her as she dances…as she told Shock magazine:

“I did that dance scene in a real nightclub, and it was closed to the press…next thing you know, a picture of me on that dancing cube all over the newspapers. Somebody took it and printed it.”

Here is a youtube clip of the infamous scene, but I also encourage you to buy the film, which has been remaster on blu-ray:

Bouchon went on to star in a number of classic italian thrillers, including “Black Belly Of The Tarantula!”

This is a classic italian thriller – a great title, lots of sex and violence, and a distinct filming style…and the added bonus was that Bouchet was nude for much of the film…

As Bouchet tells SHOCK:

“Nudity has never been a problem with me. Nor was it a problem at home…”

Bouchet also starred in the italian giallo, “Don’t Torture A Ducking”, which is also considered a classic…

If you want to know about this amazing genre of film, click on my primer here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/09/time-to-strip-nude-four-flies-and-baba-yaga-to-you-yes-its-classic-italian-giallo/

Bouchet’s popularity continued for decades before she retired from film…but many of her classic performances live on blu-ray!

She now owns and operates a fitness studio, but a legendary Director coaxed her back onto the big screen…

Martin Scorsese was a huge fan and put Barbara in “Gangs Of New York!” Here is what he said to her on the first day of filming:

“Miss Bouchet, thank you very much for accepting your part in this picture. I’ve seen a lot of your films.” It stunned her…and she looks great in the movie!

So dip into Bouchet’s movie catalogue – there are some great performances here from one of the 70′s most under-rated actresses!

RIP Bob Hoskins! Celebrate This Great "Long Good Friday" Star!.

I have a question for you:

Don’t be frightened, but it’s been on my mind:

What Makes A Movie “BAD”? This?

Well, this is clearly a film that can give you a splitting headache…

Maybe This?

Let’s see: George Burns, Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees dressed up as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”…you know what, I’m beginning to feel a bit “unwell”….

Or Without A Doubt THIS!

If you just shouted out:

“You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”

Well, then you know what I’m talking about – these are images from five of the worst films ever made – and also the greatest films because there is something really fun about viewing them!

Bad movies have a special place in my heart – because I paid good money to see these! And now I own them all as well, allowing me to have a “bad movie marathon” anytime I want…

Time For A “Bad Movie Marathon!”

We will begin overseas, on a beautiful island where people are terrorized by severed heads!

Mystics In Bali!

Yep, every bad movie marathon has to begin with a possessed severed head movie….

Here is the plot of “Mystics In Bali”: researching a book that takes her to Bali and the black magic cult of Leák, Cathy meets an evil witch which promises to train her in the dark arts. Tricked, Cathy is turned into a Penanggalan:

a flying vampire with internal organs hanging from her neck!

It is now up to the local holy men who are then enforced to do battle with the forces of evil. And look at these amazing special effects they must fight off!

Folks, this is a delight to behold…”MYSTICS IN BALI” has to be seen to be believed!

The film is a strange blend – with some genuine creepy moments and others that will have you unintentionally laugh out loud.

And let’s be honest – don’t you HAVE to see this movie now to see what happens to this pregnant lady next?

Next up: the most recent “camp classic”, thanks to the magic of Tommy Wiseau!

Yes, let’s take a moment to behold the majesty of…”The Room.” This 2003 cult film is a movie sensation – it routinely plays all across the country as a “midnight movie” offering…with audience participation much like that “other” midnight cult classic:

Rocky Horror Meets The Room!

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” flopped when it was originally released, but has since become a cultural phenomenon….and now “The Room” has followed in its footsteps…Tommy Wiseau’s seductive gaze and all…

“The Room” was written by Tommy Wiseau, directed by Tommy Wiseau and stars Tommy Wiseau…it is widely regarded as the worst film ever made…and its popularity grows by the year….more on that in a moment, but first, a quick recap on the movie:

Tommy Wiseau stars as “Johnny”, a successful banker who lives happily in a San Francisco townhouse with his fiancé, Lisa.

“You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!”

Yes, THAT LISA.

One day, Lisa decides to seduce Johnny’s best friend, Mark. From there, nothing will be the same again…and yes, THIS IS MARK…

After enjoying all that “The Room” is, you’ve had a few questions – including this very important one:

“Where did this movie come from and how did it get out?”

To find out the answer to that question, the story of Greg Sestero’s amazing book that details the inside story of the film’s production can be found here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/10/27/tommy-wiseaus-classic-the-room-now-a-book-tommys-secrets-revealed/

Kudos to Sestero for writing a hilarious yet affectionate look at Tommy Wiseau!

Now, speaking of “DISASTERS:

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!

Yes, it is widely considered the greatest album ever made – and I love everything about The Beatles….but I’m not talking about the fab four right now!

Producer Robert Stigwood optioned the music and made this amazingly misguided attempt to bring the Sgt. Pepper Band to life, courtesy of the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton -

AND GEORGE BURNS!

While you take a moment to settle your nerves, you can check out the trailer!

Take a moment to absorb this: a film was made using rock’s greatest album of all time. And the decision was made to turn it into a musical comedy starring Peter Frampton, The Bee Gees and George Burns…

But That’s Not All!

Yes, they also managed to book Steve Martin, Alice Cooper and Earth,Wind & Fire! It was a mid-70′s greatest hits team that must also share the blame for agreeing to star in this 1978 disaster! And yes, here is MORE high stepping!

Needless to say, this movie was one of the biggest bombs EVER – and as for reviews – well, Newsweek’s David Ansen called Sgt. Pepper “a film with a dangerous resemblance to wallpaper.”

“And In The End…”

For the finale of the film, it was decided that they’d assemble an enormous roster of celebrities to sing the reprise of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Formal invitations were engraved and sent to virtually everyone in the entertainment industry; the many who RSVP’d were treated to first-class transportation to Los Angeles, limos, luxurious hotels, champagne, a lavishly catered dinner and private tents for each of the stars in the studio’s garden room.

What more can be said? How can anything be worse than the butchering of The Beatles? Well…

Behold The Magic Of Andy Milligan!

If you don’t know Andy, you have missed out on cinema created by a Director who gives Ed Wood a run for his money!

“In Cranium-Cleaving Color!”

How can you resist a movie that offers this tagline?

Let’s begin with the fact that is one great poster – it almost promises to deliver an awful movie – and guess what? Director Andy Milligan did!

The Ghastly Ones!

Check out the “Doctor’s Warning” on the poster – a classic “come on” for the suckers at that time…love it! Now, back to why we are here: “The Ghastly Ones” is one of the world’s WORST exploitation films ever made! Check out this legendarily bad trailer!

Here is the plot: Three married couples spend the night in a Victorian-era house where they start getting killed off by a deranged psycho who’s bent on claiming an inheritance they are all entitled to.

Sure, that’s a servicable plot: but under the Direction of Andy Milligan, it’s a debacle! Here’s a great bit of trivia, thanks to IMDB: In several of the fight scenes of the film, the crew and their cameras and sound equipment are visible.

There are also moments when the director can be heard softly reminding the actors of their lines!

Now THAT”S film making! As one reader on IMDB stated:

“This is an absolutely horrible film in every way possible.”

To read more about this master of bad taste and “unique” filmmaking, click on my whole story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/13/fleshpots-rats-cranium-cleaving-color-meet-andy-milligan-sexploitations-ed-wood/

But there is, in my opinion, one movie that rises above them all in its purity of awfulness – the legendary “you can call it a film but it isnt in any stretch of the imagination” classic:

Psyched By The 4D Witch!

