Hey folks, Harry here with the 4th Day of the Best Of QT Fest reports. This time, before the fest began – I joined close to 20 “Cuties aka QT’s” – folks that attend this festival at THREADGILL’S for a pre-fest meal and geek discussion about the festival at this point. Shockingly – almost to a man – none of the folks there had seen any of the films playing tonight – save for Father Geek, Quint and myself. The gorgeous Ravvy had seen THE DION BROTHERS on some shitty pan & scan multi-generation tape he found. But that was about it.
The crowd was from all over… Austin, New York, Denmark, Switzerland, Los Angeles, Florida… Cinephile Gypsies that came to this town to see films they can’t see at home. That they would otherwise never hear about.
In yesterday’s talk back, there were folks wondering why Quentin was showing a bunch of films that nobody has ever heard of. First off… if you’ve been reading this site for its history – there isn’t a single title playing that we haven’t covered from a previous festival of his… SO – there’s that. But more so, this is about giving films a new chance at life. Quentin doesn’t own the rights to these movies. Nor is he acquiring the rights to them. Rather – these are just his prints… And tonight’s triple bill provided several moments – and one entire film – that made the entire festival worth every moment he’s spending away from pre-production on his latest film… to give to this audience, this theater and these… forgotten films. But we’ll get to that, when we get to that.
Something about the audience before we start too. These aren’t rich people attending this festival. In fact – many are struggling folks trying to squeeze a dollar out of a dime, but that sold something to afford the ticket… and go to work at 7am each day of the fest, getting off just an hour – or maybe two before the festival… which is running till 2:30am each night basically… These are people so intoxicated with the discovery of films that are not being put out by studios today, that don’t conform to the modern morales of the day, movies that don’t appear on cable stations much, if ever. These are lost forgotten films, mostly, that Quentin brings to them and says, “Hey, check this out… It’s pretty fucking rocking!” and more often than not… he’s dead on right. The movies tend to at the very worst be something you’ve never seen before that captures your attention… and mostly they’re fucking great movies that were lost in the great mass of releases back in the day. Films that had their chance at an audience… became loved by those that saw them, but that only stayed in theaters a few days in most locations. And the audience is here, because the host is drunk in love with these movies. And Quentin introduces these films not in a scholarly manner – though more often than not he has his facts better than most any film scholar – but as a passionate film advocate that can convey perfectly what it is about each and every one of these films that makes his dick hard about the pic.
Tonight – Rebecca Campbell of the Austin Film Society and the Austin Studios did a brief sponsor thank you to Ustudio.com, Big Red Sun, Marc English Design, The Austin Chronicle, The Alamo Drafthouse and The Rolling Roadshow. Then she said that Tim League had something he wanted to say to the audience.
You see… If you read yesterday’s coverage – then you know that Tim took a crap on BROTHERHOOD OF DEATH during yesterday’s intro. Well tonight, after taking some fun potshots at me, “I thought about bringing up some of the terrible films that Harry loves, but that would be too easy.” Heh. Tim admitted that he was terribly wrong about BROTHERHOOD OF DEATH and that in actuality – it kicked a lot of ass. And it did. He stated that he was wrong and Quentin was right – and then joked that he probably had it confused with THE MUTHERS – the last film from tonight – which caused Quentin to feign a shot to the heart as he collapsed against the far wall of the screening room.
Quentin then took the stage with, “I got a couple of really fucking groovy movies here tonight. I love the chance to reintroduce these groovy nuggets of 70s Crime films… and I might be taken to task for this, but for my dollar the 70s Crime Film rivals and perhaps surpasses the Film Noir period as the best period of Crime Film.” Then he stated that festival has had a wonderful impact on a whole new audience of folks that have discovered and sought out these films after they’ve played here… and we gave them brand new life.
The first two movies of the night were to be THE OUTFIT with Robert Duvall, Robert Ryan and Joe Don Baker… and THE DION BROTHERS starring Stacy Keach, Frederic Forrest and Margot Kidder – written under a pseudonym by Terrence Malick. Yes, Malick. You heard him right, Malick. And yes, you haven’t seen this film, and btw – it’s his best film. For my money.
