Well Geeks, this story was going to be run late last Friday so it would be up all weekend, but the gods of cyberspace dictated otherwise and like Harry, ol’ FATHER GEEK here had to sit on his hands for 6 days of bitter frustration while wily wizards of code 2000 miles away conjured up a solution to whoever/whatever had hacked up our site’s update ability. It seems better now, sooooo here’s a report on an event out on the West Coast that’s sure to put a smile on your faces. Well, the faces of you guys anyhow.

The EGYPTIAN THEATRE on Hollywood Blvd. off of Las Palmas has set up a wonderous little festival set to run September 16-25. Its a fun filled tribute to the grand master of big boob cinema, the Hugh Hefner of the moving image, the Robert Crumb of celluloid, none other than the World War II combat photographer turned King of Sleaze RUSS MEYER. Russ was here in Austin with FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! last year and put on quite a show for all of us who got to see him. He even brought his home movies. ( See my story on it over in the AICN MUSEUM section ) He will appear live ( you’ve no idea how live ) at the Egyptian on the 16th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. Furthermore several of Russ’ babes will make in-person appearances during the run of the retrospective.

September 16 at 8pm and the 19th at 4pm

FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! (1966) will lead off the fest. This is FATHER GEEK’s favorite Meyer motion picture. I first saw it at a sleazy little dive of a matchbox theater on Sixth St. in Austin called the Capri while a college student back in 66. A couple of years later Harry’s Mom and I caught it a couple of times as part of a Russ Meyer triple feature at the old Longhorn Drive-in while we were film school students. Its the saga of a trio of hard drinking, sports car racing Go-Go dancers led by the wildly exotic Tura Satana. In an bacchanalia of self-destruction out in the Southern California desert the hedonistic villainesses end up consumed by their own carnality and avarice. This is a true masterwork by Meyer that stands out as a landmark genre piece of 1960’s pop filmmaking. Annnnnd on the 16th both RUSS MEYER and TURA SATANA will be on hand to discuss the film with their fans. Tura Satana, a real live trash-cinema icon, man I’m jealous of you LA area geeks that can make this.

September 17th starting at 7pm

There are no live appearances this night , but you will be treated to a great psycho-sexual triple feature. Just pretend you’re sitting in your 60’s muscle-car on a steaming hot summer night swilling down the cooler full of brew you’ve got in the backseat with your buds and on the giant drive-in screen in front of you are three fantastic Russ Meyer classics full of voluptuous babes. Now hold on to that imagery. 1st up is MUDHONEY (1965) with the incredible Lorna Maitland. This is Meyer’s “Tobacco Road” or “God’s Little Acre”. A tip of the hat to those great Erskine Caldwell stories about plain old backwoods folk. Lorna is a perfect “Daisy Mae” with a mountainside full of Hatfield and McCoy types all trying to get a taste of her country charms. Next at 9pm will be VIXEN (1968). Erica Gavin stars in the title role in Roger Ebert’s favorite Meyer flick. When asked in Austin what film he was proudest of Russ replied, “ Vixen made the most money, so it must be my best... yeah, its got to be Vixen.” As a sex comedy, this one is a non-stop, merciless movie mockery. Last but not least is MOTORPSYCHO (1965). This film hit the 60’s and 70’s drive-in circuit double featured with Pussycat and they play well that way. The anti-hero of the piece is a crazed Vietnam vet, warped by his war experiences, not a very common plot ploy in 65. Most Americans didn’t even know we were involved in Southeast Asia at the time, so this film is one of the first to touch on the subject.