I have written about this film before. That is of course if you can really call it “a film.” But it was in movie theaters, and yes, they took my money without shame…you see, it’s not so much a “bad movie” as it is a series of b-roll shots with a poorly written narration laid over it…and shots of this actress…

As you watch, you begin to notice things, like the fact there is NO synched sound at all, meaning it’s all b-roll and voiceover of her “thoughts and reactions”! And by the way, it is the worst voiceover narration ever recorded, with pointless scenes of her in a room followed by random footage of traffic and city streets – all strung together to fill time…in fact, it was described by Something Weird Video (who was smart enough to release it on DVD) as:

“the most maddening, jaw-dropping, mind-bending piece of celluloid lunacy ever to play American theaters!”

You understand that is EXACTLY why I love the folks at Something Weird Video – because they saved this film!

To read all about Something Weird Video, and their passionate attempt to keep the world’s weirdest films alive, click here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/07/something-weird-wild-wild-cinema-celebrating-a-weird-genius-rip-mike-vraney/

Now put in some movie badness and have a great weekend!

Summer 2014 Will End With A Superhero Blockbuster!

Marvel is bringing one of their most unique, and therefore much beloved comic books to the silver screen!

Kudos To Director James Gunn!

This new blockbuster is a result of the tireless effort of Director James Gunn, who was passionate about the special nature of this franchise. He assembled a terrific cast, and Disney has unveiled some great marketing materials – including the cover of the latest GEEK magazine!

The new issue of GEEK is available now, and I’m excited about it for two reasons: first, Director Gunn and the film deserve the attention. Second, the aricle includes one of my James Gunn photos!

Yep, there it is, clear as day in the upper right box…OK, here is the picture, full sized for your enjoyment:

The Writer asked to use it, and since I thought it was a fun picture, and have posted it on my blog before, said “sure.” I also know James saw the picture and didn’t raise an objection to it…more on the story of the picture in a moment, but first, back to Gunn’s new film:

Behold The “Guardians Of The Galaxy!”

There has been a ton of press hitting, along with great stills and some really fun trailers like this one:

What a great trailer! And yes, you will NEVER get Blue Suede’s classic 70′s version of “Hooked On A Feeling” out of your head – and we are all the better for it!

A great cast, terrific sense of humor, and what appears to be amazing action sequences make this a “must see” for me. Here is what Cinemablend.com just posted:

“It will prove to be the final comic book movie of summer 2014, but don’t think for a second that we’ve forgotten about James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The film ranks extremely high on our most anticipated list, and today we not only have a closer look at the sci-fi adventure itself, but also into its future. Marvel Studios has just unveiled two brand new stills from the August release, and Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed that the studio is already thinking about a sequel.

To focus on the images first, which come to us via the Guardians of the Galaxy Facebook page, while Star-Lord – played by Chris Pratt – has certainly been a big part of the marketing for the film so far, what these new stills provide are some cool closer looks at the character’s costume. For example, his helmet:”

As you can tell, CinemaBlend is VERY excited about the upcoming “Guardians” release…check out their website for even more coverage!

The advance buzz on “Guardians” is very strong, and Gunn is doing lots of press to support it. In fact, the Director recently hosted a screen and live discussion of his previous film, “Super!”

This was Gunn’s “anti-hero superhero” film. Here is the plot: after his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
James Gunn directs a tight, effectively shocking look at the everyday man who wants to rise up against those who do him wrong!

Writer-director James Gunn does a terrific job with a cast that is up for anything – Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker.

And how about this for trivia? Towards the end of the movie when Liv Tyler is in her rehab group session, she is heard stating “f**ked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional”. This is a reference and nod to her rocker father Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) and his 1980′s song “FINE” which is an acronym for the same line.

Lots of great moments, grisly grindhouse exploitation, and heart. LOVE James Gunn’s work and terrific performances by the entire cast!

James Gunn has a great, colorful history in film, and I wanted to celebrate that as well. So here is the story of my Cannes film festival shoots with James and the wacky Troma team!

Welcome to Cannes!

Yes, Troma and James Gunn owned the “unofficial” Cannes film festival, and I had the chance to have some fun with the gang in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

THE CANNES INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL DU FILM!

Oh, as it turns out, one of the most beautiful places in the world just happens to be home to the world’s most prestigious film festival!

This is the Palais du Festival, where the world’s greatest filmmakers arrive to showcase their movies to the world. Cannes 2014 begins on May 15th, and this is a look at the festival and the fun I’ve had there – this is me one year – in a meeting…

I was lucky enough to go to Cannes a dozen times, where I saw the world premieres of “Pulp Fiction”, “Breaking The Waves”, “Moulin Rouge” and many more…and interviewed a bunch of great film makers and stars…it is one of my favorite spots in the world… a place where, at any time, someone can take their top off and get a crowd to take a picture…

I witnessed shoving matches and fistfights as these photographers fought for the perfect shot of a big star – or a topless starlet…it is a delirious madhouse…

Alex was with me many times – like this picture of us taking a break during filming one year for E!

As you can see, Alex caught Michael Castner relaxing before a shoot…and Alex also ran into John Lithgow once!

It a madhouse, one of my favorite jobs ever, and I vow to go back next year with good friend Steve Kmetko, who not only interviewed big stars for us every year, but also hung out with our friends from Troma…

And while the official film festival was underway, so was the “unofficial” Cannes film festival!

All The Love You Cannes! Full disclosure: I am in this movie. I am. It might be a single b-roll shot while Lloyd mentions me in passing, but hey, I’m a Troma star!

Here we all are in Cannes one year: E! News Host Steve Kmetko, who allowed my wife Alex, along with James Gunn, turn him into “Dolphinman” for “Sex On The Riviera”. Lloyd is on the left, by the way…

Every year I was in Cannes, Lloyd and his Troma team were up for any shenanigans…and their tireless energy is captured in Lloyd’s documentary about life at the Cannes film festival.

Tiffany Shepis on the left and James Gunn on the right were always ready to film special stunts with us to capture the craziness of Cannes…we had a lot of fun with them, and they are terrific people!

If you want to see the best documentary about the pomp, circumstance, and sordid underbelly that is Cannes, “All The Love You Cannes” is the movie for you!

Places like Cannes are crucial to an independent studio like Troma – they attract international buyers, they get screenings for their films – as well as lots of press.

The Troma Team is willing to try every stunt imaginable to get a little publicity, including walking the streets of Cannes dressed as various Troma heroes, staging lesbian make-out sessions, hilariously crashing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “press conference,” where JCVD shows up for about 2 seconds.

So congrats to James Gunn on the upcoming release of “Guardians Of The Galaxy”, and here’s to great memories of Cannes brought back to life by Geek magazine!

To honor the opening night of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, I present you three people who, at one time, OWNED Cannes!

All Hail The Last Action Heroes – And Their Restaurant!

Here’s a story of how I got to hang out with the world’s biggest stars – at a time when their careers were at all-time highs, a more innocent time when “theme restaurants” like Hard Rock Cafe, The Fashion Cafe and Planet Hollywood were the rage…

There was a time when these guys ruled the world. And I got the chance to hang out with them at the greatest place in the world for movie buffs:

Cannes France!

Welcome to the French Rivera, one of the most beautiful places on earth…and it just happens to host the world’s greatest film festival as well:

The Cannes Film Festival!

