Russ Meyer anybody?

This thread is inspired by a converstaion betwenn ShIpwreckjoey and myself, and once again thanks to Janet Jackson. Her lame and now infamous 'costume reveal' opens up this discussion on how it's really done. If you haven't checked out the work of Russ Meyer......YOU SHOULD! All others submit thoughts here.

While I count myself among his fans, there's still many of his films I haven't seen. But I have seen Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and it's one of my all-time faves (as are the other ones Roger Ebert co-wrote: Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens and Up! ) Faster PussyCat Kill! Kill! is also brilliant.

I was fortunate enough to catch two Meyers films about a month ago on Bravo! TV. They were playing Supervixens (which I only caught the last act of) and Mudhoney. I was very happy to stumble across these.

Russ Meyers ain't for everyone, but his style sure is unique (and I'm not even refering to his utilization of full frontal nudity) and you gotta love his enthusiasm!

Russ Meyer's Vixen (1968) is generally acknoweledged to be America's 1st softcore film hit. Is Meyer's classic Bosomania series available on DVD yet?. Not to stray too far from the subject, I saw a really cool 1HR biography on Pam Grier (of Coffy and Foxy Brown fame) tonite. WHEW! Need to pick up those flicks too.

[ Edited by: Shipwreckjoey on 2004-02-07 04:22 ]

The Pam Grier "Coffy" series is a bargain on DVD- most can be had for under $15 and are great slices of '70s blaxploitation with repeat viewing potential.
Russ Meyer is notoriously tight-fisted with his hold on the rights to his work, demonstrated by the ridiculous prices of the initial VHS release of the (late '80s?) series. He ain't sparing us this time either, with the current crop on DVD: "Lorna","Mudhoney","Mondo Topless","Cherry, Harry & Raquel","Super Vixens","Beneath The Valley Of The Ultravixens" & "Pandora Peaks" all list for around 35 bucks apiece (OK, they're mostly worth it, but...). Of course, the one we're all (Meyer fans) waiting for is the classic "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!", Tura Satana's Magnum Opus, currently available ONLY as a European import (unplayable on most U.S. DVD players). Atlanta's "Drive InVasion" was able to bring Tura, Hajii & Lori Williams to the 2001 showing of "Faster Pussycat"- they can still shake it on stage and were very excited to meet so many of their fans. Seeing this on a drive in screen ranks as one my favorite film memories of all time and, unfortunately, was most likely a once-in-a-lifetime happening. The black & white photography, soundtrack, dialogue and pacing of this film remain timeless and make it a "must see" film for any devotee of psychotronic movies/culture.

[ Edited by: Kava King on 2004-02-07 08:01 ]

Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is one of my absolute favorite movies. I'm quite disappointed he's holding back on releasing it on DVD in the US. I named my little black convertible Pussycat.

I like "MOTORPSYCHO", where the motorcycle gang (apparently for lack of budget), rides bikes that are only a little bigger than mopeds. And "Lorna", the quintessential farmer's daughter teaser.
A couple of years ago this German company put out a couple of really nice soundtrack CDs with GREAT photoalbums from most of his flics. (Those Germans sure dig American trash culture). Wonder if you still can get those...one of mine is "missing"! I hate when that happens.

ive seen a few of his films, faster pussycat kill kill is definitely my favorite. used to love going to this club in north hollywood that would show meyers' and others' exploitation flicks original trailers, projected on a large sheet, out on the patio.
i have missed tura satana every time she has made an appearance in la, got to make it out to see her.

Yeah, the Russ Meyer films are available on DVD from a French company at the moment, so are region 2 and have a menu in French. I've got the Vixen films, UP!, and Faster Pussycat so I know these are definitely out, but I think a large number of others might be available too, including some of the older more obscure ones.

The Scala cinema club in London used to show Russ Meyer double bills every week on Tuesday afternoons. As I was doing a course down the road at that time, I managed to see virtually all his flicks. Even the older ones have their charm.

Kitten Natividad played a Russ Meyer night over in London a couple of months ago and she
said that unfortunately Russ is now very ill with Alzheimers which is a great shame. I always assumed he'd have his magnum opus still in him.

