Recent Viewings - Sleaze, Apes, Tomatoes

[Andrew]

I have been watching a number of movies that came in my order from Movies Unlimited.  

The main effort is "Sex and Buttered Popcorn" - a four disc set based around exploitation films of the 1930's-1940's.  One DVD was mostly a montage of trailers and short clips from films, with David Friedman and Dan Sonney talking about their personal experiences.  A neat benefit was that they described how the special effect of popping a cat's eyeball out was done in "Maniac" (1934).  They found a cat with one eye and put a marble in the socket!  The actor then squeezed it out on camera!

"Return of the Killer Tomatoes" with George Clooney was next, mostly since Katie wanted to see a young George Clooney.  He has not changed much over the years.  Besides introducing FT (that thing looks really disturbing), it was funny to watch tomatoes being turned into people through music.  Only in the 80's would that music create a Rambo.

"Kong Island" is about two rival men, both mercenaries from what I can tell.  There is also a mad doctor who is experimenting with implanting radio control devices into gorillas.  The apes walk more like Australopithecus.  Add in a couple of weird plot twists and you have it.  The one guy having to disarm his wife, then deciding that the confrontation made him horny, was probably unnecessary.

"Barbarian Queen" is the brave story of a woman desiring revenge after her village is destroyed by an evil empire.  The plot point that sticks out here is that she has some darn strong muscles...ah...down there.  (She is captured and the torturer decides to get his rocks off; she squeezes him into submission.  I don't mean with her legs, those were strapped to the table.)

[Steven Millan]

                      Sounds like some pretty primo entires you've got there for future Badmovies profiles,Andrew(especially "Kong Island",and the George Clooney B movie entry).

[Cullen]

"A neat benefit was that they described how the special effect of popping a cat's eyeball out was done in "Maniac" (1934). They found a cat with one eye and put a marble in the socket! The actor then squeezed it out on camera!"

Gah!  That's almost as bad as the real thing!

(I mean for me.  I have a real problem with eyes and injuries to them.)

[Vermin Boy]

The commentary track on the Maniac DVD (by exploitation historian Bret Wood) is full of little tidbits like that. Even more disturbing is Wood's theory on why/how the "cat farm" scene ("The cats eat the rats, the rats eat the cats, and I get the skins!") was filmed; The fluffy coats on the cats and the fact that the pen seems built for them point to the possibility that Esper actually found an illegal cat farm and got permission to shoot there.

[John]

>"Barbarian Queen"

 Now you must watch "Barbarian Queen II"

[lester1/2jr]

george clooney?? it was a young rick rockwell, future star of Who wants to marry a millionare who had the ladies swooning in "Return.."

[Biscuitrocious]

I was lucky enough to see "Barbarian Queen" before I deployed here, but it was part of a three movie festival we dubbed: "Booze, broads and broadswords." The other movies were Princess Warrior (how does no one notice the spontaneous generation of a cute blond in the bar? And what is with the naked teleporter?) and a female gladiator movie with Pam Greer (We tried to mock it throughout, but Pam Greer kept appearing scantly clad, causing sudden silence.)

I'm currently planing my return-festival, entitled "Rollercrap," in which we'll be viewing all sci-fi with rollerskate themes. Of course I've got the original "Rollerball" and "Roller Blade," but if there are any suggestions, let me know.

[John]

>I'm currently planing my return-festival, entitled "Rollercrap," in which we'll be
>viewing all sci-fi with rollerskate themes. Of course I've got the
>original "Rollerball" and "Roller Blade," but if there are any suggestions, let me
>know.

Prayer of the Rollerboys
Roller Blade Warriors: Taken By Force
Solarbabies