2014 Cannes is now officially underway! For two weeks a year, the great film makers in the world showcase their greatest work for the world’s film critics…

The Legendary Carlton Hotel!

It was a time when we got to interview big stars at places like this:

My great Host Michael Castner called it his “home away from home” when he was at the festival – the Carlton hotel housed us, and hosted tons of stars, parties, and all things film festival…

The great thing about attending Cannes was the chance to see movies months before anyone else – as we did when we got to see “Pulp Fiction” a full five months before anyone else…even if that meant hanging our in stairwells waiting for the screening to begin…

The Cannes Color Code!

Still, that was all part of the adventure of Cannes – the crowds, the police, the passes that were distributed in different colors – and if you had a pink pass, you got in before the people with a blue pass….and oh my, you didn’t get in ANYWHERE with a lowly yellow pass…

As the latest festival gets underway, it’s fun to look back at the fun times I had working in Cannes, along with Alex, Michael and a number of great people!

Of course, for every moment of down time, there were dozens of interviews to conduct, and photo shoots to cover – like the interview we did with one of my favorite Actors, Malcolm McDowell…

We even covered the more salacious photo shoots that took place on the beach, the ones that usually included a topless starlet trying to get some attention…

I was lucky enough to work with two other amazing professionals over in Cannes as well: E! News Hosts Jules Asner and Steve Kmetko…

We filmed E! News Daily in Cannes during the festival, and Jules and Steve had dozens of interview to conduct and parties to cover – as it really is a film festival that never slows down….still, we always managed to find time for a few fun photos…

When Michael wasn’t trying to hide, he was talking to some of th biggest stars in the world…

Michael With Jean-Claude Van Damme!

Speaking of action heroes, here’s Michael at the famed Hotel du Cap outside Cannes with Jean-Claude Van Damme – at the time one of the hottest action stars in the world!

Of course, while he was doing the interview, Alex had a moment to grab a candid shot with our co-worker Gary Snegaroff…

We had a great time hanging out with these stars, but sometimes, things got a bit dicey…

The Classic Interview – Michael With Arnold!

So here is how my first Arnold Schwarzenegger encounter played out: we were filming at the film festival, and there was a HUGE press event with Arnold – to announce the very first Planet Hollywood restaurant!

More on Planet Hollywood in a moment! After the huge press event at the Carlton – where Arnold announced the concept of the restaurants and posed for thousands of pictures, a select group of media were allowed to meet Arnold personally for a very short interview behind the hotel.

As you can see, Michael spoke to Arnold first, while I watched from the left…that is our great friend Carl Allman filming it by the way…

After a very short interview, our friend Ed Flaherty, who was also filming for CNN, asked if he could jump in and ask one question as we were still rolling…and he did, but then he asked another, and another, and another, until Arnold looked over at his Press rep Charlotte and said – very loudly, and in a very recognizable Ahhh-nold tone:

“What’s this? First one question, then two questions, now six questions. Charlotte, I’m leaving in ten minutes. PLAN YOUR TIME.”

EVERYONE FROZE. I looked around and saw 5 other entertainment outlets waiting to interview Arnold – needless to say, we got yelled at later for sabotaging everyone else’s time….but that is what Cannes was all about – getting your interview no matter what!

Oh, and that wasn’t Arnold’s first time in Cannes…he was there in 1977 as well!

Arnold was always gracious, professional, and focused on his job – selling whatever he was promoting – and he did it well!

Welcome To Planet Hollywood!

As I said, I was at the first press event to announce Planet Hollywood. It was the beginning of a long friendship with Arnold, Sly, Bruce and the other stars.

While I was at E!, we produced specials on the openings of a myriad of Planet Hollywood restaurants, including the first ones in New York and London!

As you can see, we were a hard working group – there is Michael Castner of course, and Alex, along with George, Gary and Oscar too!

If you want to read more about the Planet Hollywood opening in London, read my “Mel Gibson encounter” as well as the great Joe Ezterhas e-book “Heaven And Mel” – click on that story here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/14/heaven-and-mel-shocking-mel-gibson-book-my-mel-encounter/

We were inside the opening of Planet Hollywood London – interviewing all of the stars for a one hour special – we also cooked with Arnold and Sly before the doors opened…it was a lot of fun, and those early specials were very popular – helping fuel the worldwide expansion of the chain…

More Planet Hollywood Memories – With Jenna Jameson!

A few years later, I ended up at the opening of Planet Hollywood in Singapore and Bangkok – with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan and more!

And this time, I had a more unusual choice for host…

Jenna Jameson Interviews Sly and Bruce!

And if you haven’t read my post about my trip to those Asian outposts with my Host Jenna Jameson, then click on here to read about that very funny adventure!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/12/31/wild-on-jenna-jameson-my-worldwide-jenna-adventure-starring-bruce-willis-and-sylvester-stallone/

Jenna hosting our E! coverage was a great memory from my time at E!, and as always, Planet Hollywood turned the stars out for us – here she is interviewing Bruce Willis!

At one point, Planet Hollywood was one of the most successful restaurant chains in the world! They were always terrific to work with, and I still have several jackets from various locations…

I got to hang out with Schwarzenegger many more times, but I will always remember the first interview, when Charlotte had to “plan her time!”

And here is Michael Castner’s great photo from Cannes 1994 when he was mobbed by fans:

Michael claims the crowd thought he was George Michael – but I say they were cheering him! He was very recognizable in Cannes after the first few years of our festival coverage…and we always had a hectic, intense, and hilarious time there! And of course, I got to hang out with a number of other unique people in Cannes as well – such as the night we partied with Prince Albert of Monaco!

My Night In Cannes With Prince Albert Of Monaco!

You can thank Carl Allman for this adventure as well – and you can read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/21/my-night-with-prince-albert-of-monaco-more-cannes-cannes-memories/

Those trips to the Cannes Film Festival were some of the greatest trips I’ve taken – in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

And here’s a look at more of my adventures in Cannes – including my look up Jack Nicholson’s NOSE!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/15/big-stars-bright-lights-cannes-cannes-cannes-the-film-festival-up-close/

Let me know what you think!

Boy Wonder: OK, Miss Cake, let us see exactly how far down into it we can get.

Cathy Cake: Uh, into what?

Boy Wonder: Into the valley of indecency.

Sex! Nudity! Big Stars! Hollywood’s 70′s Sexcapades!

If you are a fan of Jessica Harper and Richard Dreyfus, then you MUST search out their forgotten movie about making porn! It was a time in the mid-70′s when Hollywood was trying to stay relevant – and that meant taking chances like THIS!

You should know Jessica Harper for two of the best cult films EVER – “My Favorite Year” and “Phantom Of The Paradise” – and of course Richard Dreyfus for everything from “Jaws” to “American Graffiti” and “The Goodbye Girl” – so imagine them making a film about porn movies!

Movies in the 70′s were going in many interesting directions: controversial films like “A Clockwork Orange” competed with mainstream blockbusters like “Star Wars” and yes, “Jaws”. So what was a successful Actor to do – go “arthouse” or “mainstream”?

Truth Is Stranger Than Porn!

I am going to take a look at a film that featured big stars trying to be artistic, and an obscure documentary that looks at someone’s attempt to MAKE an adult film in the 70′s!

Director: They wanted 80% sex. I said 20%; after that, you know, it gets boring.