But first – we have THE OUTFIT, Quentin saw it in 5th Grade – when the president of MGM was an asshole – and due to a series of bad reviews in New York and L..A. – he began opening his films everywhere else in the U.S. first – then eventually let them find NY and LA at the end of their runs. Not only that, but he’d change the name of the films to regional locations, so when Quentin saw this as a kid in Tennessee – it was under the title of THE GOOD GUYS ALWAYS WIN.
Now THE OUTFIT is based on the third Richard Stark PARKER novel – THE OUTFIT. For Quentin, in the entire history of crime literature, he considers Parker the single greatest professional criminal thief in the entire history of crime literature. And of course we all know Richard Stark’s real name is Donald Westlake. He calls Parker a cold blooded motherfucker and if you get in his way – you’re getting killed or hurt.real bad.
Quentin says that reading a Parker novel – you know you’re reading the truth. “Whether you’ve been a robber or not – you know the truth when you hear it, that’s how the Parker novels work.
Westlake would sell the rights to make a movie based on the Parker novels, but never the rights to the character’s actual name of Parker, because he didn’t mind Hollywood using the title of his book and the story – but he’d be damned if they were going to fuck up Parker – so his name constantly changed.
We’ve seen Lee Marvin do Parker in POINT BLANK, Jim Brown in THE SPLIT, Peter Coyote in SLAY GROUND, Jean-Pierre Leaud in Jean-Luc Godard’s MADE IN U.S.A. and most recently by Mel Gibson in PAYBACK which was a remake of POINT BLANK. And here we have Robert Duvall playing him in THE OUTFIT.
Quentin then said that he knows of at least two other characters in films that were definitely based on Parker – unofficially. “Two I know for goddamn certainty are Harvey Keitel in RESERVOIR DOGS is Parker. That’s right, Mr White is fucking PARKER. And then the other one I know for a goddamn fact is Robert DeNiro’s character in HEAT.”
Now – POINT BLANK was the first Parker novel – the second was THE MAN WITH A GETAWAY FACE – and THE OUTFIT was the 3rd novel – and these first three novels were a continual story – so when you’re watching THE OUTFIT – realize that the Mob is after Robert Duvall, for what Lee Marvin did POINT BLANK.
Years and years ago. Long before Quentin was known – he called up John Flynn on the auspices that he was interviewing him for a book he was writing, when in actuality – he really wasn’t writing a book – he just wanted to talk to John Flynn, who was one of his favorite directors. Anyway – in that interview, Flynn wanted to cast Burt Lancaster and Angie Dickinson for the Robert Duvall and Karen Black roles… and for the Joe Don Baker part? He wanted Kirk Douglas. Now – to Quentin that’s fine casting, but he prefers Duvall and Joe Don for their roles. As for Karen Black… “Well.. I can’t really go against Angie Dickinson, she’s fucking Angie Dickinson. What can I say?”
Quentin loved the dialogue of this film and officially – the first place he ever heard the line, “I don’t give a rat’s ass” was in this film, and he fucking loves to say, “I don’t give a rat’s ass!”
Then this films cast – it’s just filled with faces and names from all over cinema. Folks like Timothy Carey, Sheree North, Marie Windsor, Richard Jaeckel, Jane Greer, Elisha Cook Jr, Bill McKinney, Quentin says he believes even Mike Mazurki is in this – though I didn’t see him on screen or in the credits… at least as my eyes were searching. “Where’s my Thelma?” Heh.
The trailers were for the amazing BONNIE PARKER STORY – what a gorgeous condition trailer! Then PART 2-WALKING TALL and FINAL CHAPTER – WALKING TALL. I found this – mildly hilarious as this is a Joe Don Baker film – and he shows the two trailers for the Bo Svenson BUFORD PUSSER flicks – that Joe Don originated the character in the original. Bit of irony with the choice of these trailers.