September 18th starting at 6pm

This night’s triple feature starts off with FATHER GEEK’s second most favorite Meyer film, the one pinned by none other than Roger Ebert, yes the very same one that hosts the popular TV show owned by Disney. BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970) has nothing whats-so-ever to do with the acclaimed mainstream motion picture Valley of the Dolls. That said, I think BTVOTD is a much more enjoyable film, maybe even a better motion picture all together. There’s great music by the Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Carrie Nations. It still sells-out theaters whenever its shown and its arguably Russ’ most complete motion picture. And appearing on stage at this showing will be RUSS MEYER, EDY WILLIAMS, CYNTHIA MYERS, and the “Z-Man” JOHN LAZAR. Man, what more can you ask for? Well, how about the 2nd feature which gets on the way at about 8:45 or so. LORNA (1964) is another film starring bosomy Lorna Maitland. It starts off with fire and brimstone exhortation and climaxes with an outstanding hand-to-hand altercation, and fear not we see plenty of Ms. Maitland inbetween. The third film on this night’s bill is the supernatural thriller (tongue firmly lodged in cheek) CHERRY, HARRY, AND RAQUEL (1969). Not wanting to spoil the twists and turns, FATHER GEEK will say only that this involves Marijuana, a bashful hooker, a German speaking Native American female phantasm, a hyper-sexed British bird, and various other Meyeresque types. I saw this one back in 69 when it came out and not since, as I remember it, its a 1st class sexual farce.

September 19th at 6pm

Wow!!! THE IMMORAL MR. TEAS (1959) is a nudie-cutie PeeWee’s Big Adventure, and its the 1st movie FATHER GEEK ever snook into. I was 14 and some friends and I had ventured into forbidden territory along West Houston Street in downtown San Antonio. It was an area occupied by hockshops, seedy bars, adult news stands, a tailor shop thats front window boldly declared “bullet holes repaired”, a couple of Burly Houses, a used bookstore/coinshop with nude autopsy 8”x10”s of Bonnie Parker and Babyface Nelson on display in the window along side the books on tattoos and freaks, annnnd two very sleazy shotgun theaters called the Joy and the Prince. It was at the Prince that someone spotted some nude stills advertising Russ Meyer’s groundbreaking skin-flick. Somehow we worked up the courage to enter the alley with its resident winos and junkies and made our way to the theater’s back door, I pulled on the handle and the door swung open, we walked in and saw our 1st celluloid breasts. WOW!!! I haven’t seen this bit of cinema in the 40 years since. I’ve owned posters and stills though. GOOD MORNING...AND GOODBYE (1967) is the last flick this day starring a young Don Johnson and “Pussycat’s” Haji in a hilarious account of irrevocable love.

September 22 at 8pm

Russ’ star-studded 20th Century Fox “real” motion picture THE SEVEN MINUTES (1971) with John Carradine, Yvonne DeCarlo, Tom Selleck, Charles Napier and the lovely Edy Williams is an expose of hypocrisy and censorship. It lays bare the pretense of virtue with the use of devastating burlesque. Its a timely, almost forgotten work, hidden away by the studio that made it. EDY WILLIAMS will be on hand to answer questions after the screening of this rare film.

September 24th at 7pm

RUSS MEYER will appear in person with his super hit SUPERVIXENS (1975). Its like Dario Argento Vs. Chuck Jones, its a bonefied masterpiece of an erotic chiller live-action cartoon with perhaps the most galvanizing death scene in 70’s cinema and its FATHER GEEK’s 3rd most favorite film by Director Meyer. Hang on to your seat geeks this one has a real rocket-sled ride of an ending. Its truely over-the-top film making.

September 25th gets started at 6pm

This next flick is burned into my brain. Tim at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema collects 35mm trailers and one that he shows often at the theater is for BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS (1979). FATHER GEEK has seen it 30 times if I’ve seen it once. In it they label Meyer as “The Working Man’s Fellini.” I’ve thought about that alot... and you know... its probably true. Just watch this film. Its populated with the same kind of outlandish, overdrawn characters that Fellini is famous for. Sure its aimed at a lower level, its more base, more common, but that is what they mean by “working man”, its really blue-collar in its approach and aside from its arguable art value there’s the presence of Kitten Natividad. And guess what me hardies? Ms. KITTEN NATIVIDAD will be appearing live on stage after the show with RUSS MEYER. Tooooooo Coooooool!!! Or is that, Toooooo HooooooT!!! Then there are still 2 more movies to see. At 8:30 or so it will be COMMON-LAW CABIN (1967) a dude-raunch comedy full of supernatural females followed by FINDERS KEEPERS, LOVERS WEEPERS (1968) an Ultra-coooool noir of strippers, gangsters, and switch-hitting madams tripping through a neon phantasmagoria.

Check this fest out guys and gals. Old FATHER GEEK gives it 5 stars for good old solid entertainment fun.