Here is a fascinating documentary AND a legendary “forgotten” film from the 70′s that look at love – and the art of capturing it on film – it’s just as hard as it looks!

This Documentary Is Indeed “A Labor Of Love!”

“A Labor Of Love” tells the story of wannabe film makers who decided to document their porn efforts!

Here is the trailer for the movie – although it is more a collection of short snippets from the film than an actual trailer – take a look:

“A Labor Of Love” is a documentary that was made in the 70′s, as the filmmakers wanted to capture a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of “The Last Affair”, an independent drama that was to feature several explicit sex scenes. After the financial backers had a change of heart, “The Last Affair” was released without the sex scenes and quickly faded away.

Included in the cast of “The Last Affair” were popular character actor Ron Dean (The Dark Knight, Rudy, Code of Silence) and actress/director Betty Thomas, who went on to star in the TV series “Hill Street Blues.”

Private Parts Indeed!

And of course, Betty Thomas is also known for another amazing achievement: she directed Howard Stern!

That’s right, Thomas is now a TV and film Director, and she directed Howard’s movie “Private Parts!” If you haven’t seen it, Howard’s autobiographical film is hilarious, due in large part to her direction!

Even though both Actors went on to more successful careers, it’s fascinating that they were in this film. Important note: Neither of those Actors were involved in any of the sex scenes, but both performers can be seen briefly in “A Labor of Love.”

Director: “They wanted 80% sex. I said 20%; after that, you know, it gets boring.”

This is a fascinating look at film-making!

There are a few scenes that are X-rated in this film, so be warned, but it mostly shows the unglamorous world of low-budget moviemaking. Perhaps the actress in the film captured it best with this quote:

Young actress: “I felt like an animal. I’d never do something like this again.”

Indeed!

Check out this fascinating documentary!

Oh, and I wonder if Richard Dreyfus and Jessica Harper would agree with that sentiment! Let’s see!

Richard Dreyfus Does Porn!

“OK, Miss Cake, let us see exactly how far down into it we can get.”

Oscar-winning Actor Richard Dreyfus, who starred in “Jaws”, “The Goodbye Girl” and “American Graffiti” – also looked into the world of “adult” film making with THIS movie – which is all about porn!

Inserts!

This is one of Hollywood’s most neglected movies – a raw, inside look at a “different” kind of Hollywood! Here is the plot:

A young, once-great Hollywood film director refuses to accept changing times during the early 1930s, and confines himself to his decaying mansion to make silent porn flicks.

X-Rated Inserts!

“Inserts” was written and directed by John Byrum, and starred Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, Bob Hoskins and Veronica Cartwright. Featuring full-frontal nudity, a drug overdose, and very adult content, it was originally rated “X”. This was very daring stuff for 1975.

Jessica Harper would also star in Brian DePalma’s “Phantom Of The Paradise” as well as the classic comedy “My Favorite Year.”

Talk About Your Double Entendre!

The film’s title takes its name from the double meaning of “Inserts”: it refers to a film technique, as well as sexual intercourse. “Inserts” was filmed like a stage play on one set and filmed entirely in real time!

Boy Wonder: OK, Miss Cake, let us see exactly how far down into it we can get.

Cathy Cake: Uh, into what?

Boy Wonder: Into the valley of indecency.

Cathy Cake: Well, that’s a pretty crummy way of looking at it.

Boy Wonder: The trick, Miss Cake, is not to look at it at all, but simply limp to the edge of patience and let yourself fall.

The movie was a notorious flop, but both Actors bounced back to make big hits – and years later, Director John Byrum discussed making the X-rated movie “Inserts” at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Oscar’s “X” Flirtation!

“Inserts” was a daring look at a certain time in Hollywood. If you want to see a time when the Academy Awards flirted with the “X” rating, check out my story HERE!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/07/x-rated-butter-cowboys-droogs-oscars-x-flirtation/

It’s a fascinating look at a more experimental time in film!

Sasha Grey has a new film coming out – starring with Elijah Wood! A look at the plot follows a look at the movie itself!

Here is the trailer:

Here’s the plot: Sasha Grey stars as an actress named Jill, who refuses to have dinner with Nick, a fan who won a date with her in an Internet contest. Elijah Wood is the spurned fan…

A guy named Chord, posing as Jill’s campaign manager, helps Nick spy on the actress from his own computer. Nick starts a game in which he realises that is only a puppet into the manic plans devised by Chord…

Elijah Wood has been on a creative tear recently, using his production company to make edgier work, like his remake of “Maniac.”

He also produced a very low-budget horror film called “Toad Road”, which was released by a new company called “Artsploitation Films.”

Kudos, Sasha!

This is the latest in a string of great Sasha movies, such as Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience.”

And of course, as much as it may annoy Sasha, here are some of the great adventures I had with her in Australia!

Sasha’s Travel Adventures!

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I had the chance to travel to Australia with Sasha, exploring one of the greatest countries in the world!

Here she is filming with our crew at Sydney’s convention center…and she also got the chance to take on some much more dangerous sports as well!

Sasha Gets A Shark Photo Bomb!

Those were indeed REAL LIVE SHARKS photo bombing Sasha as she walked among them at Sydney’s Aquarium…and no, there are NO barricades or glass between her and the sharks!

Here’s a short video all about it her adventure – first up, getting instruction from her Shark Master – and asking if she can “walk like a duck underwater!

Then it was time to walk into the tanks and hang out with the sharks…we were all, of course, safely kept behind thick glass!

Sasha Gets “Brushed Back!”

Then it was time to “interact” with the sharks…remember, there is nothing between her and those sharks! Here’s a video in which she discusses the “tail flipping” incident!

You can see all of the pictures – and more video – by clicking on the link below:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/26/sasha-greys-shark-dive-sashas-shark-photo-bomb-sashas-extreme-shark-diving-adventure/

Sasha Goes Bats!

Sasha also got to see Australian bats – which just hang out in their parks and look like this:

That story with pictures and video can be found here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/18/sasha-greys-juliette-society-sasha-goes-bats-for-australia/

Surf’s Up With Sasha!

OK, this was Sasha trying out a game where you try and stay on a mechanical surfboard…she did pretty well at it! But we decided to really test her, and took her to the iconic Bondi Beach, where she learned to surf for real!

The entire story, plus lots of fun videos, are located here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/03/sasha-grey-surfs-sasha-steps-in-gum-surfs-up-at-bondi-beach-australia/

Sasha’s On Top Of The World!

Finally, we had the chance to travel to Melbourne, and while we were there we headed up the tallest building in the southern hemisphere: Eureka Tower…

And yes, Melbourne is as beautiful as it looks – we had a great time, and if you want to see the entire video of Sasha peering out from 88 stories high, and how the cube she is in magically transforms, just click BELOW:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/11/sasha-grey-goes-88-stories-high-in-australias-eureka-tower/

Sasha Outtake!

Finally, I found this hilarious short video of Sasha in a car putting on some makeup – and yes, she realizes she is being filmed:

As you can see, Sasha is great fun to work with, so if you are a fan, go order “The Juliette Society” now!

Congrats to Sasha for the publication of her novel!

First thing to warn you about: not ALL movies are meant to be Oscar winners…

Swinging Stewardesses!

Fly “first class”, indeed! In case you missed this movie when it came out, the majesty of home video has given you the chance to fly these friendly skies again! No deep serious drama here, no award acceptance speeches, just classic movie wackiness…

Swinging Cheerleaders!