Here was my coverage of THE OUTFIT from the first QT fest:
And now for something completely different. Tonight set a new tone, just in case you thought this was a one dimensional ho-ho-ho nothing but trash film festival. You could tell something was up, when Quentin showed up in (shock) long black pants, blue plaid shirt sleeves down, black t-shirt, John Lennon style sunglasses, and Snakeskin boots. That's not all, for his first introduction he was holding in his left hand a hot dog overflowing with jalapenos. The first film of the night was THE OUTFIT. This is more or less a bad guys piss off good guys, that happen to be criminals but because they are small time they're the good guys, good guys piss off bad guys in return, and then a showdown must occur.
Robert Duvall is wonderful in his role of the good bad guy. At one moment he can be bitch-slapping his sweetheart, then moments later on screen they are playfully having fun. The dialogue is wonderful in this film, and I could often hear Quentin laughing over the entire audience, this mostly occurred in scenes were Duvall's or Joe Don Baker's sheer audacity of being was astounding. At one point a doorman tells Duvall, "Hey you can't park there!,." Duvall brushes right by him not batting an eye, looking like an asskicking machine and says, "I'll be right back boy" The doorman just looks dumbfounded. A few minutes later Duvall barges into a poker game, gathers up all these mob type guy's money and wallets, then says to the guy that burned cigarette marks in Duvall's girlfriend's arm, "That's a nice ring, it must be nice to be able to afford a nice ring like that," Duvall pulls out his gun firing into this guys hand, then says, "You shouldn't use a girl's arm for an ashtray." Ha ha ha. Somehow it was right for the tone. Throughout the film these guys are tough without explanation. You simply feel the aura of kickass clinging to their every step. According to Tarantino this film is more or less a sequel to the Lee Marvin POINT BLANK, which was also based on a book in the same series by Donald Westlake, of whom Quentin is a fan. He called this film, "a little gem." This was directed by John Flynn, who's next film is one of Quentin's favorites ROLLING THUNDER, the basis I presume for his Miramax releasing label. Also in the intro for the film Quentin demonstrated to the audience the difference between a tv print and a theatrical print of a film. Theatrical-- "Shove it up your ass" TV--"Shove it up your hat".
Click Here to read the original context for 70’s Crime Night including this film’s pairing with THE NICKEL RIDE!!!
SO – How did THE OUTFIT hold up? It’s a fantastic film. Real high quality crime flick and Duvall and Joe Don Baker kicked a lot of ass. The film is a fantastic adaptation of a Parker story. Just really good stuff. But frankly - the film I was waiting on was next.
You see. DION BROTHERS may very well be one of my all time favorite – you’ve never fucking heard of it, movies. And the film is IMPOSSIBLE to fucking see other than Quentin’s 16mm print.
The film doesn’t exist. Having said that… Tonight, like it did at QT II – years ago. Guillermo Del Toro says about this film, “Every Person on the fucking planet should see this movie, it’s a classic!”
Nothing that anybody says could possibly get you excited enough to see this film. It’s the most brilliant holy shit funny fucking movie ever made – and you can’t see it on video or dvd. This thing is a ghost of a film. It’s the best Coen Brother film that has ever been made, and they had nothing to do with it. It’s quirky, like a drunk grandmother at a funeral doing a striptease whilst petting a tree sloth. Images and sights… that nobody could expect. Lines from a god, and the whole time you sit and wonder… WHERE THE FUCK IS THIS TERRENCE MALICK? I want more films like this!
Anyway – I’m getting ahead of myself. This audience had no idea what they were in for. I could tell, because… nobody but like 4 people in the room clap or shout when Frederic Forrest’s name is mentioned. FOOLS… INFIDELS… Soon they will never forget his fucking name.
Tim League hit the stage before Quentin with, “This movie teases me like no other. The print doesn’t exist anywhere and it’s been being held over my head forever now. It has a lot to live up to.” Heh – Tim has no idea.
Quentin hits the stage announcing that we go from two of the Best robbers in THE OUTFIT to two of the worst in history with THE DION BROTHERS. “The film is directed by Jack Starrett. We have a special love for Jack Starrett at the Alamo Grindhous… I mean Drafthouse.” Hehhehee.