Trader Woody

Trader Woody-

That's really sad news. I got to interview Russ about 5 years ago, and he was in pretty good shape. He was talking about doing a remake of 'Faster Pussycat...' in color.

Your lucky. Seems like there is more of a demand for Russ and Russ' people out there in the UK. The only time I have ever seen a RM film in the theaters here in NYC is when one place was showing 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' at mignight in a very limited run, and that's going back quite a few years. I could never understand why there was never a Russ film fest here. There is only one independent/revival theater left here, The Film Forum, and I always thought they should run a Russ film series.

I think alot of his films are being released on DVD and they are available at his website http://www.rmfilms.com

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-02-10 10:16 ]

I love his old "nudie-cutie" films like "The Immoral Mr. Teas" and "Eve and the Handyman". They're real innocent in subject matter but like, wow!

He was also a great pinup photographer. He did a lot of work for Modern Man and other 1950s men's magazines.

Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens was my first RM film and one that continues to have a special place in my heart. OK, it may not be a great movie in the usual sense or even a good one in some senses, but it sure holds my interest. Kitten Natividad deserved an Oscar for that movie. About 15 years ago some friends and I saw her dance at a club. One of my Friends paid five dollars to get to stick his face between her breasts while she shook them, an act that's caused whiplash in several hearty males. I unfortunately had to forego that experience as my then girlfriend was with me.

Faster Pussycat is such a classic it really should be inducted into the National Film Registry. When I was a kid, I overheard my older sister telling someone the plot of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls which she had just seen at the drive-in, and I could not rest until I had seen it for myself. It was a long time before I could but it was well worth the wait.

This is one of my all time favorite filmmakers. His stuff is just so visually dynamic. A number of Russ's flicks have been available for over a year now on DVD, direct from his own company, at http://www.russmeyer.com, all Region 1. So far he has released about half of his output on DVD including "Lorna""Mudhoney" "Mondo Topless"
"Vixen""Cherry Harry and Raquel" "Supervixens""Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens" and my favorite, "Up!" (I became friends with its star, Raven de la Croix, last year when she appeared at my Thrillville show with the new movie "Double D Avenger" which also stars several other Meyer women. She is quite a nice babe, extremely funny and smart.) Still waiting for "Faster Pussycat" to come out on DVD, but rumor has it his other most popular movie, though he doesn't own the distribution rights, "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (since he made it for Fox, along with another one called "7 Seconds" or something) may be coming out on DVD soon as part of the stellar Criterion Collection, which would be killer news.

I'm gonna quote myself here, but just cuz it's about my proudest moment, dangit, and some of y'all may not have seen the photos from her first Drive-Invasion in Atlanta. Another exists in which I'm go-go dancing with the girls onstage the second time we brought the girls in; I will have to get that put in with my obit one day...

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?topic=5041&forum=6&vpost=47908

Tura is the sharpest, funniest, most sporting gal I've known in a long time. She had a ball shooting off the Spud Gun (potato cannon) Rip had made and brought to the event, blasting that tater (the gun clenched firmly between her thighs) clear to the screen, all the way back from the snack bar. She told us inside scoop on the movie while we watched with her, e.g., the middle son with whom she made out had THE WORST BREATH. "Best acting I've ever done - to act like I was turned on!" She also told us details of her long affair with Elvis. Can you tell I adore this woman?

FPKK is the quintessential drive-in movie. It's Russ at my favorite - Rated X, yet no nudity, profanity - nuthin'! Just innuendo and ass-kicking.

"Well, you won't find it down there, Columbus!"
"Mmmm, what a hunka STUFF!"
"That one's more stallion than mare!"

I can't even remember anymore of my favorite lines offhand, but I squeal with delight at every word, every time I see this movie.

Cool thing I learned from Lori regarding her wardrobe: the hip-hugger white pants and the hiphugger white shorts were the same article of clothing. She cut them off for the second half of the film. THAT's how she found both pants AND shorts that fit like a (you-know-what-kind-of) dream.

I swear, I don't shop on that side of the aisle, but if I did, I'd be in love with all 3 of those women.