Time to to return to the more innocent days of college, when cheerleaders were the epitome of class and decorum…like this Elizabethan drama that explored the complicated relationship between the English classes…NOT!

It was an era of PBS-style dramas that explored little known conflicts among the classes – OK, who is kidding WHO? This was all classic sexploitation! It was a time when grindhouses existed just to showcase films like this…and with classic sexploitation posters like this one, how could they miss?

Let take a look at three classics of a bygone era…

The Naughty Stewardesses!

Yes, it’s EXACTLY the kind of film you expect – this wild look at the sex lives of women who fly for a living! Here is the trailer:

“The Naughty Stewardesses” was a classic 70′s-style sexploitation picture. Here is great trivia, courtesy of IMDB:

After seeing the huge profits that Hemisphere Pictures were making with the softporn German import “The Swinging Stewardesses”, producer Sam Sherman set out to find another like-minded foreign import. He was unable to find anything similar, so he produced “Naughty Stewardesses” with his longtime associate Al Adamson.

It was a huge hit, but the filming was anything but smooth. Star Richard Smedley’s then-wife Lana Wood furiously barged onto the film set when she believed that he was taking part in a porn film! Yes, that is Natalie Wood’s sister!

But this kind of movie was meant to be shown at drive-ins around the country, so it was all R-rated fun, with flahes of nudity and implied sexual situations…just enough sexy fun to stay on the right side of the law!

And while some of these films were sex comedies, here’s a film that featured lots of beautiful women – and one madman!

THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS!

You get the idea: here were the world’s most beautiful women all featured in one motion picture…

Yes, they are “The Centerfold Girls!” This classic film one originally had the tagline:

“The most beautiful girls in the world… Some are for loving… Some are for killing!”

Here’s the plot: A thin, geeky man wearing saddle shoes and an ill-fitting suit drags the nude body of a young woman along an otherwise empty beach. Soon a number of other beautiful women turn up dead. Nurses, students, stewardesses… what’s the common thread?

All were centerfold models for a popular men’s magazine, prey to a bloodthirsty psychotic with a straight razor – but in this kind of movie, what else would you expect!

This was a thriller that actually had strong performances and an interesting plot – a well done slasher film where the women eventually prevail – in fact, all of these movies delivered on their promise of flesh and fun…and also showcased female empowerment – even if some of it was naked – like this classic:

“The Swinging Cheerleaders!”

Classic Exploitation Director Jack Hill delivers again! Hill was a master at films that had beautiful women and tons of kick ass action, with a twisted sense of humor as well!

Here’s a quick summation of the plot: In order to write an article on how cheerleading demeans women, a reporter for a college newspaper infiltrates the cheerleading squad. While doing so, she uncovers unscrupulous dealings!

Cheryl ‘Rainbeaux’ Smith starred in this film – a young Actress who had a sad life and died too young…she also starred in Jack Hill’s sexploitation classic “Caged Heat”…

Director Hill also made a number of classic exploitation films, like “Foxy Brown” and “Coffy”, and you can read all about those classics right here!

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/02/foxy-brown-cleopatra-jones-blaxploitations-kick-ass-women/

Even though these films were sold on tons of female nudity, all of the women were able to kick ass and overcome obnoxious men, so let’s celebrate a little female empowerment – high flying style!

I love classic movies – and I love classic movie posters as well – like this one:

“Klute” is a moody thriller about a call girl and the Detective who tries to save her…and then there is this moody thriller about a murder, a young hippie and the Motorcycle Cop who tries to save her…

And finally, here is a film about a cat kidnapping, a wacky cat owner and the aging gumshoe who tries to save her…notice a theme?

Classic 70′s Noir!

Yes, time to celebrate the greatest decade EVER for film – OK, argue all you want, but I am choosing to focus on some classic, nearly forgotten films that define an era, and they also happen to be classic film noir!

Classic film noirs have smoke, guns and dames…by the 70′s they also had color, but these films adhered to what makes film noir “film noir”:

“Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.”

Yes, all the things I love in a film!

Here are three brilliant, mostly forgotten, but classic film noirs about murder, mayhem, missing businessmen, kidnapped cats, Alan Ladd’s height and the American dream…

Let’s begin with a very young Donald Sutherland tracking down a missing businessman, right into the arms of Oscar-winning call girl Jane Fonda…

Klute

Jane Fonda won the Oscar For Best Actress in 1971 for her portrayal of a call girl who dreams of being a great Actress – and the killer she attracts in the process…

Donald Sutherland is John Klute – a small-town Detective whose friend has disappeared in New York City. The only clue is the friend’s connection with a call girl, Bree Daniels…

The film is a mystery, a thriller as a meditation on 70′s New York as well. According to her autobiography, Jane Fonda hung out with call girls and pimps for a week before beginning this film in order to prepare for her role. When none of the pimps offered to “represent” her, she became convinced she wasn’t desirable enough to play a prostitute and urged the director to replace her with friend Faye Dunaway.

The film highlights Jane Fonda’s ability to get under the skin of her character, making you believe she really is a prostitute who just wants to be a star…as she says:

“And for an hour… for an hour, I’m the best actress in the world, and the best fuck in the world.”

Jane Fonda’s Best Actress Oscar acceptance speech for this movie was one of the shortest in movie history: “Thank you…thank you very much members of the Academy and thank all of you who applauded. There’s a great deal to say and I’m not going to say it tonight, I would just like to really thank you very much.”

Bree Daniel: Tell me, Klute. Did we get you a little? Huh? Just a little bit? Us city folk? The sin, the glitter, the wickedness? Huh?
John Klute: Ah – that’s so pathetic.
Bree Daniel: Fuck off!

A great film noir showcasing the seedy side of the early 70′s…and just a few years later, another Oscar winner was looking at the seedy side of the mid-70′s!

“You wanna know somethin’, punk? You were born dumb and you’re gonna die dumb.”

Time to celebrate an Oscar-winning Actor who was also an action star – Art Carney! With so much celebration of the Academy Awards, here is a film starring Oscar winners and nominees, directed by an Oscar-winning Director – so much talent on such a neglected classic!

Wait – WHAT????

Yes, Art Carney was an action star! One of Hollywood’s most unique crossovers of all time began in 1974, when legendary “Honeymooners” TV star Art Carney won Best Actor for his work in the film “Harry And Tonto.”

Here is one of the most unique Oscar photos ever: Best Actor Art Carney hugging Francis Ford Coppola, who won that year for the brilliant “The Godfather Part II”!

Now only was Carney brilliant in this sweet road movie about an old man and his cat, but he parlayed it into a multitude of film roles, including his work as an action star!

“The Nicest Movie You’ll Ever See About Murder And Blackmail!”

Time to celebrate one of the greatest 70′s films ever, the classic:

The Late Show!

Director Robert Benton created one of the best films of the decade – with a terrific cast including Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, Bill Macy and Joanna Cassidy. Benton would go on to win an Oscar for “Kramer Vs. Kramer”, but this late 70′s film noir look at LA is a neglected gem.

Here is the trailer:

“Back in the Forties, this town was crawlin’ with dollies like you. Good-lookin’ coquettes tryin’ their damnedest to act tough as hell. I got news for you: they did it better back then. This town doesn’t change – they just push the names around. Same dames… screwin’ up their lives just the same way.”

That’s Art Carney speaking: a broken down gumshoe struggling to make rent, who has seen it all. He gets a new client, Lily Tomlin, who needs help finding her cat.