Quentin wants to argue his case for THE DION BROTHERS at the French Cinemateque.
The film came at an interesting time in Frederic Forrest’s career. You see Quentin loves watching actors that are about to blow up and whether or not they become a star or not – and at this point in his career – Forrest was being given the star Treatment. He did LARRY a television movie where he played a retarded guy, then the gangster mafia flick THE DON IS DEAD. Shortly after this run, he was down in the dumps again, till Coppola found him for APOCALYPSE NOW.
Next he focused on Stacy Keach – A great actor, who in the 70’s used his stardom to make some wild wild wild fucking movies. He really pushed in envelope in terms of out there films, which when you’re talking about the 70s you know how out there that really is. His most normal flick was like THE NEW CENTURION. But check out his Doc Holiday flick, DOC – or THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER or FAT CITY – but to Quentin – his most out there and best was with THE DION BROTHERS.
You’ve got part of the Scorsese mob in with Richard Romanus, Barry Primus and then you have a real hambone actor – a real muscle-head of an actor in Denny Miller who you may know as that whacked cowboy from Blake Edward’s THE PARTY. He played TARZAN too. In fact when I was a little boy, me Harry – Denny Miller picked me up over his head and threw me into a swimming pool here in Austin at the second AUSTIN FANTASY FILM FEST in 1976. Then there was Margot Kidder. Little note from me about Margot in this film. She’s hot as hell in this thing. I mean that. It’s amazing.
Then Quentin began talking about the fact this thing has one fucking hysterical line after another – and then about the end action of this film. Jack Starrett did some pretty great action in SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS, SLAUGHTER and RACE WITH THE DEVIL. “When you race with the devil, you better be faster than hell” – a line that Quentin has tried to put in – in every one of his movies, but always ends up pulling it out.
However, Quentin says that if the End action sequence of this film doesn’t kick your ass, then… like they said in HOLLYWOOD MAN – “I’ll kiss your ass in the middle of main street and give you 3 hours to draw a crowd!”
The trailers that played were for DILLINGER, MOON RUNNERS, a doublebill trailer for DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY and VANISHING POINT – what a great fucking doublebill… and then ROLLING THUNDER – which ended with Quentin screaming “That’s Tomorrow Night!” and the crowd cheering.
Now – here’s my original review of GRAVY TRAIN aka DION BROTHERS from QT2:
GRAVY TRAIN (AKA DION BROTHERS)
Quentin tells us that they will be threading up GRAVY TRAIN aka DION BROTHERS while they work on discovering the problem with the other print.
The film begins with Stacy Keach shoveling which looked to me to be dried Dog Food into a funnel that puts it into a can. Then he stops, gets bitched out by his boss.
The following is a paraphrasing of the opening insane monologue...
"I QUIT!!!! I BORED, EVERYWHERE I LOOK IT'S BUSY, BUSY BUSY BUSY BUSY. BUSY WORK THERE AND OVER THERE BUSY... BUSY BUSY BUSY. I DIDN'T STICK OUT THAT LAST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS SHIT. I SHOULD BE IN CALIFORNIA. I COULD BE KIRK DOUGLAS MAAAAN, I COULD BE KIRK FUCKING DOUGLAS!!!!!!!!!" Meanwhile he has ripped off his shirt and is posing like an insane Mr Olympus
I begin noticing some soundtrack problems
The film takes us to an old coal mining pit, where Stacy Keach's fellow Dion is slaving away, played to utter insane stupid perfection by Frederic Forrest. You might know him from his role as 'Chef' in Apocalypse Now. All of a sudden his character exclaims, "Now Gaylord that's a six pack of sheepshit!!" Howling laughter occurs.
Then Stacy Keach arrives in what can only be described as the worst 1970s TV Weatherman Suit. You know, something that would stand out against the blue screen. Hidieous outfit. He begins selling his brother on a dream/mission he has to open a seafood restaurant in Washington D.C. "Our slogan will be: Anything that moves in the ocean we'll slap on your plate!"
Did I mention that this film was co-written by Terrence Malick?