“Boy, it’s really lucky for you that I just happen to be a very self-destructive person.”

Tomlin has never been better as a woman full of self-doubt, paranoia and big big dreams! What happens next is one of the best tales of Hollywood noir ever, with terrific acting and a ton of recognizable faces in small roles.

If you only know Art Carney from The Honeymooners, his performance here is amazing, and Lily Tomlin is also outstanding – her best film work ever…

“The Late Show” is poignant, touching, full of action and twists, and oozing with the smell of Hollywood glitter and grime. Director Robert Benton was oscar-nominated for his script…

Carney Kicks Ass!

The best part of the film is Carney as a washed up private eye – who gets a chance to show that he’s a tougher guy than he looks…

There are SO many great supporting characters in this film, but none more memorable than Bill Macy, a veteran character actor from TV’s “Maude”, who is pitch perfect as a small time Hollywood hustler…

Macy captures perfectly the kind of small time hustler who Carney has to deal with as he tries to find Tomlin’s cat…the plot, however, is much much more than that, and a truly great gem of a movie…

Another great 70′s film noir is part thriller, part detective whodunnit, and part scathing look at America post-Vietnam – and it has a mesmerizing performance from none other than Robert Blake…

“Did you know that me and Alan Ladd were exactly the same height?”

Electra Glide In Blue!

This classic action film is the story of a young highway patrolman who finds himself caught between the past and the new, uneasy future that lies ahead…Now on blu-ray!

Check out the trailer:

Robert Blake is dynamic as a short Arizona motorcycle cop who gets his wish and is promoted to Homicide following the mysterious murder of a hermit.

He is forced to confront his illusions about himself and those around him in order to solve the case…

“Incompetence is the worst form of corruption.”

The film was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Robert Blake was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance and the film garnered a great deal of critical acclaim upon its nationwide release, but wasn’t a hit – now, you can re-discover this classic film…

The “Chicago” Connection!

“Electra Glide In Blue” was produced and directed by James William Guercio – at the time, best known as the producer of rock band Chicago’s first eleven albums. that is why the soundtrack is populated with band members.

Because of Guercio, several members of the band Chicago appear in minor roles, including Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider.

Bassist and lead vocalist for the group “Chicago”, Peter Cetera, plays a character named “Bob Zemko”. A real actor who plays a bit part is also in the cast. His actual name was Bob Zemko.

“Electra Glide In Blue” is more than a murder mystery – the film explores the rising tension between “the establishment” and America’s youth, who reject the old ways.

In the film, Blake has several run-ins with old-timers who don’t want him sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong…

John Wintergreen: “You listen to me, hatchet artist! You’re tampering with evidence and if you put your finger on one more thing in this room, I’m going to bust your ass! That’s right… the officer in charge is talking to you and he’s saying that you’re going to be arrested as an accessory, after the fact, in a murder case!”

Coroner: “Now you listen to me. I have had had a lot of patience with you. You want to be a policeman. You want to stay on the force. Well you just get the hell out of here and get on that motorcycle and start tagging automobiles… ’cause if I hear one more peep out of that goddamn yap of yours, I’m going to see that you get sent to Siberia!”

First time director James William Guercio wanted the great Conrad L. Hall to photograph this film, but it was not in the budget. Guercio reduced his own salary to one dollar so he could secure Hall as the cinematographer. Shots like this show why…

“Electra Glide In Blue” turned out to be the only film that Guercio ever made…which is a shame, as it is a tight thriller with a much larger message to share…

“Electra Glide In Blue” is a great 70′s film noir – well acted, a terrific plot, nicely directed, and dealing with more important social issues of the time as well…it is now available on DVD, so check it out!

Well, action movie fans, it’s not often you see THIS as a headline:

Jason Statham Kicks Ass And Eats Noodles, Too!

Jason Statham’s latest action thriller “Hummingbird” premieres in Japan this month, with an injection of testosterone thanks to Tokyo’s ramen noodle restaurant “Gachi”! They’ve created “Hummingbird” ramen that swims in black ink and tequila!

RocketNews24 Has The Scoop!

As always, the terrific website RocketNews24 has the details on this concoction, which begins with ink-black noodle broth that has been infused with Tequila! Oh, and they add an egg with the world “Hummingbird” stamped on it, too!

The Reporters at RocketNews24 were willing to bite down hard on this unique ramen dish, and they found it surprisingly good!

Of course, you will want to read all about it by clicking on their entire story HERE:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/06/06/is-this-tequila-ramen-with-pitch-black-broth-and-action-movie-tie-in-macho-enough-for-you/

Thanks again to the intrepid reporters at RocketNews24 for this tasty discovery – it makes me want to make some ramen and watch some kick-ass Statham!

Not sure if Statham actually eats noodles in the film, and I tried to find a picture of him doing so, but all I could come up with is this classic shot of Arnold “Last Action Hero” Schwarzenegger eating “cup ‘o’ noodles!” Enjoy!

Imagine getting a review like THIS!

“The intersection between art and trash doesn’t get much more tangled than ‘Sugar Cookies’!”

Get read for some tasty “Sugar Cookies!”

Yes, a movie with sex, violence, and Troma’s legendary founder Lloyd Kaufman! In other words, a film that has it all!

Behold The Amazing Wonder Of “Sugar Cookies!”

First, here is the trailer for the remastered version of this “legendary lost” film, now being released in a special edition by Vinegar Syndrome:

Here is how IMDB describes “Sugar Cookies”: A film producer murders his star actress during an erotic “game” and makes it look like suicide. The dead girl’s lesbian lover discovers what happened, and plots her revenge.

Sounds like good sexploitation to me! What makes this even more entertaining is the cast involved – here is some great insight on the film, thanks to the folks at Mondo Digital:

This release poster is from Troma, and there’s a reason for that! The script was actually the handiwork of future Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman, whose dad appears in the film as a lawyer with a kinky secretary, played by “soon to be” adult star Jennifer Welles!

Also on board was Associate Producer Oliver Stone, a school buddy of Kaufman’s! If you know anything about Lloyd, he’s got a lot of friends in the movie business!

The film also starred Lynn Lowry, who only had two credits under her belt at the time (“I Drink Your Blood” and Kaufman’s “The Battle of Love’s Return”) but would go on to star in such cult classics as “The Crazies”, “Shivers”, and “Score”.

Finally, cult Actress Mary Woronov stars as well, and both she and Kaufman do audio commentary on the new release – with some great stories to tell!

“The only X-rated film to lose money!”

This is a classic Lloyd Kaufman quote, and as funny as that sounds, clearly the “Sugar Cookies” attempt to capitalize on the x-rated soft core movie trend of the early 70′s didn’t pay off at the time…

“Sugar Cookies” was screened in grind houses like this one around the country, and Troma released a version on home video – but now, thanks to the folks at Vinegar Syndrome, “Sugar Cookies” is back in an expanded edition!

Bravo Mondo Digital!

The movie lovers at MondoDigital.com have a great write up of this and many other films, and you can check out their indepth look at the film, and all of the extras on the blu-ray, by clicking HERE:

http://www.mondo-digital.com/sugarcookies.html

Mondo Digital is where I go to keep up on all of the wacky films that are being remastered for a new generation of exploitation lovers!

Thanks Again, Vinegar Syndrome!

And of course, the masterminds at Vinegar Syndrome deserve applause for keeping classic cult cinema like this alive – and it’s not just “Sugar” over at “Vinegar!”