Then Stacy is taking his brother by the Ma's house to say goodbye, when Stacy's character (Calvin) gives his mom a present, which she opens up to reveal a blender.
"Caaalvin, what in earth am I gonna do with a blender, you know we ain't got no 'lectricity indoors," says his mom.
The look on Keach's face was brilliant, this stunned look of stupidity was GREAT!!! I loved it. Dad begins howling, the audience goes bonkers.
THEN as soon as the film takes off, after the 'hold up' the sound goes batty again.
Quentin comes out and says that the projector investigators have located the problem. However, it would be 30 minutes or so till it's fixed. So we all take a break. A rush for sugar comes over the masses, I decide to attack the cookie store out in the food court.
I leave the theater, a pack of hungry film patrons trailing me like bloodhounds. "follow the fatman, he knows where there's sugar," I hear them think. I quicken my pace, this is a mission, a purpose in life. My whole crew is depending on me. I round the corner and.... "NOOOOOOOOOOO, For the love of cookies, Noooooooooo." That's right, they were closed. So instead we feed off the carcasses of chocolate covered almonds and peanuts.
I hook up with one of the forum people, GrafixGnu. He is at the show, and is pretty cool, in that geek sort of way. We sit down and talk while I pop chocolate covered almonds like dolls, and oh how I need my dolls. Pure energy, I can feel the combustible power pit in my stomach cranking out the energy to sustain me through the break.
Quentin is reading the coverage of yesterday that I wrote, he begins handing it around to others. He smiles big and points in my general direction. This is obviously the way a hit is ordered. I can just hear him, "I want that man rubbed out, do ya hear?" I begin hallucinating from the overage of chocolate and almonds. The lights flash, the room spins, and it's time to reenter the theater.
When we are all seated, Quentin decides to do his intro for DION BROTHERS formally. The director Jack Starrett, directed last time's classic HOLLYWOOD MAN (the hollywoooood maaaaaan, he shotttt for theeee staaaaarrrrsss.... AHHHHHHHH). Quentin calls Jack the John Ford of Biker Films. He's the director of THE LOSERS, Quentin's fave biker flick. Starrett also directed a film called RACE WITH THE DEVIL, which has Quentin's all time fave tag line on the poster, "When you race with the devil, you better be fast as hell!!!" Starrett did Cleopatra Jones, and Slaughter.
He reconfirms that Terrence Malick co-wrote this. "This is my favorite script that Malick wrote that another director directed." Then he started talking about how Stacy Keach worked very hard to be like THE quirky lead actor. Then used FAST CITY, "DOC" and a film he has never seen, but desperately wants to, THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER, "He'd travel from hamlet to hamlet with his electric chair executing people!!!" Now that sounds like a damn cool movie, eh? Anybody out there have it, I know someone who wants to see it. Then to wrap it up he said the "One thing that's really terrific about the Dion Brothers is the climax," as he's pacing in and out of the heat ray, "Ok... this film ends with one of those Far Out Action Scenes right out of those Wild Hong Kong Action Films from the mid-eighties!!" Then he went to his seat, the lights dimmed, and the film began again.
This time all warbling sound was gone, and instead we had that perfect optical sound playing. YEAH!!! Now, I have to say this was the funniest damn movie I have seen in a couple of years. It out does the COEN BROTHERS every step of the way. A CLASSIC FILM. HILARIOUS. Frederic Forrest's insane Dion is... JOY TO BEHOLD. I mean I had to piss something fierce during the last 40 minutes of this film, but there was no way, I was leaving for a second. My pen was trying to record the dialogue.
Which by the way was AMAZING. Here let me give you a sample...
"That's the hottest damn car since the French Connection... the trunks filled up with that heroin. That's right ya got 100 pounds of smack in back. So off with your clothes and into your skivvies.!!!" This scene goes on for about 3 pages more. But Keach and his brother are giving these suit dudes the what for, and taking em for a ride. Funny as hell. Missed alot of the dialogue because I was doubled up...
"The yankees can call the dogs and piss on the fire, cause we're right here and sitting pretty!"
"I don't care how much it costs.. Hey, here's $20 go change your name!"
"I've got more tricks than a monkey on a 1000 yards of grapevine."
Then the funniest pick up line in the history of film, "You ever done any... baton twirling?" My god the audience shrieked in ecstatic hilarity.
Margot Kidder asks Frederic Forrest "You're not a cop are you?" To which Forrest's eyes begin twirling, his brow turns sweaty, he begins gesturing with the gun and says, "NO, but I got a GUUUUN and I'm Craaaaaaazy!!!"
Then as the evil Puerto Rican is running with a rifle in a golf bag we hear, "Come here you Commie Spic Faggot!!!" later on this character is forced to talk as a lobster is shoved into his crotch.
Then a guy looks after his chickens, and he is the same guy who drives the garbage truck at the beginning of THE TERMINATOR. Coooooooool. And in his gravely voice he says, "2 more crazy white fucks!"
And finally when one character dies at the end, his last line is, "Name a fish plate after me..."
FUCKING BRILLIANT MOVIE. I want to see it again, thread it up. My god, this was a great damn movie. I still can't get it out of my head. Amazing. Everyone of my friends around me are in utter shock. This movie kicks so much ass. Jesus. What a cool flick. I mean, the entire film is filled with funny as hell dialogue, rip snorting characters, and well that there Frederic Forrest needs to be awarded some sort of prize as the best insane person since Ed Neil in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Holy shit what a great time.
Quentin gets up and off the energy of the crowd exclaims "Thank you" I get the idea he is charged like a 9 volt battery that is holding a gigawatt. He then spouts, "Thanks for keeping with it, and for not turning into, 'GIVE US BARRABAS' on me."
Here’s the original context for that night at QT2 where DION BROTHERS played. A night of manic projection problems and brilliance.
The film played brilliantly. With points where the audience was roaring laughing for 30 minutes straight. Quentin came out… and for the first time since that night of the first Kung Fu triple bill – he was overwhelmed with emotion. “There was a point where the whole theater had been laughing for 30 minutes non-stop over a film – a 30 year old movie that nobody fucking remembers or cares about and you people met this movie on its own terms and bought into it and I just want to say that’s what this whole fucking festival is about and I thank you!”
For me personally… Just watching my girlfriend lose her fucking mind for THE DION BROTHERS was just transcendently amazing. Hell – that I love this film… I was 3 when it hit theaters in 1974 – but it was still 13 more years till she was even born – and the movie hit her like an explosion of pure fun. She looked at me with her eyes gleaming and cheek cramps from smiling and saying, “That was AMAZING!” Then all these friends I’ve had for the last 8 years – that have only heard me rave about this film… The look in their eyes… and how they were absolutely shaking – cuz this movie grabbed them by the balls and squeezed every bit of movie lover joy juice out of em.
That said – we had one last film for the night. THE MUTHERS!
Quentin hits the stage and after thanking the audience for being the badass audience that they were – he says to prepare for some GRADE Z Exploitation Shit, which is how he like it. We’ve been watching high class studio affairs tonight so far. And he says it may seem silly to say this, but he can defend this film against all comers.
He reiterates his “This is not a so bad it’s good festival – this is a cool mutherfucking movie festival and Nobody here is as cool as this movie!”
It was at this point that Quentin admitted that he was writing a book right now that is a compilation of reviews he’s done of 70’s Kung Fu films and one of his fave reviews he’s written is of THE MUTHERS. Directed by Quentin’s fave director of Filipino exploitation films, Cirio Santiago. In the Phillapine film industry they specialized in Dr Moreau style films and Women in Prison films and oddly enough Blaxploitation films. Now these films never took place in the Philippines, but in some unnamed Banana Republic like country.
The biggest expense was the plane ticket for the stars – so like the Blaxploitation films – usually they’d only have one black actor or actress in the whole film – and once that actor was shipped there – they’d force em to shoot 3 movies back to back to back… after all… they were already there. It just made sense. So that’s how Pam Grier wound up in all those Filipino Women in Prison flicks and The Twilight People.