Yep, the folks at Vinegar Syndrome cover “saints” and “devils”, too! Vinegar Syndrome has a wide array of cult classics, and I admire their tenacity in going after obscure gems!

Check out another of their rediscovered classics here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/03/28/a-saint-a-woman-a-devil-classic-vinegar-from-a-syndrome-you-need-to-control/

Vinegar Syndrome is helping to keep cult cinema alive, and bringing back a legendary Lloyd Kaufman film is one way to do it!

And of course, Lloyd went on to found the longest-running independent film studio in history – I am a huge fan of Troma, and you can support everything that Troma has going on by clicking on my story here – where I count down the ten great pieces of Tromatic cinema of all time!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/12/03/exploitation-nazis-shakespeare-tromas-tromatic-holiday-gift-guide/

Don’t forget that Troma keeps independent cinema alive today as well, with their latest cinematic release:

Time To “Return To Nuke ‘Em High!”

I have already enjoyed “Return To Nuke’em High Volume 1″, and this classic piece of Troma insanity is still in release around the country, as well as on blu-ray, so get your latest Troma fix now!

Kaufman is finishing up “Volume 2″ of his “Nuke ‘em High” masterwork now, and I can’t wait for the sequel! Go to Troma’s website to get more details and see all of their Tromatic offerings!

“The 50 Shades Of Grey” Trailer Is Here!

Yes, this modern book phenomenon is now a motion picture! Here is the official trailer for the film, which is released in February 2015:

“Fifty Shades Of Grey” was a publishing sensation, and there is much anticipation for the film…but did you know this is just the latest attempt to take sex from the printed page and put it on the silver screen?

Ever Heard Of This “Love Machine”?

In an era of “Fifty Shade Of Grey” Mania, it’s worth remembering previous attempts to put sex on the screen!

Time to look back on “The Love Machine”, which was also a publishing phenomenon in 1969 – and was widely considered one of the worst films ever made – a disastrous adaptation of a pulp-y piece of best-selling fiction by Jacqueline Susann, Author of such “classics” as “Once Is Not Enough” and “Valley Of The Dolls!”

Yes, “The Love Machine” was one of the biggest movie bombs of 1971 – does it deserve it?
Check out the trailer!

Here is the story of “The Love Machine”: Robin Stone is an ambitious, sex driven TV news anchor who loves women – and boy do they love him as well!

Naturally, this stud catches the eye of Judith Austin, the wife of the Network boss. A torrid affair ensues and this “love machine” soon has more than he can handle!

John Phillip Law was “The Love Machine”, looking very much like an “American Psycho” Christian Bale…this film was supposed to make him a superstar, but the huge box office bomb did just the opposite…

Dyan Cannon also starred in the film, which was clearly the “Fifty Shades” of its day.
The source novel sold 4½ million paperback copies in one month and set all-time records as a hard-cover book!

This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Moves Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson’s book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Of course, “The Love Machine” wasn’t the first or last attempt to sell sex….how about this obscure action adventure from the late 70’s…

“The Man From S*E*X!”

Oh, by the way, “S*E*X” stands for *Society for Experimental Xenogenesis!

You can only imagine the quality of this movie if the poster is anything to go by, and
Italy got into the act as well!

Behold Science “Friction”!

Yes, this 1977 Italian sex comedy was called “The Sex Machine”, and it imagined a future where, well you get the idea….so, as you can see, every generation has their “Fifty Shades”…where books attempt to make the transition to the big screen…an effort fraught with peril…in fact, here’s one of the biggest publishing sex scandals of all time!

“Naked Came The Stranger!”

If you haven’t heard of “Naked Came The Stranger”, then you are in for a treat – it was one of the publishing industry’s greatest hoaxes of all time…read about it here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/08/before-50-shades-there-was-naked-came-the-stranger-publishings-biggest-hoax-undressed/

Check it out and let me know what you think!

In the mood for a film that offers a tasty alternative to big Hollywood blockbusters?

Strap Yourself In For “The Bed That Eats!”

Yes, it is time to discover the wonder of “Death Bed!” First, let’s see a few choice moments thanks to “Saibot216″ on youtube….

It is referred to as the “worst film ever made!” But c’mon, if you’ve see “The Room” or “Birdemic”, you know that’s not possible…and now, thanks to the great home video distributor CultEpics, there is a new blu-ray that gives YOU the chance to decide for yourself!

Let’s look at the extremely intricate plot:

A demonic bed eats anyone who lies in it. Done!

Which leads me to suspect that this young lady has a bad dream ahead…

Yep, I WAS RIGHT!

So, this is a film with a title – and premise – that doesn’t mess around! And thanks to the wonders of blu-ray, you just have to grab onto your remote with both hands and let this film take you on a wild, wild ride!

The Wacky World Of Cult Movies!

One reason movies are so much fun is because you never know when you will run into a film like this: a Director’s unique vision that may remain in obscurity for years before a brave company brings it back for all of us to enjoy! You know, scenes like THIS:

Thanks to the great website IMDB, we have some fun “Death Bed” trivia!

Director George Barry’s inspiration for “Death Bed” came in a dream, which explains the film’s bizarre surreal feel…

A Cult Legend Is Born – Or Bedded!

Until its official DVD release in 2003, “Death Bed” had been circulated via pirated bootlegs, and unbeknown to George Barry, the film had gained an underground fan base. VHS helped keep the mystique alive…

Director Barry said he discovered people discussing it on the internet one evening and decided to put an official video release of the film into works.

Patton Oswalt’s Obsession!

Comedian Patton Oswalt mentions the movie on his 2007 CD “Werewolves and Lollipops”, where he does a stand-up routine on it (mistakenly referring to it as “Death Bed: The Bed That Eats People”). He even specifically tells people to look up the movie on the IMDb to verify that he wasn’t joking about its existence! Here is that rant:

So thanks to Patton Oswalt for keeping the cult alive, and thanks again to Cult Epics for bringing “Death Bed” back to life for future generations to enjoy!

Looking To “Scope Out” A Unique Triple Bill?

If you want to see one of the strangest triple bills by a single Film Director, then you are in the right place!

How About THIS For A Triple Feature?

First, begin with one of the greatest – and most beloved – Christmas movies ever made…

Then head off to college to have your eyes opened – literally – to some of the wildest movie shenanigans of all time!

Finally, see the film that inspired the horror classic “Halloween” – that takes place, of course, on a college campus – over Christmas holiday!

It’s a movie lover’s “circle of life!”

Congratulations To Director Bob Clark!

Time to celebrate the seriously under-rated Director Bob Clark, who created the legendary 80’s sex comedy “Porky’s” – the intense horror thriller “Black Christmas” – AND the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” – literally one of the most quoted holiday movies ever! Need an example?

“You’ll shoot your eye out with that thing!”

It makes me want to have chinese food on Dec. 25th – just to honor Director Clark. This is arguably the best Christmas movie of all time – the encounter with the frozen tether ball pole is just one reason…

And who can forget Dad’s new lamp – look at this terrific TBS ad for the movie that captures the fun of that scene…as he misreads “FRAGILE” as an italian word…

It is a holiday classic – check out the trailer:

So funny, so heartwarming! So how can the Director of such a lovable film go on to make THIS:

“IF THIS PICTURE DOESN’T MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL – IT’S ON TOO TIGHT!”

A classic 70’s horror film that has been rediscovered thanks to home video, “Black Christmas” is a tight, vicious thriller!