Well the film he had for us tonight was a Women In Prison, Blaxploitation Pirate film with 4 of the most gorgeous soul sisters you’ve ever seen.
First there’s Jeannie Bell – who Quentin is obviously in love with. When he was a kid – Jeannie was dating Richard Burton and he still remembers looking at his grandmother’s NATIONAL ENQUIRER issues of Jeannie Bell and Richard Burton – and seeing Burton walking down a London street in the arms of an afro’d goddess and thinking he was the coolest man in the world… while he was shooting THE KLANSMAN. She also did TNT JACKSON – She’ll Put You IN Traction…. You Want to know where you can see this action, come back to this theater’s next attraction! Sometimes – the shit that comes out of Quentin’s brain is so damn ticklish.
Then you had Rosanne Katon from EBONY IVORY AND JADE… she was Ebony. And she was also in SWINGING CHEERLEADERS – along with ZAPPED!
Then there was Trina Parks aka Thumper from Bambi and Thumper from DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. She was also in William Whitney’s last film ever, Darktown Strutters – also known as GET DOWN AND BOOGIE.
Lastly the 4th was the Black Goddess of the 70’s, the Tyra Banks of the 70’s. Her name was Jayne Kennedy – she’s fantastic in this, and later became sportscaster for CBS Football.
“One of the things I love so much about this movie is the wonderful sense of play these girls have – The whole story is quite ludicrous but the way the girls commit to it is so sweet and pure. These girls are like little children playing pirates in their backyard – and they’re committed to it. And don’t knock that. Because when Kids are playing Star Wars in the backyard they are more committed to playing Han Solo and Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker than the actual actors. That’s not a knock at Harrison Ford and the other actors, they just can’t commit like children cause kids believe it more. They want to believe it more.”
And with that – he told us we’d really get into this about halfway in.
The Final trailers of the night were for THE MACK, TARZOON SHAME OF THE JUNGLE, COFFY and FREEBIE AND THE BEAN.
Here’s my original review from QT 4:
The next film was out of genre... It’s that Philipino Blaxploitation Women In Prison Pirate film I mentioned above... THE MUTHERS. Now... Earlier today... before arriving at the theater, I was at El Capitan Pedro Sangre’s (aka Peter Blood) villa (aka castle) and his beautiful Arabella Bishop (aka his wife) and the adorable little daughter... Irena Dubrovna... a real babe... were socializing and eating the flesh of cows seared by charcoal in a very non-Texas way of doing things... foreigners... sigh...
Anyway... the point of this non-sequitor is that Peter Blood told me that he wouldn’t be here tonight to watch this film because he’d seen it... and it was... not good.
So, Imagine my surprise when this film began kicking exploitation ass right at the 10 minute mark. I mean... it has all of the high water marks in a Women in Prison film... but it also has this strange bizarre out of this world PIRATE motif with gunboats and cannons and mortars and machine guns.... And then you have the whole double agent for the government angle, the typical yummy lesbian hints... lots and lots of wet breasts and see through tan tops with excellent headlight action going on. In the exploitation genre... what I want is to not be bored, to see a lot of fun weird and wacky stuff... of which this film has in spades. You need to have beautiful attractive women, lots of nudity.... And... God willing, the dialogue needs to be filled with inflections and memorable lines. When one character has a snake bite her breast she says, “Just like every other snake I run into, they always messing with my tits.” or... the inflection in the way one character says, “FUCK serena.” Now the all caps is because you scream the first word... and then softly say the proper name... Serena. The way and reason that is said just kills you.
The action is pretty good, the... ‘these girls are soooo screwed’ level of tension is very high. I’ll watch this film and cheer with glee about a 20 times before I’ll even allow someone to hold up the box for BREAKDOWN PALACE... that was some lame shit... at a high price. Here... Philipino director Cirio H Santiago did some fine work here and man this movie was a blast. Check it out if you ever get the chance... for one... Rosanne Kanton and Jeannie Bell are just a pair of the sweetest women you ever did see... and while playing the pirates... it’s like they’re doing it for your own personal fetishistic delight.... Enjoy..