The plot is straightforward: It’s time for Christmas break, and a group of sorority sisters make plans for the holiday – but then the horrifying anonymous phone calls begin. Olivia Hussey stars in the film…

Hussey starred in “Romeo & Juliet”, but this is no love story…

Margot Kidder also stars as one of Olivia’s sorority sisters, and she’s got a wicked sense of humor and an acid tongue…this was just prior to her breakout role as Lois Lane in “Superman”…

Kidder really elevates the film with her caustic wit…and the film is full of familiar faces…

What A Cast!

Kier Dullea also stars in the movie – Dullea of course was in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “2001: A Space Odyssey…”

Great character Actor John Saxon also stars – and action movie fans will always remember him showcasing his kung fu moves in the Bruce Lee classic “Enter The Dragon.”

Since this was a low budget film, Keir Dullea worked only for a week, and never met Margot Kidder! He barely met John Saxon either, but the film is edited in such a way that he appears to be present throughout the film…

“Black Christmas” Fan Steve Martin!

Around 1986, Olivia Hussey met Steve Martin for a role in “Roxanne”, and Martin said “Oh my God Olivia, you were in one of my all time favorite films”. Hussey assumed it was her role in “Romeo and Juliet” – but she was surprised to find out it was “Black Christmas!” Martin claimed he had seen it over 20 times!

So, a warm, affectionate look at Christmas, followed by a terrifically vicious holiday thriller – how could Director Clark top that?

Porky’s!

That’s right, Clark directed “The Godfather Of 80’s Sex Comedies”! It was a film that combined the innocence of “American Graffiti” with the “anything goes” nature of “Animal House” – for aone of the 80’s biggest hits – check out the original trailer!

Set in 1954, “Porky’s” tells the story of a group of Florida high schoolers who seek to help a buddy lose his virginity. It also featured most of the most iconic scenes of the 80’s – the shower “Peeping Tom” scene!

Needless to say, “Porky’s” was raunchy in every single way, including the dialogue!

Tommy Turner: Jesus Christ! It’s the mother lode.

Billy: I never seen so much wool. You could knit a sweater.

Tommy Turner: This has gotta be the biggest beaver shoot in the history of Florida.

Writer/Director Bob Clark actually gathered material for the movie over a 15 year period of his life. The story is a collection of incidents he collected from other guys, along with some of his own personal memories from growing up in high school.

“Porky’s” was one of the biggest hits of the 80’s, and spawned several sequels. Sadly, Director Clark died in 2007 along with son, their car hit by a drunk driver – a horrible and senseless tragedy.

Kudos to Bob Clark, whose great body of work lives on!

Christina Lindberg Speaks!

“Artsploitation” movie fans were given a great treat recently with the publication of an extensive interview with the original “Queen Of Artsploitation!”

Christina Lindberg was Sweden’s first sex kitten, and her arrival in the US in the early 1970’s was at the forefront of the sexual revolution – a time when movie theaters were willing to push the limits on what they’d show to an eager male audience…and usually, that was exposing them to Swedish erotic cinema!

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of “grind house” cinema, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez paid tribute to it with their double feature “Grindhouse”…and here is a look at this fascinating moment in cinema history:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/23/sex-violence-grindhouse-have-a-purient-holiday-an-exploitation-gift-guide/

And here is a look at what New York’s 42nd Street – the epicenter of Grindhouse – looked like in the 70’s…

These movies features lots of gratuitous sex and violence – and in the early days, they depended on Swedish erotic dramas to fill their seats…which meant that European films were brought to the US and shown – usually dubbed – in seedy theaters that catered to a audience that was looking for cheap thrills…no matter what language!

Christina Lindberg was Sweden’s most popular sex kitten from the early 70’s…beginning in men’s magazines, and then Swedish advertising…

Christina Lindberg Speaks!

Lindberg became a huge “artsploitation” star, meaning her movies had lots of sex and nudity, but were artistic – you know, “european”…a unique type of film that flourised in the early 70’s…

While the titles were total exploitation, these were actually intense dramas…with lots of Swedish nudity…and later they were released on VHS for fans to enjoy at home…Quentin Tarantino is a huge Lindberg fan, and here is a picture of them together at a recent convention…

For Lindberg, her success in US grindhouse theaters made her a huge star…something she has always been comfortable talking about…but, it’s important to note that she wasn’t just an actress – she has built a great career as a journalist as well, something she is very proud of…here is a recent interview I found:

This was first published on YouTube on Nov 10, 2013 – FLIXX TV Host Shannon Laing interviews Christina Lindberg – and then I also found a great print interview with the legendary Actress as well!

The “Fix” Is In!

The great movie website “The Digital Fix” posted a terrific interview with Lindberg in 2006 – and I just discovered it – filled with great stuff like this, where she describes being discovered in a Swedish dance club:

“I liked to go out to clubs and dance and it was a photographer from one of the biggest magazines in Sweden who saw me dancing at a famous club in Gothenburg and then he told me, you know, he asked me if I could take some photos. I could be the one girl from Gothenburg and he was supposed to take photos from, we were about five girls, and then he took photos and they published it, and I was on the cover and I was the fold-out.”

She goes on to tell interviewer Kevin Gilvear that posing nude wasn’t natural for her at the time:

“I was very shy. I was very shy and it seems a little bit odd when I take off my clothes and such, but I was very shy.”

She became a star, and the interview goes into much more detail about her life as a pin-up sensation. I have included a link to the entire interview later in the story…soon, Lindberg was a movie star as well!

Lindberg starred in a string of Swedish erotic dramas such as “Exposed”, “Maid In Sweden” and the notorious revenge classic, “Thriller!”

This film really cemented her reputation in US grind houses, where it was also released as “They Call Her One-Eye”, and the ridiculous title of “Hooker’s Revenge”, even though she wasn’t a hooker!

Heading To Japan!

After making these films, Lindberg ended up starring in one of the most acclaimed japanese exploitation films of all: “Sex & Fury!”

So how did Sweden’s most successful erotic star end up in a Japanese sexploitation movie? Well, according to the interview, it was amazingly simple!

“I was down in Cannes and they spread pictures of me all over the world, and also Japan I presume. And then some months after I was on my way from Paris, where I had been a fold-out girl in “Lui”, which is a French play mate magazine. And so I was on the plane and I was going back to Stockholm, and when I walked into the cabin two Japanese men came to my place and said “Are you travelling?” and I said yes, and they asked me if I wanted to work in Japan. So yea, “why not” I said, “why not”. So I said, here you have my address and telephone number, you can contact me in Sweden in a few days. And they did.”

The interview is filled with great anecdotes like that one, so please click on this link to read the entire interview…kudos to Kevin Gilvear for the in-depth, intelligent conversation!

http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/60739/looking-for-mushrooms-with-christina-lindberg.html

“The Digital Fix” is a great website for movies fans…

FYI, “Sex & Fury” is the classic film where the star fights a group of samurai killers NAKED! It’s a terrific film, and Christina Lindberg’s career is a fascinating one, with millions of fan worldwide continuing to collect her films, thanks to DVD and blu-ray!

More Christina!

Here is my original story about the “Queen Of Artsploitation” – with even more about her incredible career, and more on her movies!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/21/swedish-sex-kitten-christina-lindberg-the-original-queen-of-artsploitation/

Kudos to Christina, the “Queen Of Artsploitation!”!

Christina Lindberg